21 Indoor Destinations Where You Can Stay Active in Cincinnati This Winter
By CityBeat Staff
From axe throwing and indoor skydiving to parkour, rock climbing gyms and even a ninja obstacle course — there are virtually endless ways to stay active this season that don't include a boring trip to the gym.
Cincinnati Axe Throwing 4814 Peter Place B, West Chester; Flying Axes, 100 W. Sixth St., Covington; Urban Axes, 2010 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine Good news for people who love throwing axes: There are multiple places in Cincinnati where you can toss sharpened projectiles at a wooden target. And most even sell booze. The axe-throwing craze hacked its way into the Tri-State in 2018 with the opening of Cincinnati Axe Throwing in West Chester. The first in the region, it introduced the concept of letting random people walk into a room and chuck 1.5-pound hatchets at wooden bullseyes.
After that came Flying Axes in Covington, the local extension of a Louisville-based chain, and then Urban Axes in OTR, which opened in January 2019 and has locations in Baltimore, Boston, Philly, Austin and Durham, North Carolina. The axe-throwing "game" is based on a Canadian pioneering tradition and while local axe outlets have varying age requirements ranging from 13 to 15 to 21-and-up, all have "axeperts" on hand to teach newbies safety and skill basics before they let you loose with a deadly weapon.
Prices, times, tournament styles and group rates also vary at each different company. But, for those looking to double down on danger and increase your competitive edge, both Flying Axes and Urban Axes sell alcohol. And if you get really into it, all three spots have axe-throwing leagues.
Photo via Facebook/Cincinnati Axe Throwing/Flying Axes/Urban Axes
4999 Houston Road, Florence This "extreme air sport park" includes trampolines, parkour, ninja obstacle course, zip-line, dodgeball, basketball dunking, stunt fall, aerial silks, slack-lines, tramp wall, air-track and more, according to its website. Come for daily fun, private parties, birthday parties, group events or more.
Photo via Facebook.com/DefyAirParks
5150 Duff Drive, West Chester Curling took on a new form of popularity in the United States after the American Men’s Curling team took home gold in the 2018 Winter Olympics. If you’re interested in seeing what all the hype surrounding the sport is about, or just looking to try something new, the Cincinnati Curling Club has its own facility where you can learn how to curl like the Olympians. Two-hour Instructional courses start at $45. Instructional leagues run for three weeks, where you will learn how to incorporate all the finer points and tips for the game while receiving in-game coaching. Instructional leagues start at $100.
Photo via Facebook/CincinnatiCurlingClub
9501 Union Cemetery Road, Loveland Loveland's Mosaic Climbing is a multi-functional gym with modern touches and unique features. The brightly colored space offers opportunities for various types of climbers including bouldering and top-rope, auto belay and lead. There are also training options and orientation for new climbers. The space is for all skill levels and ages. First Timer passes include rentals, orientation and a belay class. Memberships start at $65.
Photo: Holden Mathis
1335 Donaldson Road, Erlanger Suit up and run into a black-light lit room armed with a laser gun. Broken into two teams, it’s likely you’ll play a stranger (even if you arrive with a group of friends). Yes, a devious little kid will probably sneak out from behind a wall, point his gun, stick out his tongue and target you for the entirety of the game. The divvied-up battlefield actually becomes intense; each time you’re shot, your scores gets lower. Take your kids or feel like a kid again.
4-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 4 p.m.-midnight Friday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday. Photo via facebook.com/LazerKraze
2940 Highland Ave., #230, Pleasant Ridge This unique entertainment franchise capitalizes on the up-and-coming tailgating game, which combines bowling and football. Located in the Highland Park industrial complex of Pleasant Ridge, the warehouse stretches 46,000 square feet and offers 30 total lanes of fowling, two full-service bars, a stage and a large biergarten. Great for individuals, groups, parties and corporate outings, the general objective of fowling is to knock over the opponent's bowling pins with a football before they knock yours down. Guests can either reserve a lane or enjoy open play.
Photo via fowlingwarehouse.com/cincinnati
4460 W. Mitchell Ave., Saint Bernard Videos depicting urban gymnastics known as parkour went viral on the internet before going viral was a thing. Now, you can try your hand at parkour, freerunning and other activities like aerial arts and acro yoga at Swift Movement Studio. Lessons are available for all ages and levels of experience. In order to participate, you must sign the waiver provided on their website, and follow the instructions to register for your preferred activity. Each day at Swift is dedicated to different activities, so be sure to sign up for the one you want to participate in; $36 for a month of parkour/free running courses and $66 for two months.
Photo via Facebook.com/SwiftMoves
9568 Water Front Drive, West Chester Township Hit a microchipped golf ball into colorful targets to score points at TopGolf. This chain of driving ranges brings golf out of the country club and into the public as a space to practice your swing, grab a bite to eat or even watch the sun go down over West Chester on a rooftop patio. Prices start at $25 per bay, per hour. Each bay can hold up to six players.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
11725 Commons Drive, Sprindale Full Throttle Indoor Karting is a one-stop-shop for thrills. The entertainment facility doesn’t stop at high-speed go-kart racing — they also offer axe-throwing and a smash room where visitors can choose from three different smash sessions, suit up and take out their frustrations on a bunch of breakables. Racing starts at $24; axe-throwing starts at $15; and the smash room starts at $25.
Photo: Provided by Hailey Bollinger
8350 Colerain Avenue, White Oak Rockin’ Jump is an indoor trampoline park perfect for birthday parties for kids, a family afternoon activity and feeling like a kid again. Dodgeball, trampoline basketball, free jump and more activities are available for you and your children to jump into and play. One hour of jump time is $16 and it's $22 for two hours. Group and party pricing varies, available online. Memberships are available for $20 a month.
Photo via Facebook.com/Rockin’ Jump
