Call me a nerd if you like, but I enjoy museums. Children’s museums. Art museums. Science museums. I like to see what creative expression looks like out in the real world. When I had kids, I thought my museum days were over. All I could hear was the ‘mom voice’ in my head saying, “Don’t touch that!”, “Please be careful”, “Look with your eyes, please”. The anxiety was real. Also, the cost of visiting a museum sometimes can be prohibitive, especially when you’re paying full price for a kiddo. Fortunately, two awesome museums in Columbus offer free admission several times a year. Allow me to share with you….
The Columbus Museum of Art is located downtown Columbus, near the Columbus College of Art and Design and Columbus State Community College. It has rotating exhibits throughout the year, some more family-friendly than others. However, they always have a kid section to explore, specifically called The Wonder Room. It’s a room set-up for kids to touch, climb and play with all kinds of art installations. The last time my family went, they had a mirrored glass feature (pictured below) that my kids particularly enjoyed as well as a Lego display (more to come on this later) and a build-your-own artifact station. There are typically child-loving helpers located throughout the exhibits too – so your kids can explore with or without direction from an adult. 
The Lego exhibit. OMG. It was incredible. The installation included a “Block O”, a graphic of Archie Griffin tackling a University of Michigan player, and a village complete with different seasons. I could’ve spent the entire afternoon just looking at the village! My entire family loved looking at the intricate details and playing “I Spy”.
“Get to the money saving part!” I hear you. The Columbus Museum of Art is free to veteran and active military and their families AND every Sunday, it is FREE to anyone! Needless to say, my family typically goes on Sundays (open from 10AM – 5PM) and it truly is an awesome change of pace.
Next up is the Franklin Park Conservatory. Franklin Park offers several really cool experiences throughout the year – Blooms and Butterflies and Chihuly Nights are two of my all-time favorites. At Blooms and Butterflies, you enter a greenhouse that is filled with plants and you notice thousands of butterflies flying around. You can catch them on your nose or finger, you can pet them as they pose for you on a rock. It’s extremely cool to get to engage with butterflies in this very unique way (It’s hard to even see the butterfly in this photo).
FPC has a close relationship with Dale Chihuly (famous glass artist) and you’ll see Chihuly work throughout the property. In fact, FPC has the largest private collection in a botanical garden 😊 – 18 to be exact – I bet you can’t find them all!
Lastly, for all the readers with children, during the spring and summer, they offer a Children’s Garden with lots of sensory activities, water exploration and free play. It’s awesome!
And on the first Sunday of each month, admission is free to anyone who lives in Columbus or Franklin County (with ID) – they call these Community Days. More information about their seasonal exhibits are available on their website. ng and summer, they offer a Children’s Garden with lots of sensory activities, water exploration and free play. It’s awesome!
