Top 3 Rainy Day Attractions in Downtown Columbus (according to me)

(04/29/14)

I have been known to go over-the-top when planning vacations, road trips, weekend to-do lists. And when those plans are destroyed due to the unpredictable nature of nature, it helps to have a few back up plans in your pocket.

So, in celebration of thunderstorms, and in a very specific order that has no relevance in the greater scheme of the world, here is my top three list of places that get you out of the rain.

ONE: Uncle Sam's Pawn Shop

This place is filled top to bottom with super neat things. Sparkly jewelry, every musical instrument you can imagine, unwanted tools for destroying and rebuilding. You name it, they have it. And for as creepy as pawn shops can be, this one is not. It is super clean and has really funny employees. It is kind of like a tiny museum of Columbus Collectibles.

TWO: OSU Urban Art Space

Hidden off of High Street in the city center, this art space hosts a number of artists from The Ohio State University. Their gallery is nicely curated, well lit, and has a wonderful "vibe". I have seen some really inspiring exhibitions in this space. The Space is located in the old Lazurus building. One really neat element of the building is the use of grey water collected from the roof top to flush the toilets! Very cool.

THREE: Columbus Cultural Arts Center

For a while my photograph was on the CAC's webpage advertising the pottery class offered for a low rate of $55 per session. Sadly, my face no longer adorns their website. Happily, this place is still amazing. There is a frequently changing gallery space that boasts shows from well celebrated locals to cutting edge group shows. Art talks are held during the weekday lunch hour and exhibitions/townhalls/awesome events are held on the weekends. Most events are free. There is also a really nice gift shop that is fun to browse and decently affordable. All of the art is made by students and teachers of the CAC.

Image from here.