Columbus Museums Are Worth Your Time

Columbus has museums to fit every taste. Naturally, there are art museums -- the Wexner is internationally known for its contemporary shows -- but we have some surprises, too. There are military museums and history and kids museums, and museums about golf and science and fire-fighting. You can explore most of the museums below in a few hours. Some take longer. But the time is very well spent.

Note: Many museums have group rates. Call for information.

Center of Science and Industry (COSI)

You have to love it when Columbus gets bragging rights for science! But it's no surprise that Parent's Magazine named Columbus' Center of Science and Industry (COSI) as the #1 Science Center in the country. COSI takes you on a hands-on exploration of the wonders of the universe -- from ancient civilizations to outer space, the deepest oceans, and the tiny crevices in your skin, COSI gets you there, up close and personal.

Ohio Craft Museum

Motts Military Museum

Military vehicles, aircraft, and a Higgins Boat from World War II are on display at Motts Military Museum in Groveport. The Museum, founded in 1987 by Warren E. Motts, includes an exhibit -- complete with car -- on Columbus native and WWI Flying Ace Captain Eddie Rickenbacker.

Columbus Museum of Art

When my kids were young, I would always stop at the gift ship before going into a museum. I’d buy three or four cheap post cards. Then the kids and I would go through the museum, looking for things in the post cards. It was a great way to go through the exhibits, and the kids noticed things that I didn’t.

Well, the Columbus Museum of Art has similar scavenger hunts already set up for adults and children. Ask for the current Gallery Hunt at the admission desk. There are also “Guide by Cell Phone Tours.” Seriously, this is really cool. You dial a phone number, then select the code that appears next to a piece of art, hear all sorts of info about the piece. The museum does not charge for this, but your phone carrier may charge you for minutes and roaming.

Motorcycle Hall of Fame

I have to admit – I get a real kick out of a museum exhibit that highlights a "Knucklehead." But there are plenty of other things to enjoy about the three compact shows at the American Motorcycle Association's Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Buff machines by Arlen Ness, celebrities' machines and riding tales, a photography show of bikes as art -- you don't have to ride to love this tour.

CSI and the Ohio Supreme Court Visitor Center

The Supreme Court of Ohio is more than just a gorgeous mix of marble, brass, mosaics, hand-painted ceilings and intricate carvings. Free 45-minute tours cover Ohio history, how the courts work, and the building's architecture and artwork.

Downstairs, the Visitor Education Center provides a hands-on look at the law. This award-winning exhibit uses a car trunk to explain a court case on search and seizure. A shiny wall of CDs highlights the case on downloading music. A new CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) section is being installed the fall and winter of 2009. Small groups are welcome to tour the Center without appointment.

Note: All visitors must present photo identification and be physically screened before entering the building.

Thurber House

Thurber House was the home of author, humorist, and New Yorker cartoonist James Thurber and his family when Thurber was a student at The Ohio State University. Thurber House is a little different from most museums. Visitors may sit on the chairs, play a tune on the downstairs piano, hear about the ghosts and stroll in the Centennial Reading Garden, complete with sculptures of five of Thurber famous dogs.

The Thurber House offers writing workshops for adults and children, and hosts a nationally known series of author talks.

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