No matter how old you are, no one likes being dragged down by the drudgery of grown-up responsibilities. The following places in and around Dallas specialize in helping adults recapture the feeling of being a kid, even if only for a couple of hours.
Pinstack
One of the newer upscale entertainment destinations in the area, Pinstack in Plano has multiple great options, from private, walled-off bowling lanes to an elevated ropes course to a two-story laser tag arena. Combine that with an attached restaurant that has 24 beers on tap and atypical bowling alley food, and you have the makings of a stellar night out.
iFly Indoor Skydiving
Do you love the idea of skydiving but are too chicken to actually jump out of a plane? iFly Indoor Skydiving in Frisco lets you get the rush of falling from the sky by blasting you 6-7 feet off the ground inside a high-powered wind tunnel. It may not be the real thing, but you'll be having too much fun to tell the difference.
TopGolf
Golf is one of the hardest sports to master, but it doesn't matter what your handicap is at TopGolf, which also has locations in Allen and The Colony. Everybody in your group takes turns hitting golf balls embedded with microchips at various targets, with points awarded for distance and accuracy. With food and drinks available, you'll have a good time even if you have a swing like Charles Barkley.
SpeedZone Dallas
Not many people get a chance to get behind the wheel of an actual race car, but you can still satisfy your need for speed at SpeedZone. Among the vehicles you can drive are dragsters that go from 0 to 70 mph in 3.5 seconds, go-carts with slick tires for drift-style racing and high-powered go-carts on the Turbo Track.
Barcadia
The recently announced Free Play in Richardson may be getting all the buzz right now, but Barcadia off Henderson Avenue has been offering the combo of classic video games and booze since 2008. You'll find the place packed on the weekends, so veterans know to go during the week if they want to play Donkey Kong Junior, Street Fighter II, Skee-Ball or giant Jenga.
Alamo Drafthouse Richardson
Sure, you could go see an actual movie at Alamo Drafthouse, but the chain — which will soon have locations in Dallas, Irving and Little Elm — has cornered the market on community-style events that just happen to be held in a movie theater. There's the raucous weekly Geeks Who Drink trivia contest, Cards Against Humanity Game Night, sing-a-longs to the tunes of singers like Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake, quote-a-longs to classic flicks and many other events you won't find at regular cineplexes.
Perot Museum of Nature & Science
There is plenty to entice kids at the Perot Museum of Nature & Science, but the museum is designed to appeal to people of all ages. Interactive exhibits like racing against a T-Rex and flying like a bird in a 3-D world keep you on your toes, while the semi-regular adults-only Social Science series lets you explore the museum after hours with a drink in hand.
Family Karaoke
For anyone who loves the idea of performing but would prefer it not to be in a room full of strangers, Family Karaoke is the place for you. You can rent rooms that fit anywhere from 5 to 26 people, allowing you to invite your closest group of friends out for a night of zero judgment as you try to hit the high note in "I Will Always Love You."
You can feel what it's like to skydive while only a few feet off the ground at iFly Indoor Skydiving.
