We live in Gahanna and love it! There are so many fun parks, art, events and food options. As the Herb Capital of Ohio, the City of Gahanna is a pollinator friendly habitat community and welcomes lovers of nature! Learn all about what you can discover in Gahanna below.
Creekside
101 Mill St. Gahanna
Creekside can easily be a day adventure. Feed the ducks (peas, corn and lettuce are best for their tummies) and go creeking. There are nice paved paths through the woods and natural stones in the shade that are perfect for a picnic, or sit on the rocks by the creek. The business space is fun to walk around and see murals and fountains too.
There is an Arboretum with an Accreditation at Level I, as recognized by the Morton Register of Arboreta. It includes 40+ different species of trees, identified with placards noting specific characteristics such as height, seed and leaf information, and fun facts.
During the holidays it’s a festive walk.
The Mural Gallery and Plant Library
An old carwash turned art gallery and one bay turned into a plant library. What is a plant library? A community give and take of plants, and shared knowledge for gardening for beginner to expert. My girls love the current butterfly exhibit and created one to add! And the water barrel moose art is pretty cute too!
Creekside Art
Gahanna added these art installations in the parks, they are fun and whimsical and a great way to educate kids about nature with some facts.
Restaurants
There are a lot of options for food. You can’t go wrong with any of these choices. So good! I’m providing in between the fun so you can plan by location. No one likes to be hungry on an adventure day!
Nostalgia Brewing
81 Mill St. Gahanna
A 10 min drive from downtown and in the heart of Gahanna at Creekside. I recommend the bowls, yum! The patio is super nice and you can experience the vibe of Creekside. And lots of choices for beer.
Golden Delight Bakery
246 Lincoln Circle C, Gahanna
20 years of famous family recipes!
Their bakery in Gahanna offers a variety of delicious baked goods — including breads, cookies, cheesecakes, steamed buns, and other sweets. They bring a unique Asian inspiration to the menu.
Sexton’s Pizza
943 E Johnstown Rd. Gahanna
Their hand-crafted kitchen offers fun, creative options to feed all needs. And the flavors, yum! They are super friendly and I enjoyed the 90s vibe and music in the restaurant. My oldest devoured that sub!
Donna’s Delicious Dozen
5322 North Hamilton Rd. Columbus
Thier gluten free donuts are the best I’ve ever had! Fresh, lots of choices(made to order), and you have to get a cold brew. I’m a clean freak and I love how immaculate their shop is.
P.S. The take home kit to decorate is genius! My girls enjoy baking, but pre-packed and ready to decorate is a super great break.
El Vaquero
375 Stoneridge Lane, Gahanna
This was my girls’ first authentic mexican food experience. Fans now!
Authentic Mexican cuisine prepared just as it was centuries ago. At the Mexican restaurant in Gahanna, OH, they combine the freshest meats and seafood, colorful vegetables, and unique sauces and spices to create a tasty experience with each dish they serve.
Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery
1249 North Hamilton Rd. Gahanna
They help the customers make ordinary days special and special occasions extraordinary with cupcakes baked fresh daily, and small batch ice cream crafted in our kitchen.
CORA gives residents and guests the opportunity to explore the Creekside District while enjoying adult beverages, exempt from Ohio’s open container laws. Only beverages that are purchased from a participating business within the CORA and that are in the designated CORA cup may be carried within the CORA boundaries.
Electrical box covers are such an awesome touch!
Geroux Herb Garden
206 S. Hamilton Rd.
Gahanna was declared the Herb Capital of Ohio by the state legislature in 1972. Jane “Bunnie” Geroux spearheaded the effort and later founded the Ohio Herb Education Center. In celebration of this great distinction, the Gahanna Municipal Gardens were installed next to city hall in 1975. They were officially dedicated and named the Geroux Herb Garden in 2002. This educational garden is open to the public and tours are available through the Herb Center.
My girls enjoy seeing all the flowers and plants, playing follow the leader, reading the bushes that are shaped into letters to spell ‘Herb Capital’, and as of this week playing in the sprinklers that are in the herb garden. It’s a maze of wonder!
Ohio Herb Center
110 Mill St
One of the Herb Capital of Ohio’s BEST assets is located in the heart of Gahanna! The Ohio Herb Center is the perfect place to experience the world of herbs – gardening, culinary, aromatic, health and wellness. The Nafzger-Miller house (110 Mill St. Gahanna, Ohio 43230), is home to the Herb Center. It is listed in the National Register of Historical Places, with the earliest part of the house dating to 1855. Take a class or workshop on a variety of classes, ranging from Tea Blending and DIY Herbal Cosmetics to Thrifty Herbal Homecare.
Their Mission: The Ohio Herb Center strives to offer a place where people can learn to incorporate herbs into their daily lives to enhance wellness and well being. Whether you are looking for new culinary twists, in-depth gardening advice, wellness information or ideas on how to use your herbs, we offer programs that inspire you to try something new. The Ohio Herb Center is operated and managed by Visit Gahanna (The Gahanna Ohio Convention & Visitors Bureau).
