Stay warm this winter with these indoor FoCo activities

Christian Arndt, Life and Culture Director

February 2, 2024

Nadia Parriott plays in a pinball tournament at Pinball Jones in Old Town Feb. 23, 2020. Parriott has been playing pinball for almost two and a half years, her favorite machine being either Bonsai Run or Elvira’s House of Horrors. Parriott originally hails from New York City, coming to Fort Collins for “art and love,” the latter playing a bigger part, she said. Now Parriott and her husband reside in Fort Collins, hoping to move to Golden, Colorado, to be closer to the mountains.

Given that Fort Collins is an area centered on outdoor activities, some may feel trapped and out of ideas for what to do during these winter months. However, there are plenty of fun indoor activities to participate in with the cold weather.

Chipper’s Lanes

Chipper’s Lanes is a true Fort Collins staple when it comes to fun indoor activities. It’s almost impossible to not have a good time there, with bowling, plenty of arcade games and the occasional live music performance.

Chipper’s Lanes also provides plenty of discounts to keep the bowling affordable, such as 50% Off Mondays and the College Special, which gives any Colorado State University Student with their student ID in tow 20% off of their tab.

With two locations both within three miles of campus, Chipper’s Lanes is a fairly close trip for any student.

Fort Collins Museum of Discovery

Who doesn’t love a good museum? The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery has a little something for everyone.

Some of the many exhibits the museum has to offer are the Music & Sound Lab, which allows each visitor to explore the history of Fort Collins music and play instruments; Wildlands & Wildlife, which houses plenty of fossils; and Sun, Earth, Universe — a whole exhibit focused on space.

With admission at $9.50 for students with IDs and $12.50 for other adults, it’s hard to pass up on some good educational fun.

Escape rooms

Fort Collins is home to a variety of escape rooms around town. Each one offers a rotating selection of themes to choose from and enjoy alone or with friends.

Each escape room location has varying levels of difficulty; some are built for more experienced escapers, while others are made for a more casual, family-friendly setting.

Some of these locations include Time Emporium Escape Rooms, The Markey Escape Rooms and the Somewhere Secret, just to name a few.

The time limits of these rooms vary, with some lasting 30 minutes and others about an hour. The themes vary across rooms, some more horror oriented, while others may be more of a traditional adventure-based escape room.

No matter experience or intrigue level, Fort Collins is bound to provide an escape room for participants to enjoy completing.

Pinball Jones

What better way to brave the winter than to stay indoors and play some fun arcade games?

Located in Old Town Square is a metal staircase that leads to a floor underground with 38 pinball machines ready to play as well as arcade cabinets.

For those who want to enjoy a beverage, Pinball Jones sports plenty of craft beers and local craft spirits to ease into the night. They provide nonalcoholic drinks as well.

Another thing to consider while visiting Pinball Jones is the tournaments they host. For those feeling confident in their pinball abilities, why not go ahead and take a chance against some other members in the Fort Collins community?

There are plenty of options in the local area to have a fun day or night during the chilly winter here in Fort Collins. So get out there, have fun and, most importantly, stay warm.

Reach Christian Arndt at life@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.

About the Contributors

Christian Arndt, Life & Culture Editor

Christian Arndt is the returning editor for the life and culture desk for the 2024-25 school year at The Collegian. Hailing from Silverthorne, Colorado, Arndt began his writing journey in high school. With the help of his English teacher, he found his love for writing and, eventually, his love for journalistic writing. Arndt is a fourth-year at Colorado State University, where he will be graduating with a bachelor's degree in journalism and media communication with a minor in English. Although his studies have provided excellent insight and practice within journalism, The Collegian has helped Arndt foster professionalism and experience in the field. Arndt looks forward to learning and growing through this experience. Initially a reporter for the arts and entertainment desk in early 2023, Arndt primarily focused on movie reviews, local art coverage and curated playlists. He soon took over as the second-ever editor for the life and culture desk in summer 2023, where he takes pride in providing coverage on local happenings, cultural events and local business features. Going into this year with the same amount of enthusiasm as last, Arndt is looking forward to providing accurate and important coverage of the Fort Collins area. If not editing articles, Arndt can be found watching movies, listening to punk rock, hoping for a Talking Heads reunion tour and walking his adorable dog, Penny.

Luke Bourland, Photo Director

Luke Bourland is a history major from Durham, Connecticut. Bourland is studying history in hopes of going to law school in the fall 2022 semester after graduation. In terms of which law school Bourland wants to go to, he likes to joke, "I will attend anywhere that'll have me!" Bourland has been taking pictures recreationally for most of his life but did not officially join The Collegian until the beginning of his sophomore year in 2019. Bourland originally joined The Collegian to develop his skills and to photograph out of his comfort zone. During his time at The Collegian, Bourland has held positions such as freelance photographer, media archivist, assistant photo editor, photo editor and finally, photo director. As the photo director, it is Bourland's job to make sure the paper is accompanied with beautiful pictures alongside the photo editor. Bourland has photographed events ranging from speeches and galas to football and basketball games. In his free time, Bourland is an avid golfer, fly-fisherman and still loves to take pictures recreationally. Differing from the style of photography at The Collegian, Bourland enjoys slowing down and shooting landscapes and portraits on film. Bourland first learned how to develop film with a friend in the bathrooms of Corbett Hall, stuffing towels under the doors to avoid any light leaking in. No matter where life takes Bourland, he hopes that photography will always be there along the ride.

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