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Columbus New Year's Eve route inspiration

Columbus New Year's Eve

Rooftops, the Short North and German Village

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3 days through Downtown & the Short North, German Village.

Columbus New Year's Eve is a 3-day curated route with 2 destinations and 15 places to eat, see, and do. Preview stops and timing, then plan it in TripsCircle.

  1. 1
    Downtown & the Short North on the Columbus New Year's Eve route

    Destination 01

    Downtown & the Short North

    9 places

    Rooftop and hotel countdowns along High Street; 2 nights downtown.

    • Brass Eye

      Rooftop bar on The Junto hotel across the river from downtown, facing the skyline; its NYE party ran in 2024 and 2025.

      Tip The NYE ticket covers a welcome drink, passed bites and a midnight balloon drop; buy it in early December.

      DrinkScioto Peninsula$$$3 hr9 pm – 1 am

    • Stories on High

      Rooftop bar on the 28-story Hilton Columbus Downtown tower, which threw a ticketed NYE party in 2025.

      Tip The hotel sells NYE packages that bundle a room with party access.

      DrinkDowntown$$$3 hr9 pm – 1 am
    • Hotel LeVeque near Downtown & the Short NorthPhoto: Jud McCranie · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Hotel LeVeque

      Hotel inside the 1927 Art Deco LeVeque Tower, the city's landmark skyscraper, two blocks from the Scioto Mile.

      Tip Its NYE package in 2025 included a champagne toast and a lobby party with live music.

      StayDowntown$$$
    • Scioto Mile near Downtown & the Short NorthPhoto: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain

      Scioto Mile

      Riverfront parks and promenade along the Scioto River with the best ground-level view of the downtown skyline.

      Tip Stand on the Main Street Bridge for the classic skyline and river reflection after dark.

      SeeDowntownFree60 minAfter dark
    • Short North Arts District near Downtown & the Short NorthPhoto: Jsjessee · CC BY-SA 2.0

      Short North Arts District

      Mile of High Street north of downtown lined with galleries, bars and restaurants under lit steel arches.

      Tip The Joseph hotel here hosted its own NYE toast in 2025 if you want to stay close to the bars.

      DoShort North$$2.5 hrEvening
    • North Market near Downtown & the Short NorthPhoto: North Market · CC BY-SA 4.0

      North Market

      Public market at the edge of the Short North since 1876, with stalls for Ohio cheese, pierogi, Jeni's ice cream and more.

      Tip Good for a late lunch on Dec 30 or 31; holiday hours are shorter.

      EatShort North$60 minLunch

    • The Refectory

      French restaurant in a 19th-century church building on Bethel Road, open since 1976 and known for its wine cellar.

      Tip It is a 15-minute drive north of downtown; book an early seating and rideshare back for the countdown.

      EatNorthwest Columbus$$$$2.5 hrDec 31 early seating
    • Nationwide Arena near Downtown & the Short NorthPhoto: Eric · CC BY-SA 2.0

      Nationwide Arena

      Home of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, who played a Dec 31 home game in 2025.

      Tip When there is an NYE game, the Arena District bars fill right after the final horn.

      DoArena District$$$3 hrEvening

    • COSI Noon Year's Eve

      The science museum's family countdown to noon in its atrium on Dec 31, held 10 am to noon in 2025.

      Tip Included with admission; arrive by 10 am to get a spot in the atrium.

      DoFranklinton$$2.5 hrDec 31 morning
  2. 2
    German Village on the Columbus New Year's Eve route

    Destination 02

    German Village

    6 places

    Brick streets, a big park and old-school German food for Jan 1.

    • Schiller Park near German VillagePhoto: Jsjessee · CC BY-SA 2.0

      Schiller Park

      23-acre park at the heart of German Village with a pond, old trees and a statue of Friedrich Schiller.

      Tip Loop the park, then wander the brick side streets east of it for the 1800s cottages.

      OutdoorsGerman VillageFree45 minLate morning
    • The Book Loft near German VillagePhoto: Pythaglio · CC BY-SA 2.0

      The Book Loft

      Independent bookstore with 32 rooms of books spread through a 19th-century building and courtyard.

      Tip Confirm Jan 1 hours; the courtyard entrance is on South Third Street.

      ShopGerman Village$60 minAfternoon
    • Schmidt's Sausage Haus near German VillagePhoto: Another Believer · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Schmidt's Sausage Haus

      Family-run German restaurant from a meat-packing family dating to 1886, known for bratwurst and jumbo cream puffs.

      Tip Share a cream puff even if you think you are full.

      EatGerman Village$$75 minLunch

    • Katzinger's Delicatessen

      New York-style deli open since 1984, with towering corned beef sandwiches and a free pickle barrel.

      Tip Order at the counter and take a sandwich to Schiller Park if the weather allows.

      EatGerman Village$$45 minBrunch

    • Lindey's

      Bistro in an 1880s building that has been German Village's special-occasion dinner spot since 1981.

      Tip Book it for a Dec 30 dinner or a Jan 1 brunch if it is open; the bar is cozy for a nightcap.

      EatGerman Village$$$2 hrEvening

    • Scioto Audubon Metro Park

      Riverside park on a former industrial site just west of German Village, with wetland trails and skyline views.

      Tip The loop around the wetlands is an easy, flat first walk of the year.

      OutdoorsBrewery DistrictFree60 minMorning

The moments that shape this trip.

Planning Columbus New Year's Eve.

Columbus has no public midnight fireworks, so this is a New Year's Eve built around rooftops, hotel parties and good dinners. On Dec 30 walk the Scioto Mile under the holiday lights, browse North Market and spend the evening in the Short North Arts District. Dec 31 starts with COSI's Noon Year's Eve if you have kids, then dinner at The Refectory and a countdown at Brass Eye on top of The Junto or at Stories on High above the Hilton, or a Blue Jackets game at Nationwide Arena when the schedule lines up. Jan 1 belongs to German Village: a walk through Schiller Park, the maze of rooms at The Book Loft, sandwiches at Katzinger's and a plate of bratwurst at Schmidt's.

Good for Friends and couples who want a low-stress NYE of rooftop parties, a hotel package and a quiet historic neighborhood on Jan 1.

When to go

Arrive Dec 30. There is no city fireworks show or public countdown downtown; the celebrations are ticketed hotel and rooftop parties (Brass Eye, Stories on High and Hotel LeVeque all ran NYE events in 2025) that typically start around 8 or 9 pm and sell out in December. COSI's Noon Year's Eve runs 10 am to noon on Dec 31 (2025). The Blue Jackets played a home game on Dec 31 in 2025; check the season schedule. Expect highs around freezing with a chance of snow or freezing rain. On Jan 1 many restaurants close or open late; German Village's park and streets are always open, but confirm shop and restaurant hours.

Getting around

Downtown, the Arena District and the Short North are linked by High Street and are walkable; German Village is a 10-minute drive or about 30 minutes on foot from Capitol Square. COTA buses run a reduced holiday schedule, so plan on rideshare for the late return and expect a surge between 12:15 and 1 am. Downtown garages are plentiful; book event parking near Nationwide Arena ahead on game nights. Roads can be icy after midnight.

Tips for your crew

  • Buy rooftop tickets early and pick a venue with an indoor fallback; Columbus wind makes open-air countdowns short.
  • Walk the Scioto Mile after dark on Dec 30 when the riverfront and the LeVeque Tower are lit for the holidays.
  • German Village's brick streets are slick in freezing rain; wear shoes with grip.

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