Columbus offers several distinct focal points for a stay: art in public spaces, changing exhibitions, guided perspectives on downtown, and places with historical or landscape significance. For planning, it helps to treat these offerings as more than one single program. You can first decide whether you would rather focus on architecture and public art, an exhibition, a designated historic site or the river park.

Art and architecture downtown

Exhibit Columbus now has five permanent works in downtown Columbus. This makes public art a distinct focus. The collection may change as the urban area develops. Gallery 506 offers a different connection to art: it presents changing exhibitions by local and regional artists. The gallery is located in the historic Storey House section of the Columbus Visitors Center. The difference is clear when making your choice: Exhibit Columbus features permanent works in public spaces, while Gallery 506 presents changing exhibitions at a specific location.

Two guided downtown tours offer different perspectives on architecture, public art and the character of downtown. The guided architecture tour begins and ends at the Columbus Visitors Center. The Center itself is a separate attraction in the heart of Columbus. The tour can therefore be understood both by its subject and by its named starting and ending point. If you would like to include a guided tour in your selection, you can choose between two tours offering different perspectives on downtown.

A historic connection and a park by the river

Miller House and Garden was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000. This site adds a clearly defined historical connection to Columbus’s offerings. It is distinct from the exhibitions and tours, which focus on art and perspectives on downtown. If you would like to include a designated historic site alongside these themes, Miller House and Garden is a distinct option.

Mill Race Park is located on the Flatrock River and features trails, a covered bridge, picnic shelters, an observation tower and an amphitheater. Unlike the downtown tours, the focus here is a park with several specifically named features and a riverside location. This offers a distinct landscape-oriented perspective for your trip, alongside art, architecture and history.

The 1821 Trail as a route option

The extension of the 1821 Trail offers another way to get around. It runs along First Street from the Haw Creek Trail to Water Street. This is a specifically identified route segment with a street alignment and two endpoints. For planning purposes, this route description differs from the guided tours: the focus here is on the route itself, whereas the tours are defined by their thematic perspectives. The trail adds a clearly defined route to your options without prescribing a set itinerary.

Choose a focus for your stay

The tours focus on a guided perspective on downtown; the two offerings differ in their viewpoints. Gallery 506 and Exhibit Columbus, in turn, differ in that one features changing exhibitions while the other has permanent works. The historic designation of Miller House and Garden and Mill Race Park’s location on the Flatrock River offer other thematic focal points. This lets you tailor your selection to the topics that interest you most, rather than putting every option into a fixed sequence.

For the broader travel overview: Bartholomew County.