Plenty to do in Columbus during holiday season

The weather is chilly so what better time to go swimming.

During the holiday season, the Columbus Aquatic Center will be open 8 a.m.–7 p.m. Monday-Friday. It will close on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Call 706-225-3980 for more information.

If you like your water frozen, the Columbus Ice Rink will have public skating sessions from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 22-24 and Dec. 26-Jan. 1. After that, the hours are 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Go get some exercise. Call 706-225-4500 for more information.

If you would rather just watch people on the ice, check out Columbus Cottonmouths hockey game on Friday and New Year’s Eve at the Columbus Civic Center. Both games against Pensacola begin at 7:30 p.m. Call 706-571-0086 for information.

It is not too late to catch Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga., and there will be fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

The attraction, which features 8 million lights in 15 scenes, has been called one of the top 10 places in the world to see holiday lights by National Geographic Traveler. It runs through Jan. 7. Call 1-855-923-7580 or visit callawaygardens.com for ticket information.

If you want to catch a cool holiday movie, you might want to check out the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center. The theater will be showing “The Polar Express 3D” through Jan. 6. Other holiday movies in December include “Home Alone,” “The Grinch,” “The Santa Clause” and “A Christmas Story.”

For ticket information and showtimes, visit www.nationalinfantrymuseum.org.

Of course, it is a great time to visit the free museum, especially if you have company from out of town. Experience 240 years of American History with interactive galleries and attractions.

But it is not the only museum. The National Civil War Naval Museum is open 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It will be closed Christmas and also New Year’s Day.

The museum features the largest surviving Confederate warship and also the nation’s largest collection of Civil War naval related flags. Call 706-327-9798 for information.

The Columbus Museum is one of the largest museums in the Southeast and is unique for its dual concentration on American art and regional history. The free museum is closed on Mondays and will be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Day. It is normally open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. but stays open until 8 p.m. on Thursday. For information, call 706-748-2562 or visit www.columbusmuseum.com.

If you enjoy live theater, “The Little Mermaid” and “A Tuna Christmas” will both have performances on Thursday and Friday night. For information, call 706-327-3688.

A performance of “A Christmas Carol” will be Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. Visit rivercenter.org for information or call 706-256-3612.

On New Year’s Day, R&B singer Anthony Hamilton will perform at the Columbus Civic Center. For ticket information, call 706-653-4460.

This story was originally published December 20, 2016 at 2:13 PM with the headline "Plenty to do in Columbus during holiday season."