Ohio’s capital city of Columbus has surpassed both Cleveland and Cincinnati to become the largest city in the state, by a wide margin. Forbes named it the number 1 up-and-coming tech city in the United States in 2008, while Business Week declared it the number 1 place to raise a family in the country in 2009.
Columbus is not only an appealing place to live, but also to visit. Among its many worthwhile tourist sites are the following:
Columbus Symphony Orchestra
Located in the Ohio Theatre and headed by new Musical Director Jean-Marie Zeitouni, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra is the oldest performing arts organization in Columbus, founded in 1951.
With 53 full time musicians and 57 musicians on call as needed for individual performances, the Columbus Symphony annually presents 15 pairs of classical concerts, 6 pairs of pops concerts, a summer outdoor pops series, concerts for children and students, and other special events. It also serves at the orchestra for Opera Columbus and BalletMet, Columbus’s ballet company.
Made famous by Director Emeritus Jack Hanna’s many appearances on late night TV with his exotic animals, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium features over 700 species and over 6,000 specimens of animals. In 2009, it was named the number one zoo in America by USA Travel Guide.
The zoo is located in Powell, in the northern Columbus metropolitan area, along the O’Shaughnessy Reservoir on 580 acres that also include a golf course, water park, and Jungle Jack’s Landing.
More than a million and a half visitors come to the zoo each year. Among the highlights they come to see are Colo, the first gorilla ever born in captivity, and eight of her descendants. There is also an endangered manatees exhibit, and a new exhibit called Asia Quest, with sun bears, red pandas, giant fruit bats, muntjac, and endangered Siberian tigers, among many others.
The zoo is also well known for bringing in visiting animals from around the world, such as the pandas Ying and Yang, and Fluffy, the largest python in captivity.
Two miles east of downtown Columbus is the historic 88-acre Franklin Park, within which is the 83,000 square foot Franklin Park Conservatory, with its 400 species of plants.
Among the highlights at the conservatory are Blooms & Butterflies, Holidays at the Conservatory, the Orchid Forest, a collection of Dale Chihuly glass artwork, the John F. Wolfe Palm House with over 40 species of palms, and the Light Raiment II light display by James Turrell.
The conservatory offers classes and workshops on a wide variety of topics. There is a café and a gift shop as well.
The conservatory is open 7 days a week from 10 AM to 5 PM, with extended Wednesday evening hours to 8 PM. Admission is $11 for adults, $9 for seniors and adult students, and $6 for children.
German Village
German Village is a neighborhood just south of downtown Columbus, one of the largest restored districts in the country and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, consisting of over a thousand buildings, mostly from the mid to late 19th century.
The highlights of the area include Schmidt’s Sausage Haus, a landmark since 1869, serving its “Bahama Mama” spicy sausage sandwich and other traditional German food. Another popular local eatery is Max & Erma’s Restaurant, the original location of what was to become a chain of over 70 burger restaurants.
The Book Loft covers a block of restored 19th century buildings, with over 700,000 books divided into 32 rooms devoted to different subjects.
At the southern edge of the German Village neighborhood is Schiller Park, 24 acres of brick-paved pathways, the Huntington Perennial Gardens, picnic facilities, a fishing pond, a softball field, tennis courts, basketball courts, a playground, and an amphitheater for summer theater.
Of course Oktoberfest is the ideal time to come to German Village. Not only do the residents and merchants of the neighborhood celebrate it, but it has spilled beyond the neighborhood, with many major events and attractions now held at the nearby Ohio Expo Center.
Ohio Statehouse
One of the oldest working statehouses in the United States and a National Historic Landmark, the Ohio Statehouse took from 1839 to 1861 to build, at a cost of 1.3 million dollars, which would be equivalent to a building costing 100 million dollars today.
The Ohio Statehouse is of the Greek Revival style of architecture. It is constructed of limestone, containing many fossils, and marble. The floor of the Statehouse Rotunda consists of 5,000 individual pieces of marble.
Among the highlights inside are a sweeping grand staircase modeled after that of the Paris Opera House, the only bust Abraham Lincoln ever posed for during his lifetime, and a 23 foot across painting of the signing of the Treaty of Green Ville that weighs 1,800 pounds with its frame.
Visitors are welcome to tour the building on their own, or there are free 45 minute guided tours starting at the top of the hour until 3 PM, departing from the Third Street Information Desk. The building is open Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 6 PM, and weekends 11 AM to 5 PM, closed on holidays.
Resources:
