If you were listening to Relient K back in 2003, your first thought about the state of Ohio might be that it “has the flavor of a water chestnut.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement from the Ohio-based band.
However, a lot has changed in Ohio in the past 20+ years. As Foursquare Connection heads to Columbus, Ohio, in 2027 (May 31–June 3), the city and the surrounding area have a lot to offer. Whether you’re just looking for a few local activities to do between sessions, wanting some memorable and fun team-building experiences or trying to plan a family vacation, we’ve got a whole list of potential activities and experiences for you to make the most of your Connection 2027 experience.
Home base: The Greater Columbus Convention Center
Foursquare Connection 2027 will take place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, which is located right in the heart of downtown. It’s a quick 15-minute drive from the nearest airport (John Glenn Columbus International Airport), and public transit is also available.
Located on North High Street, the main thoroughfare of the town, the convention center is within walking distance of several hotels, restaurants and boutiques. It neighbors three of the five major neighborhoods in Columbus: the Downtown District, the Arena District and the Short North Arts District. This means that many attractions in Columbus are within walking distance, so unless you want to venture far and wide, you won’t need a car.
Public transportation
COTA (The Central Ohio Transit Authority) provides public transportation around the city, and there is a major stop a short walk from the convention center. They have a helpful trip planner you can use to see whether public transit will be a good option for the places you want to visit.
A hop, skip and a jump
The nearby North Market has been in operation for over 150 years, and it has something for everyone. It’s home to several specialty shops providing fresh produce, flowers, and specialty meats and cheeses, as well as Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and delicious baked goods. It also houses several restaurants serving just about any dish you can think up, including curry, sushi, a lobster roll, a burger or a slice of pizza; head upstairs to find plenty of open seating.
From the convention center, you can also walk to the Scioto Mile. This riverwalk was named one of the 10 best riverwalks in the U.S. in 2024. It follows the Scioto River through much of the downtown area. The Mile connects you to multiple multi-use paths, a concert venue, a splash pad, the Scioto Audubon Metro Park (which houses a free climbing wall with auto belay, for those who own a harness), Bicentennial/Galbreath Park and the Central Ohio Greenways trail system.
Family fun
If you’re looking to venture out into the city a bit more, Columbus has a lot to offer for families. Here are a few of the highlights, with their distance from the convention center.
The Center of Science and Industry (1 mile)
The Center of Science and Industry (COSI, for short) has been named the No. 1 science museum in the country six times. In addition to seasonal special exhibits, the museum features a model space station and exhibits on energy, the ocean, dinosaurs, how technology has changed over time and much more. It also houses an outdoor nature park, a VR simulator and a planetarium. Kids (and adults) of all ages will have fun learning more about God’s creation at COSI.
Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for youth, and those under 2 are free. They offer additional discounts for pre-buying tickets online or in their app.
Columbus Topiary Park (1.5 miles)
Kids and adults alike will find Columbus’ Topiary Park to be a fun and unique experience. This 9-acre park depicts Georges Seurat’s 1887 painting ”A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte” using topiary plants. It includes larger-than-life people and animals, all made of topiary bushes. Entry to the park is free, and the city hosts movies, concerts and other events on the grounds periodically.
Columbus Zoo, Aquarium and Zoombezi Bay (18 miles)
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is home to over 600 species of animals. In addition to watching the animals, visitors can sign up for various unique animal experiences and encounters. If you want to get your thrills on while you’re there, the zoo is home to several amusement park rides, including the oldest wooden roller coaster in Ohio, a train and many classic fair rides.
If you want to beat the heat at the zoo, check out Zoombezi Bay, a waterpark connected to the zoo. It’s Ohio’s largest waterpark and a barrel of monkeys’ worth of fun. For the best price, make sure you pre-buy your tickets online.
Tickets for the Columbus Zoo are $26.95 for kids and $33.95 for adults, with specials available when you bundle tickets to the Zoo and Zoombezi. COTA also offers a special Zoo Bus that combines a bus ride to the zoo with discounted tickets.
LEGOLAND Discovery Center (10 miles)
If you (or your kids) love LEGOS, a trip to the LEGOLAND Discovery Center is a must. You can play with giant LEGOS in a playground built for kids, ride LEGO-themed rides and experience LEGO virtual reality. Tickets are $25 a person, but once again, you save by pre-buying tickets online.
Other sites and attractions
Whether you’re traveling with your family or with your team, the city has a whole host of interesting sites and activities. No matter what you’re looking for—food, coffee, sports, art, books or just fun—you’ll find something just for you.
For the foodies and team-builders
Columbus has a great food scene. Whether you’ve got the budget of a NextGen intern or the head of the church council, the town has something to offer you. One of the most exciting ways to explore the city’s culinary offerings is by doing a food tour. Columbus Food Adventures provides a variety of food tours and tastings. Some are walking tours, and others include a van ride. Either way, it’s a fun way to explore the city and the city’s food. Tours run around $80 a person, and they also do group tours for parties of eight or more. Maybe the tastiest team building activity ever?
