This year, I got the opportunity to visit two AMAZING new family fun destinations thanks to our local Yelp Elite Squad.
As I’ve shared before, I belong to two groups that frequently give me free and low-cost opportunities to try amazing new experiences in Columbus. I highly recommend getting involved with the Yelp Elite Squad and the Experience Columbus Insiders if you like to do fun, free things!
As a newly solo person, I’m trying to keep costs down so free experiences are a huge bonus.
The two places I’m writing about today are normally not free – in fact, they’re both fairly pricey. That said, they were both super fun and exciting – plus all activities took place indoors, so they will be absolutely perfect for winter fun now that the weather has gotten bad.
Are you ready to hear all about them?
1. Smash Park in Westerville
On a rainy night in late October, my bestie and I headed to Smash Park, the huge new “eatertainment” destination just off Polaris Parkway. The 52,000-square-foot, $15-million venue features indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, duckpin bowling, cornhole, bocce ball, shuffleboard, darts, an arcade and more, plus a full-service restaurant and bar.
We got to try the food and non-alcoholic bevvies, which were great – but for us, the real attraction was the venue itself and all the wonders within. It is decorated so beautifully with murals and pop art everywhere – perfect for fun photo opps during a girls’ night out with friends!
We got to try axe throwing, which we both LOVED, as well as darts, bocce ball and more. The private karaoke room is amazing, and the upstairs 21+ bar and lounge is also very cool. The upstairs bar hosts trivia nights, karaoke and more, so it’s worth checking out their website to keep an eye on what fun events are happening.
I can’t wait to go back with my teen and show her the place, and maybe do some more axe throwing!
2. Sandbox VR in Dublin
My second cool new find is Sandbox VR located in the heart of Dublin’s Bridge Park. We’ve done VR experiences before (RIP to Dreamscape at Easton Town Center), but Sandbox is quite unique. It offers full-body, fully-immersive themed VR experiences that combine motion capture with the latest in VR hardware to create what feels almost like an out-of-body experience.
The building itself feels futuristic and immediately sets the tone that this experience will be like no other. After checking in, you are taken to a room to gear up. There is gear for both hands, both feet, a backpack on your back and gear on your head. It’s quite something to behold – and luckily, photos/videos are welcome at any point in the experience.
After gearing up, you are taken to an experience room and the play begins. You are transported into, and instantly become a character in, a scary movie or TV show. There are zombie-shooting experiences, some based on Squid Games and even some new experiences based on Stranger Things.
My group chose the medium-scary zombie experience and it was fairly terrifying. My brain and body were in a high state of fear and fight or flight for most of it! It was fun, thrilling and exhilarating, but I also definitely felt like I could die from a zombie attack at any minute. One of the coolest and freakiest elements for me was that when you got grabbed by a zombie, the backpack on your back vibrated so you actually FELT like you were being grabbed. It took my breath away the first time it happened!
Sandbox is not cheap, at about $50 per person, but they do run specials so it makes sense to get on their mailing list. You will want to register online before going in to make sure you get the time slot you want. This would be amazing with friends, family or even as a team-building exercise! I did it with a group of fellow Yelp Elites and it was a very fun bonding experience that none of us will ever forget.
If you’re looking for a fun experience gift for teens or adults, time at Smash Park or Sandbox VR would be a great choice for just about anyone.
Have you been to any cool new experiences in Columbus lately? I have my eye on a few others for 2026, including a Splatter Paint experience and Prototype, the experiential musuem.
