Dine on a historic covered bridge, visit the innovative Harding Home, create your own horticultural souvenirs and get up close and personal with butterflies on this tour of Marion, Columbus and the surrounding area.
Day 1
• Arrive in Marion
• Revisit America’s past at Harding Presidential Sites
• Experience a bit of Holland at the Leo Berbee Bulb Company
• Dine on the Pottersburg Covered Bridge with Visit Union County Tourism
• Depart for Dublin
• Explore The Dublin Link pedestrian bridge
• Sunny Irish Dinner experience with Sunny Street Café in Dublin
• After-hours fun at 16-Bit Bar+Arcade
• Overnight at Embassy Suites Columbus Dublin
Harding Presidential Sites
Marion
Warren G. Harding was the 29th U.S. president, holding office from 1921 until his death in 1923. Harding was a native Ohioan and the publisher of his hometown newspaper, the Marion Daily Star. When he ran for president, he campaigned from his front porch. Today, the Harding Home, Harding Memorial and the Warren G. Harding Presidential Library & Museum in Marion make excellent stops for groups passing through central Ohio. At the presidential library, they’ll find exhibits and artifacts about Harding’s life and his presidency. The adjacent Harding Home, which has welcomed visitors since 1926, was constructed in the Queen Anne-style and is known for having the era’s modern amenities, including indoor plumbing. The home is now a museum detailing the role of the press in the 1920 presidential election. The Harding Memorial contains the president and his wife’s tombs. Constructed of white marble and emulating a Greek temple, the monument is a beautiful tribute to Harding and an important landmark for Marion.
Dine on a Covered Bridge
Marysville
Marysville is known for its covered bridges, at one point having over 200 of them. Through the years, these bridges were removed, replaced and rebuilt to keep up with modern infrastructure, and today only seven remain in the scenic countryside. The Covered Bridge Trail shares their history and that of Reuben Partridge, who built over 200 covered bridges in his lifetime. A trip to Marysville and the Union County countryside would be incomplete without one of its signature offerings for groups: dining on a historic covered bridge. From April through October, groups can enjoy a delicious meal on the Pottersburg Bridge, built in 1873 and later moved to its current location to preserve it. Dishes made from fresh, local ingredients are served under the roof of the iconic red bridge while groups enjoy live folk music, storytelling and lively conversations in an open-air setting.
visitunioncountyohio.org/group-travel/dine-on-a-covered-bridge
Day 2
• Depart for Grandview Heights
• Create a plant-themed craft at Ivy Court
• Pour-your-own-candle experience at Penn & Beech Candle Co.
• German lunch at Hofbrauhaus Columbus
• Depart for Columbus
• Guided tour of German Village
• Dinner at The Boat House at Confluence Park
• Overnight at Drury Inn & Suites Columbus Convention Center
Ivy Court
Grandview Heights
A plant lover’s paradise awaits in Grandview Heights, just outside of Columbus. Ivy Court, a plant and home goods store, is owned by husband-and-wife team Ryan and Courtney Hart. The small business opened its first brick and mortar storefront in 2020 and was an instant hit with the community. Ivy Court’s Grandview Heights location opened in October of 2023. The store sells house plants, plant care items, garden accessories and home goods such as candles, tea towels and pillows. It also sells clothing and accessories. Workshops are given on topics such as pressed floral art, wreath-making and moss art. Groups can attend a workshop, peruse the store’s wares and leave with a house plant of their own.
Day 3
• Butterfly experience at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
• Depart for Gahanna
• Make-and-take herb class at Ohio Herb Center
• Lunch at 101 Beer Kitchen
• Explore herb gardens in Gahanna
• Dinner at Barrel & Boar Gahanna
• After-hours fun at Pins Mechanical Company Columbus
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Columbus
The Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, as it’s known today, opened in 1993, but the gardens and conservatory have been delighting horticultural enthusiasts in Columbus for over a century. The John F. Wolfe Palm House, a glass greenhouse opened to the public in 1895, is among the property’s oldest buildings. Today, the conservatory and gardens make up 13 acres of the 88-acre Franklin Park. Here, groups will find several exhibits replicating distinct biomes from around the world, including mountains, deserts, rainforests and a water garden. Each year, the Pacific Island Water Garden biome becomes home to hundreds of tropical butterflies as part of the conservatory’s Blooms and Butterflies exhibit. Groups can check out the plant life of each biome and view the park’s collection of bonsai trees and stunning Chihuly glass artwork. They can also take a scenic walk in the outdoor botanical gardens and grab a bite to eat at the Garden Café or the park’s food truck.
Ohio Herb Center
Gahanna
Just outside of Columbus is the town of Gahanna, known as the Herb Capital of Ohio. The Ohio Herb Center, located in a historic home downtown, celebrates the area’s herbal history. It educates its visitors about the many benefits of herbs, from health and wellness to cooking and cleaning. Classes and workshops are regularly offered on varied subjects like teas and tonics, the language of herbs, natural hair care, and cooking and cleaning with herbs. Groups can attend a class and check out the center’s shop, which offers a large selection of herb-themed products and gifts, such as local honey, herbs, cosmetics, tea blends and books. Whether they’re interested in gardening, cooking or DIY, every visitor is sure to learn from and be delighted by the center’s charms.
