The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Five family-friendly indoor activities to do in metro Atlanta
Where to escape the winter weather, have quality family time.
When the concept for this Go Guide was conceived, the idea was to provide families with indoor activities that would make the winter season bearable.
But this winter has been unseasonably warm. Even the predicted snowstorm wasn’t a real snowstorm. (#Nopocalypse, anyone?)
Our guide to indoor family fun might not save you from winter weather, but it will ensure that you have a great family bonding experience within the next few weeks.
From a traditional Alvin Ailey production just in time for Black History Month to the last Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus shows in metro Atlanta, here are five fun indoor activities that your entire family can enjoy:
Indoor paintball
Family paintballing can be a great activity for athletic parents with teenage kids. While you might be sore the next day, running around Snellville’s Wildfire Paintball’s 10,000-square-foot field is a great way for competitive family members to bond.
Families with young players can participate in a low-impact paintball game, utilizing smaller paintballs shot at a lower velocity.
Whether you’re looking to host a private party with 10 or more players, or you’re hoping to head to the indoor field for some unplanned weekend fun, the beauty of an indoor paintball field is that the time of day and inclement weather won’t be deterrents.
The facility has a “walk-in special” that includes admission, paintball gun, mask, tank, loader and 100 paintballs for $29.99 per person.
1-7 p.m. Sundays; 4-7 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 4-10 p.m. Fridays; noon-8 p.m. Saturdays. $29.99 (walk-in special). Wildfire Paintball, 3725-C Stone Mountain Highway, Snellville. Wildfirepaintball.com.
Atlanta Rocks
If the idea of gearing up to be shot with a paintball doesn’t sound appealing, perhaps rock climbing is more your family’s speed.
The indoor facility at Atlanta Rocks hosts a number of rock climbing classes, including Introduction to Gym Climbing and classes that focus on technique. Classes are $35 per person and require a reservation. Only family members over 12 years old can attend.
Atlanta Rocks hosts a Quick Climb that offers six climbs during business hours. Reservations are not required. The session costs $15 per person.
For families looking to climb during a supervised session, the Novice Climb is a two-hour session that is perfect for all family members. No previous climbing experience is required, but you must make a reservation and pay a nonrefundable deposit for your group (up to six people) to attend. The Novice Climb is $25 per person, but your deposit will go toward your total.
11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; noon-8 p.m. Saturdays; noon-6 p.m. Sundays. Prices vary. Atlanta Rocks, 1019 Collier Road, Suite A, Atlanta. atlantarocks.com.
‘Too Heavy for Your Pocket’
The Alliance Theatre continues its tradition of celebrating emerging playwrights with the
premiere of “Too Heavy for Your Pocket.”
The play tells the story of two young couples in rural Tennessee during the civil rights movement. Bowzie is hoping to attend Fisk University on a scholarship, but when presented with the idea to become a Freedom Fighter, his future becomes uncertain.
Playwright Jiréh Breon Holder will see his creation come to life on the Hertz Stage as a result of winning the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition.
The 2007-08 winner of the competition, Tarell Alvin McCraney, created “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue,” which inspired the Academy Award-nominated film “Moonlight.”
“Too Heavy for Your Pocket” will run through Feb. 26. On Feb. 10, the theater will host a Q&A with Holder.
Through Feb. 26. 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays; 7:30 p.m. Sundays (except for Feb. 19). $10 (teens), $20-$42 (general admission). Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St., Atlanta. 404-733-5000, Alliancetheatre.org.
Alvin Ailey
Celebrate the legacy and contributions of AfricanAmerican choreographer Alvin Ailey to modern dance and choreography during Black History Month.
Founded in 1958, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre has traveled the world introducing audiences to facets of African-American culture through dance.
The company will perform a series of shows at Fox Theatre this February, giving Atlanta audiences an opportunity to experience Alvin’s critically acclaimed “Revelations,” a work that incorporates blues, spirituals and gospel.
Feb. 15-19. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. $21.50$86.50. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. foxtheatre.org.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Be one of the last people to experience “The Greatest Show on Earth.”
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will return to metro Atlanta for a series of shows before closing permanently in May. The circus will stop at Philips Arena in Atlanta and Duluth’s Infinite Energy Arena for a series of shows beginning in February.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Presents Circus Xtreme will feature the circus’s first-ever female ringmaster in the circus’s 146year history.
Kristen Michelle Wilson will go down in history as the 39th and final Ringling Bros. ringmaster.
According to The Associated Press, the circus has plans for the lions, tigers, camels, donkeys, alpacas, kangaroos and llamas that are a part of the show to go to suitable homes. The company famously removed elephants from its show in 2016. Ringling has a conservation center for elephants in Florida.
Feb. 15-20. $15-$65. Various times (check website for details). Philips Arena, 1 Philips Drive, Atlanta. 1-800745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.
Feb. 23-March 5. $15-$65. Various times (check website for details). Infinite Energy Arena, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. 770-626-2464, www.InfiniteEnergyCenter.com.