As a native of Garden City, I am familiar with the things to do around town. There are students who come here from bigger places and feel as though there is absolutely nothing to do here, but that’s false. There are also students who come from even smaller towns and might find this place way more fun. Either way, there are multiple different activities to do here in ‘The Dirty G’, although it is small.
To start things off, we have Lee Richardson Zoo which is free of charge to anyone. If students love to be outside or just looking for something to do in their free time, the zoo is a great choice. It is home to hundreds of native and exotic animals. If students are interested, they offer a variety of programs, many of which are free of charge, through video conference technology. Students can find more information about Lee Richardson Zoo at leerichardsonzoo.org.
Second, right next door to the zoo is Garden City Rapids. It is a waterpark with splash pads for little kids and super unique slides. Garden City Rapids used to be ‘The Big Pool’, the largest hand-dug swimming pool in history. The elephants from next door used to swim in it in 1996. They are known for their famous slide called Fly Time which is curved enough to launch you across the pool. It has a lazy river, three other fun slides, and cabanas people can rent for assured shade for get-togethers or just for friends and family. More information about the Garden City Rapids can be found at gcrec.com.
Next up, are the two different bowling alleys here in Garden City. One of them is called Hard Rock Lanes and the other is Garden Bowl. Hard Rock Lanes has a party room to rent out, arcade games, and mini golf. The Garden Bowl does not have mini-golf or arcade games, but they have delicious snacks and a great atmosphere perfect for students. Both bowling alleys are a great time and a great way to spend a weekend night out. More info on either bowling alley can be found at hardrocklanes.com or Garden Bowl on Facebook.
A good way to get adrenaline running is at Escape The Clock here in Garden City. They have multiple different rooms for people to try and escape with a group of their choice. It’s a great way to find out whether people and their friends or family can work together or not. It’s a mixture of seriousness, laughter, thinking, and bonding all at one time. More info about Escape The Clock can be found at escapetheclockgc.com.
For the perfect date night, or just a fun night with a friend or two, Sequoyah 9 is the perfect spot. It is the movie theater that has nine different theater rooms so it is nearly guaranteed people will have a seat or opportunity to see any movie available. They play their movies multiple times a day and for a few weeks at a time. Students can have busy schedules, but Sequoyah 9 makes their films available to almost anyone because of the options available. More info on Sequoyah 9 can be found at sequoyah9.com.
Saints of Fun Paintball is a great place for students and their friends to go and just be kids again. They also have a haunted house through their paintball maze every year. Halloween is coming up so students will be informed later on. More info on Saints of Fun can be found at visitgck.com. Garden City is a fast-growing town, stay tuned for more activities available!