If you’d rather do a self-guided tour, Experience Columbus has curated two “trails” that you can follow to explore some of the city’s culinary offerings. Check out the Columbus Coffee Trail, a free experience with over 20 included coffee shops and prizes for completing stops along the way. Checking in at each stop along the trail earns you points that you can redeem for prizes. For the pizza lovers out there, they also offer a Columbus-Style Pizza Trail (same concept, but with pizza).
If food isn’t your thing, but you’d like a great team-building exercise while exploring the city of Columbus, check out the host of Scavenger Hunts you can do in the city. Using your phone as your guide, you can work together as a family or team to complete tasks and explore together. Hunts are $13.99 a person, or you can do a “Family and Friends” annual pass for $79.99 for up to six people, which allows you unlimited access to scavenger hunts in multiple cities around the country.
For the sports fans
If you are a lover of all things sports, there’s a good chance you have come to the right town (unless you are also a lover of the University of Michigan, like our own President Randy Remington). Columbus is home to four professional sports teams and THE Ohio State University. Sadly, three of the city’s pro sports teams (the Columbus Crew soccer team, the Columbus Blue Jackets hockey team, and the Columbus Fury professional volleyball team) are in the off-season during Connection. But, have no fear, sports are still to be found here.
You can catch a Columbus Clippers Minor League Baseball game while you’re in town (though their schedule hasn’t been posted yet). Additionally, Columbus’ UFL football team, the Columbus Aviators, may also be playing (their spring schedule is not yet posted), if you need to get your football fix during the offseason.
If you are a Buckeye fan, don’t miss the chance to go on a Shoe Stadium Tour on the Ohio State campus.
For lovers of nature, art, books and shopping
Nature lovers
If you love nature, we’ve already mentioned multiple parks in Columbus worth exploring, but wait, there’s more! Kids and adults alike will enjoy the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. This beautiful park includes a conservatory, children’s garden, bonsai collection and 88 acres of park to explore. Tickets are $17.33 for kids and $25.20 for adults.
Outdoor adventurers
For the more adventurous nature lovers among us, Quarry Trails Metro Park might just be your dream. This former-limestone-quarry-now-park includes hiking trails, a waterfall, places to kayak, a climbing area, a mountain bike trail and a via ferrata route (think cabled climbing using metal rungs, ladders and fixed cables, suspension bridges, aerial walkways and 50+ foot staircases). Make sure to check out their website for more information on the via ferrata route and to register in advance.
Art aficionados
The art lovers among us are sure to enjoy the Columbus Museum of Art. The museum’s collection spans from antiquity to modern times and includes both European and American art. Tickets are $22 for adults, $17 for kids, and those under 3 are free.
Bookworms
Book lovers among us should not miss The Book Loft. These pre-Civil War era buildings once housed general stores, a saloon and a nickelodeon cinema. They’re now home to 32 rooms of bargain books. This place is the introvert’s dream after a day of connecting at Connection.
Deals worth noting
If you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck while you’re at Foursquare Connection 2027, there are a few deals you should know about. First off, the city of Columbus offers a conference attendee savings pass. Just download the pass on your phone, and show it at a host of participating locations and save. It’s that easy. Participating locations include Columbus Food Adventures, Columbus Museum of Art, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, LEGOLAND Discovery Center, and many local restaurants and coffee shops.
The city also offers Columbus Attraction Passes with two options: $55 for adults and $41 for kids for a one-day pass, or $65 for adults and $55 for kids for a three-day pass. The passes get you entry into several Columbus attractions, including the Columbus Museum of Art, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum.
Extending the fun
There is so much more to Ohio than just Columbus, but Columbus is a great jumping-off point to explore more of the state. Below, we’ve included a few suggested day trips or ways to expand your Columbus adventure. All of these are around two hours away from Columbus.
Nearby attractions
If you love nature, hiking and animals, there are a few attractions you might want to check out around Columbus. Hocking Hills State Park is about an hour’s drive outside Columbus and one of the most beautiful places in the state of Ohio. The park contains numerous hiking trails, waterfalls and a river. Guests can also rock climb, canoe, camp, hunt and even drive an ATV in the park. If your idea of a good time includes some spelunking, the Ohio Caverns are also about an hour away from Columbus.
If you can’t get enough of wild animals or have always wanted to go on safari, The Wilds, a safari park owned and operated by the Columbus Zoo, is a must-visit, located 1.5 hours outside Columbus. If you prefer the wild experience of extreme roller coasters, make sure you include Cedar Point in your itinerary. While it’s a 2.5-hour drive from the city, it’s worth it for thrill seekers who will find a multitude of record-breaking roller coasters and thrill rides, in addition to a waterpark. If being wild isn’t your thing, Amish Country is also just a short drive away from Columbus (1.5-2 hours).
For the football fans among us, while you’re that close, you’ve got to drive up to Canton (a 2-hour drive) to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If you love football and rock and roll, score a combo ticket to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in Cleveland.
