Weird Columbus: Four secret spots to explore this Halloween

Photo via Fur Takers of America's Facebook

Like any city, Columbus has its fair share of secrets. And really, isn’t this what the month of October is for: To poke around a bit, explore the city you live in, and uncover all the weird and wonderful stuff it has to offer?

We’ve taken the first few steps for you, and put together a list featuring a handful of strange but undeniably fascinating Columbus spots you’ve probably never heard of. Get out there, Columbus, and stay weird.

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Brown Pet Cemetery

No, this is not a Steven King novel; it’s real life. This actual pet cemetery is located at 5031 Sawyer Rd., abutting John Glenn International Airport. Founded in the 1920s by a local veterinarian, the sprawling cemetery contains the resting places of nearly 500 Columbus pets, many of which are marked by headstones. Equal parts touching, sad, and strange, this spot is worth a novelty visit.

Lois B. Small and Gladys B. Hamilton Labyrinth

If you know where to look, the OSU campus is full of surprises, too. One of the most interesting is the interactive labyrinth (feel free to walk through the maze yourself) hidden within Chadwick Arboretum. According to OSU, this tucked-away spot is modeled after the 11-circuit Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth in France that’s over 800 years old.

Photo via OSU Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens’ Facebook

Trap History Museum

This one is technically in nearby Galloway (only about 15 miles from downtown, and still in Franklin County), but it’s too good not to include. Home to over 4,000 different types of traps—including an entire room dedicated to mouse traps, plus a room for modern traps as well—this public museum represents a fun change of pace if you’re looking to do something unique this Halloween season.

Photo via The Pathfinder School LLC’s Facebook

Tarpy Woods

This small Grandview-area park is literally off the map. To find it, follow Cambridge Blvd. south until it hooks west, becomes Village Ct., and dead-ends in a nearby cul-de-sac. Just before this curve, a small, unmarked road branches off, continuing south. It ends at the entrance to Tarpy Woods.

The park’s paths weave through a dense patch of woods where you’re unlikely to encounter another soul, and Tarpy is even home to an iconic Columbus tree with a line of railroad spikes fastened up the trunk for easy-access climbing.