Take An Out-Of-This-World Road Trip From Cleveland To Otherworld In Columbus
By Nikki Rhoades|Published March 10, 2021
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Nikki Rhoades
Author
Nikki is a lifelong Ohioan with a love for literature. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Akron and has enjoyed publishing her written work since 2007. She has a love of travel and does so frequently, though she believes that home is where the heart is — she continues to work in and around Cleveland as a digital content specialist to this day, working on everything from commercial scripts and social media posts to grassroots marketing initiatives.
What is it about the mundane that is so boring? After we get caught in a cycle of going to work, going home, and going to sleep (and only breaking that cycle to do other equally mundane things like visiting the grocery store), we inevitably find ourselves craving some extraordinary. Fortunately for Clevelanders, there’s one day trip destination in Ohio’s capital city that provides a much-needed break from reality as we know it. In this odd place, you find yourself moving into a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind… just kidding. It’s not the Twilight Zone, but Otherworld in Columbus feels like it could be. Prepare for an immersive art experience like no other, because we’re going to take you on an artistic journey from Cleveland to Columbus. Buckle up, because we’re about to explore the middle ground between science and superstition.
If you're craving an experience that is out of this world, Otherworld in Columbus belongs on your bucket list.
It's a bit of a journey from Cleveland, but visiting this unique destination is well worth the trip. Spanning a 32,000-square-foot building, Otherworld is an immersive experience like no other.
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As an immersive and interactive art exhibit, Otherworld brings together more than 40 talented artists.
Here's how it works: visitors are able to explore nearly 50 rooms that are filled to the brim with art specifically designed to make you question reality as you know it. Mind-boggling secret passageways, an environment where sci-fi and fantasy meet, and modern elements like projections and LEDs work together to transport you to another world.
When you arrive, you are informed that you are "testing" alternate realm tourism in a vast testing facility, but then you're cut loose to explore.
As you explore the facility, you'll find yourself on a journey like no other. More than 190,000 LED lights bring the space to life, adding a dreamy aura to an environment that is like a real-life dreamscape.
This crazy cool concept was born in 2017, and construction on the enormous immersive art exhibit began in 2018. It finally opened in the summer of 2019, and it has dazzled visitors since.
A lot of time went into the conception of this crazy world, so budget a few hours to allow yourself to take it in. Most visitors move through the exhibit in one to three hours. Attendance is limited, so be sure to purchase your ticket before you plan your trip. Tickets are only available online, so keep that in mind before you drive all the way to Columbus.
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Before we make it to Otherworld, there are a few art exhibits along the way that are worth checking out.
You can always skip these additional exhibits and head straight to Otherworld, but where's the fun in that? Check out an interactive map to start your planning.
Right here in Cleveland, there are some interdimensional bookworms waiting to make your acquaintance in the Eastman Reading Garden.
The lovely Eastman Reading Garden opened in 1937, and it has dazzled visitors ever since. This little plot of land between the two main Cleveland Public Library buildings is now a welcoming little garden occupied by cartoonish little bronze characters, charming beings dreamed up by Tom Otterness.
Address: Rockwell Ave, Cleveland, OH 44114
Over in Public Square, the world's largest outdoor chandelier is waiting to dazzle you in person.
The stunning Playhouse Square chandelier is an exquisite art installation right here in town. At 20 feet tall, this stunning light fixture is dripping with 4,200 dazzling crystals engineered to withstand the Northeast Ohio winter windchill.
Address: E 14th St, Cleveland, OH 44115
Also on the itinerary for this road trip? A field of corn.
This is no ordinary field of corn, as you can see. This odd art installation in Dublin, Ohio is a unique roadside attraction that has dazzled visitors since 1994. 109 ears of concrete corn were lovingly sculpted and placed by artist Malcolm Cochran, who intended to spotlight Dublin's agricultural history on a piece of land once owned by a man that worked on corn hybridization at OSU.
Address: 4995 Rings Rd, Dublin, OH 43017
Finally, we're going to drive by the Circleville water tower to see another massive piece of produce.
