It’s almost summertime, and Metro Parks reservable venues are a hot commodity in Central Ohio! So we wanted to give you our Top 5 things we think you should know about reserving with Metro Parks to make sure you have a wonderful experience celebrating life with your family and friends, whether inside at a beautiful lodge or outside at a charming shelter.
1: You can reserve everything online.
The availability, amenities and pricing of all Metro Parks reservable venues, shelters and lodges can be viewed online, including reserving, at our website here. To make a reservation or to register for a program, please first create an account and log in. Reservations for all Metro Parks venues require full payment at the time a reservation is made, and remember, our venues are very popular, so reserve now before it’s too late! To learn more, visit metroparks.net/reservations.
***Pro Tip: Summer is busy season for reservations. If a venue is already reserved, it will show as “Unavailable” in red. If a venue is available, it will show “Book Now” in green.”***
2: Metro Parks is open 365 days a year.
All reservations are permitted to be booked up to 365 days in advance, beginning at 8AM EST, but reservable outdoor shelters are closed for winterization from November 1 – April 16 every winter. However, indoor venues are available year-round, including The Banquet Room and Eagleview at Blacklick Woods Golf Course, Beech Maple Lodge at Blacklick Woods Metro Park, The Grove Lodge at Scioto Grove Metro Park, Spring Hollow Lodge at Sharon Woods Metro Park , Cedar Ridge Lodge at Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park and the Nature Center Multipurpose Room at Highbanks Metro Park (the Multipurpose Room is available any day from Monday to Friday).
Wedding Packages can exceed 365 days in advance but cannot be booked online, so please send your requests to reservations@metroparks.net.
While reservations happen year-round, reservations within 14 days of the date of interest must first be submitted to reservations@metroparks.net for availability, and premier venue reservations (indoor venues) require 30 days.
***Pro Tip: Reserved groups may not arrive earlier nor stay later than scheduled reservation period.
3: Check out our first-come, first-serve shelters, free of charge.
Is your preferred venue or shelter already booked? You’ve still got options! Metro Parks has many first-come, first-serve shelters throughout the park district.
A first-come, first-serve shelter can be used free of charge without a reservation and these shelters are available at 6:30AM when the park opens. If you claim a first-come, first-serve shelter, possession of the shelter is retained by you only if someone from your party remains at the shelter. For more information on non-reservable shelters, click here.
***Pro Tip: Please note, there is no guarantee that any particular shelter will be available on a date you desire. So be sure to get there early!
4: You can preview a venue before reserving by taking a tour, in-person.
Hesitant to reserve a venue until you see it in person? No problem and we’ve got you covered. You can schedule an in-person appointment to view a reservable venue by calling in advance the on-duty Park Ranger cell phone for the specific park where the venue of interest is located. You can also view all of our indoor reservable venues and lodges with a virtual walkthrough on our website here.
***Pro Tip: Appointments cannot be scheduled or permitted on days a venue is reserved by another group, and our Park Rangers and Blacklick Woods Golf Course team members do not take payments, finalize or change reservations.*
5: What about bounce houses? Amenities? Alcohol Permits? Weddings? etc.
We know you have tons of questions about your reservations, and we’re here to help. In fact, we can anticipate many of your questions, which we’ve answered on our Metro Parks FAQ page at metroparks.net/faqs. We encourage you to take a look before and after booking your reservation, and before the day of your event.
***Pro Tip: Can’t find an answer to a question you have? You can always email reservations@metroparks.net, and our team is ready to help.