Things to do in Columbus in Winter to Avoid the Blues

Are you planning to visit Columbus in winter? Or maybe you’re a local looking forward a few ideas to keep you busy during the coldest months? Check out these fun things to do in Columbus in winter to brighten your spirits and keep you exploring!

Enjoy the holiday lights

Without a doubt, one of the best things to do in Columbus in December is explore the city’s many festive light displays. With sunset as early as 5pm, there’s plenty of opportunity to be dazzled by Columbus in winter. Here are the main light displays to check out:

Conservatory Aglow at Franklin Park Conservatory

The holiday lights at Franklin Park Conservatory (pictured above) are among the best in Columbus! You won’t want to miss this event. We go every year (sometimes more than once) and enjoy new delights every time. The Children’s Garden is full of beautiful displays, and the “water” flowing through the creek is a personal favorite. While you’re there, check out the Holiday Blooms exhibit inside to warm up! Full details here.

New for 2025, the Conservatory will be running a Winter Ice Festival in mid-January as well! Be sure to book your tickets in advance to enjoy ice skating, sculpture carving and more.

Wildlights at Columbus Zoo

For a fun, full day in Columbus with kids in winter, nothing beats a trip to the Columbus Zoo. You can spend the afternoon visiting animals all through the zoo and then watch as the thousands upon thousands of lights turn on at 5pm. The sound and light show at the watering hole in the middle of the Zoo is mesmerizing. Don’t miss the Polar Bear Express train ride through the North America area. The Columbus Zoo has some great cold-weather animals who you should be able to visit even on the chilliest nights, including polar bears and arctic foxes. Full details here.

Creekside Park in Gahanna

Do you want a convenient, free way to see unique holiday lights in Columbus? Head to Creekside Park in Gahanna. We enjoy the walking path even without the entertainment, but from late November through mid-January it’s illuminated with colored lights all around.

Through the second week of January, the lights in the main courtyard even put on a show synchronized to holiday music. In February of some years they transition to a Valentines-themed display. Overall it’s an easy, magical spot for a winter walk! With so many restaurants near Gahanna’s Mill Street, there are plenty of options for dinner beforehand too – try Lola & Giuseppi’s for Italian.

Inniswood Metro Gardens

Another lovely free place to see holiday lights in Columbus is to visit Inniswood Metro Gardens in Westerville. Lights are illuminated 5-8pm nightly through New Years, so you can go around 4:30 to enjoy the garden with a little daylight and then stay for the evening. The focus here is more about illuminating the natural surroundings than it is about adding dazzling elements, but it’s an easy, uncrowded option especially for those on the north side of the city.

Holiday Lights at Columbus Commons

For a fun evening in downtown Columbus, grab dinner and then head to downtown for their festive holiday lights. This is a great choice for those everyone: those who can’t walk long distances can stick to the smooth walking paths of Columbus Commons, while those who want to see more can enjoy the entire Wanderlights experience by strolling all the way to the Scioto Mile and back. On the first three Fridays in December, you can also enjoy free hot cocoa, carousel rides and live music! Wanderlights lasts through Valentine’s weekend, giving you plenty of time to enjoy it. Full details here.

Get out in the snow

A thick blanket of fresh snow is the perfect reason to get outside and there are so many ways to do it!

One of my favorite snow activities in Columbus is a magical winter hike in one of our many local parks. On the east side, Jeffrey Park in Bexley provides a nice easy trail to start you off. For a longer walk, visit the Tall Pines area at Walnut Woods Metro Park (one of our favorite spots in any season!).

If you’re up for a workout, grab some cross-country skis and head to any Metro Park (except Inniswood Metro Gardens). All of the hiking trails are available for skiers! Some are even specifically marked for cross-country at Battelle Darby Creek, Blendon Woods, Highbanks and Prairie Oaks. Even some of the city parks like Franklin Park have well-defined tracks after a good snowfall.

Be sure to check the Facebook stories of Metro Parks Outdoor Adventures if there’s been at least a few inches of fresh snow. They sometimes offer last-minute “try it” activities like snow shoeing when the conditions are right.

For some old-fashioned fun there’s nothing like a sledding hill – especially if you’re in Columbus with kids. Options abound! Some of the top local options include Sharon Woods Metro Park, Schiller Park, Scioto Audubon Metro Park and the Walnut Woods Buckeye Area (try to get the kids to take a walk at Tall Pines first and use sledding as an incentive!).

Be sure to dress appropriately to stay warm and dry – the general rule is base layer, insulating layer like high-quality fleece, then a waterproof outer layer. Don’t forget snow pants on bottom. And to keep feet comfortable, I recommend a good pair of wool socks under snow boots. If you have to drive to your snowy adventure, be sure to read these tips for how to dress everyone (including adults) safely in the car.

If you really want to up your game, pack some insulated travel mugs with hot cocoa to enjoy once you’re done playing!

Chase (frozen) waterfalls

Unlike some of our neighbor cities to the north, the weather in Columbus in winter rarely gets that cold. But now and then we get to experience something really special: frozen waterfalls in Columbus!

Don’t expect to see this all the time, of course. For a waterfall to freeze, the temperatures have to be in the teens (or lower) for a few days in a row. During the coldest weather in Columbus sometimes it happens!

