8 Reasons to Take Your Kids to North Market

North Market is an exciting place for kids.  There are so many colors, smells and sights to be seen!  In fact, while walking through the market, my 4 year old exclaimed, “I love this place!”  Here are 8 reasons why you should take your kids to North Market:

1. Live lobster!  One of the things my kids are intrigued by are the fresh fish at the counter at The Fish Guys.  There is also a tank of live lobster that gets a lot of attention.

2.  Destination Donuts!  It’s hard to walk by this stand and not stop and stare.  The owner, Heather Morris, recently won The Donut Showdown on the Cooking Channel!  Jaden chose Vanilla and was not disappointed!

3. Lan Viet Market!  Okay this is my personal favorite and go to dish at the North Market so I had to include it.  #9 on the menu right here.  Mmmmmm.

4. The Murals!  My 4 year old loved sitting by the mural of Columbus while we ate our lunches upstairs.  He’s kind of obsessed with cities.  So am I.

5. The Mac and Cheese at Holy Smoke BBQ!  I don’t have a picture of this because my kids pretty much inhaled it.  I didn’t get a bite but I’m assuming it was pretty darn good.

6. Flowers.  I love to look down from the balcony at all the colors of the North Market.  So did my kids.  The flowers from Market Blooms only add to the beauty!

7. The scale.  Seriously, only kids could be excited about weighing themselves.  I don’t necessarily recommend standing on it yourself after eating, but my kids were really into it.

8. Colorful dishes.  Maybe this one is for me, too.  I like to check out the unique offerings of The Source by Wasserstrom and I think the colors on display make this experience all the more cheerful!

Honestly, there is very little about the North Market I’m not excited about!  It can be, of course, very busy at lunchtime and on Saturdays.  If you’re planning to push a stroller through the crowd (like me) I suggest going in the morning during the week, if possible. The hours of the market are Sunday – Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Tuesday – Saturday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM.  You can pick up a coffee at Staffs or an amazing pastry at Pistacia Vera.  Or try an afternoon visit after nap time for ice cream at Jeni’s and a walk to Goodale Park.  There is an elevator to the second floor with lots of seating and great views of the market.

You can also sit outside if the weather suits!

There is a parking lot at North Market – make sure to get your ticket stamped by a vendor.  A stamped ticket will get you parking for $1/hour for up to 2 hours.  Also, I often park at the meters on Goodale, along the south side of Goodale Park.

On our last visit to North Market we had lunch and then walked to Goodale Park.  This is a very doable walk and if you happen to park on Goodale you can split the difference.  We were happy for the walk in the sunshine on one of the unusually warm days in early March.  The playground at Goodale Park is a lot of fun for my kids.  They also enjoy going to the pond and watching ducks and playing in the gazebo.

During the summer, the North Market hosts an outdoor Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings and there are multiple festivals held there throughout the year.  Check out the schedule here.  A trip to North Market and Goodale park will be great outing for a warm spring day!

Know Before You Go:

North Market
Address: 59 Spruce Street · Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 614-463-9664
Hours: Sunday – Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Tuesday – Saturday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Goodale Park
Address:  120 W. Goodale St., Columbus, OH 43215

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Need even more ideas? Try 100 Fun Things to do in Columbus, Ohio