27 Most Fun Date Ideas in Columbus for 2024
Searching for date ideas in Columbus, Ohio, might lead you to ask several questions. What can you do for fun on a date? Where can I go on a romantic date? Whether you are looking for a fun, casual spot for a first date or a more romantic evening out on the town, Columbus boasts plenty of options for date night and more.
Date night can be a wonderful way to build quality time into your relationship, and research from the Harvard Business School proves that rituals like a weekly or monthly date night can help couples maintain closeness.
According to their research, even a small date night like doing a household chore together helped couples feel more connected. If you’re local to the Columbus area, or even if you’re visiting the city for the first time, you’ll find plenty of date ideas in Columbus to help you maintain that closeness in your own relationship.
We’ve found 27 different date ideas in Columbus, ranging from creative nights at the comedy club to dates for those chilly winter nights in Ohio. We hope this list inspires you to create a date night ritual that keeps the romance alive in your own relationship.
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- Best Dinner Date Ideas in Columbus
- Creative Date Ideas in Columbus
- Unique Date Ideas in Columbus
- Winter Date Ideas in Columbus
Best Dinner Date Ideas in Columbus
1. Attend Cooking Classes Together
One great Columbus date idea is attending a cooking class together. You’ll be able to learn to make a new meal with help from a top-rated chef. Cooking classes in Columbus make for a great gift idea, as well.
2. Take a Food Tour
Why visit one delicious Columbus eatery when you can try several? Book a food tour through Columbus Food Adventures and explore the city, restaurant by restaurant. You can even book a private food tour if you’d like to make this date idea in Columbus a more romantic adventure.
3. Solve a Crime While You Dine
If you are searching for dinner date ideas in Columbus, Ohio, The Dinner Detective is a new take on dinner theater that gets all of the guests involved in solving a crime before dinner is over. This is certainly one of the must fun date ideas in Columbus for couples who love to binge watch crime shows together!
4. Eat at North Market
Dinner date ideas in Columbus, Ohio, don’t always have to be a formal affair. If you’re looking for chill date ideas that allow you to explore the city and enjoy new cuisine all at once, visit North Market.
This public market is a Columbus staple. You’ll find delicious foods, unique vendors and more. For a casual Saturday dining experience, this makes for a fun date idea in Columbus.
5. Enjoy Dinner at a Columbus Favorite
If you’re traveling to Columbus, there are some restaurants that are just too good to miss, like Lindey’s. This well-known Columbus establishment is the perfect spot for a romantic dinner for two.
Indulge in delicious pasta dishes, seafood or delectable desserts for the perfect date idea in Columbus, Ohio.
6. Picnic With the Pops
While this date idea in Columbus isn’t your traditional dinner date, it is a great option for couples who want to eat outdoors while enjoying wonderful music.
Spend your summer evening in Columbus at Picnic with the Pops and enjoy top entertainers and the beautiful accompaniment of the Columbus orchestra.
Creative Date Ideas in Columbus
7. Try a Paint and Sip
Trying paint and sip in Columbus is a perfect option for any couples looking for first date ideas. Because you’ll be painting and enjoying a drink together, you’ll be too busy to notice any first-date jitters.
Paint and sip classes aren’t just for new lovebirds; they also make great date ideas in Columbus for couples looking to slow down and reconnect during a busy season. Or, one step further, they make for awesome bachelor party ideas in Ohio for when the date turns into the ultimate success.
8. Learn a New Art Form
If you’ve tried paint and sip classes and are ready to branch into more types of artistry, plan for a creative and romantic date by taking art classes in Columbus.
Art classes like this can be a great option as a first date to minimize stress, but they can also be great date ideas for married couples who are looking to try something new and add some creativity back into their relationship.
9. Paint Pottery
Pottery classes are also a wonderful option if you are looking for ways to be creative together as a couple. Sign up for pottery classes in Columbus and experience the thrill of learning a new skill and making a piece of ceramicware that will last.
Pottery classes are a great date idea in Columbus for couples who want to engage their artistic side in a fun, educational environment.
10. GalleryHop in Columbus
If you’re looking for creative, fun date ideas in Columbus, you won’t want to miss GalleryHop on the first Saturday of each month. You’ll enjoy an afternoon of arts exploration with galleries and street performers in the Short North Arts District, making this one of the best things to do in Columbus, Ohio, for couples at night.
11. Go on a Scavenger Hunt
Have you and your partner always wanted to compete on The Amazing Race? Then look for date ideas in Columbus like Urban Adventure Quest, which will send you all over the city looking for clues together. This fun date idea for couples in Columbus will bring you closer together as you compete to beat the challenge.
