Central Ohio Field Trips for Homeschoolers to Explore

For a time the Ohio state slogan was, The Heart of it All. Ohio is a large state with amazing things to explore. The history of the state from Marietta to Toledo and Cleveland to Cincinnati is expansive. With that comes many options for field trips for homeschoolers. This post focuses on the best Ohio field trips in the Central Ohio region with the state capital Columbus at the center of the state.

Field trip opportunities in the state of Ohio are abundant, especially in central Ohio. I’ve lived in this state for 15 years and my husband grew up a Buckeye. Sometimes though, when you live in a place you take for granted all that it has to offer. I was surprised to find the wealth of homeschool field trip opportunities in the state. 

Central Ohio Field Trips for The Arts

• Columbus Art Festival – Columbus
• Columbus Museum of Art – Columbus
• Eastern Ohio Art Guild – Cambridge
• Schumacher Gallery – Columbus
• Cambridge Concert Association – Cambridge 
• Columbus Symphony Orchestra – Columbus 
• Lancaster Chorale – Lancaster 
• Muskingum Valley Symphonic Winds – Muskingum County 
• Worthington Chorus – Worthington 
• Y-City Barbershop Chorus – Zanesville 
• Zanesville Memorial Concert Band – Zanesville  
• Zanesville Museum of Art – Zanesville

Central Ohio Field Trips for Theater/Ballet

•  Ballet Met – Columbus
• Cambridge Glass Museum – Cambridge
• Cambridge Performing Arts Center – Cambridge 
• CAPA, Columbus Association of Performing Arts – Columbus 
• Columbus Children’s Theater – Columbus 
• Generations Performing Arts Center – Columbus 
• Living Word Outdoor Drama – Cambridge 
• Secrest Auditorium – Zanesville 
• Tecumseh Outdoor Drama – Chillicothe
• Zane Trace Players – Zanesville 
• Zanesville Community Theater – Zanesville
• Wexner Center for the Arts (Performing, Film/video, Exhibits, Public Programs) – Columbus
   

Central Ohio Field Trips for Business & Industry

• Al’s Delicious Popcorn – Columbus 
• AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame – Pickerington 
• American Whistle Corporation – Columbus 
• Anthony Thomas Chocolates – Columbus 
• Krema Nut Company – Columbus 
• The National Barber Museum & Hall of Fame – Canal Winchester 
• The National Heisey Glass Museum – Newark 
• Velvet Ice Cream Company and Ye Olde Mill Factory – Utica
• Slate Run Living Historical Farm – Canal Winchester
   

Central Ohio Field Trips for History

• Adena Mansions and Gardens – Chillicothe
• Central Ohio Fire Museum – Columbus 
• Gahanna Historical Society – Gahanna 
• Great Circle Earthworks – Newark 
• Licking County Historical Society – Newark 
• Northwest Franklin County Historical Society – Hilliard 
• Ohio Historical Society & Ohio Village –Columbus
• Rock Mill – Lancaster
• Ross County Historical Society – Chillicothe 
• Worthington Historical Society – Worthington 
• Zanesville Historical Society – Zanesville
• Adena Mansions and Gardens – Chillicothe
• Christian Waldschmidt – Cincinnati 
• Georgian Museum – Lancaster 
• Hanby House – Westerville
• Hopalong Cassidy Museum – Cambridge 
• Lorena Sternwheeler – Zanesville 
• Motts Military Museum – Groveport 
• Ohio Historical Society & Ohio Village -Columbus 
• Ohio Statehouse – Columbus 
• Olentangy Indian Caverns – Delaware 
• Rock Mill – Lancaster 
• Reynoldsburg-Truro Historical Society – Reynoldsburg 
• Santa Maria – Columbus
• Slate Run Living Historical Farm – Canal Winchester 
• Stonehouse Museum – Cambridge 
• Sherman House Museum, (Birthplace of General William T. Sherman) – Lancaster 
• Thurber House, (Humorist, author and New Yorker cartoonist James Thurber) – Columbus 
• Wagnall’s Memorial Foundation (Library, Museum and Theater) – Lithopolis

Central Ohio Field Trips for Science 

• COSI, Center of Science & Industry – Columbus 
• Museum of Biological Diversity, OSU – Columbus 
• Perkins Observatory – Delaware 
• The Works – Newark

Central Ohio Field Trips for Arboretums, Parks & Nature Preserves

• Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Garden – Columbus 
• Columbus Metro Parks – Greater Columbus Region 
• Dawes Arboretum – Newark 
• Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Gardens – Columbus 
• Ohio Stat Parks – Statewide 
• The Topiary Park – Columbus 

Central Ohio Field Trips for Sports/Sporting Events

• AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame – Pickerington
• Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Hockey – Columbus 
• Columbus Clippers Baseball MiLB – Columbus 
• Columbus Crew MLS Soccer – Columbus 
• Jack Nicklaus Museum – Columbus 
• The Ohio State Buckeyes Athletics – Columbus 

Central Ohio Field Trips for  Zoo’s/Animal Preserves

• Columbus Zoo & Aquarium – Powell 
• Deerasic Park Education Center – Cambridge 
• The Wilds – Cumberland

Central Ohio Other Fun Field Trips for Kids

• Aha For Kids! (A Hand’s On Adventure Children’s Museum) – Lancaster 
• Ohio Statehouse Museum (Children’s Interactive Museum) – Columbus

If you live in or are visiting with us in the state of Ohio, I do hope you will check out some of these great locations. Who knows perhaps you will find your family’s next great vacations spot or learn something that you didn’t previously know. 

What are your favorite locations to visit in Central Ohio? Where do you take your kids for homeschool field trips? I’d love to know. Share your Central Ohio field trip experiences with me in comments below.

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How to Offer Homeschool Field Trips the Virtual Way

Did you know that I wrote a book about all-things Ohio Homeschooling? In it you’ll discover a guide for how to homeschool in the state of Ohio, along with an extensive listing of co-ops and support groups for each region, a resource list for classes offered from every corner of the state.

You’ll also find a huge list of field trip ideas for every single county in the stat, yep, all 88 of them. Plus there is information about homeschooling methods, and resources for homeschool curriculum. If you would like to know more about homeschooling in Ohio, you can find your copy on Amazon, either in Kindle form or print form. 

This post is part of iHomeschool Network’s Best Homeschool Field Trips link up.