13 Ways to Enjoy Fall in Grove City, Ohio

A short drive from downtown Columbus, the suburban community of Grove City offers plenty to explore across its 17 square miles. Fall food and drink finds include the popular Pizza Trek and the one-day-only Smokin’ Hot Wing & Music Fest on Oct. 4. Competitive attractions range from from the laid-back Putt N Play to the adrenaline rush of battles at LVL Up Sports paintball park. Or take in the milder fall weather from behind a pair of handlebars or among the beauty of the city’s historic Gardens at Gantz Farm. 

Food Finds

Since 2019, Grove City’s Pizza Trek (below) has invited visitors to take a delectable journey to seven local restaurants, and this year is no different. By spending $5 and scanning a QR code at six or more participating locations through the end of December 2025, participants can earn a free T-shirt featuring the trek’s logo. Tammy’s Pizza, a local favorite since 1999, has been involved since the Pizza Trek’s inception.  

“[People] just coming in and being excited to try a new pizza or a new place, you know. That’s the best thing ever,” says Tyler Walker, co-owner of  Tammy’s Pizza. 

Pizza fanatics can sample fan favorites like The Works or Tammy’s Porker, a hearty combo of pepperoni, ham, sausage and bacon made with many locally sourced ingredients. Co-owner Heidi Walker fondly remembers “Good Day Columbus” host Cameron Fontana making the trek and inspiring viewers from across the region to visit. 

“They’re coming [from] all over,” she says, “We have people coming from Lancaster and Pickerington and Reynoldsburg and Delaware.” 

Other Grove City food happenings include the Smokin’ Hot Wing & Music Fest, set for Oct. 4 on the grounds of lab-glove manufacturer American Nitrile. Attendees can sample entries from a 20-team wing cook-off, enter wing-eating and wing-bobbing contests, check out beer trucks, enjoy live music or visit the kids entrepreneur marketplace at this family-friendly event. 

Pick’em Up Joe Coffee Co. is one of the newest members of the Grove City food scene, with a new location at the Grove City Business Center. The shop’s desserts span kolaches, affogatos and cinnamon rolls, while a special brewing process gives the shop’s coffee a unique punch. Whit’s Frozen Custard, a popular Ohio-based chain, brings its classic menu to a location that opened during summer 2025 in the historic building at the corner of Columbus Street and Broadway in Grove City. 

Fun & Games

There’s something for every member of the family at Putt N Play, which spans an 18-hole miniature golf course, four batting cages and a versatile party room. Its newest addition, Barb & Roy’s Ice Cream, continues the fun, and pays homage to owner Crisha House’s grandparents while serving 16 delicious flavors of hand-dipped ice cream.

“I remember going to my grandma and grandpa’s house and [using] the old-style [ice cream] churn,” House says. “It was something that we loved doing with them and they loved doing for us.”

Putt N Play accepts walk-ins for miniature golf but recommends reserving batting cages for larger groups. For special occasions, choose from party packages that include activity rentals and classic eats like pizza, jumbo hot dogs and fries.

“You’ve got the music playing, you have the sound of the fountains ...” House says. “We want you to step in the door and feel like you’re somewhere else.”

Golfers can perfect their swing at Bogey’s Indoor Golf (above), offering four PGA-level Trackman simulators with more than 400 worldwide courses to choose from, as well as private instruction in the winter. Open year-round, the facility welcomes all ages and offers special games for younger golfers. Visitors can enjoy drinks on-site and food, too, thanks to a partnership with the local Flyers Pizza.

Families can follow the clues to make their escape at Conundrum Rooms, which started as an extension of owner Mike Strawser’s existing candy shop. It’s since expanded into four immersive escape rooms, varying in theme from an auction-house robbery to alien-invasion jailbreak. 

For a unique night out, try axe-throwing at Dueling Axes, which opened in the former Grove City Lanes building on Broadway in July 2025. Comfortable seating, a selection of small plates and cocktails create an inviting lounge atmosphere to take aim and hit the bullseye.

Outdoor Adventures

A 36-acre property, year-round availability and a variety of customizable options make LVL Up Sports one of Ohio’s premier paintball destinations. Choose from 10 unique battlegrounds, including a military-themed map dotted with authentic surplus vehicles and a close-range tiki map filled with stone heads and wooden structures. There are four different skill levels to choose from for either public games or private sessions that can accommodate up to 200 players.

“If you book a team-building outing with us, your staff’s never going to forget it,” says Dave Pando, founder of LVL Up Sports. “You might have somebody from HR team up with an engineer, and next thing you know, they’re bunkered down together, and they end up winning a game.”

For a quieter taste of the outdoors, the Gardens at Gantz Farm encompasses 28 sprawling acres of herbs, native plant species and wildlife. This educational garden complex was once home to the Gantz family, who lived there beginning in 1832, and features three main sections representing gardening trends of the past, present and future next to a concentric labyrinth. 

Open daily from dawn to dusk, the Gardens at Gantz Farm’s herbal aromas and meandering pathways make it a perfect spot for picnicking, walking dogs or curling up with a good book from the on-site Little Free Library.

Those who hope to explore the area from behind handlebars should stop by Heritage Cycles (above). The shop offers new and used bikes, accessories and repairs. Bike rentals can also be arranged in advance. Co-owner Josh Stamper has even ridden with customers to help them feel comfortable. Heritage Cycles is a great starting point for bicycle adventures, whether one wants to pedal over to the city’s historic Century Village or hit the 2-mile multipurpose trail that passes through Scioto Grove Metro Park.

Side Quests
Check out these experiences based around history and art during your visit to Grove City. 

Art Adventure: Tap into the city’s creative side with the ArtVenture walking tour, which guides visitors through Grove City’s extensive collection of public art, including the stained-glass ceiling at the town center gazebo as well as one of the largest 3D stereo paintings in the world. See sculptures of racehorses erupting from the starting gate near what was once Beulah Park, which commemorates the property’s thoroughbred horse-racing history. Plus, vivid murals and memorials scattered across the walls of buildings in downtown Grove City capture snapshots of the city’s past, like its heyday as a hub for greyhound racing in the 1920s (above). For more information, go to visitgrovecity.com.

History Tours: Dig into Grove City’s past by taking one of four tours offered by the Southwest Franklin County Historical Society. Get a glimpse of American settler life at Century Village, which spans a general store, a train depot and even a red brick schoolhouse built in the 1870s. (A furnished home, blacksmith shop, windmill, granary and two barns complete the reconstructed village.) Other options include guided tours of the historic Grant-Saywer house, the Grove City Welcome Center & Museum and a walking tour of Grove City Town Center. For more information on tours, visit swfchs.org.

WHEN YOU GO 
For more information about these and other destinations, go to visitgrovecity.com.

Food Finds

Pick’em Up Joe Coffee Co.
pickemupjoe.com

Pizza Trek
visitgrovecity.com/play/treks/pizza

Smokin’ Hot Wing & Music Fest
americannitrile.com/wingfest

Whit’s Frozen Custard
whitscustard.com

Fun & Games

Bogey’s Indoor Golf
bogeysgrovecity.com

Conundrum Rooms
conundrumrooms.com

Dueling Axes
theduelingaxes.com

Putt N Play
puttnplayfuncenter.com

Outdoor Adventures

Gardens at Gantz Farm
gantzgardens.com

LVL Up Sports
lvlupsports.com

Heritage Cycles
heritagecycles.net

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