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7 Fun Things to do in Delaware, Ohio

Spend a day exploring Delaware, Ohio, a walkable city full of art, culture, delicious food and irresistible shopping!

Just north of Columbus, Delaware, Ohio has a walkable downtown full of shops and restaurants, a great park system, and proximity to both Alum Creek State Park and Delaware State Park.

It’s a family-friendly city with lots of activities to keep kids busy! The city is always hosting special events for all age groups and its restaurant scene will surprise you with creativity and unique offerings.

Delaware is the perfect spot for a day trip that will leave you planning your next visit. Check out this list of fun things to do in Delaware, Ohio to plan your day!

1. Boardman Arts Park

  • Address: 154 W William St, Delaware, OH 43015
  • Website

Boardman Arts Park is a 2.2 acre park in downtown Delaware, Ohio that is an outdoor art exhibit, a location for events and performances and a space for the public to relax and enjoy being surrounded by artwork!

A piece of artwork called Dripping 88 in Boardman Arts Park in Delaware, Ohio.
Dripping 88 in Boardman Arts Park

There are hands-on activities for kids like a large sand pit play area, a plant library and musical instruments! Exhibits may rotate throughout the year so what you see pictured here may change over time!

Picket the Owl, a sculpture made of wood in Boardman Arts Park.
Picket the Owl in Boardman Arts Park

The park is within walking distance of downtown Delaware and the main entrance to the park is on William Street.

2. Olentangy Caverns

  • Address: 1779 Home Rd, Delaware, OH 43015
  • Website

We’ve been fans of Olentangy Caverns for a long time! Over the years, my kids have enjoyed all aspects of this family-friendly attraction in Delaware!

Two boys descending into the caverns at Olentangy Caverns in Delaware, Ohio.

Exploring the caves and caverns offers an opportunity to learn about Native American history in Ohio. You can take a self-guided tour of the caverns that descend up to 105 feet underground. In addition to the caverns, there is gem mining, a petting zoo, mini-golf and more!

A boy mining for gems at Olentangy Caverns.

There is always something new at Olentangy Caverns! Recent new additions include a fire truck to climb on at the playground, a Treasure Hunt Maze and Bigfoot Walking Trail.

3. Veterans Park (AKA The Dinosaur Park)

  • Address: 1121 S Houk Rd, Delaware, OH 43015
  • Website

Veterans Park in Delaware is one of the most unique parks you’ll find in Ohio (yes, that is my opinion)! LOL!

The dinosaur-themed playground at Veteran's Park.

The park is dinosaur-themed with large dinosaur prints in the sidewalk, a dinosaur slide and dinosaurs to run through at the splash pad.

The free splash pad in Delaware, Ohio.

There is a nice covered area for sitting at the splash pad and throughout the park there are two large pavilions with picnic tables for shade and eating. There is also a snack shack in the park if you don’t want to bring your own snacks.

See more photos of the park in my blog post all about the dinosaur park in Delaware!

4. Beanbag Books

  • Address: 25 W Winter St, Delaware, OH 43015
  • Website

We love this adorable children’s bookstore in downtown Delaware! It’s always fun to stop in when we are in the area.

A boy looking at a book at Beanbag Books in Delaware, Ohio.

You can expect your kids’ favorite authors, educational and unique toys, nooks and crannies to sit in and read and even a small selection of books for adults!

A reading nook at Beanbag Books.

Beanbag Books hosts monthly story times, author visits and participates in community-wide events in Downtown Delaware.

5. Copper Brick Market

Explore Copper Brick Market to find retro candy and snacks you won’t find in the regular grocery store! My kids loved finding new-to-them candy here!

Items for sale at Copper Brick Market in downtown Delaware, Ohio.

It’s not just a candy store though, you can find household goods, jewelry, artwork and lots of other fun gift items. All of the items are creatively displayed in things like vintage stoves, wooden carts and antique display cases.

Candy for sale, stored on a vintage stove.

6. Deer Haven Park

  • Address: 4183 Liberty Rd, Delaware, OH 43015
  • Website

Deer Haven Park, one of the Preservation Parks of Delaware County makes for a fun outing for families because it has a great Nature Center, a natural play area and an outdoor aviary.

Inside the Nature Center at Deer Haven Park.

If you love birds and bird watching, this is the park for you!

The outdoor aviary at Deer Haven Park in Delaware.

Don’t miss the pollinator garden and Natural Play Area just outside the nature center if bugs and butterflies are more your style! These activities in the park are all pretty close to each other and you can expect to spend around an hour or two enjoying these great features of the park!

7. Coffeeology

  • Address: 43 N Sandusky St, Delaware, OH 43015
  • Website

Coffeeology calls itself “A Collective of Our Favorite Things” and this is such a fitting description because this adorable shop in downtown Delaware, Ohio is more than just a coffee shop! This shop happens to be a home goods shop that features national and local artisans as well as a destination for a good cup of coffee in Ohio!

An iced latte from Coffeeology in Delaware.

Coffeeology has a large selection of hot and cold coffee drinks including cold brew and iced lattes. My kids and I were also big fans of the baked goods we chose on our visit!


I hope this list of things to do in Delaware gives you a taste of just how great this city is! It’s definitely a doable day trip from Columbus and there’s always a reason to go back!