At a University where students are predominately known for their partying, it may be hard for them to break the tradtional bar scene to find fun.
Baton Rouge provides many venues and places that allow students to break away from the weekend rut of bars and clubs.
“You don’t need alcohol to have a good time,” said Donald Sharp, a marketing sophomore. Sharp thinks anyone can have a good time just by spending time with friends.
A perfect place for friends to get together and have fun is at a bowling alley. What other sport gives its players a chance to wear funny shoes and whip a 10-pound bowling ball down an 60-foot greased lane?
Tiger Pause, located in the Union, offers 14 bowling lanes, 12 pool tables and more than 25 arcade and pinball machines. A reasonable cost of $1.50 per game for students and the acceptance of Tiger Express makes this spot great for weekend revelers. Tiger Pause is open seven days a week until 10:30 p.m.
If you get the itch to wander off campus to “get your bowl on,” try Don Carter’s All Star Lanes on Airline Hwy. Don Carter’s has 64 lanes and provides “Lightning Strike” on Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. “Lightning Strike” is bowling with a twist of the club scene. The lights are turned off, and laser lights illuminate the lanes, said Wea Booker, front desk attendant for Don Carter’s.
“Bowling is fun because I can go out with friends and have a good time without the pressures of school or classes,” said Brock Vead, a speech communication sophomore.
Another competitive recreation that can be viewed as an alternative to clubbin’ actually is played with a club. America’s favorite miniature version of golf, otherwise known as putt-putt, is perfect for people who aren’t too good at the real game.
“I like playing putt-putt because it makes people who aren’t good at real golf still look good,” said Tom Hulse, a math sophomore.
Celebration Station off Airline Hwy has an 18-hole course that tests miniature golf skills against rolling green carpet and the ever-so-impossible task of hitting the ball in the correct pipe. Celebration Station also offers go-carts, batting cages and a huge arcade room.
Some students on campus prefer the traditional dinner and a movie night as opposed to bars.
Meagan Thrasher, an education senior, goes to dinner and a movie almost every weekend with friends.
Alcohol-free fun is “a different kind of fun,” Thrasher said.
Tinseltown USA on N. Mall Drive provides Baton Rouge movie goers with a Hollywood-style experience. According to Shane Price, assistant manager at Tinseltown USA, the theater offers stadium style seating and digital quality sound.
If sitting in a theater for two hours is not your thing then Dixie Landin theme park may be for you. Dixie Landin, which is connected to Blue Bayou water park, offers more than 10 exciting rides. The main attraction is the Ragin Cajun, a metal roller coaster that takes riders through dizzying flips and turns. Dixie Landin is open Friday and Saturday nights until 11 p.m.
For students who love the outdoors and laying out in nature, the Recreation and Park Commission for East Baton Rouge Parish offers more than 150 parks and other facilities that allow students a chance to soak up the sun.
One of the closest parks to campus is Highland Road Park. Located near the intersection of Siegen and Highland, the park offers picnic areas, a fitness center and an 18-hole disc golf course, according to the BREC Web site.
From a fun night of bowling to a pleasant day in the park, Baton Rouge offers a plethora of different venues that provide an opportunity to have fun without alcohol.