This year, National Library Week is April 23-29, and that got us thinking about the best places to read a book at Metro Parks…
Highbanks Nature Center Library
A classic. The library inside of Highbanks’ nature center is the perfect spot to curl up with a book – especially on a rainy day. Bring your own book, or borrow one off the shelf! The Innis House at Inniswood also has a library where you can sit and read through books, and learn about local flora and fauna.
Battelle Darby Creek’s Hammock Nook
After stopping at your local library to pick up a book, head on over to Battelle Darby Creek, where there’s a hammock nook tucked behind the nature center! Enjoy a quiet, relaxing afternoon in the shade with your nose buried in a book. If you don’t have a hammock, don’t fret, stop by the nature center to borrow one of theirs!
The Adirondack Chairs at Rocky Fork
Tucked away under the shade of the shelter house, the adirondack chairs at Rocky Fork Metro Park overlook the prairies of the park and provide a nice, quiet place to enjoy an evening of reading.
On A Swinging Bench, Overlooking Downtown
If you’re looking for a more urban place to read, try out the swinging benches at Scioto Audubon. There’s great views of downtown, and it’s not far from two Columbus Metropolitan Library branches!
Of course, you can bring your picnic blanket or find a bench or table at any one of the Metro Parks to settle in with a good book, and all Ohio residents can get a Columbus Metropolitan Library card for free!
Need a recommendation? Metro Parks’ Visitor Engagement team recommends these books:
- Virginia recommends Bugs Bunny: 50 Years and Only One Grey Hare by Joe Adamson or The Devil’s Music Master by Sam H. Shirakawa.
- Holly recommends Meet Me in the Bathroom by Lizzy Goodman or Little Weirds by Jenny Slate.
- Liz recommends In Cold Blood by Truman Capote or The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green.
- Camille recommends The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern or Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
- Jill recommends The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry or The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.