Top 10 Summer Things to Do

1. Columbus Area Metro Parks

From their Nature Camps to programs open to the public to just plain open space and nature trails, the Metro Parks are a great place for a family getaway this summer.

2. Columbus Cultural Arts Center

The Columbus Cultural Arts Center is filled with all sorts of educational programs and events for kids and adults alike.

3. Library Summer Reading Club

Encourage your children to read with free programs, incentives and more at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Suburban library systems will also have a summer reading club.

4. Columbus Recreation Centers

30 neighborhood recreation centers throughout the city of Columbus provide programs and services for children including swimming pools and the Free Summer Lunch Program, which provides nutritious meals to thousands of youth at 160 locations throughout the summer.

5. Picnic With the Pops

This great family activity costs a little more but is enjoyed by many throughout the summer months.

6. Columbus Clippers Baseball

Great fun for kids and the whole family, and at least until 2007 it will be a bargain!

7. Ohio State Fair

Held each August at the Ohio Expo Center (also known as the State Fairgrounds), the Ohio State Fair is a fun event for all ages.

8. Zoombezi Bay Water Park

Located next to the Columbus Zoo in Powell, Zoombezi Bay features water rides, slides and attractions for all ages.

9. Columbus Zoo

Columbus' own award-winning zoo is filled with summer fun events and more. Kids can take the Zoo bus during the summer months to both the zoo and the Zoombezi Bay Waterpark.

10. Fort Rapids

Advertised as "60,000 square feet of great family fun," Fort Rapids has party rooms and lots of indoor fun for that family getaway without leaving town.