21 Indoor Destinations Where You Can Stay Active in Cincinnati This Winter

Cincinnati Axe Throwing // Flying Axes // Urban Axes

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

Defy Florence

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

Cincinnati Curling Club

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

Mosaic Climbing

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

Lazer Kraze

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

Fowling Warehouse

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

Swift Movement Studio

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

Top Golf

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

Smash Room at Full Throttle

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

Rockin’ Jump

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

Local Skatepark

32 W. Crescentville Road, Springdale
In the winter months, skateboarding or skating outdoors is typically out of the question. If you’re a skater, or looking to get into skating, Local Skatepark keeps the shredding going all year round with their indoor facility in Springdale. The urbanized park is perfect for experienced and beginning skaters. Individual and group lessons are offered. All day admission is $5 per skater.
Photo via Facebook.com/LocalSkatepark

Archery Arena

4950 Provident Drive, Springdale
A combination of dodgeball and archery, Archery Arena in Springdale pits your group against one another in an up to 10-on-10 combat archery showdown. There’s nothing to fear, as the "arrows" are foam-tipped cylinders with a force comparable to a dodgeball. No archery experience is necessary to get in on the action-packed fun as each group is trained prior to their match-up. Safety helmets and other gear are provided. Reservations are required for groups to participate, prices vary depending on group size. Individual prices begin at $25.
Photo via Facebook.com/ArcheryArenaGames

The Escape Game

28 W. Freedom Way, Suite 300, The Banks
You don’t need weights or a gym to get your blood flowing. The Escape Game at The Banks is just one of the many escape room challenges in which one can lock themselves in Cincinnati. But it may also be one of the best. With high-quality Rube Goldberg-like sets, gamers can choose from four room themes: Prison Break, Gold Rush, Special Ops: Mysterious Market and The Heist (an art museum-themed adventure). Each room has a difficulty ranking (out of 10) and you have 60 minutes to solve your way out with two to eight players. Room hosts can provide up to three clues via a screen if you get stuck.
Photo via Facebook.com/TheEscapeRoomCincinnati

Dig ‘N Play

9405 Cincinnati Columbus Road, West Chester
Parents, rejoice. You have a place where your kids can be active, expel their energy, work their minds, socialize and have fun. Dig ‘N Play’s three-story play structure, sand tables, inflatables and more are perfect for children to learn and play at the same time. There’s fun to be had for parents and chaperones, too. Wine and mimosas served by the glass, as well as Fifty West Brewing Co. beer. All day play for children under 2 is $4. Children 2 and up is $8. See their site for private party availability.
Photo via Facebook.com/Dig’NPlay

iFLY Indoor Skydiving

7689 Warehouse Row, Liberty Township
iFLY Indoor Skydiving uses a wind tunnel fly chamber which "moves air in a vertical column at speeds high enough to keep a person safely floating." According to the website, guests as young as 3-years-old can take to the indoor skies as long as a parent or guardian signs their waiver (anyone under 18 must have a signed waiver). Before you fly for the first time, you'll take a basic training class from an iFLY instructor, then gear up with a suit and helmet. After that, you'll head to a tunnel with your instructor and "fly" with them as they each you the skills for a fun flight. Each session lasts over an hour while each flight in the wind tunnel lasts just 60 seconds, but the package you book determines how many times you get to go in the tunnel. Flight packages start at $69.95.
Photo via Facebook.com/iFLYCincinnati

Dart Rush

1 Levee Way, #2108, Newport
Dart Rush is an indoor NERF battlefield where you and your family or friends can play various NERF combat games like Capture the Flag, King of the Hill and more. Run around their indoor complex and have a blast while testing your NERF accuracy against your group. You can bring your own NERF blaster, or rent one of Dart Rush’s blasters. Prices for blaster rentals vary depending on the kind of blaster rented. One-hour sessions at Dart Rush begin at $12; $22 for 2 hours. Private parties of 30 guests or more are $9.98 plus $100 to supply all guests with blasters. Closed Monday through Wednesday.
Photo via Facebook.com/DartRush

Sports Plus Ohio

10765 Reading Road, Evendale
Sports Plus is one-part dining facility, one-part sports complex and one-part family-friendly fun. This large multi-purpose facility is a perfect venue for an energizing and exciting night out. From an ice rink to a zipline park, Sports Plus has countless activities appropriate for the whole family. You can play basketball, learn how to skate, try their smoothie cafe and more. Ice rink time is available for rent online.
Photo via Facebook/SportsPlusCincinnati

Sky Zone

4950 Provident Drive, Springdale
Let go of gravity at the "world's first indoor trampoline park." Jump, bounce and flip your way into a pit of 10,000 foam cubes. An almost all-ages play time, Sky Zone offers Open Jump, a SkySlam court, SkyJoust, SkyLadder, FreeClimb, SkyFit fitness classes, Ultimate Dodgeball and the Foam Zone.
Photo via Facebook/SkyZone

Climb Time

10898 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash; 4460 Orkney Drive, Oakley
Climb Time is a multi-faceted indoor climbing facility boasting experiences in lead climbing, top roping, speed climbing and bouldering. Their Blue Ash location is a 7,000-square-foot climbing facility fit for all levels of climbing experience. If you don’t have climbing gear, Climb Time provides gear for you for a rental fee. A one day pass is $12. Climb Time also has monthly passes, starting at $52 for one month. Additionally, if you’re really looking to improve your climbing knowledge, Climb Time has belay classes for only $10, with no need to reserve a spot.
Photo via Facebook.com/ClimbtimeCincinnati

TriHealth Fitness and Health Pavilion

6200 Pfeiffer Road, Blue Ash
You can get active in all kinds of various ways at the TriHealth Fitness and Health Pavilion in Montgomery. Indoor and outdoor swimming, open basketball gyms, swimming lessons for children, and over 70 group fitness classes are all available with membership. Membership prices vary, visit their site for information regarding what kind of memberships best work for you. If you’re not looking to become a member, you can sign up for a free guest pass on their site to experience all the activities available at the Pavilion.
Photo via Facebook.com/TriHealthFitnessandHealthPavillion