Yes, plenty is free with little kids in Columbus this week: we found 21 free outings, including CAPA Haunts the Palace, Circleville Pumpkin Show and Haunted Village, plus nine library programs. Four free days and events are coming up, including three museum or zoo free days, each with its date. And five places never charge admission, like Scioto Mile Fountain and Columbus Metropolitan Library, Main Library.
This week
Every free outing on this week’s Columbus list, rebuilt every Thursday. Library programs may need a quick sign-up.
Columbus Metropolitan Library – Reynoldsburg Branch · 1402 Brice Rd, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
A family storytime with a fall-and-Halloween theme, with books, songs and activities for the whole family.
Marysville Public Library · 231 S Plum St, Marysville, OH 43040
Spooky-themed music and activities for the under-5 crowd. Costumes encouraged.
Columbus Metropolitan Library – Canal Winchester Branch · 123 Groveport Rd, Canal Winchester, OH 43110
An evening storytime with songs and kindergarten-readiness tips. PJs are welcome.
Independence Park (Pickerington Public Library outreach) · 3065 Dewbourne Dr, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
The library's outreach team brings silly stories, songs and outdoor play to the park, and the Library On-The-Go van comes along for checkouts.
Palace Theatre · 34 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215
Kids in costume trick-or-treat through the historic Palace Theatre, which turns 100 this year, with crafts and selfie stations along the way.
Downtown Circleville (Pumpkin Show Park) · 121 N Court St, Circleville, OH 43113
The 119th 'Greatest Free Show on Earth' fills downtown with giant pumpkins, rides and nightly parades. The Little Miss Pumpkin Show parade steps off Wednesday at 3:30pm.
Columbus Metropolitan Library – Karl Road Branch · 5590 Karl Rd, Columbus, OH 43229
Farm animals visit the branch, and there are fall crafts and games for every age.
Columbus Metropolitan Library – Whetstone Branch · 3909 N High St, Columbus, OH 43214
An evening storytime for families at the Clintonville branch. Come in pajamas, ready for bed.
Bridge Park · Longshore St, Dublin, OH 43017
Bridge Park businesses line Longshore Street handing out candy for a midweek trick-or-treat, with more activities for kids along the way.
Blacklick Woods Metro Park · 6975 E Livingston Ave, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
A park-naturalist Halloween party for ages 3 to 5, with crafts, activities and a costume contest. Two sessions.
Olde Pickerington Village · Olde Pickerington Village, Pickerington, OH 43147
Olde Pickerington turns into a Halloween village with trick-or-treating at the shops, ghost stories and a haunted museum. The library has a table of its own.
Easton Town Center (Town Square) · 160 Easton Town Center, Columbus, OH 43219
Pre-movie fun on the Town Square at 6, then Hotel Transylvania at 7. Bring blankets and lawn chairs; costumes encouraged.
Westerville Public Library · 126 S State St, Westerville, OH 43081
The library's fantasy festival peaks during Uptown Westerville's 4th Friday, with spellbinding performers and an outdoor sing-along at 4:30.
Worthington Village Green · 6550 N High St, Worthington, OH 43085
All four quadrants of the Village Green fill with games, crafts and live entertainment, plus a trick-or-treat trail on the northeast corner.
Upper Arlington Public Library – Tremont Road Branch · 2800 Tremont Rd, Upper Arlington, OH 43221
A costume storytime, then a parade through the library collecting treats.
Downtown Hilliard and Hilliard's Station Park · Main St, Hilliard, OH 43026
A not-so-spooky morning of trick-or-treating at downtown shops, with Mr. E's music and balloon twisting at Station Park. Held rain or shine.
Historic Dublin (Dublin Branch Library plaza) · 75 N High St, Dublin, OH 43017
It opens at 2pm with a spooky dance party and scream-along with Mr. E on the library plaza. Then the kids follow the candy trail through Historic Dublin's shops.
Polaris Fashion Place (Lifestyle Center) · 1500 Polaris Pkwy, Columbus, OH 43240
An outdoor Halloween party with a kids' costume contest at 3pm, a dog costume contest at 3:15 and a K-Pop performance at 4:30.
