Things to Do in Topiary Park

Trace the living brushstrokes of 'A Sunday Afternoon'

You'll spot the topiary boatman first. His clippers-shaped oar pokes above the yew waves, each leaf trimmed to mimic Seurat's pixelated paint. Kids race to count all 54 human shrubs, sneakers scuffing the crushed-limestone path. Parents photograph the parasol lady whose canopy is clipped so tight it hums with bees. The scene reflects in the shallow pond, doubling the illusion so the hat-shaped bushes seem to float.

Catch free jazz on the lawn

Thursday evenings in summer, a rotating trio sets up between the hedge trumpeter and the topiary monkey. Their upright bass sends vibrations through the grass you can feel if you kick off your sandals. Someone always brings cardboard for impromptu swing-dancing. Kettle corn drifts over from the library plaza cart. Fireflies blink in rhythm with the ride cymbal, giving the whole thing an accidental light show.

Sketch-and-stroll with the art-league volunteers

Most Saturdays you'll spot retirees in fishing-vest smocks handing out free charcoal and clipped boards. They'll invite you to park on a stool and draw the same topiary dog from three angles while cicadas buzz overhead. The charcoal dust mingles with the scent of crushed yew needles, a peppery smell that makes you sneeze pigment onto the paper - consider it extra texture.

Winter lantern walk

January evenings, volunteers replace the usual spotlights with ice-blue LEDs tucked inside the shrubs. The topiary figures glow like frost-covered ghosts. Your boots crunch on the salted path, the cold air sharpening the smell of pine to a citrusy snap. Every exhale drifts across the beam of your phone flashlight like fake stage fog.

Picnic between the pages of the library

The park's northern edge kisses the Columbus Metropolitan Library's glass wall. Order a caper-heavy salmon bagel from the Reading Room Café inside, then exit toward the topiary harpist and claim a bench. Pages turn audibly through the open doors behind you, mixing with the splash of the library's fountain and the click of camera shutters aimed at the hedge violin.

Discovery District - leafy streets, student energy from Columbus State, walkable to the park in eight minutes flat

Short North - former warehouse turned gallery lofts. Drag your suitcase over brick pavers while the scent of fresh tortillas drifts from late-night trucks

German Village - red-brick sidewalks buckle under maples, and the Saturday bookshop crowds spill onto your B&B porch

Downtown riverfront - glass towers with rooftop firepits, though weekend club noise floats up until 2 a.m.

Olde Towne East - colorful double-shotgun houses, coffee roasters inside old churches, street parking easier than downtown

Franklinton - arts warehouses and microbreweries across the river. Still gritty but galleries open late First Saturdays