Known as the second oldest park in the city, Schiller Park is tucked away in the German Village area of Columbus. A sprawling 23.45 acres, the park features lush foliage, picnic and gazebo area, playground, fishing pond, basketball and tennis courts, baseball diamond, walking trails and recreation center. The park was temporarily renamed during World War II when anti-German sentiment was widely popular in the United States.
The Columbus Topiary Garden is a topiary garden unlike any other. Whereas the average topiary garden collects a bunch of random figures doing random things, this one is a unified work. It recreates Georges Seurat's classic painting 'A Sunday on the Island of La Grande Jatte' in three-dimensional shrubberies. Each life-size figure plays the part of a figure in the painting, and it is marvelous. An on-site museum will fill you in on the history of the park, the Old Deaf School and the surrounding neighborhood.
The idea for the Park of Roses was conceived in 1951 when members of two different rose clubs teamed up to share their love for roses with the rest of Ohio. The Park opened in June 1953 and continues to host the Columbus Rose Festival every June. There are 12,000 rose bushes in the park of 400 varieties, as well as other specialized gardens such as the herb garden, perennial garden, and daffodil garden, which houses more than 1,000 varieties of daffodils! Admission to the park is free, and it is open every day sunrise to sunset.
Hayden Falls Park is a charming nature getaway in Columbus. Located just off the Scioto River, this park boasts a lovely walkway that leads to a beautiful waterfall. The path doesn't have too many places to stop and rest, so be prepared for more of an active outing when spending the day at Hayden Falls Park.
Franklin Park is best known for its famous conservatory, but there's lots more going on here as well. Firstly, it's a vast place. One could get lost wandering its paths for hours. There are open fields and groves of trees galore, as well as a creek complete with a baby waterfall. Some spillover from the conservatory means there are colorful flowers here and there, and the occasional piece of intriguing public art. Franklin Park's distance from the city means it's rare to find a crowd here, so if you need a quiet place for an introspective walk, or a guaranteed large chunk of open space for a birthday party or other function, this is the spot.
Just a block off the action of the Short North section of High Street, Goodale Park is an inviting place to sit back and relax. The pond, with its fountain and gazebo, is the centerpiece, with folks lounging along its banks and kids playing at the edge of the water. Winding pathways throughout the park see a lot of use as well. There are baseball diamonds and a basketball court for those in need of a bit of organized sport.