Homestead Metro Park (Lakeside Pavilion) · 4675 Cosgray Rd, Hilliard, OH 43026
Caramel apples (first come, first served), pumpkin decorating, then an outdoor screening of Coco at dusk. Bring chairs or blankets; it goes on rain or shine.
Westerville Public Library · 126 S State St, Westerville, OH 43081
Wizard-themed pretend play for toddlers and preschoolers. A caregiver stays in the room.
Inniswood Metro Gardens · 940 S Hempstead Rd, Westerville, OH 43081
Garden games and crafts, plus animal ambassadors from the Ohio Wildlife Center. Costumes encouraged.
Nothing free on this day yet. Try an always-free place.
Mark the calendar
Museum and zoo free days, free festivals and other one-off free events, soonest first. Some free days are only for residents or cardholders, so each one says who gets in free.
Franklin Park Conservatory · Franklin Park
The glasshouses and gardens, free on the first Sunday of the month for county residents.
Columbus Museum of Art · Columbus
Only the cardholder gets in free, so bring the card and an ID. Columbus Museum of Art is free with the card on Saturdays only.
Columbus Commons and downtown · 160 S. High St., Columbus, OH 43215
5–10 p.m. daily. A free walk of light displays from Columbus Commons along West Town Street to the Scioto Mile, running Nov. 20 through mid-February.
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens · Franklin Park
Valid 10am–5pm and for special engagements.
Any day
Parks, gardens, nature centers and museums that don’t charge admission.
Every week
Baby, toddler and preschool storytimes at branches across the county, including the Main Library downtown.
Weekly at 20 locations; Monday–Saturday, mostly mornings, plus some evening sessions
Free baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Delaware Baby Storytime (Tuesdays 10:30am, Delaware Branch Library) and Liberty Baby Storytime (Wednesdays 10:30am, Liberty Branch Library), with more at Orange Branch Library and Ostrander Branch Library.
Weekly at 4 locations; Tuesday–Saturday, mostly mornings, plus some evening sessions
Free baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Babytime (Mondays 10:30am, Tremont Road Branch) and Baby Playtime (Mondays 11am, Tremont Road Branch), with more at Lane Road Branch.
Weekly at 2 locations; Monday–Thursday, mostly mornings, plus an evening session
Free baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Baby Storytime (Tuesdays 9:30am) and Family Storytime (Mondays 9:30am).
Weekly at the Westerville Public Library; Monday–Thursday
Keep planning
Good questions
This week we found 21 free outings for ages 0–6, including CAPA Haunts the Palace, Circleville Pumpkin Show, Haunted Village and Boo & Brew at Bridge Park. See free this week; the list is rebuilt every Thursday.
Free first Sunday at Franklin Park Conservatory: Sun Nov 1 and Sun Dec 6. Bank of America Museums on Us weekend: Sat Nov 7, Sun Nov 8, Sat Dec 5 and Sun Dec 6. Museums for All at Franklin Park Conservatory: Any open day, 10am–5pm ($4 with SNAP, EBT, WIC or Medicaid). Dates come from each venue’s own page; see free days and free events.
Wanderlights is free this season. Dates and times are on each card under free days and free events.
Scioto Mile Fountain, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Main Library, Glacier Ridge Metro Park, Three Creeks Metro Park and Columbus Museum of Art don’t charge admission. Some charge for parking or special exhibits; the cards say so where the place does.
Yes: Columbus Museum of Art. See all of them on indoor play places in Columbus.
Yes. Columbus Metropolitan Library, Delaware County District Library, Upper Arlington Public Library and Westerville Public Library run free storytimes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Times change by branch, so check the calendar linked below.
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page and links to it. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 19, 2026, and we recheck them every Thursday for dated events and once a month for free places. How we choose and check.
Littles Weekly
One short email every Friday morning with the best things to do with little ones in Columbus that weekend, free ones flagged.
Indoor play in Columbus
Thanksgiving weekend in Columbus
Noon Year’s Eve in Columbus