The weekend is our precious time to relax after a long week of work. And a lot of the time, so much of our energy has gone into our work week that we don’t really want to spend time Googling what to do. So we’ve put together a list to help you! From art to sports to video games to escape rooms – we’ve covered it all. Here are our top 10 things to do in Royal Oak this weekend.
1. Join a painting class
Getting messy with some paint is a great way to spend time with family and friends – young and old alike! You get to be creative without boundaries, and have tons of fun letting your imagination run wild. And the best part is the huge variety of classes Royal Oak has to offer – pottery painting, mosaics and tiles, glassblowing, beading, block printing, and painting on canvases and pallet boards – you can do it all. Some places require early booking, but there are places that also offer walk-in lessons! And if you’ve got a special occasion coming up, such as a birthday, many of them allow you to book private classes for groups. Our favorites are Articipate, Painting with a Twist, Creative Arts Studio and Atelier Arts Studio.
2. See some animals
What better way to reduce stress than to see some lovely animals? You could head to the Detroit Zoo to see penguins, wolves, apes, reptiles, otters, beavers, birds and much much more. There is also the There are also petting farms with ducks, ponies and other farm animals, such as Upland Hills, and, for a change of pace, Sea Life Michigan Aquarium (yes, there is a petting zoo there where you can ‘pet’ all sorts of starfish, crabs and other fishy friends!).
3. Shop your heart out
We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again – Royal Oak is a haven for shoppers of the unusual and the eclectic. You have everything in the downtown area, from high-end brands to little thrift shops of vintage and antique items. Our favorites are Lost and Found for vintage clothes and Funky 7 for Detroit-themed ones, Deco Doug for antique decor, and UHF for vinyl records. We’d also highly suggest the Royal Oak Farmers market held on Saturdays. If fresh produce, meats and cheeses and baked goods are your thing – this is the place to be! On the other hand, if you’re more interested in clothing, head to the same spot on Sundays when a flea market comes up.
4. Try some delicious food
5. Listen to some music
The place to be for music fans in Royal Oak is, well, the Royal Oak Music Theatre! It’s hosted people from Tove Lo to Adele, Lady Gaga and so many others. CThere are also live music at eateries with open mic events or in-house bands, such as 526 Main Piano Bar and The Morrie Royal Oak.
6. Attend some stage performances
If you’re a fan of live theater, you’re spoilt for choice here at Royal Oak. There’s the (in?) famous Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle (and bar), which has hosted people like Jim Carrey, Jerry Seinfeld and Jon Stewart. There’s also community theaters and youth theaters such as Stagecrafters. They put on around 10 shows a year attended by thousands.
7. Head to the movies
Royal Oak’s 2 movie theaters are a study in contrasts. The new kid on the block, Emagine Theater, is the complete package – it shows all the latest movies and has a bowling alley, full bar, and restaurant. On the other hand, Main Art Theater plays indie and art films, and documentaries. It also holds weekly midnight movie screenings! Pick your favorite and head to one – or maybe to both?
8. Go into Nature
Royal Oak has great options for outdoor activities. The area comes with dozens of picturesque hiking trails suitable for people of all experience levels. A few of our favorites can be found in Clinton River Trails, Red Oaks Nature Center, and Lakeshore Park. Booth Park and James C Nelson Park both have nature trails and play areas, picnic areas and courts and fields for different games. There are biking trails of different lengths and difficulty levels at places such as Bloomer Park and River Bends Mountain Bike Trail. And kayaking and paddleboarding hotspots on the Huron river include Pictured Rocks, Mackinac Island, Huron River Whitewater, Chain O’ Lakes and Turnip Rock.
9. Go Play
Has your week been all work and no play? We’ve got you! Places to indulge yourself and any children in your family are dotted around Royal Oaks. The Sport-N-Fun, and Zap Zone, have options to play laser tag or mini golf, go bowling, bounce away on a trampoline or crash into each other in bumper cars. You can skate away at the Modern Skate & Surf with the kids, or go golfing with the adults at Royal Oak Golf Center (although they do offer lessons for golfers of all ages and skill levels – and have a mini golf court.) You could try your hand at ax throwing (no, we’re not kidding.) or head to an indoor ropes course with zip lines, rappelling stations and cargo nets. Or you could literally climb a wall at Planet Rock, and then head to some indoor ranges for a spot of archery at Rising Phoenix. We’re out of breath just thinking about it all!
10. Escape Room
And finally, one of the most thrilling indoor activities of all – an escape room! If you’re wondering what an escape room is – it’s a puzzle-based locked-room game. You will be locked into a supervised room – whether physical or virtual – in which you have to find clues, solve riddles and complete challenges to ‘break out’ or ‘escape’. Our recommendation is, of course, ourselves – Room Breakout escape rooms! These rooms in Royal Oak are a great pocket-friendly option for a very fun time.
Our venue has 8 different rooms you can choose from, with their own themes, hosts, puzzles, clues and time limits. These include Zombie Roadhouse, Heart Of A Pirate, Ringmaster’s Den, Chamber Of Illusions, Elf Myself and Villain takeover – so there’s choices aplenty! The games are fully Immersive and a host will guide you through them. It’s the perfect activity for the whole family!
And there you have it – our ten favorite weekend activities in Royal Oak! We hope you enjoyed this list – why not let us know which activity is your favorite in the comments? And we’ll see you at Room Breakout escape rooms very soon.
