As temperatures drop, many students are looking for ways to stay warm, have fun and stay active in their communities. There are many indoor activities and businesses in the city for students of all interests and budgets to experience and explore.
1984
Located between the Missouri State University campus and Park Central Square at 400 S. Jefferson Ave., 1984 is a nostalgic arcade filled with classic video games and pinball machines from the ’70s and ’80s. According to the arcade’s website, in 1984 there were “an average of 79-80 video games and 16-17 pinball machines.”
There is no charge to play individual games at 1984, but there is a $10 admission fee for visitors. 1984 is open Wednesday through Saturday from 4pm to 11pm
For more information, please visit 1984arcade.com.
Jordan Valley Ice Park
In addition to being home to the MSU Ice Bears, the Jordan Valley Ice Park hosts public skating for everyone in the community. The park charges $7 per session for adults and $6 for students who present their student ID.
A full schedule of public skating at the Jordan Valley Ice Park can be found at parkboard.org/308/Open-Play-Public-Skating. For more information about the park, visit parkboard.org/302/Jordan-Valley-Ice-Park.
Springfield Art Museum
Located just south of campus at 1111 E. Brookside Drive, the Springfield Art Museum is free to enter, but accepts donations from all patrons.
A group of women, first known as the Art Study Club, handed over the museum to the city in 1946, according to the museum’s website. The museum has welcomed traveling art exhibitions to Springfield for nearly 100 years.
The Springfield Art Museum is open Sundays from 1-5pm, Wednesday-Friday from 12-8pm, and Saturdays from 10am-6pm.
For more information about the museum and to view current exhibits, visit sgfmuseum.org.
fire pottery
For those looking for activities away from the MSU campus, Firehouse Pottery is located at 4150 S. Lone Pine Ave. The studio then glazes and fires it for you to pick up at a later date.
There is no studio fee, so the artist pays only the price of the work he chooses.
According to the studio’s website, “The average painter spends $25. Prices are $8 and up.”
Firehouse pottery is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM and Friday to Saturday from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
For more information, visit firehousepottery.com.
Springfield Escape Room
The Springfield Escape Room offers a different experience for groups of friends looking to stay warm and have fun. The escape room is located in the Kickapoo Shopping Center at 3554 S. Campbell Avenue and allows visitors to “solve puzzles, crack codes and find clues.”
For groups of 2 or 3 people, booking a room will cost $30 per person. For a group of 4-5 people, the reservation he is $28 per person. Groups of 6 or more he can book for $25 per person and groups of 20 or more he can book for $23 per person. Walk-ins are accepted subject to availability. However, visitors can also pre-book rooms through the business’s website.
The Escape Room is open Monday and Tuesday from 4pm to 7:45pm, Wednesday and Thursday from 4pm to 8:30pm, Friday from 1pm to 10:30pm, Saturday from 11am to Open until 10:30 PM and 1:30 AM on Sundays. -8 pm Escape Room is open on weekdays and can be booked for large groups.
For more information, visit springfieldescaperoom.com.
Follow Lillian Dar on Twitter. @lillian_durr
Subscribe to The Standard’s free weekly newsletter here.