If it’s been so bitterly cold, head to Hayden Falls in Dublin. Be sure to wear good shoes or slip on spikes, as it’s a steep walk down the stairs and they can get icy. But I promise it’ll be worth the trek for such a unique phenomenon!

Ski, ride or tube

While it may not rival New England or the Rockies, Ohio has a few solid options to learn to ski/ride or just get in a little practice between bigger trips.

For complete beginners, head to Snow Trails for their excellent Children’s Program. Our good friends started their kids at Snow Trails in preschool, and now those kids are hitting Colorado blacks at age 10! They also offer a weekly Lift Ladies program to build community while you hit the slopes. You can also just buy a single-day lift ticket if you don’t need lessons, and kids 5 and under ski free with an adult. Even for intermediate skiers, Snow Trails is a reasonable choice because it’s independent so tends to make a lot of snow as early as possible. At just 1hour from Columbus this is an easy day trip to sqeeze in.

Another great option in Ohio is Mad River Mountain, which is owned by Vail Resorts. My son learned to ski here in 2024 with lessons from his friends. There’s a sizable beginner area here as well, and in theory the skiable area is three times the size of Snow Trails. It’s also just an hour from Columbus. Because it’s owned by Vail Resorts, Mad River is part of the Epic Pass.

You can buy a single day lift ticket but it’s pretty expensive; a better option is to buy an Epic Day Pass before the season begins in November. We opted for the Local Restricted version (yes, the variety of options is incredibly confusing). By choosing three days for myself, the cost is less than $50 per day and I get 20% off rentals as well.

The big reason we chose to get the Epic Day Pass is that we kicked off winter break with a trip to Seven Springs in Pennsylvania! That’s me and my son pizza-ing our way down the slopes in the photo above. It’s an easy weekend trip from Columbus (a little over three hours) and is double the size of Mad River, while offering much longer runs for those who are ready to tackle the challenge. We had an excellent private lesson here, allowing two of us three novices to get up on the life and tackle real runs by the end of the weekend.

All three of these locations also offer snow tubing! It’s easy, fun and affordable. Snow Trails doesn’t have any size or age requirements, while Mad River and Snow Trails have a 42″ minimum.

Take a winter road trip

There are plenty of great weekend road trip opportunities from Columbus that you can enjoy in winter!

Our new favorite? The Cherry Valley Hotel in Newark, just 35 minutes from downtown Columbus. The spacious newly renovated rooms surround a beautifully lit courtyard, where you can enjoy igloo dining from early January to mid-March.

After dinner you can take a dip in the well-heated pool while you peek at the courtyard lights, or follow our lead and cozy up at the massive fireplace in the lobby. It was such a fun getaway that our kids have asked to make it an annual tradition!

Check prices for your dates

While you’re in Newark, be sure to visit The Works if you have kids with you. It’s full of hands-on, interactive experiences and surprisingly uncrowded. Bring your COSI card to get in at half price! Whether you opt to stay overnight in the area or just take a day trip from Columbus, it’s a great way to stay entertained in the winter.

When you’re hungry, pop over to Elliot’s Wood Fired Tap & Kitchen for excellent pizza and good drinks. If it’s not to cold, you can walk around Newark’s charming downtown as well.

Where else can you head for a winter weekend roadtrip from Columbus? We have our eyes on Richmond, Indiana for the Meltdown Winter Ice Festival. For a closer option check out the Mohican Winterfest.

Cozy up for game night (or day)

While we love enjoying all of the Columbus outdoor activities, sometimes it’s just too miserable to be outside. If the forecast is dominated by freezing rain or you can count the temperature on one hand, there’s no shame in cozying up inside for the afternoon.

Head to Tabletop Game Cafe in Clintonville, where you can grab a cocoa, latte or even a full meal while you test out the latest and greatest board game! The cover charge (which gives you a table and game access) is just $5 per person but goes down by $1 for every food item you buy. This is definitely the best thing to do in Columbus, Ohio in winter if you’re terrified of the cold!

Get lost in a good book (with other people)

For avid readers, there’s no better place to pass a chilly afternoon than at the Main Library in downtown Columbus. There’s never a shortage of activity. When you visit the Columbus Main Library in winter, you’ll get a chance to explore the Huntington Holiday Train (on display from before Thanksgiving to after New Year’s). On weekdays, grab a peppermint mocha from Carnegie’s Cafe in the soaring atrium.

No matter what time of year you visit, the Main Library is a fantastic place. There are books covering every subject including a dedicated space for kids. You’ll find everything from author talks to crafts and coloring. As a bonus if you’re stopping by with kids, there’s a free snack time every day at 3:15.

Cheer on the Blue Jackets

One of Columbus’s premier sports teams is the NHL’s Blue Jackets. From their home at downtown’s Nationwide Arena, they’ve been entertaining die-hard local fans from November to April (and sometimes May) for two decades. We had a great time attending in 2022 and found the whole experience to be stress-free compared to sporting events in other cities or even attending some games here in Columbus.

The Arena District is fairly new and offers some nice dining options beyond typical stadium food. Be sure to arrive plenty early (at least 30 minutes) so that you can head to the ice level to watch warm-ups. If it’s your first game, stop by by the visitors desk to pick up a personalized puck to commemorate the occasion!

I hope this guide has helped you beat the winter blues and find new cold-weather adventures in Columbus! Got more ideas? Share them in the comments.