The Schools

Worthington High School is now Thomas Worthington High School. You will have to take the online tour. Other fun facts:

• Kilbourne Middle School was once our 9th grade school. They have also turned the former courtyard into the library.
• Worthingway and Perry Middle Schools look absolutely the same, McCord Middle School has been added.
• Colonial Hills, Worthington Hills, Wilson Hills, Worthington Estates, Brookside, and Evening Street are all still in operation at this moment and have also have expanded where necessary.
• The old Worthington High School Annex is being converted into an art gallery.

Museums

• COSI has moved to the formal Central High School building across the Scioto River and has expanded, a must see. (The old COSI or once called Memorial Hall has been restored to its former state and houses the election facilities). In September 2006 WOSU Digital TV will occupy the southern lower portion of the new COSI. Channel 34 now has 34.1 34.2 and 34.3 multicast channels in digital, 34.1 in 1080 X 1920 lines of resolution.
• Completely gone: The Christopher Inn (the round hotel that once sat next to the old COSI), and Worthington Foods. The historical oak tree still remains.
• The Ohio Historical Society and Columbus Museum of Art are still at the same locations. The Ohio Railway Museum still has trolly rides on summer weekends as well as Halloween. The old Steam Engine # 578 is still there, has not operated since the summer of 1977. It has been sold to a railroad company. Most of the Pullmans have been relocated.

Amusement
And you thought the Gemni was cool!

• Cedar Point now has 17 rollercoasters, nearly all of them larger than the Gemni from the high school years. The newest, the GateKeeper which winds and twists through keyholes right over the entrance. Top Thrill Dragster, goes 120 miles per hour, is 420 feet tall, and last a long 18 seconds! Look for the Millinium Force (the smoothest coaster I have ever survived on), Raptor, Mantis, Mean Streak, Wicked Twister, and Magnum XL200 (I will stick to the Gemni thank you). Gone are the Jumbo Jet and upside down Fun House. The classics like the Gemni are all still around including the Blue Streak, Cork Screw, and Runaway Mine Car. Your kids will love all of them!
• Kings Island is still growing and has added and removed another Beast (Son of Beast) with an unusual wood rollercoaster flip. The flip was later removed due to the weight the cars had to sustain to stay on the track, which also made it shake violently. The train was lightened with the purchase of the trains from Myrtle Beach's Hurricane coaster which helped, but the ride lost interest. Two new coasters have come in over the last five years, Diamondback and Banshee (former Son of Beast site). Since graduation look for Top Gun, Face Off, Vortex and more. Gone are the animal exhibit monorail (where the Banshee iis located), the King Cobra and the dual alternating Ferris Wheel. The regular Beast is still rated as one of the best wood roller coaster in America! Kings Island is now owned by Cedar Fair, the owners of Cedar Point.

The new GateKeeper grabs atttention from the front gate.


Coming straight down out of the clouds at 120 mph, the Top Thrill Dragster. You are never too old to rock and roll -er coast!

The Skyway!

• Port Columbus International Airport has expanded many times, was once home to a mini hub for America West and Skybus. A new highway has been built up to the terminal. A new control tower is operating and nearly all gates have indoor loading walkways/jetways. A new crossover taxiway has been built on the west end of the field to start off terminal update construction. Current airlines include American/USAir, United/Continental, Delta/Northwest, Air Canada (Commuter) and Air Tran/Southwest. The terminal can be accessed from ramps on Steltzer, as well as a back way off Hamilton Rd. A new cell phone pick up standy parking lot has been built.
• Rickenbacker hosts Allegiant Air with service to Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Punta Gorda, and St. Pete.

Sports / Concerts

• Columbus now has a soccer (Crew) stadium located in the north parking lot of the fair grounds. Nationwide Arena has sprung up hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL league and the Destroyers in the Arena Football leagure. It is located across the street form the new Columbus Convention Center and one of two Hyatt hotels. The arena also hosts concerts. The area is now called "The Arena District".
• The Shoe has expaned to hold 100,000 plus, Block "O" has moved to the south stands.
• The Value City Areana has also taken over the duties of the St. Johns Arena at Ohio State. It is refered to as the Schott. Van Halen will be performing there the week of our 25th reunion on July 7th.
• Concert spots include Nationwide Arena, the Ohio State Fair Grounds (including an occasional concert at the Crew Stadium and Expo center), the Schott, and Promo West (Lifestyles Pavilion).
• Franklin County Stadium gone in 2009, the Huntington Park is now home to the Clippers, just across the street from the Blue Jackets Stadium. This is the area where the penn used to set.

Shops and Entertainment
The biggest shocker!

