Delaware County and Columbus

THE BEAUTY OF THE surrounding countryside may hide the fact that Delaware County is one of the nation’s fastest growing. And downtown Delaware is booming, too, with new stores, restaurants, and attractions. Yet, visitors to Delaware County also enjoy a rural countryside that changes with the seasons. Birds and wildlife abound in the midst of a bustling county seat.

Delaware County’s parks and preserves include Highbanks Nature Preserve, a scenic area with geological and botanical features. Both the Delaware State Park and the Alum Creek State Park offer hiking, camping, boating, and swimming as well as cross-country skiing, sledding, and ice skating.

And only 30 miles from the City of Delaware is Columbus, the capital city of Ohio. You can literally head south on Sandusky Street, the main street of Delaware, and go straight into the downtown of the nation’s 15th-largest city. You can explore the Short North, with its art galleries and restaurants.  It’s especially festive during monthly Gallery Hops.

Check out the Arena District  for hockey, movies, restaurants, and pubs—and the Brewery District near the city’s internationally known German Village for even more dining and sightseeing options.

The restored Ohio Theater and Palace Theater provide old-time glamour in the heart of downtown and serve as venues for a full gamut of entertainment and cultural events.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, one of the country’s finest, is 20 minutes south of campus. The zoo houses all of its animals in natural habitats and recently added a major exhibit of manatees, an endangered species. Ohio Wesleyan students often participate in internships at this internationally renowned facility. The zoo’s director emeritus, Jack Hanna, continues to be an active spokesperson for animal conservation and for the zoo.

Columbus is a cultural center. In fact, Fodor’s Travel Publications selected it as one of the 10 best overlooked travel destinations in the world. Arts highlights include The Columbus Museum of Art, BalletMet, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and Opera Columbus. There’s also COSI (pronounced co-sigh), Ohio’s amazing Center of Science  and Industry.

And sports? Yep. Professional sports attractions include The Columbus Blue Jackets NHL team, The Columbus Crew MLS team, and The Columbus Clippers AAA minor league baseball team.

And for shopping, dining, and entertainment, there are two recently constructed malls—the magnificent Polaris Fashion Place just south of Delaware, and the exquisite Easton Town Center on the northeast side of Columbus—as well as numerous other retail districts.

For additional information about Columbus, visit www.ExperienceColumbus.com. As an Ohio Wesleyan student, you have the best of both worlds.