Adrenaline Monkey
Carkhuff opened this adventure center in 2018 after her twin daughters inspired her to create something that incorporated the challenges of American Ninja Warrior but was accessible for all ages and skill levels. The 24,000-square-foot space includes two ninja-style obstacle courses, two parkour courses, rock climbing walls and an aerial ropes course. Everything has options suited for kids under 5. But there’s plenty here for adult would-be ninjas, including sanctioned competitions and more. “I enjoy the adults the most because they come in thinking they can’t do anything,” Carkhuff says, “and they leave realizing how much they can do.” 26800 Renaissance Pkwy., Warrensville Heights, 216-282-3100, adrenalinemonkeyfun.com
The Foundry Social
High Voltage Karting was already a blast. The indoor electric go-karting racecourse has been helping us channel our need for speed since it opened in the historic Foundry building in 2015. But Foundry Social, which is also in the late 1800s building, offers even more activities with duckpin bowling lanes, table shuffleboard and old-school arcade games, adding up to more social fun with friends and family. The space also boasts bar food twists, creative cocktails and a soon-to-open in-house brewery, Mad Brewing Co. “We were after the social aspect,” says Foundry Social and High Voltage co-owner Gene Whaley. “We just want people to be able to interact.” 333 Foundry St., Medina, 330-333-9000, thefoundrysocial.com
Wittle Town
There are no adults allowed here. Geared toward little ones under 5 years old, Wittle Town is big on imagination. The indoor play-space is a shrunken down version of a quaint small town with an auto body shop, grocery store, diner, police station and more that invites kids to ditch the tablets, be creative and just play. “It’s just a really interesting dynamic to watch them go from place to place,” says co-owner Heidi King, who spent a year planning every detail of the space before it opened in October. King also offers daily classes for kids that cover STEM, crafting and music. “As a grandma, I always want the kids to learn their ABCs and do all these other fun things,” she says. 5296 Detroit Road, Sheffield Village, 440-683-6635, wittletown.com
