Explore Columbia’s Art District With Our Top List of Things To Do

Nestled on the banks of the Duck River, Columbia is a thriving town with a long history. The Columbia Art District, a collection of shops, museums, and parks gathered around the historic Columbia Arts Building, offers locals and visitors food and activities all year round. Keep reading to find out about some of our favorite things to do in the Art District.

Take a Stroll Around Woodland Park

Image by Steve Shook is licensed with CC BY 2.0

If you’re looking for a bit of nature in the middle of Columbia, Woodland Park has you covered. Located minutes from the Columbia Arts Building, this 60-acre wooded park features a historic house, shaded trails, and an amphitheater, which is perfect for chatting with friends. Younger visitors might enjoy the park’s several play areas, and the 18-hole disc golf course is a popular attraction all year long. If you’re planning a birthday party or family reunion, consider reserving one of the park’s picnic pavilions.

Break a Sweat at CAB Movement

The Arts District isn’t just for looking at pictures. CAB Movement, located on the third level of the Columbia Art Building, is a welcoming environment for people who want to get active and increase their physical health. This fitness studio is open seven days a week, with a variety of classes offered each day. You can register with the studio and purchase classes online.

If you want to increase your flexibility and improve your mental and spiritual health, you might consider one of the studio’s yoga classes, like Restorative Yoga. To break a sweat, you might take a Zumba or Torch Circuit Training course. One of the studio’s most exciting classes is Aerial Yoga, which combines yoga principles with aerial silk training, so you can stretch and center yourself while floating in the air.

Take a Class at the CAB LAB

Located on the first level of the Columbia Art Building, the CAB LAB is an art, dance, and music teaching studio with classes for children, teens, and adults. Arts education is the cornerstone of the revitalized Columbia Art District, and the CAB LAB is where beginning artists can thrive. The classes vary by season and may be appropriate for learners of different ages. For example, past classes include Core Skills of Painting, for beginning painters aged 11 to 17, and Ukelele for Beginners, a music class for children.

The CAB LAB’s fully stocked pottery studio ensures that there are always several pottery classes going on, so, if you’ve ever wanted to learn how to create pottery by hand or on a wheel, the CAB LAB has you covered. Other upcoming classes focus on children’s dance and music. You can find information on upcoming classes here.

Find a Page-Turner at Ghostlight Books

Ghostlight Books is a local bookstore chain with two locations: one in Spring Hill and one on the first floor of the Columbia Arts Building. This cozy bookstore sells both new and used books and has a wide range of genres. It’s also a nonprofit that supports Midsouth Youth Theatre & Arts, an organization dedicated to sharing music, theater, and art with teens in our region. Whether you’re interested in nonfiction, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, or self-help books, the booksellers at Ghostlight books can provide recommendations and locate the perfect read for you.

Along with hardbacks and paperbacks, Ghostlight Books sells games and puzzles for thinkers of all ages. The bookstore has sections for children and young adults, and you can also buy books online through their website. The shop supports local artisans by giving visitors the opportunity to buy handmade gifts, soaps, candles, and bookmarks at their store. If you’re a local, you can also volunteer with Ghostlight Books to support their mission of providing free and low-cost theater programs for local youths.

Enjoy a Latte at Wolf and Scout Coffee Bar

Once you’ve picked your latest read, you can settle down at Wolf and Scout Coffee Bar, located in the Columbia Arts Building, to sip a cappuccino and read your new page-turner. This artisan coffee bar serves Onyx Coffee Labs coffee and a variety of local pastries. You might enjoy the bar’s signature coffee drink, the Wolfhunter, which combines cinnamon, turbinado sugar, vanilla, and espresso. Wolf and Scout Coffee Bar also serves chai and other tea drinks and has some seasonal offerings. The coffee shop is open five days a week and is closed on Sunday and Monday.

Visit the President James K. Polk Home & Museum

James Knox Polk, the 11th President of the United States, moved to Columbia when he was a child and lived in the town until he got married. You can visit the President James K. Polk Home & Museum, located a few minutes away from the Columbia Arts Building, to learn about Polk’s childhood and the early settlement of Tennessee. At this site, you can walk through the fully restored gardens, which contain a fountain brought from the Polk’s Nashville home.

The museum includes an exhibit on Polk’s life and a fully preserved kitchen from the 1820s. Occasionally, the museum hosts cooking demonstrations, where a docent shows how Polk’s cook in the 1820s might have used the oven and appliances to cook a traditional meal. The Sisters’ House, where Polk’s sisters lived, houses the Visitor Center and gift shop, where you can buy souvenirs, watch an introductory video, and purchase tour tickets. During the summer, the site is open from Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

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