Gahanna History
Learn about these historical houses here…
https://www.gahannahistory.com/visit
Gahanna Historical Society Settlement(close to Friendship Park)
The Log House, 101 S. High St. Gahanna
The John Clark House, 101 S. High St. Gahanna
The Lily Stone Bed and Breakfast, 106 S. High St. Gahanna
GAHANNA SANCTUARY
Gahanna Sanctuary is a beautiful and convenient location to hold a wedding, reception, party, meeting or event. Built in 1895 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, the Sanctuary offers breathtaking, unmatched stained glass windows, period woodwork + a Gothic-style bell tower. Affordable rental space includes Peace Hall and The Gallery, accommodating 500+ people. The Sanctuary offers a complete kitchen accessible to guests or caterers, private parking lot, 250 chairs and 40 tables of various sizes.
Use this free Walking Tour Guide to learn more…
Parks
750+ acres of parkland. 20+ miles of trails. I’ve provided some highlight photos. You can click the links for more pictures and details.
Trapp Playground-Gahanna
756 Trapp Dr. Gahanna
This park has the coolest climbing double slide we’ve seen! It also has a pole elevator that my girls couldn’t take enough rides down. This is a neighborhood park, so no public restrooms.
Sunpoint Park- Gahanna
620 McCutcheon Rd. Gahanna
This playground is awesome! My girls loved this merry go round, and pretty much stayed on it or in it the entire visit. The zipline type swing is a unique feature.
Woodside Green Park-Gahanna
213 Camrose Ct. Gahanna
A 32 acre nice park with mature shade trees. A super natural play area. A beautiful pond and a new play set. There is a canoe launch into the Big Walnut Creek that is a perfect entrance to creeking, softball and baseball fields, basketball court, and catch and release fishing pond. The Big Walnut Trail (north to Academy Park and south to the Gahanna Municipal Golf Course) is a great nature hike or bike ride(paved and wide path).
McCorkle Park
200 McCutcheon Rd. Gahanna
This was a fun little surprise. One half of the park was like nothing I have seen before in a playground. It had plenty of picnic tables for a nice day outing.
Academy Park
1201 Academy Park Rd. Gahanna
The largest park in Gahanna. 107 acres! Dinosaur lovers will enjoy the two you can spot and climb on at this park. Unique park equipment will keep your kids entertained for a long time. There are 7 baseball diamonds and two basketball courts. Multipurpose trails connect to Woodside Green Park, the Gahanna Municipal Golf Course and Creekside Park.
Hannah Park
6547 Clark State Rd. Gahanna
A 34.5 acre park. There are lots of activities and it’s in a beautiful area. Some features include climbing obstacles, super fast slides and a Gaga pit(want to know more?). And a walking trail that is just under a mile. There are ponds for catch and release fishing. Basketball court, baseball fields, and tennis courts.
Friendship Park
150 Oklahoma Ave. Gahanna
This park is a fun mix! Lots of playing features, music, and reading on a story trail. And lots of places to go creeking and trails in the woods This park can be buggy by the creek, so dress and plan accordingly.
Shull Park
236 Granville St.
Skate park lovers unite! There is an inline skating hockey rink and soccer fields as well.
Pizzurro Park
940 Pizzurro Park Rd.
Pizzurro Park is home to the Pooch Playground dog park, which includes a 4 acre fenced area where dogs may run off-leash. The dog park includes a fenced area for small dogs, 25 lbs. or less, and an agility area for all dogs. A paved path runs through the large dog area making it accessible for wheelchairs. Dogs must be on-leash when outside the fenced in area. A playground is available for human kids! Other amenities include canoe access to the Big Walnut Creek and a shelter picnic area great for small dog events.
Gahanna Woods State Nature Preserve
11699 Taylor Station Rd. Gahanna
Over 99 acres of nature trails with wooded and successional habitats. This preserve protects perhaps the best remaining complex of buttonbush swamps and vernal pools in central Ohio. A pin oak-silver maple swamp forest surrounds these woodland pools. Mature oak-hickory and beech-maple communities occur on the higher and drier areas of the preserve.
Numerous spring wildflowers can be found within these woods. Of significance are the yellow water-crowfoot, swamp saxifrage, wild hyacinth, skunk cabbage and several species of trillium. The only known population of cypress-knee sedge in Ohio occurs in one of the buttonbush swamps within Gahanna Woods.
Our Favorite Yearly Events
Gahanna Farmer’s Market
Clark Hall
380 Granville Street, Gahanna
Herb Day
May 7, 2022
Flea Market
This Year-September 26, 2021, 9am-4pm
Mill Street Gahanna Ohio
Mill Street Market, formerly known as The Gahanna Flea Market, is excited to be back for the fall of 2021. With a focus on community, local artists, and building small businesses we look forward to seeing our friends and families!
https://www.gahannahistory.com/fleamarket
Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival
This year-September 17th-20th 2021
The award-winning Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival, presented by Visit Gahanna offers the Best Blues & Jazz in Ohio. Located in Gahanna’s Creekside District, the annual Creekside Blues and Jazz Festival returns on September 17-19, 2021 celebrating over two decades of outstanding blues and jazz music.
https://www.creeksidebluesandjazz.com
Goblin Trail-TBA
Holiday Lights Celebration–TBA