12. Head to the Theatre
If you’d like some more upscale date ideas in Columbus, head to the Ohio Theatre, a favorite venue for local artists and national performing groups alike. Pair your night on the town with a delicious dinner nearby for a perfect, romantic date night.
13. Visit the Botanical Gardens
With plenty of places to visit and things to see in Columbus, it might be easy to overlook the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, but this gem is one of many great date ideas in Columbus for couples who love nature and the outdoors. You can even stop by for Cocktails at the Conservatory if you’re looking for a romantic evening together.
Unique Date Ideas in Columbus
14. Travel the Distillery Trail
Columbus, Ohio, is home to several different food tours and trails that help you discover hidden gems in Columbus. The Distillery Trail takes you to some of the city’s most notable distilleries and even rewards you with digital points and a t-shirt for completing the tour. This unique tour of Columbus favorites is a great addition to your list of first date ideas in Columbus, Ohio.
15. Take a Ride on the TrolleyPub
Perfect for outgoing couples or a group of friends, the TrolleyPub offers tours of downtown Columbus while you get to enjoy a drink or two! This date idea answers the question, “Is there anything fun to do in Columbus?” The answer is a resounding “Yes!” Book a ride on the TrolleyPub for a date idea in Columbus that will be sure to leave a lasting impression.
16. Go to a Dueling Pianos Bar
If you and your significant other are music lovers, spice up date night by visiting The Big Bang Bar, a Columbus area dueling pianos bar. You’ll be able to sing along and enjoy a night on the town. This is a great weekend date idea in Columbus, especially if you are looking for things to do in Columbus, Ohio for couples at night.
17. Attend a Comedy Show
Make date night memories by attending a dinner show or open mic night at The Funny Bone Comedy Club. There are few date ideas in Columbus that will leave you laughing like this one.
18. Take a Ghost Tour
Hold hands with your sweetheart and take in a ghost tour of Columbus together. Ghost tours are one of the best date ideas in Columbus for any couples who like a dose of the spooky and supernatural along with their history lessons.
19. Have a Nostalgic Movie Night
Dinner and a movie might be the most classic date combination, but if you’re looking for date ideas in Columbus that will take movie night up a notch, try the South Drive-In Theater. They offer drive-movies from spring through fall, but don’t worry if you miss them; you can still stop by for the flea market hosted there in the colder months of the year.
20. Find a Festival to Attend
Columbus hosts several different festivals throughout the year, and there are always different events happening throughout the city. For more spontaneous date ideas in Columbus, keep your eye on the current local events and find a weekend festival or celebration to attend together.
Winter Date Ideas in Columbus
21. Go Ice Skating
No list of fun winter activities for date night would be complete without a classic night of ice skating. Visit one of the Columbus area’s many indoor rinks for a romantic night of holding hands and laughing about your skating skills.
22. Relax at the Spa
When the weather turns cold for the winter, you might be looking for indoor date ideas in Columbus. Book a couples’ massage or a whole day of luxurious spa treatments for you and your significant other.
Woodhouse Spa has several different locations to choose from, and a wide menu of services that will keep you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, even on the frostiest of winter days.
23. Visit a Museum
Indoor date ideas in Columbus can still be fun and full of culture, even when the mercury drops. Instead of walking outdoors, why not plan a visit to the Columbus Museum of Art?
Stay cozy inside while looking at the exhibits and galleries together, and maybe even get some inspiration for what you can’t paint together at your next creative date night.
24. Visit the Wintergarden
Land Grant Brewing boasts a wide array of winter date ideas for couples in Columbus, Ohio. With options ranging from curling to ice bumper cars and even outdoor igloos in the beer garden, the Wintergarden at Land Grant Brewing will make your winter date dreams come true.
25. Take Your Coffee Date to the Next Level
Why meet for coffee at one local coffee shop when you can try several on the Columbus Coffee Trail? You’ll be able to warm up with cozy beverages and pastries as you collect points at each stop along the way. This is also a great first date idea in Columbus, Ohio.
26. Cheer at a Hockey Game
Take in an NHL game by watching the Columbus Blue Jackets play at their home stadium in Columbus. You can watch your favorite players take the ice and have a fun night on the town while staying cozy together.
27. Go Bowling Together
Bowling might just be one of the most traditional indoor date ideas, but nothing about bowling at Pins Mechanical in Columbus, Ohio will feel traditional.
With arcade games and delicious drinks and food options available, this date idea in Columbus will have you come back time and time again for a night of strikes and spares.
We hope this list of date ideas in Columbus, Ohio, has given you some inspiration for how to spend more quality time with your partner this year.
Whether you choose a fun, loud trip on the TrolleyPub, or opt for a high-class dinner and night at the museum, you’re sure to find plenty of romantic date ideas to keep you closer than ever.
For even more fun date ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!
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