Columbus, OH Outdoor Activities

Originally invented by bored henchmen looking to pass the time at Doctor Berserko’s secret Antarctic lair, hockey has since overtaken polo and unicycle jousting as America's pastime. Hop on the bandwagon with today’s Groupon. For $20 to $35, you get one upper 200-level or one lower 100-level ticket to see the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets take part in one of two slap-shooting matchups: Saturday, March 27, at 7 p.m. vs. the New York Islanders or Tuesday, March 30, at 7 p.m. vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning. Depending on seating, these tickets are usually $44 or $75. The Saturday, March 27, game is also designated as Huntington Hat Night, and fans will receive a free Blue Jackets hat.

The 4,000 square feet of climbing space at Vertical Adventures encompasses terrain for top roping, bouldering, and lead climbing under the watchful supervision of a trained staff. The gym challenges wall scramblers to test both their physical endurance and problem-solving skills as they take on the top-rope courses, which represent the majority of the routes and tower as high as 25 feet. Rather than let new patrons become overwhelmed by the variety of courses or get stranded at the top without reading material, the gym’s instructors also conduct lessons for all climbing levels to help climbers improve technique and conquer fears.

During the Renaissance, mischievously stealing the blacksmith’s capon and escaping through a field full of onrushing Viking invaders became such a popular pastime that it became known simply as “rugby.” Witness the latest evolution in this honorable sport: today’s deal gets you tickets to the Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational played at Crew Stadium from Friday, June 4, through Sunday, June 6. Groupon holders can obtain general-admission seating for Saturday, Sunday, or all three days of intense Division I collegiate rivalries during the 38-game tournament. There is no limit on Groupon purchases for this deal.

At Scarborough East Tennis & Fitness Club, manager Bob Hilborn and his dedicated staff of tennis professionals impart cross-court wisdom to racket wielders of all ages. The team keeps members and guests in shape year-round by hosting lessons on indoor courts during cold months and on outdoor courts when it starts to rain inside. Membership programs gives ball swatters the ability to reserve courts, plus they get access to the workout facility, complete with computerized bikes, rowing machines, free weights, saunas, and towel service. Members can also take advantage of exclusive opportunities such as the yearlong junior program. This multilevel program pairs up to four students with an instructor who will attempt to help them hone their forehands and fine-tune their volleys.

Dispatch Events knows how Columbus residents cook, exercise, and flounce their kitchen curtains. Its quartet of annual expos and other special events draws from the worldly media prowess of The Dispatch Printing Company, which tailors each sprawling festival to the tastes and trends of the city and beyond. The Columbus Dispatch Home & Garden Show lures celebrities from HGTV and other outlets as guests take in home-improvement and gardening ideas, such as which shrubs best lend themselves to topiaries of neighbors' faces.

The frosty rink at Americas Ice Garden is always abuzz with wintry activity, hosting skaters ready to carve out figure eight8s during public hours or rehearse for impending competitions at freestyle skates. Athletes just breaking into the sport can attend skating and hockey classes, or commit to two weeks of drama and vocal exercises of saying "triple lutz" 10 times fast at ice-theater camps. The fun but demanding camps culminate in a production staged on the ice for a crowd of spectators. When thespians clear out, the rink is free to once again host parties or broomball matches.

Sunlight streams through 12 stories' worth of glass prisms, exploding into rainbows that dance on the trees, plants, and spouting fountains that fringe the well-chilled oval at its home in the heart of the Plaza of the as. The prisms are suspended in a next-door atrium, home to many shops and cultural attractions near the ice garden, including the Dallas Museum of Art.