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And we believe Columbus is a great city.

🏗 The 1923 construction of Central High School in downtown Columbus. The Columbus skyline can be seen across the river.
05/29/2026

🏗 The 1923 construction of Central High School in downtown Columbus. The Columbus skyline can be seen across the river.

🛍 A 1980s view of the enclosed walkway in the Lane Avenue Shopping Center. The shops were built around 1949 as a shoppin...
05/29/2026

🛍 A 1980s view of the enclosed walkway in the Lane Avenue Shopping Center. The shops were built around 1949 as a shopping strip and later enclosed in 1980.

A renovation in 2002-2003 removed the enclosed walkway, after which the shopping center was renamed the Shops on Lane Avenue.

🍹 The Kahiki Supper Club, located in Eastmoor on Broad Street, was one of the largest Polynesian-themed restaurants in t...
05/28/2026

🍹 The Kahiki Supper Club, located in Eastmoor on Broad Street, was one of the largest Polynesian-themed restaurants in the world. The restaurant was unlike anything else in the Columbus and left its mark on generations of people who grew up and lived in Columbus.

More on the history of the Kahiki:

🌺 Post-Fire Reinvention
After their first restaurant, The Grass Shack, burned down in 1959, owners Bill Sapp and Lee Henry invested $1 million to build the Kahiki. It opened in February of 1961.

🏝️ Polynesian Palace Design
At 20,000 sq. ft., it was the largest tiki restaurant in the U.S., seating 500 guests. The dining room featured a 20-foot waterfall, seven Polynesian war canoes, and a rainforest with thunderstorms every 30 minutes (rain included!)

🌧️ Indoor Thunderstorms
The "Rainforest Room" simulated storms every 20 minutes with rain sounds, flashing lights, and mist.

🍹 The Mystery Girl And Over-The-Top Cocktails
Bartenders dazzled guests by pouring flaming liquor into a glass skull’s eye sockets to make the “Mystery Girl” drink. Other cocktails arrived in coconuts or ceramic tiki mugs, which are now collector’s items.

🌟 Celebrity Clientele
The Kahiki hosted stars like Zsa Zsa Gabor, Milton Berle, and Jack Hanna (who held his wedding reception there). Even the King of Tonga dined under its thatched roof.

🐠 Aquarium Dining
Guests could eat beside massive saltwater aquariums housing 100+ tropical fish, including pufferfish and lionfish. The tanks were maintained by a full-time marine biologist.

🏛️ National Recognition
Added to the National Register of Historic Places for its iconic mid-century tiki architecture.

🚧 Closure & Demolition
The Kahiki closed on August 26, 2000, with the property sold to Walgreens. Fans stripped the building for souvenirs, buying everything from tiki mugs to roof thatch. The demolition sparked citywide outrage.

❄️ Frozen Legacy
Before closing, the owners launched Kahiki Foods in 1991, selling frozen versions of their famous egg rolls and entrees. Today, the brand is sold in 15,000+ grocery stores nationwide.

🛒 Acquired by Hormel
Hormel Foods acquired Kahiki Foods in 2018 for $125 million, ensuring its pineapple-glazed meatballs and “Mai Tai Chicken” live on—even if the Moai statues don’t.

🗿 Tiki Remnants
One original Moai statue stands at Tiki Botanicals Lounge in Columbus. The frozen egg rolls remain a cult favorite.

🍜 A Local Family Connection
Jeff Tsao (son of final Kahiki owner Michael Tsao) owns Fukuryu Ramen, which has three locations in central Ohio.

👾 Verse COSI, an immersive holographic theater experience now open at COSI, combines augmented reality, digital art, and...
05/28/2026

👾 Verse COSI, an immersive holographic theater experience now open at COSI, combines augmented reality, digital art, and interactive storytelling into a walk-through adventure where guests become part of the story itself.

Using lightweight AR glasses, visitors move through a shared virtual world filled with animated environments, puzzles, and interactive elements that transform the physical space around them. Instead of sitting and watching a screen, guests actively explore the experience together.

According to COSI, the experience is designed to blend technology and storytelling in a way that feels accessible for families, friend groups, and curious first-timers who may not have tried augmented reality before.

Verse COSI is part of a year-long pilot program, and the museum plans to rotate in new story experiences throughout the year, giving visitors new worlds and adventures to explore on future visits.

The experience is located on Level 1 inside COSI and operates daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s recommended for guests ages 7 and older.

One notable detail for anyone planning a visit: you don’t need general admission to COSI in order to experience Verse COSI. Standalone tickets are available, alongside bundled admission options for guests who want to spend the day exploring the museum as well.

