Discover Fairfield County
Fairfield County is a short 30 minute drive southeast from Columbus and a fun day trip or weekend getaway for the whole family. We recently had the opportunity to partner with Visit Fairfield County to experience a bit of what Fairfield County has to offer – by no means did we get to see everything! The county boasts a budding food and drink scene, opportunities to explore in both a structured and unstructured settings, and 17 covered bridges to discover (which is the most in Ohio).
Where to Play
Create a masterpiece at Art & Clay on Main, an accessible art studio in historic downtown Lancaster, featuring Paint Your Own Pottery, a wheel throwing studio, and summer art camps for kids. There were so many pottery pieces to choose from all at various price points. My daughter had to take a few laps around the shop before settling on a train bank to paint for her brother. The art studio is attached to Square 7 Coffee House, which makes getting your coffee fix super easy.
Explore the over 8000 square foot space with approximately 35 hands on activities in order to fulfill AHA!s mission of “educating children in a world of discovery, curiosity and imagination through hands-on play”
We have been big fans of AHA! for a few years now, but we are now even bigger fans with the addition of the new Raymond B. Martens Nature Playscape. This area provided my kiddos with the opportunity to climb, build, explore, and create with natural materials in a natural setting.
Reconnect with the great outdoors at Rising Park. We burned off some energy at the playground on the different play structures designed for various ages. We then made the moderate trek up Mt Pleasant to take in the sights. The views were amazing at the top and it would be a pretty incredible place to take in a sunset. We definitely recommend opting for a tennis shoe in lieu of those sandals for this little hike.
Jump the afternoon away at Jolly Hoppers. Jolly hoppers is filled with indoor bounce houses, slides, obstacle courses, a ball pit, and even a toddler area so the youngest of children can feel included in the adventure. The play center is only open certain days to the public, so be sure to check the website before heading over.
Shopping with two kids in tow can be tricky. We only made it to three of the shops in Historic Downtown Lancaster, but I would love to go back sometime solo to check out what we missed.
The Paperback Exchange is a fun little bookstore with floor to ceiling shelves and stacks of books. Beware, there are two cats roaming the shop and were keen on making their way outside when we were there.
Keller Markethouse is a year round, indoor marketplace located in historic downtown Lancaster. It provides a traditional shopping experience that highlights locally grown, seasonal foods alongside handmade artisan goods.
Miss Molly’s Mercantile is a handmade marketplace, featuring the best in local crafts, handmade in the heart of Ohio. We picked up a few sweet smelling bath bombs to take home with us.
Explore
If you have time, take a few minutes to walk around Downtown Lancaster. We found so many unique pieces of art tucked into alleys and courtyards. It really was quite beautiful.
Where to Eat
Get your coffee fix and a treat at Square 7 Coffee House. Located in the heart of Historic Downtown Lancaster, this coffee shop is attached to Art & Clay on Main. After completing our art creations we refueled with a seasonal iced latte and some chocolates.
Sit back and enjoy a fabulous meal at JB’s Downtown Grill. We all recommend the chicken fingers – they were fantastic! We felt welcomed as soon as we arrived at JB’s, we were seated quickly and staff was great with the kids. The kids menu had quite a few choices at a great price point. There were coloring books and crayons to keep the kids entertained, high chairs to help keep the baby contained, and a changing station in the large women’s restroom.
Order the pretzel bites at The Ale House 1890 along with the pizza, wraps, and burgers. We really enjoyed our dinner at The Ale House and highly recommend sitting on the patio. This restaurant was extremely kid friendly with high chairs, booster seats, kids menus, and even a changing station in the family restroom.
Enjoy brunch (or really any meal!) at Cherry Street Pub. The vibe was fun and eclectic, the staff was great with our kids, and we have to recommend the soft pretzels here as well. There are highchairs available for use, but no set kids menu (they could adapt almost anything to a kids portion size), and there wasn’t a changing station in the restroom if you would be in need of one.
Stop for an ice cream at Nancy Scoop’s. This is a cute little ice cream shop off the beaten path and with $1.50 kids scoops, the price can’t be beat. Warning – this place is hopping on Saturday nights when it’s 90 degrees outside, so be prepared to wait!
Where to Stay
Stay at the Holida In Express & Suites if you are looking to make a weekend out of your visit. The location is right in the middle of everything we visited. The kids loved running around the rooms and crashing in the cozy beds.
The highlight of the stay for my daughter was the Express Start Breakfast the next day. The pancake in a minute flat station was a huge hit. I enjoyed the variety of food offered and loaded up on the cheese omelet, turkey sausage, and cinnamon rolls.
We had such a fun time exploring Fairfield County and were honestly surprised by everything the county had to offer. If you make the trek we would love for you to share by tagging us and @visitfairfieldcounty #VisitFairfieldCounty.
Disclosure: Discover Fairfield County is a sponsored post. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.