16 Family-Fun Experiences in Dublin, Ohio

Bringing true Irish flair to the US, the city of Dublin, Ohio celebrates the Irish attitude 24/7/365. Not born with Irish blood? Not a problem. You'll leave Dublin feeling it in your soul. Whether you're looking for an adults-only adventure or fun for the entire family, these popular Irish and non-Irish spots are sure to be enjoyed by all.

Bringing a bit of European-influence to the city, the AC Hotel is the perfect place to rest your head at night. Request a room overlooking the Scioto River and Downtown Dublin for a gorgeous view. Vaso, the rooftop restaurant and bar, is one of the most popular places to dine. During happy hour, the bar inside the lobby transforms into a hot-spot for locals and tourists alike.

With 11 stops in all, the Celtic Cocktail Trail offers a little taste of Ireland in the form of handcrafted cocktails. With names like Muck of the Irish and Copperless Irish Mule, you can rest assured you're getting the best Irish drinks the States have to offer. Pick up and return your completed trail book to the Visitors & Information Center for a pretty cool commemorative koozie and t-shirt. Slainte! (Drink responsibly-the trail is not meant to be completed in one day.)

Mother Nature made a pit stop in Dublin, by way of waterfalls. Some man-made and some naturally-occurring, these beautiful attractions are a local favorite. Make it a family outing and spend the day hiking the trails, or take some take to yourself and enjoy the tranquility the falls have to offer.

Originating in Ireland in 2013, the Irish Fairy Door Trail is similar to the wildly popular Elf on the Shelf concept. Eight businesses in Historic Downtown Dublin have tiny, custom-made, direct from Ireland fairy doors hidden inside their store. Find each door, write down the name of the fairy on your passport (which can be found at the Visitors & Information Center), return it once completed and get a free special t-shirt.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and founded in 1983, Ha'Penny offers a wide array of authentic attire and merchandise direct from Ireland. Every room in the house has a different theme than the next. You'll find various items such as tableware, clothing, jewelry, wall decor and even authentic kilts. Ha'Penny also rents out quilts for those special Irish occasions.

Pins Mechanical combines old-school entertainment with cocktails and beer. Ever heard of duck pin bowling? It's pretty much a miniature version of bowling, with pins attached to strings like puppets. There's generally a pretty long wait on weekends, but feel free to play a few games of pinball while waiting, or challenge your friends to a game of ping-pong. Fun for all ages, but after 8 pm only those 21 and up are permitted.

Cap City Fine Diner mixes what you'd expect from your typical feel-good diner with an upscale twist. Local favorites include the blue cheese potato chips and diner meatloaf. I'd recommend the newer Bridge Park location, as it has an expanded list of beers and wines. To really top off that old-school diner feel, they also have a jukebox-feel free to listen to your favorite old-school tunes and reminisce about a simpler time.

LimeBike, a bike share program, was recently launched in Dublin. With 250 bikes around the entire city, finding one is never that big of a task. Bikes can be rented through a smartphone app and are all equipped with GPS and a self-locking technology. The process is pretty simple: download the app, use the app to locate a nearby bike, enter your payment info, unlock the bike with the app and ride off into the sunset.

This isn't your typical run-of-the-mill Wendy's. The first ever Wendy's was founded in 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. In 2006, the company moved their headquarters to Dublin. This particular restaurant, which is located on West Dublin Granville Road, houses a separate room they refer to as a museum, which contains many original items from the very first restaurant. Sit back and enjoy your meal while learning a bit about Wendy's history.

As you walk around town, you'll randomly find numerous pieces of public art-more than 70 sculptures with a combined value of 3.2-million, to be exact. The art is meant to inspire an emotional response and bring out the brilliance in the artists. One of the more popular pieces, Leatherlips, is a 12-foot high sculpture of Wyandot Native American Chief Leatherlips' face. Another popular piece, Field of Corn, is exactly what you'd expect-a field full of 109 human-sized ears of concrete corn.

Built in the Civil War era, The Morgan House has since been completely restored. A popular shopping destination, the four floors that make up the house are filled with jewelry, furniture, clothing, toys and specialty foods. There's also a restaurant on the first floor that serves what I guarantee you will be the best chicken pot pie you've ever tasted in your life.

Want to indulge your sweet tooth? Winans of Dublin is the perfect place. Offering premium handmade chocolates and freshly roasted coffee, your taste buds will want for nothing. Double Dark Meltaways, Buckeye Cherry Cordials and Karamel Kisses are just a few of the local favorites.

With 100+ beers on tap and some of the most mouth-watering burgers you'll ever taste, The Pint Room is sure to be a hit with the entire family. Try their featured burger of the week with an Abita Root Beer-a local favorite made with pure Louisiana cane sugar. The Pint Room also offers happy hour specials Monday-Friday. From 3pm-6pm you can get $2 off craft drafts and $1 off all liquor.

A professional wooden bat manufacturer, Phoenix Bat Factory makes bats for professional baseball players, as well as people of all ages. Take an open tour (available Monday and Friday at 1:30 p.m., and Wednesday at 6 p.m., with no reservation required), and see bats made on-site. Using the most advanced machines, it only takes two minutes for a bat to be made. Tours are $10 a person and include an engraved mini bat to take home with you.

Hailed as the #1 zoo in the nation, the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium offers visitors an up-close-and-personal experience. Made famous by Jack Hanna, the zoo features nine world regions that represent over 800 different species. Shockingly, they even have polar bears! After you're done seeing the animals, stop by the newest attraction-a 4D theater-and get lost in a family-friendly movie.

Featuring 17 waterslides and a 544,500-gallon wave pool, Zoombezi Bay is the perfect place to cool down on those hot summer days. Adults can enjoy Crocktail Creek while the little ones enjoy some time at Katoomba Lagoon. Sharing the same parking lot as the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, visitors only need to pay for one attraction and the other is automatically included. Does it get any better than a two-for-one deal?