Columbus offers enough variety to build a day around your group's interests. Start with a short stretch of the Chattahoochee RiverWalk for a view of the river and downtown. For history, the National Infantry Museum presents American infantry exhibits; The Columbus Museum pairs American art with regional history and lists free general admission.

Families seeking an indoor science stop can check the Coca-Cola Space Science Center's exhibits and show schedule. Outdoors, the Columbus Botanical Garden offers a slower walk through planted grounds. A performance at the Springer Opera House can finish the day, provided you check the showtime and the entrance for its performance space.

Choose one major indoor attraction and one outdoor stop rather than rushing through every venue. Check each operator's current hours, admission, and accessibility details before leaving. River conditions, seasonal garden hours, museum programs, and theater schedules may affect the plan, so use each venue's official site to set a realistic route.

Columbus has dining options for different plans. For a daytime diner meal, Ruth Ann's Restaurant says it serves breakfast and lunch throughout its service. Minnie's Uptown Restaurant offers Southern-style meat-and-sides plates, with daily choices shown on its menu. Cerrone's Brick Oven Pizzeria gives a group a pizza option and publishes its menu online.

For dinner closer to downtown, 11th and Bay Southern Table lists its Bay Avenue location and visit details. Mabella describes Italian dining just off Broadway, while Saltcellar focuses on seafood, cocktails, and desserts on 1st Avenue. These are starting points for choosing a meal, not a ranking of every restaurant in Columbus.

Before going, check each restaurant's site for its menu, hours, location, and reservation guidance. That matters especially for holidays, large groups, or a meal built around a particular dish. Pick the dining occasion first, then confirm that the restaurant can accommodate the visit you have in mind.

Halloween Scream on the Green returns to the Columbus Civic Center lawn on Saturday, October 31, opening at 4:00 p.m. and presented by The J.M. Smucker Co. The free afternoon features costume contests, pumpkin carving, hayrides, horse rides, sack races and a candy giveaway.

Admission is free, but registration in advance requires each guest's legal name. Families should bring blankets and lawn chairs, since the evening shifts to watching on the lawn once activities wind down.

At 7:00 p.m., the Civic Center screens a horror double feature, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Insidious, both rated PG-13, so parents should consider whether the films suit younger children. Guests 17 and younger must be accompanied by an adult 21 or older, children cannot be dropped off, and the Civic Center's Clear Bag Policy applies to everyone. Families can RSVP online ahead of the free event.