March 2019

Redefining Recreation

While Rochester might not be the most trend-setting city in the world, we’re not so bad at keeping up with what’s hot around the country. It’s no surprise that the latest innovations in fun have made their way to the Flower City. On the rainy days that precede the Lilac Festival, you can get out indoors and still have an invigorating experience thanks to some trendy new spots.

Break Free from an Escape Room

Looking for a creative way to bond with your friends or build rapport with your coworkers? Try an escape room! Once you and your group have chosen an adventure to experience, you’ll be locked inside a room that will only open again once you have collaboratively solved the puzzles within. The challenge is to escape before time runs out. Escape Rooms are designed with a variety of interactive, fictional themes which require teamwork and effective communication from your group. In Rochester, you can take up the challenge and try to think your way out of Rochester Escape Rooms, Breakout Games, The Great Escape Room, Nut House Escape Rooms, and many others.

Get Smash Therapy in a Rage Room

We know it’s corny, but rage rooms are (You guessed it!) all the rage. This rapidly growing business model, which popped up in Rochester last year, gives people a safe place to work out uncomfortable emotions. Rage (or Smash) rooms offer customers a chance to smash inanimate objects – like computers, wine bottles, and dishes – to release their feelings in a safe way. According to those who’ve done it, taking a sledgehammer to electronic devices and housewares is a way to relieve stress while having fun. Check out Rochester’s very first rage room, Smash Therapy, for a time slot of twenty, thirty-five, or fifty minutes, complete with objects meant to be destroyed.

Throw an Axe — Badly

For those more interested in throwing than smashing, there’s great news. The world’s largest urban axe-throwing club has brought the thrill of a Canadian backyard pastime to Rochester. You can now learn proper axe-throwing form at Bad Axe Throwing. Just be sure to make an appointment in advance. If you spend a lot of time at East & Alexander, visit Axes & Ales for the axe-throwing experience.

Experience the VR of the Future

Nearly 60 years after the first motion-tracking headgear was developed, virtual reality has finally begun to realize its revolutionary potential. Thanks to a few new virtual reality arcades, you can now glimpse the future right here in Rochester. At Park Point’s Veracity VRcade or VR Playground in Jefferson Plaza, the latest VR technology lets you climb outside your comfort zone and experience otherworldly environments. Walk a plank high above a city, experience the ultimate in horror, wield lightsabers, and fly like a bird, a superhero, or a pilot. The hardest part is choosing your adventure.