Staying in Athens during OU’s spring break? Don’t mope about in your student rental. Well, unless that’s your vibe – nothing wrong with some cozy self-care. But if you find yourself getting antsy, there’s no shortage of things to do around Athens in the spring time. Here are 15 DIY adventures to be had for a fun-filled stay-at-home spring break:
1. Go to the beach!
Wait – what? Yup! Stroud’s Run. It’s not Cabo or anything, but it’s got the sand, beautiful views, boat rentals, and beach volleyball courts. Pick one of the inevitable unseasonably warm days and go get some vitamin D.
2. See live music.
There’s always an open mic night, dance night or local live show going on somewhere in town. Specifically, Eclipse Company Store and Casa Nueva are hubs for local performance art. Pro tip: Eclipse has some pretty awesome drag show nights, too.
3. Go to Escape Rooms.
Not a lot of people know that we’ve got an escape room just up the road at Hocking Hills! Hocking Hills Escape Games has a room called The Great Heist. Grab a couple of your friends who’ve also stayed in town and go solve a mystery together.
4. Take a hike at Hocking Hills.
Hocking Hills state park might be a 30-minute drive from Athens, but it’s still a part of the town’s identity. People come from all over the country to hike here, but we’re lucky enough to live right on its outskirts. Old Man’s Cave, Ash Cave and Cantwell Cliffs are beautiful in the spring.
5. Soak in Athens art and history.
The Dairy Barn Arts Center is tucked at the foot of The Ridges, Athens’ historic Kirkbride psychiatric institution. It used to house – you guessed it – dairy cows that supplied milk to the residents at The Ridges. Today, it’s an immersive art center with poignant exhibitions celebrating local artists.
6. Find culture and creep factor at Kennedy Art Museum.
Housed at the center of The Ridges campus in Lin Hall, Kennedy Art Museum offers permanent and temporary exhibitions focused on history and education. Plus, you get to visit these exhibits in the Athens Lunatic Asylum’s original admin building, which is a vibe, to say the least.
7. Do your own bike-and-brew.
Everybody loves a good day of bar and brewery hopping, and Athens has no shortage of either. Grab a couple friends and use the extensive bike trail system to visit Athens’ breweries, like Devil’s Kettle, Eclipse, West End, Jackie O’s, and Little Fish, and get some cardio in at the same time!
8. Go on a thrift shopping spree.
Part of Athens culture is the idea of sustainable consumption, upcycling and recycling. Go check out all the thrifting to be had around town, like UpCycle Ohio, Athens Underground, New-to-You, Re-Store, and Goodwill.
9. Get crafty!
Speaking of Community Makerspace, this is the perfect place to buy local art, take one of many unique arts-and-crafts classes and thrift shop. But that’s not all – there’s wood-working, metal-working, and you can rent tools and other equipment to do your own projects as well.
10. Go trail running in town.
If you’re looking for great hiking spots that don’t require an out-of-town trip, Sell’s Park sits above East State Street. Even though you’re super-close to Athens’ commercial corridor, you’d never know it; it’s beautiful up there, especially in the spring. And don’t forget about Stroud’s Run, too!
11. Visit Athens’ historic theater.
The Athena Cinema is in the heart of uptown. A centerpiece of historic Court Street, they’re always showing independent and international films you wouldn’t think to go looking for, along with some of the classics and fun movie-related events. Definitely not your typical blockbuster movie theater experience.
12. Go antiquing!
Are you a fan of vintage finds? Athens is, too. There are several great antique and vintage shops in the area, including Random House uptown, Lindsey’s Collectibles in The Plains, and the Logan Antique Mall off SR 33.
13. Have a throwback arcade night.
Just up SR 33 before you get to Nelsonville is Movies 10 and The Fun Barn. Enjoy a plethora of classic arcade games and a classic arcade food court. Then head into the theater to see a movie and enjoy throwback ticket and concession prices. (We’re talking $1 hot dogs, y’all.)
14. Hunt some ghosts.
If you’re an Ohioan, chances are you love yourself a good ghost sighting or haunted house. Moonville Tunnel is a great place to get some outdoors time in, soak in local history, hunt for historic foundations of a mining town, and creep yourself out in the middle of the day. All that for free, and only a short drive away.
15. Food tour time!
There’s a lot of great food spots in Athens that you won’t find anywhere else. Local ingredients and sustainability are at the heart of many – Casa Nueva, Salaam, Village Bakery, Purple Chopsticks, and the Athens Farmer’s Market, just to name a few.
This might be a small town, but there’s always somewhere to go and something to do; you’ve just got to look around. Take this at-home spring break as an opportunity to go on adventures you normally wouldn’t and try some things you haven’t before. Sure, a tropical beach is great; but so is our little corner of the Appalachian foothills.