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Frequently overshadowed by Cleveland and Cincinnati despite being the largest city in Ohio and the state capital, Columbus has begun to forge an identity of its own with its diverse mix of business and commerce. Unlike other Rust Belt cities that feel the sting of the slightest downturn in the manufacturing industry, Columbus has remained largely immune as a center of state government, higher education (The Ohio State University) and major corporations (Nationwide Insurance, Wendy's). The city continues to improve and redevelop its downtown core, with the Nationwide Arena District -- featuring hotels, restaurants and shopping -- taking the place of what was once only crumbling buildings and an abandoned penitentiary.

The downtown area is easily walkable, with major attractions like the capitol building, the Columbus Museum of Art and the Center of Science and Industry all within blocks of one another. Public transportation runs throughout the Greater Columbus area via the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) bus service. One-way fares are $1.50, and unlimited-ride day passes are available for $3.50.

Port Columbus International Airport is less than 10 miles east of the city, with COTA routes serving the downtown area. Taxi fares for the trip will cost about $25.

Join The Party For Beat Michigan Week
Unless you are a person of means, forget about landing tickets to the game featuring one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports -- Ohio State vs. Michigan football. The Buckeyes are always the biggest show in town, with more than 100,000 fans cramming into "The Horseshoe" for Saturday games during the season, but the world stops during the week of the Michigan game. Join in any of the innumerable tailgate parties, or give blood in the OSU-Michigan Blood Battle, where even visitors can participate in the annual contest for which school can donate the most blood.

Visit The Course -- And the House -- That Jack Built
Columbus native Jack Nicklaus designed the course at Muirfield Village Golf Club, now the site of the PGA's Memorial Golf Tournament, held annually during the week following Memorial Day. Also, the Jack Nicklaus Museum offers 24,000-square feet worth of Golden Bear exhibits and artifacts, right on the Ohio State campus.

Become A High Roller Among Hockey Fans
If you've got a big group headed out to Nationwide Arena to check out the NHL's Blue Jackets (and you've got a big wallet to match), you might consider renting out one of the venue's two party suites. The 80-foot towers are capable of seating up to 48 people.

See Where Even Soccer Can Be A Success
Columbus became the first city in the U.S. to build a soccer-only stadium when it erected the 22,555-seat Columbus Crew Stadium for its Major League Soccer franchise in 1999, and it's been a big draw, typically attracting more than 15,000 fans each game. Before heading inside for the match, be sure to check out the 84-foot-diameter concrete soccer ball in Crew Kicker Plaza, a frequent site for pre-game festivities.

Catch Some Minor League Baseball... TBD
Stars like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera got their start in Columbus, where the Clippers have been the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate since 1979. New York severed its ties in Sept. 2006, however, so Columbus is looking for a new major-league franchise to move its farm team into a brand-new facility -- Huntington Park -- that will be built in the Arena District and is scheduled to open in 2008.

Ohio Statehouse
77 S. High St.
Columbus, Ohio 43215
The statehouse, completed in 1861, is a masterpiece of Greek Revival architecture. The rotunda rises 120 feet, from floor to ceiling. The floor consists of nearly 5,000 pieces of hand-cut marble from around the world. Don't miss the Grand Stair Hall, at the rear of the Senate chamber, or the governor's office -- identical to the original design. (It's reputed that Lincoln sat there in 1861, discussing the impending Civil War with then-Ohio governor William Dennison Jr.) Sit in the visitors' galleries when the legislature is in session and watch Ohio government in action. Free guided tours are offered daily. Or explore on your own.
http://www.statehouse.state.oh.us

Ohio Historical Center
1982 Velma Ave.
Columbus, Ohio 43211
This 25,000-square-foot facility tells the natural and cultural history of Ohio, from the Ice Age to the present. You'll find prehistoric Native American art, artifacts from presidential campaigns in which Ohio proved a key state and a recreation of a mid-19th-century Ohio town. Don't miss the exhibits on the Underground Railroad or the Civil War.
http://www.ohiohistory.org/places/ohc/

The Jack Nicklaus Museum
2355 Olentangy River Road
Columbus, Ohio 43210
A 24,000-square-foot facility, part of the Ohio State sports complex, honors the Columbus native who owns more major-championship victories (18) than any other golfer. Exhibits include a Masters green jacket, his record six trophies from that tournament, and the irons from the Golden Bear's legendary 1986 win at Augusta.
http://www.nicklausmuseum.org/

German Village
588 South Third St.
Columbus, Ohio 43215
This 19th-century working-class neighborhood of ornate shops and cottages and finely detailed Victorian homes has been painstakingly restored, and is now listed in the National Register of Historical Places. The deluxe tour includes the interiors of two private homes. Best time to visit: during Oktoberfest.
http://www.germanvillage.com/

North Market
59 Spruce St.
Columbus, Ohio 43215
The North Market, home to local butchers, bakers, fishmongers, greengrocers and farmers since 1879, is the only one of Columbus's four original public markets still in existence. Open daily, the open-air market offers a smorgasbord of fresh and prepared foods. Sample Indian lamb curry, Vietnamese spring rolls or fresh local produce. A farmers market operates Saturdays during the growing season (roughly April through late October or early November), starting at 8 a.m.
http://www.northmarket.com/

2002 Ohio State University (NCAA Football National Championship)
1968 Ohio State University (NCAA Football National Championship)
1960 Ohio State University (NCAA Basketball National Championship; defeated University of California-Berkeley, 75-55)
1957 Ohio State University (NCAA Football National Championship)
1954 Ohio State University (NCAA Football National Championship)
1942 Ohio State University (NCAA Football National Championship)