If you’re looking for something fun to do while living in your Columbus student rental this summer or fall, you just might be taking for granted two of the best things this city has to offer – the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Either one is a good option as the state of Ohio, and Columbus in particular, begin emerging from pandemic restrictions.
We’ll explore each of these options.
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
The Columbus Zoo has a well-deserved reputation as one of the largest and best zoos in the Midwest. This educational and recreation complex offers the opportunity to view 10,000 different animals in six designated regions within the zoo, including the Heart of Africa, Congo Expedition, Australia and the Islands, Shores, Asia Quest and North America.
On its website, the Columbus Zoo recommends that visitors do some planning before arriving, in order to maximize the experience. “Like any adventure, a little planning can mean a lifetime of good memories. Our visitor tools (on the zoo website) are here to help you experience the spectacular diversity and fun of the Columbus Zoo any time of year…”
Check for COVID Restrictions
One important preliminary is to check the zoo website for current COVID-19 restrictions, including when and where facial coverings are required (if at all) and any social distancing requirements. As the summer progresses, most experts expected these rules to continue to be relaxed, though if nothing else we’ve learned since early winter 2020, this pandemic can be unpredictable. (As of late May, the zoo was requiring masks inside but not outside, and reservations until 2 p.m. for both zoo members and day guests, without timed entry/reservations after 2. The zoo is open from 9 to 5.)
The website also provides detailed information on zoo fees, which include discounts for Franklin County/Columbus residents, children and seniors. If you’ve been able to save a bit of money while living in your student rental near OSU, consider a $40 VIP Experience pass to the zoo. This pass offers a number of extras, including but not limited to rides on the zoo train, carousel, pony, camel, Dinosaur Island, 4D Theater and more; giraffe and stingray feedings, lorikeet feeding, and discounts on food and drinks (excluding alcohol or souvenir cups).
One thing you’ll definitely want to do before visiting the Zoo and Aquarium is check out what critters you’re likely to see. You can do this by clicking on the link to the animal guide.
Visit the Zoo and Help the Community
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is rightly proud of its community outreach, including $1.5 million gifted to the community, 5,000 students “empowered by learning,” and 2.6 million people “inspired through onsite and offsite experiences.”
The zoo is also proud to offer multiple discounted and complimentary education programs “that touch the heart to teach the mind and satisfy people’s thirst for knowledge about the world around them. They reach everyone from preschoolers to homeschoolers, elementary students to college undergrads.”
Every year, according to the zoo website, “35,000 students at nearly 200 schools receive $450,000 in experiences.”
Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Gardens
Similar to the Columbus Zoo but with an important difference (plants not animals), Columbus offers another highly respected venue for appreciating the natural world, the Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. Leave your student rental for the day and take the short drive to visit this incredible facility.
(As of late May, the Conservatory was still requiring reserved tickets and requiring facial coverings indoors and outdoors. However, with Ohio’s COVID restrictions expiring on June 2, check the facility’s website for any update rules before deciding to visit.)
The operating philosophy of the Franklin Park Conservatory is stated prominently on its website: “Bringing people and plants together is our business.” Its related mission is as follows: “Inspired by horticulture, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens elevates quality of life and connects the community through educational, cultural and social experiences.”
Touted as “Central Ohio’s premier botanical garden and home to the iconic John F. Wolfe Palm House,” the Conservatory is located just east of Franklin Park, about two miles east of downtown Columbus. From the neighborhoods around Ohio State, it’s an easy drive or Uber ride.
What Can You Find at the Conservatory?
Visitors have nearly 13 acres to explore, including the Conservatory building, the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden, and the Grand Mallway. According to the website, “The experience consists of botanical biomes, lush gardens, special horticulture and art exhibitions, and seasonal offerings. A collection of glass works by artist Dale Chihuly is also on display and included with admission.”
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Community Garden Campus includes the massive four-acre garden next to the “visitor experience” that includes the rose pavilion, an apiary, the berry house and more than three dozen community garden plots along with a demonstration kitchen and Live-Fire Cooking Theater. This area is open to the public at no charge from sun-up to sundown.
Admission is charged for the 13-acre Visitor Experience, while the rest of the Conservatory, some 75 aces, is free to explore without admission.
The Franklin Park Conservatory also offers a variety of interesting regular exhibitions plus special, temporary exhibitions by national and international artists each year.