COSI

Top choice in Ohio


The acronym stands for Center of Science and Industry, and it ranks high in the pantheon of children’s museums around the country. Of the 300-plus hands-on exhibits jammed into the building, the dinosaur gallery (with a mechanical T-rex), space gallery (with a replica space station to explore) and high-wire unicycle ride are highlights. Live science shows, Ohio’s largest planetarium ($5 extra) and a 3D theater ($5 extra) are also part of the whopping spread.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ohio attractions

1. National Veterans Memorial and Museum

0.16 MILES

Poignant and powerful, Columbus’ newest museum tells the stories of US service members over the past 250-plus years. The focus is on individual people,…

2. Scioto Mile

0.27 MILES

This network of green spaces stretches along both sides of the Scioto River as it twists through downtown. Paths prime for strolling edge the water and…

3. Roy G Biv Gallery

0.36 MILES

Exhibitions showcase cutting-edge works of sculpture, video, photography and mixed media by emerging artists. They change every month.

4. Topiary Park

1.05 MILES

If you’ve ever thought, ‘I wonder what Georges Seurat’s post-impressionist masterpiece A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte would look like…

5. Pizzuti Collection

1.07 MILES

Curators show off the amazing collection of contemporary paintings, sculpture, film, photography and prints via exhibitions that change every three months…

6. Columbus Museum of Art

1.07 MILES

It’s not the biggest or flashiest museum around, but it has a fine collection, with strong suits in early modern American and European art. Highlights…

8. Wexner Center for the Arts

2.81 MILES

The campus arts center offers cutting-edge art exhibits, films and performances. Admission is free on Thursdays after 4pm and on the first Sunday of each…