🍽 Hudson 29, a Cameron Mitchell concept that currently operates in Upper Arlington and in New Albany, is set to open a n...
05/28/2026

🍽 Hudson 29, a Cameron Mitchell concept that currently operates in Upper Arlington and in New Albany, is set to open a new location in Bexley next spring.

The restaurant will operate on the ground floor of The Fitzgerald, a new apartment complex currently going up at 2200 E. Main St.

The Bexley spot will have 178 seats, a heated and covered outdoor patio, and the familiar chef-driven menu that has become popular since the original location's 2014 opening on Lane Avenue.

🏡 One of the grandest homes in Columbus history, the Francis Sessions home on East Broad St. was built in 1840 and featu...
05/28/2026

🏡 One of the grandest homes in Columbus history, the Francis Sessions home on East Broad St. was built in 1840 and featured an impressive cupola and an attached conservatory.

🚦 A stretch of South High St. in downtown Columbus with many notable businesses visible, including Lazarus, Woolworth's,...
05/28/2026

🚦 A stretch of South High St. in downtown Columbus with many notable businesses visible, including Lazarus, Woolworth's, and more.

⏰ In one Columbus community people are exchanging time instead of money.The idea recently caught attention online after ...
05/28/2026

⏰ In one Columbus community people are exchanging time instead of money.

The idea recently caught attention online after the Care and Share Time Bank shared the story of a Columbus woman who wanted to give her lifelong best friend a handmade crocheted baby blanket for an upcoming shower, despite not knowing how to crochet herself.

Through the group, she connected with another member who took on the project. The two exchanged supplies, patterns, and eventually 36 “time bank hours” for the completed blanket. The gift became one of the highlights of the baby shower.

The Care and Share Time Bank is part of the broader international “time banking” movement, where people exchange services using hours instead of money. One hour of work equals one hour of credit, regardless of the task being performed. Members earn credits by helping others, then spend those credits when they need help themselves.

Unlike bartering, exchanges don’t have to happen directly between two people.
Someone might earn hours helping with gardening, then later use those credits for tutoring, tech help, transportation, sewing, home repairs, or childcare.

The Columbus-based group has existed since 2012 and now includes more than 560 members with tens of thousands of service hours exchanged.

According to the organization, the goal goes beyond simply saving money. Time banking is designed to strengthen communities by encouraging neighbors to share skills, resources, and relationships that might not otherwise exist.

And the range of services people offer is surprisingly broad.

Listings include everything from gardening and home maintenance to cooking, transportation assistance, tech support, crafting, companionship, and tutoring. The group also hosts monthly potlucks and community gatherings in Columbus to help members connect offline.

In a time when many people feel increasingly isolated from their neighbors, and when nearly every favor seems to come attached to a price tag, the idea of trading time instead of money feels unexpectedly refreshing.

The organization describes itself as “building community one hour at a time,” and judging from the reactions to that crocheted baby blanket, the model clearly resonates with people looking for something a little more personal than a typical transaction.

☔️ Scenes from Scioto River flooding in downtown Columbus today, May 27th.
05/28/2026

☔️ Scenes from Scioto River flooding in downtown Columbus today, May 27th.

🥗 Beginning June 1, Columbus Metropolitan Library is partnering with Children’s Hunger Alliance to provide free meals fo...
05/28/2026

🥗 Beginning June 1, Columbus Metropolitan Library is partnering with Children’s Hunger Alliance to provide free meals for children and teens at 19 library locations across Central Ohio.

The annual Summer Meals program serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks to anyone 18 years old and younger while school is out for the summer. According to the library system, the partnership helps provide more than 100,000 meals and after-school snacks each year.

“Every child deserves access to nutritious meals, especially when school is out for the summer,” said CML CEO Lauren Hagan in a statement announcing the program.

“These free meals do more than fight hunger — they strengthen families, support learning, and ensure our libraries remain welcoming community spaces where every child can thrive.”

Participating locations include branches across Columbus, Whitehall, Reynoldsburg, Canal Wi******er, and more, with meal service schedules varying by location.

Some branches will offer breakfast and lunch service, while others provide dinner or cold grab-and-go meal options. Meals must be eaten on site due to USDA regulations.

Among the participating branches are:

* Main Library
* Whetstone Branch
* Hilltop Branch
* Linden Branch
* Whitehall Branch

The Summer Meals program runs through the start of the school year in each district.

🥤 An early 80's look at a portion of downtown Columbus.The view is looking east on East Long Street from North High. Not...
05/27/2026

🥤 An early 80's look at a portion of downtown Columbus.

The view is looking east on East Long Street from North High. Notable in the photo are the Atlas Building, a Coca-Cola advertisement, and signs for Chef's Corner, Levison's, Chicks Camera Exchange, and AAA Travel Agency.

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