Columbus Public Health has launched an exciting new initiative that combines art and exercise into one unique experience. You can now see up to 80 artistic, historical and architectural sites around Columbus, all by foot and with the help of pre-designed walking tours.

Columbus Art Walks was developed by Columbus Public Health’s Healthy Places Program to encourage people to experience the city in a positive, healthy way. These self-guided cell phone tours are currently available for four Columbus neighborhoods, including the Discovery District, Arena District, Ohio Statehouse and The Ohio State University.

The best part is that it’s free and easily accessible. All you need to participate is a cell phone and a map, which you can download here . The map provides an overview of the program, important phone numbers and a walking map with route details. Upon arrival at each site, a unique phone number can be called to hear details and interesting facts about the site. With 20-30 stops on each tour, there is plenty to see.

So lace up your sneakers and get ready to walk. With only a few weeks of fall foliage left to enjoy, this is a perfect excuse to get out and about.

This post is part 1 of a 6 part series featuring Experience Columbus Days , which takes place Oct. 8-11. During that time, Columbus attractions offer 50% off (or in some cases, BOGO or free admission). Plus, the restaurants of Dine Originals Columbus offer 25% off your food bill for two people.

In this post, Meg offers suggestions for how groups can make the most of Experience Columbus Days . Stay tuned for future posts in the series - we’ll be featuring Dine Originals restaurant suggestions , plus Experience Columbus Days activities that are great for dates,  perfect for art fans, fun for kids and recommended for history buffs.

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Do you ever have family coming to town and are wondering what to do and where to take them? Or do you ever think that you and your friends should venture away from doing “the usual” and go out and experience something different? Planning for a group outing can be fun, but it can also be a challenge. To make it easier for you, here are a few Experience Columbus Days suggestions that are great for groups: (more…)

One of our tour stops:
the Greener Grocer at the North Market

Columbus has a new way to experience some of our city’s great culinary offerings. Columbus Food Adventures launched in July and is owned and operated by Bethia Woolf, who runs three prominent Columbus food blogs.

Currently, Columbus Food Adventures offers three different tours that will expand your palate and leave your mouth watering: Short North Tour, Taco Trucks Tour and Alt Eats Tour (see the end of this post for details on how you can win one).

I was fortunate to be on one of the first Short North tours offered, along with my coworker, Scott. The tour began at the North Market at 11 a.m. and lasted a few hours. We walked a total of 1.5 miles and learned about the history of the area at specific stops on our route. (more…)

I work with a variety of groups visiting Columbus – girlfriend getaways, family reunions, church groups, school groups, book clubs…the list goes on. And they almost always ask for “something different” to do.

In response to these requests, Experience Columbus has worked with a number of partners to develop a variety of options for people looking to do something fun and hands-on. We now have 57 different “experiential” activities that include everything from interacting with exotic zoo animals to learning about herbs to tasting and toasting with Irish beers .

If you’re part of a group looking to plan something unique in Columbus, check out some of what’s available:

• Be a Columbus Clippers baseball player . Attend a press conference announcing your signing with the team, dress in the clubhouse, warm up in the cages and then take the field.

 

• Go behind the scenes of the renowned BalletMet and discover what it takes to bring a production to life. Learn secrets the audience never sees, enjoy an interactive meeting with dancers and take an exclusive backstage tour

 

• Participate in a one-of-a-kind sensory experience in Worthington . Blend and pour a scented candle, then sniff and sample among two-dozen distinctive wines.

 

• Learn what’s in fashion from the experts , create scrapbook memories , and learn to cook with top chefs – all at Easton Town Center.

 

• Cook with spicy foods master CaJohn , sample an array of amazing tastes and learn how artisan ice cream is made from farm-to-table at Columbus’ lively and historic North Market

 

• Tour a 13,000 year-old cranberry bog where only a rare few are permitted to travel, create a blown glass ornament and make teas when you explore Licking County

 

• Pamper yourself at a spa , enjoy an evening of adventurous dining , and become a winemaker in the lively Short North Arts District

 

• Be a horse trainer for a day , learn about saddles, bits and more or discover some betting secrets of the pros with a behind-the-scenes thoroughbred racing experience

 

A complete list of current tours can be found here . For more details or to set up an experience for your group, feel free to call me at 614-222-6136 or send me an email .

Last week, several of our staff got to experience Columbus’ newest way to see downtown and learn about our city’s great history in two hours…on a Segway.

Beginning June 1, SegAway Tours of Columbus will begin operating daily tours of the capital city out of the Greater Columbus Convention Center. While you operate a Segway i2, the tour takes you through Columbus and parkland along the Scioto River. Some of the stops include the Santa Maria, Ohio Statehouse, Columbus Dispatch building, several theaters, the Arena District and Short North.

I was a bit nervous as my first Segway experience at top speed was not one filled with grace and ease, but owner and operator David Weller gave us great instruction and plenty of test runs on flat ground before we took off. The helmets you wear have a headset built in so you can hear David’s comedic history lesson as you go.

Along the way, David let us know about upcoming bumps in the road and would hold up caution and stop signs to help you gauge speed. By the tour’s end I had mastered the Segway and learned more about the city and some of its historic landmarks in two hours than ever before. Ever wonder how Columbus got its name? Or what that rock next to the Statehouse along the Scioto River is there for? Do you know how many times and the reasons why President Lincoln visited Columbus? You’ll find out on this tour.

Karina Nova from local CBS affiliate 10TV joined us. Here’s video from the segment that aired last week:

You can book June tours now by calling 614-222-3005 or emailing Tours@SegAwayToursofColumbus.com . The cost is $55 per rider for a two-hour tour and the maximum number of riders per tour is six. The only restrictions are that you must weigh between 100-260 lbs. and have a parent’s signature if you are under the age of 16.