Things to Do in Columbus, OH on Game Day

Things to Do in Columbus, Ohio on Game Day

Calling all sports fans! Our location in the heart of Columbus is the perfect home base for some legendary sports experiences. Catch an Ohio State Buckeyes football game at the legendary Ohio Stadium, one of the largest in the United States with a guest capacity of over 100,000 fans. Cheer on the three-time MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew, one of North America’s top soccer teams. Head to Nationwide Arena to hear the goal cannon fired at Columbus Blue Jackets games. Ohio’s capital and most populous city offers bucket list events in a range of popular sports. Here’s how to create the ultimate game day in the city.

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Game Day in Columbus

Where to Dine in Columbus on Game Day

You could always save your appetite for brats, handrolled soft pretzels, and loaded nachos at Ohio Stadium, but why not make a real day of it by exploring Columbus’ dynamic dining scene? Start right here at The Junto’s Little West Tavern, a friendly neighborhood spot offering both indoor and outdoor dining. With food coming straight from the wood fire and crisp craft beers and creative cocktails served ice cold, this is the place to get your game day started the right way. Open for lunch and dinner, the menu offers wood-fired steaks, rib roasts, and chicken straight from the hearth. More in the mood for a tipple and shareable snacks with a view? Brass Eye is our rooftop cocktail bar surrounded by oversized fireplaces and panoramic views of the Columbus skyline. Grab a seat, order a creative drink (Smores Old Fashioned, anyone?) and get into the spirit.

Want to sample Columbus’ best variety of fresh produce, meat, seafood, and international foods? Downtown Columbus is home to North Market, which has attracted hungry patrons for almost 150 years. Located four minutes away from The Junto by car, North Market is open seven days a week, giving you plenty of opportunities to stroll from counter to counter and sample all the amazing flavors, from Vietnamese pho to Philly cheesesteaks, Thai dumplings, Polish specialties, fresh oysters, and more. This is a gateway to global flavors, right in the heart of the city. North Market is just a few blocks away from Nationwide Arena, home to the Columbus Blue Jackets, making it a great pregame stop on the way to the arena. It’s also just a mile away from Lower.com Field, where the Columbus Crew play, so you can also fuel up before the soccer game.

A couple blocks from North Market and steps away from Goodale Park, you’ll find The Pearl, a local favorite gastropub offering seasonal seafood, shareable plates, and handcrafted cocktails in a classic diner environment featuring rich leather banquettes and white brick walls. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into another era, but the food on offer is never stuck in the past. Here you’ll find all sorts of snackable favorites: tavern fries, tater tots, deviled eggs and fried pickles are all coming out of the kitchen hot and fresh. Then there’s the selection from the oyster room: oysters on the half shell or baked N’awlins-style. Peel and eat gulf shrimp or yellowfin tuna crudo. A shellfish tower for the real seafood lovers. As for entrees, choose from snapper, Arctic char, fish and chips, braised short rib, or a few different cuts of steak. Save room for dessert! Fresh pies are baked daily.

Things to Do in Columbus on Game Day

Beyond being a top destination for sports fans, Columbus offers easy access to other must-see attractions, so you don’t have to dedicate the entirety of your game day to sports if you don’t want to. For a quiet stroll surrounded by the beauty of nature, head to the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, which originally opened way back in 1895. The conservatory is home to more than 400 plant species housed in the John F. Wolfe Palm House, a gem of Victorian garden architecture. The conservatory also features the largest private Chihuly glass art collection in a botanical garden. These stunningly colorful works can be found throughout. Franklin Park is located 10 minutes east of The Junto. The Columbus Museum of Art is well worth a visit for anyone curious about creativity and art in many forms and media. The CMA’s collection includes late nineteenth and early twentieth-century American and European modern works of art, including the world’s largest collections from local artists like Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson, Elijah Pierce, and George Bellows. Open Tuesday through Sunday, the CMA is just a five minute drive east of The Junto.

To go even deeper into the world of art, head to Otherworld, an immersive art museum 10 miles from The Junto. This is unlike any museum you’ve been to before. It’s 32,000 square feet of large-scale art, mixed reality playgrounds, and secret passageways. Over 40 artists contributed to this immersive wonderland of creativity. Craving a bit of retail therapy? Easton Town Center, located 15 minutes from The Junto, is a shopping destination you don’t want to skip. Designed as the most upscale shopping mall in Columbus, Easton Town Center offers a wide variety of the best retailers in the country. Wander nearly 2 million square feet of space and pop in to see the latest offerings from Nordstrom, Coach, Apple, Crate & Barrel, and many more leading brands from around the world. Dine at a diverse collection of restaurants and check out the events calendar to see what’s on offer, from free concerts to comedy shows and outdoor movie screenings.

Right across the street from The Junto, you’ll find the Center of Science and Industry (COSI). This top attraction in Columbus has been voted America’s #1 science museum for four years straight. It’s home to all-ages experiences including Ohio’s largest planetarium, a giant screen theater, the AMNH Dinosaur Gallery and more. The best part? Two complimentary tickets to COSI are available when you stay at The Junto.

Things to Do in Columbus on Game Day

Stay Close to The Action

Saturday afternoons during the college football season are truly special here. There’s nothing quite like OSU game day. Since 1922, Ohio Stadium has been welcoming fans to cheer on the Ohio State Buckeyes. The fourth largest on-campus sporting facility in the United States, it can hold over 102,000 fans on game day. Officially listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the horseshoe-shaped stadium is a must-visit for sports fans in Columbus. Ohio Stadium is five miles from The Junto, meaning you can drive to the stadium in under 10 minutes.

Nationwide Arena is even closer to The Junto, just a mile away from our front door in Columbus’ Arena District. Home to the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League, Nationwide Arena offers a great game day for fans. This includes the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area to provide a festive pregame party. Inside the arena, you’ll find a hockey atmosphere like no other in the NHL, with an 1857 Napoleon replica cannon fired every time the home team scores. It’s a lively atmosphere hockey fans won’t want to miss. One of the founding clubs of Major League Soccer (MLS), Columbus Crew are one of the most successful teams in the history of the league, having won the championship in 2008, 2020, and 2023. Experience the spirit of the game in person at Lower.com Field. Chant along with fellow supporters at the Nordecke, the area of the stadium reserved for Columbus Crew fans (no opposing team jerseys allowed!). There’s plenty of local beer and game day snacks on offer at the stadium, of course, and you can enjoy more fun in the Arena District before and after the match.

The third jewel of a sports venue in the Arena District is Huntington Park, a must-visit destination for fans of America’s pastime: baseball. The Columbus Clippers are the Triple-A minor league affiliate of the Guardians, meaning there’s no need to travel 140 miles up the I-71 to Cleveland — you can see awesome action on the diamond right here in Columbus. As a Triple-A affiliate, many Clippers have gone on to spectacular success in Major League Baseball, including MLB All-Stars José Ramirez, Carlos Santana, and Francisco Lindor. Root, root, root for the home team and cheer on current and future baseball stars.

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Ready to Create the Ideal Columbus Game Day?

The Junto is designed to be a place for people to gather, share ideas, and build community, on game day and beyond. Book your stay at our downtown Columbus hotel near Ohio Stadium and you’ll be minutes away from all the on-field action.

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At The Junto, we invite you to indulge in a truly remarkable journey that transcends expectations and leaves a lasting impression.