The Commons in Columbus Opens April 30

A few weeks ago, the Columbus Area Visitors Center was kind enough to invite me on a tour of the new Commons facility in downtown Columbus. As a Columbus resident, this was a great treat–a sneak peak into the gorgeous new building that residents have been eyeing since construction began. It takes up an entire city block and will undoubtedly become the heart of this community when it opens April 30.

The still-under-construction playground at the Commons

Several features stood out to me during the tour.

• The indoor playground. There’s a huge space with an amazing climbing tower for older kids, and dedicated play areas for younger kids. This will be a fun and convenient spot for families to gather, particularly on cold or rainy days. Combine it with the Kidscommons children’s museum and Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor across the street, and you’ve got a great day with kids.
• Nugent-Custer Performance Hall. My husband and I are huge fans of live music, and so I’m excited that there will be a high-quality venue right in Columbus (in addition to the lively outdoor shows held downtown throughout the summer). There was a lot of attention to detail when designing this space to ensure quality acoustics. I can’t wait to hear the first notes emanating from the stage.
• Chaos. This is innovative scultpure, full of gears and gizmos, was designed by Jean Tinguely. It might look like a pile of junk collected from a scrapyard (and actually, it is), but Chaos has a life of its own, full of whimsy and movement. It weighs almost 7 tons and stands 30 feet tall.

You may hear locals refer to this community space as “the new Commons,” as it replaces its predecessor community center with the same name that once stood at the same spot. I never had the chance to see the original, but I’m confident no one will be disappointed with this version.

The Commons is located at 300 Washington Street. The facility will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. To get notifications on all the festivities surrounding the opening of The Commons, visit thecommonscolumbus.com. To inquire about renting the facility, call 812.376.2681.