For 150 years this corner of downtown belonged to the Ohio Penitentiary. The prison held inmates here from 1834 until 1984 and came down in 1998. Nationwide Arena opened on September 9, 2000, on land that used to be the prison's parking lot, and the Arena District of bars, garages and music rooms grew up around it.
The building
Nationwide Insurance was the original majority owner, hence the name, and the arena cost $175 million to build. Franklin County's convention facilities authority bought it in 2012. The Columbus Blue Jackets have played here since the doors opened, so on concert nights you are sitting where the hockey crowd sits.
For concerts it holds up to about 20,000 people. Olivia Rodrigo's Guts tour stopped here in March 2024, with Chappell Roan opening. It is the room in town for big pop, rock and country tours, along with its campus counterpart, Value City Arena. The two have been run jointly since 2012.
Getting there
The arena is at 200 West Nationwide Boulevard. From the north, the I-670 exit at Neil Avenue drops you right into the district. From the south, I-70 to the Front Street exit works.
- More than 15,000 parking spaces in garages and lots sit within a 10 minute walk. The McConnell and Front Street garages are the closest big ones. Buying ahead saves you circling.
- COTA buses on High Street stop at Ohio Center Way, about a block east of the arena.
- Rideshare drop offs and pickups all happen on West Street. Expect a wait after the show while everyone requests a car at once.
Before and after
You have options within a few blocks, which is the whole idea of the Arena District.
- The North Market sits just north of the district for food before the show.
- McFerson Commons has a lone arch standing in the grass that a lot of locals think came from the old prison. It did not. It was saved from Union Station when that building was torn down in 1979.
- KEMBA Live! and A&R Music Bar are a short walk away on Neil Avenue if you want a smaller room after the arena empties out.
- The Short North is a walk north up High Street, past the Convention Center.
Good to know
- Arena bag rules apply on concert nights and can change by event. Check your ticket and the event listing before you pack.
- When a concert and a Clippers game at Huntington Park land on the same night, the district fills early. Give yourself extra time.