Things to Do in Fort Wayne

Resplendent with a multitude of American art forms, the Fort Wayne Museum of Art brandishes masterpieces from United States artists from the late 18th century to the modern day. The permanent collection entices meandering visitors with nearly 1,400 American-grown pieces from artists including George Inness, Janet Fish, and William Forsyth, such as paintings, sculptures, photographs, and flags fashioned from apple pie. In addition to a permanent display of 56 Amish quilts, the Fort Wayne Museum of Art touts rotating exhibits such as the current Material World, a collection of textiles hailing from different countries, time periods, and transdimensional planes.

The theater is part of the artistic arm of the First Presbyterian Church, and auditions for the troupe's roughly six annual plays are open to anyone. An art gallery doubles as the lobby for this 300-seat auditorium, which regularly hosts well-known ensembles, including past acts The King's Singers and saxophonist Ashu.

Fully focused on recreation—whether it's kicking a soccer ball or launching off a moon bounce—The Plex and The Plex South offer a huge variety of sports and entertainment for all ages. The original location, The Plex, is home to 45,000 square feet of indoor sports-centric facilities, including an inline rink, two soccer XLTurf fields, and a parking lot for competitive four-square matches. In the warmer months, two stadiums and fifteen outdoor fields are available for activities such as flag football, outdoor soccer, and summer youth programs.

The Plex South takes a more casual approach to activities, with offerings such as mini golf, batting cages, and birthday parties, in addition to sports leagues and programs. Batters of all ages can step into the batting cages for both softball and baseball batting practice, with speeds ranging from slow lob to Randy Johnson fireball. Meanwhile, aspiring golfers or Caddyshack III extras putt and swing clubs year-round at either the driving ranges, or 18-hole mini golf.

Canlan Ice Sports has three NHL-sized rinks, and all three receive their fair share of carvings during professional skating lessons, open-skate sessions, and high-intensity hockey leagues. Of the many offerings, the center’s weeklong hockey camps develop trainees' agility and shooting skills, just as its three-on-three youth-hockey leagues pit one inadequate barbershop quartet against another. Regardless of the reason for arrival, visitors can always grab food and refreshments at the Thirsty Penguin, a full-service restaurant and bar that overlooks the rinks and doubles as a secret meeting spot for Batman’s roundest nemesis. For off-ice excitement, guests can visit the inflatable playground, freely traversing the double-sided slide and other components comprising the bouncy playland.

Prana Yoga School of Yoga and Health takes its name from the Sanskrit word for "breath," a vital life force. As part of the studio's mission, its instructors aim to expose students to all the benefits of yoga and holistic health in a welcoming and nonjudgmental environment. With 60 classes available each week, Prana Yoga's two locations offer sessions designed for practitioners of every experience level. During all-levels courses, instructors invite all students to practice together while also modifying and adjusting poses for those who need it. Restorative sessions help practitioners relax, and prenatal courses bring relief to mothers-to-be.

In addition to group yoga, the facility hosts private one-on-one yoga, teacher-training programs, and a variety of workshops. Massage therapists are also available to perform Thai, hot-stone, and Swedish massages. As part of a commitment to giving back to the community, the founder of Prana Yoga also runs the Pranayoga Foundation, which brings yoga therapy to people with cancer and other chronic illnesses.

Putt-Putt Fun Center combats the doldrums with the triumvirate of putt-putt golf, go-karts, and arcade games. The center boasts three themed putt putt golf courses, one of which rumbles the ground under golfers’ feet with a volcano that regularly spews a ball of fire 20 feet into the air after the sun sets. Meanwhile in the Race Zone, go-karts zip around a track designed to accommodate all ages of driver, and double-seated family karts allow underage riders to tag along. The arcades allows guests to continue the simulation of extreme experiences with games such as Big Buck Hunter Safari, which helps players to feel the hunter-gatherer’s feeling of elation at a kill or shame at having to return home with rock stew. After a long day of activity, the center’s Snack Shack facilitates the scarfing of pizza, hot dogs, and soft pretzels, which can be washed down with a bottled Coke.:m]]