Columbus has a well-earned reputation for historical preservation and takes pride in its heritage, containing a number of historical landmarks, imposing monuments and important memorials On a visit to the city of Columbus you will encounter plenty of historic landmarks, including a replica of the ship Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World in 1492. Other notable landmarks in Columbus include preserved buildings such as old warehouses, offering a glimpse of the city's agricultural and manufacturing roots. Here are some of the most prominent monuments, landmarks and structures in the Columbus area.

Columbus will surprise you. The largest place in the U.S. named after the Italian explorer, Columbus offers families a friendly and affordable urban destination within easy reach of the countryside.

Among the finds are a top-rated science center and zoo, plus easy day trips that enable you to discover heartland history.

Through more than 300 hands-on exhibits in seven galleries, COSI Columbus teaches kids about science. At Space, find out what you would weigh on Saturn and maneuver a robotic rover through a simulated Martian landscape. At the outdoor Big Science Park, use a giant lever to lift a 2,437-pound real car.

Highlights at the prettily landscaped Columbus Zoo and Aquarium include a large elephant habitat and an African forest with leopards, okapi, and generations of gorillas. Islands of Southeast Asia features orangutans, komodo dragons, and an Indonesian water taxi ride. Asia Quest's outdoor exhibits showcase the smallest bear in the world, a sun bear, and the largest cats in the world, Amur (Siberian) tigers. In fall, Asia Quest's indoor exhibits will display bats, cranes, and muntjacs (a Southeast Asian species of deer).