Dayton (1 hour from Columbus)
Dayton is a relatively small town, but it’s famous for being the home of two brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, the fathers of modern flight. You can visit the bicycle shop where they got their start and learn more about their flying adventures at the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.
Military history buffs and flight fanatics alike will enjoy exploring the National Museum of the United States Air Force, an incredible collection over 100 years old that features planes from every era. Other sites worth seeing include SunWatch Indian Village and Cox Arboretum.
If you make your way to Dayton and you love a good chocolatey baked good, make sure to stop at a Dorthy Lane Market and pick up a Killer Brownie. You won’t regret it!
Cincinnati (2 hours from Columbus)
Having lived in the suburbs of Cincinnati for 10 years, I might be a little biased, but I think it might be the best city in Ohio. If you make your way to the Queen City, you’ve got your fair share of attractions to choose from.
Sports fans will love catching a Reds game at the Great American Ballpark, located right on the Ohio River downtown. You can cross the river on the Purple People Bridge and find yourself in the great state of Kentucky. Newport, Ky., is also home to Newport Aquarium, a local favorite.
Downtown Cincinnati is also home to the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal. This building, which was once solely used as the city’s main train station, houses a history museum, children’s museum, natural history and science museum, Holocaust museum, an OMNIMAX theater, and is still an Amtrak stop. The city’s museums also include the Cincinnati Art Museum, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the American Sign Museum, and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
Findlay Market is a unique food shopping experience. This market has been housed in the same building since 1855, and contains unique shops and restaurants. If you’re looking for an international food shopping experience like nothing you’ve ever experienced, you have to check out Jungle Jim’s International Market, a grocery store like no other, where you can find unique and hard-to-find food items from around the world. You might think a grocery store doesn’t deserve to be on a list of attractions, but trust me on this one. You won’t regret a visit.
Speaking of food, while you’re in Cincinnati, you’ll want to check out some of the local fare. You can try Cincinnati-style chili (a 3-, 4- or 5-way) at both Skyline and Gold Star, and pick your favorite (locals are staunchly divided on this; feel free to join the feud). Don’t miss a trip to local favorite Graeter’s for ice cream, or you can go to Aglamesis Brothers for that classic soda counter experience. If barbecue’s your thing, you don’t want to miss out on Montgomery Inn.
If you’re still looking for more thrill rides, a visit to Kings Island is just what the doctor ordered. If you love a good wooden roller coaster, you can’t skip a trip because Kings Island is home to the world’s longest (and in my opinion, best) wooden roller coaster in the world: The Beast.
If you want to venture to nearby Williamstown, Ky. (about 30 minutes outside Cincinnati), you can explore the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter. These unique attractions allow you to experience the stories of creation, and Noah and his ark, like never before. One-day tickets start at $44.99 for each attraction, but you can get the best deal by bundling tickets to both. In addition to the museums, each attraction hosts other experiences, including a 4D theater, planetarium, botanical garden, conservatory, butterfly house, mining sluice, zoo with animal encounters, zip line course, VR experiences, a carousel and playgrounds.
Cleveland (2 hours from Columbus)
If you love rock and roll, Cleveland is the place for you. This city is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (and don’t forget you can bundle tickets to this hall of fame and the pro football one, if you’re so inclined). It’s also home to several other museums, including the Cleveland History Center (Western Reserve Historical Society), the Cleveland Botanical Garden and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The city offers a CirclePass that offers discounted admission to several city attractions.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is also located just outside Cleveland. The park includes several hiking trails, waterfalls, a popular biking trail that follows this historic route of the Ohio and Erie Canal, a scenic train ride, kayaking, fishing, horseback riding and golf.
In addition to what we mention above, it’s worth noting that Columbus is great jumping-off point for many cities in the U.S. You can check out this map to see how easily you can travel to almost anywhere to make Foursquare Connection a great start or end to a much larger adventure with family or friends. Here are a few locations (though far from all), just to get you thinking:
Indiana
Indiana is home to the world’s largest children’s museum, the famed Indy Motor Speedway and Museum, many state parks and the Holiday World theme park in the city of Santa Claus. So much more to offer than just corn.
Kentucky
A horse lover’s dream! Lexington and Louisville are both great cities to explore for those who love horses or history. The state also boasts many natural wonders, including the Red River Gorge, Mammoth Cave and Cumberland Falls.
Pennsylvania
Historical sites, Amish country, museums, Hershey’s Chocolate World Attraction, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater house, outdoor adventures and so much more! Pennsylvania has lots to explore, whatever your interest might be.
West Virginia
They call it “Wild, wonderful West Virginia” for a reason. West Virginia is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. Hiking, climbing, fishing, caves and waterfalls. If you need some time in the great outdoors, following convention, this is your spot.
See you in Columbus for Connection!
As you can see, Columbus, the great state of Ohio and the surrounding area have a lot to offer for those making their way to Foursquare Connection 2027. You’ll find the state has a far better flavor than a water chestnut and will leave a fantastic taste in your mouth (especially after all that pizza, coffee, chili, ice cream and brownies). We hope to see you there!