• Going: The Continent has died out, it was recently home to numerous radio stations including the still going WNCI. WCOL/ formerly (WXGT 92-X) is now Country. QFM is still going strong with many of the same DJs. Many new stations have also sprung up. Now there is satellite and the up and coming digital radio. Most kids today download music over the internet and don't even bother going to record stores. Nancy's Dinner, a Clintonville Landmark is closing May 31st, 2009. Also in Clintonville, Talitas, moved to Grove City.
• Gone: Lazurus Downtown, now in office building. Northland Mall was torn down as of 1/28/04. In the OSU area Papa Joes and nearby Bars are gone, (fewer places now to use fake IDs). The area of south campus has been fully redeveloped and is a hot spot including new Drexel Theater and several restaurants. Longs Book Store also relocated there. The OSU main library has been renovated, and the new Ohio Union is a must stop. Areas north of South Campus going north are now undergoing renovation. You will still find the Algora, and the Library. The rest has all changed. The Continent is standing but is mostly all apartments. The theater has renovated. The former Freindly's Restaurant at South and High became a Starbucks in 2003 after housing Montana Bread, and was destroyed by fire in early May 2004. It reopened again early 2006. Something that came and went: City Center Mall. Now turned into a downtown Columbus commons.
• New: All the shopping is now at Polaris Mall, Easton Towne Center, and Tuttle. On Morse Rd east of the former Northland Mall Easton has become the most popular spot. Easton includes a 30 screen indoor movie theater and IMAX, KDB (formerly Gameworks), and indoor and outdoor shopping area set up similar to a small town. Northland has closed, business lost to Easton and the new Polaris Fashion Place built three miles north of I 270 off I 71 (with many anchors including Saks 5th Ave). In Worthington, CVS is also new, now sitting where Jubilee (old A&P at North and High St.) closed in September 2006. Look for a new Pizza Restaurant in Downtown Worthington, Dewys replacing the former gas station at New England and High St.
• Same but now updating: Worthington Square Mall now called "The Shops at Worthington Place" is still going strong and is enclosed. Piadas has opened a Street Italian Restaurant and sits next door to Panera Bread. Krogers however has expanded into the shops westward. Downtown Worthington looks much the same and has become a popular hang out spot with an ice cream shop, sub shop, coffee house, pizza, outdoor seated restaurants, and Free WiFi available for your laptop or PDA. Also still the same: Dairy Queen, Worthington Hardware, and the Worthington Inn (the rear being converted to Condos in 2006-7).

The end of Northland Mall.

Polaris Fashion Place new outdoor section in the former Kaufmans location.


Worthington Inn has turned the hotel into condos. The restaurant is still the same.

Downtown Worthington

Zoo

David Letterman invited Jack Hanah on his show, the rest is history. The Columbus Zoo has grown by leaps and bounds, you won't recognize anything anymore. Highly suggested is the Kangaroo exhibit, the Polar Bear exhibit and the new African Safari exhibit open now and loaded with Giraffes (Betty White "America's Grandma" even cut the ribbon with Jack. Jack is continuing his travels with his nationwide syndicated TV show "Into the Wild" and uses the Columbus Zoo for several scenes as a home base for the award winning program. Wyandot Lake changed hands in 2006 from Six Flags, back to the Columbus Zoo and is now called Zoombezi Bay.

Prom Spot

The Holiday Inn on the Lane was host to our Prom (Night's in White Satin) and is being sold to be turned into a dorm for Ohio State Students. More bathrooms for everybody! Here are two final shots taken in February 2009. The bottom is the hallway which lead to the ballroom on the left.

The Roads

• I 270 is now 5 to 7 lanes wide through Worthington, and another study is underway to expand the interstate between 315 and High Street. A huge construction project is already underway at I 270 and Route 23 featuring a northbound tunnel that will flow traffic away from the busy traffic intersections. Several clover leafs will be gone as of July 6th 2014. Other areas of I 270 has gained new flyovers to reduce delays in the old clover leaf interchanges. They are located at I 71 & I 270, 161 & 270. 315 was under construction in 1979 and is now 3 lanes wide as it wisks from the new I 670 interchange near Goodale all the way to Worthington Hills. I 670 now runs around downtown and extends to I 70 from near Channel 10.1 and the Post Office to the west side and east to I 270 with a highway leading to the Port Columbus International Airport Terminal.
• Route 23 north of Worthington is now home to numerous shopping centers and urban sprawl nearly all the way to Delaware. The Drive Inns are gone. The Ruckmore Bar is still open. A new hotel and restaurant center has popped up behind it which also has an Ultra Screen and multi screen movie theater. You can still navigate in this area through construction. Camp Mary Orton has expanded with a new indoor facility and has added outdoor adventure sets. Its still a nice escape from the city Jungle. Driving north on 23 is nearly all developed to Delaware.