Your Columbus, Ohio Experience

By Bill Malcom

Franklin Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Columbus, Ohio is an amazing and surprising city with much to like for the LGBTQ traveler. Two great

neighborhoods with tons of gay bars, great restaurants, fun hotels and incredible attractions.

ORIENTATION

The Short North Arts District, as well as Italian Village, are just north of downtown and home to

much of the LGBTQ community. Downtown, the Arena District, and Franklintown are also fun. Try

pizza at Slammers and test your karaoke skills. Nearby is the District West which has lots of fun

shows. Check out the AWOL leather bar too. Charmy’s Market has a great salad bar and local

treats. You will find it at 95 N. Grant. German Village, south of downtown, is yet another gayborhood. I like the Club Diversity, Boscoe’s (which has dancers Sunday nights), and the Cavan Irish Pub (owned by AWOL).

WHAT TO DO

Visit the new Prototype: The Experimental Museum in the Brewery District. I walked to it from

the new Scotio River Trail. The museum is “trying out” exhibits for museums around the world and is

very interactive and high tech. They even have a bar. It is interactive, edgy and just plain fun.

Cutting-edge digital works, kinetic art, immersive films, sound studios and sensory illusion are among the exhibits according to “Ohio – The Heart of it all” 2026 guide. It is a must.

The Franklin Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is another must. Just east of downtown, it has

indoor and outdoor gardens. Plus Chihuly, a butterfly garden and more.

The Columbus Museum of Art has a new “Queer/Modern” exhibit highlighting the artistic subcultures

that flourished in nineteenth century America and Europe. You will see how queer artists shaped modern art; not to be missed. The East of the Pacific: Making Histories of Asian American Art is

also now open as an exhibit. Plus, an excellent restaurant which includes outdoor dining. Also, just

a mile east of downtown. The new Pizzuti Museum, across from Goodale Park, is a must in the Short North. It also features a speakeasy bar.

NIGHTLIFE

The Sunday beer bust at AWOL was fun and featured a leathery crowd. The iconic Union Café in Short North (just north of downtown) is the original video bar. Across the street is the dance bar, the Axis

Nightclub. German Village south of downtown also features a ton of gay bars.

WHERE TO STAY

I always stay at the Hyatt Regency downtown (350 N. High). Just steps to the bars and restaurants in the Short North, the service is second to none, the rooms quiet and spotless, and no pesky resort or destination fee like some Hyatts have. Bargain hunters will like the Red Roof Plus+ which is steps away from downtown.

WHERE TO EAT

Named one of the 10 best food cities in the U.S. by Conde Nast Traveler, Columbus is a foodie’s

heaven. The So Cal Kitchen and Bar (705 N.High, socalkichenandbar.com) in the Short North is excellent. Try the green goddess salad, the carna asada (chile-rubbed skirt steak, chimichurri, grilled onion, peppers and sweet potatoes) plus the coconut sorbet. The Budd Dairy Food Hall in Italian Village was excellent. It has a rooftop bar as well as casual, original restaurants. The North Market in Short North is also great and is the original farmers market food hall/ public market and is celebrating its

150th birthday Independent merchants, farmers and “makers” make for a vibrant scene. Charmy’s Market has a great salad bar and a lot of local and organic treats. You will find them at 95 N. Grant.

OTHER TIPS

I took the COTA bus everywhere. Just $2. The CMAX rapid line runs every 15 minutes.

I took United, my new favorite airline, to John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH). United

now offers free Wi-Fi for Mileage Plus members. The service is excellent and the staff top-notch.

The airport is just 10 minutes east of downtown. It is an easy Lyft or Uber trip or you can take the

COTA bus for $2. The Buckeye Flame is the online news. 614) Magazine is the free monthly publication.

The Stonewall Community Center in Short North has lots of events.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Experience Columbus has a new funky visitor center in the Short North right on High Street. Stop by

for ideas of where to go. Its website is experiencecolumbus.com. Or outincbus.com.

You cannot beat a hipster college town – a Midwest icon. The biggest city in Ohio is worth a long

weekend or more.

Bill Malcolm is North America’s

only syndicated LGBTQ value

travel columnist. He pays his own

way (hotel and air) and avoids

hotels, rental car companies, and

airlines with resort fees/amenity

fees/destination fees or other junk

charges. He walks, takes transit, or

bicycles to get a real feel of the

city.