Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens is an urban green reserve of more than 30 acres on Ohio State's main campus, with gardens, trees, a labyrinth and spots to picnic, fish or watch birds. It's open year-round from dawn to dusk and there is no admission fee. Parking in the surrounding lots is pay-and-display.
Walk through the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center, a 1930s Art Deco landmark, and the Court's Visitor Education Center with exhibits on Ohio's court system. Free self-guided tours are open to the public during Court hours, no appointment needed; call ahead to confirm today's hours. Groups of 5 or more can book a free guided tour at least 2 weeks ahead (4 weeks for student groups) by emailing courttours@sc.ohio.gov. It's a secure building: visitors in 6th grade and up go through security screening, and adults are asked to show photo ID.
Verified Oct 28 · supremecourt.ohio.gov
Catch: Security screening; adults asked to show photo ID
Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, Sullivant Hall · Columbus
Ohio State's Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum holds the world's largest collection of cartoon and comics art, with a permanent highlights exhibit and rotating galleries. Admission is free and walk-ins are welcome. Galleries are open Sunday and Tuesday–Friday, 1–5pm (closed Monday and Saturday). They also close for holidays (this fall: Nov 11, Nov 26–27, Dec 24–25), so check the hours page.
Tue–Wed 9:30am–5pm, Thu–Fri 9:30am–7pm, Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm
Wexner Center for the Arts · Columbus
The Wexner Center for the Arts on Ohio State's campus is free for everyone during regular gallery hours, with contemporary art exhibitions and free tours. Galleries are open Tuesday and Wednesday 9:30am–5pm, Thursday and Friday 9:30am–7pm, Saturday 10am–5pm and Sunday 10am–4pm (closed Mondays). Galleries close between exhibitions, so check the current schedule. Bags, large purses and umbrellas are checked before you enter.
Scioto Audubon Metro Park, just south of downtown, has what Metro Parks calls the largest free outdoor climbing wall in the country: three towers and two arches, 35 feet high, over 7,000 square feet. The four auto belays are up from late March to late October (weather permitting) and come down each year for recertification; the rest of the year bring your own ropes. Climbers bring their own harness. The wall is open 8am–7pm October–March and 8am–9pm April–September. The park also has the free Columbus Rotary Obstacle Course.
Verified Oct 28 · metroparks.net
Catch: Bring your own climbing harness (and ropes when auto belays are down) · Under 16 must be with an adult
Ohio State's Chadwick Arboretum celebrates the arrival of winter on Thursday, December 17, 2026, 4–7pm in the Lane Ave Gardens: an open fire, roasted chestnuts and hot cocoa, luminary-lit gardens and a meditative labyrinth. From 4pm until dusk, free 30-minute guided tours of the conifer collection leave about every 10 minutes from the trellis area. Free and open to everyone; parking in the Agricultural Administration lot costs $3 an hour.
Verified Oct 28 · chadwickarboretum.osu.edu
No catch
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