Things to Do in Hickory
Things to Do Deals
Ghost Walk of Davidson
- Davidson
Local history buff spins ghost stories and guide tour-goers along Davidson’s quaint, brick-lined sidewalks
Studio Movie Grill
Wide selection of new releases and cult classics are projected on towering screens as viewers watch from luxury recliners with wait service
FunStation2000
- Statesville
Indoor family-fun center with laser-tag arena, miniature rollercoaster, and multilevel playground
Supreme Golf
- Multiple Locations
Golfers gain discounts at 18 area courses, a golf-ball stencil, and a one-year subscription to Golf Digest magazine
Strikers Family Sportscenter Charlotte
- Rock Hill
Groups lace up included rental shoes and roll through two games on laser-lit lanes adjacent to onsite snack bar
Travels in Wine Tours
- Multiple Locations
Expert wine guides lead guests through three boutique wineries' scenic vineyards, tasting rooms, and barrel rooms as tongues savor varietals
Treehouse Vineyards
- Monroe
Guides lead tour of winery’s inner workings and ply guests with tastes of wine made from local grapes and souvenir glasses to take home
Climb Upstate
- Spartanburg
All-day access and a full suite of equipment support climbers across an indoor cave with a 40 ft. roof and a 45-degree bouldering wall
Carolina History & Haunts
- Uptown Charlotte
Under lantern light, tour guides tell haunting historical tales during 75-minute outdoor walking tour of specter-laden local spots
Ballantyne Ballroom
- Ballantyne East
Experienced instructors lead dancers through private, personalized lessons and group lessons
The Haunted Mill and Purple Planet 3-D Mini Golf
- Belmont
Access to billiards and a 3-D black-light mini-golf course
The Beanstalk Journey at Catawba Meadows
- Morganton
Course with multiple ziplines, rope bridges & tunnels; 32-foot climbing tower; & 50-foot-high educational treehouses
ATA Karate
- Multiple Locations
Classes teach self-confidence and self-defense to toddlers through adults in karate, tae kwon do, and Krav Maga styles
Kidz Play Here
- Concord Mills
Children's activity center hosts parent-supervised open-play sessions and Friday-night drop-offs
Morgan Ridge Vineyards
- Morgan
Winemakers Tommy and Amie Baudoin welcome guests to newly built winery with views of charming vineyards and tasty cheese plates.
Tennis Made Fun
- Lake Park
USPTA-certified instructor leads group tennis lessons split by age group, during which she teaches the basic strokes and rules of the game
BounceU Charlotte
- Charlotte
Kids bounce in inflatable houses, slip down slides & traverse obstacle courses during Open Bounce, parties & themed camps
The Effortless Golf Center
- Fort Mill
Lighted driving range with both grass and artificial-turf hitting bays hosts practice sessions or lessons with PGA instructor Bruce Parker
The Painted Parrot
- Fort Mill
Students enjoy BYOB glasses of wine or beer while instructors lead them through unique painting projects
Old Stone Winery
- Salisbury
Each session includes eight tastings, one glass of wine, and one take-home stemless glass per person, as well as a tour of the tank rooms
Cold Blooded Encounters
- Monroe
More than 150 species of reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates thrive in multispecies habitats with historical and scientific facts
Local Paddler
- Multiple Locations
Guides impart paddling and water-safety tips before students glide solo along some of North Carolina’s scenic shorelines
Barefoot Archery
- Charlotte
Archers hone their aim on multicolored targets in a clean, well-maintained indoor archery range
Dennis Vineyards Winery
- Albemarle
Guests tour family vineyard before embarking on a complimentary tasting with six wines and souvenir glasses
The Golf Village
- Pineville
Characterized by a winding brook, nine-hole, par-3 course lets golfers hone their approach shots and short game in 5 or 10 rounds
Lunar Mini Golf Huntsville
- Hickory, NC
Black-lit mini golf course decorated with luminous animals and aliens
Carolina Night Life
- Charleston
Revelers dressed as characters from comics, science fiction, and fantasy hoist drinks at a range of bars
Sink or Swim Scuba
- Lowell
Earn a lifelong scuba certification with open-water dives in a local rock quarry
Jon Walker Stables
- Gastonia
English saddle-seat instruction coupled with the horse-care fundamentals of grooming and tacking during lessons held on a 30-acre farm
RiverGirl Fishing Company
- Historic Todd
Groups of aqueous adventurers float along the peaceful waters of New River atop new tubes with built-in headrests
Queen City Helicopter Corp.
- Multiple Locations
Robinson R22 helicopters whisk passengers skyward as a certified flight instructor or pilot safely oversees the journey
River and Earth Adventures
- Elizabethton
Guide and geologist teams lead tours through cavern chambers more than 550 million years old and teach about formations and cave history
Jansal Saddlebreds LLC
- Farmington
Basic saddleseat riding techniques taught indoors & outdoors; 2-hour parties for up to 20 guests or 6-day horse camp with lessons & meals
Body Rock Boot Camp
- Davidson
Certified trainer leads students of all fitness levels during challenging indoor boot-camp sessions
Benchwarmers Sports Complex
- Lakeside Park
Batting cages help players improve their swings; memberships grant access to a basketball court, pitching tunnels, indoor fields, and more
Gold's Gym Gastonia
- Multiple Locations
Two-month membership offers unlimited MaxXxfit classes, tanning, childcare, and more at world-renown fitness establishment
Recommended Things to Do by Groupon Customers
River and Earth Adventures stands out from other wilderness outfitters by being completely operated by their own guides. Their fleet of seasoned cave, mountain, and water-navigating guides work in tandem with professional ecologists and geologists, focusing Blue Ridge Mountains excursions on environmental education as well as adventure. During all day trips, guides divulge area history and expound on forest and river ecosystems as well as geology in caves whose interiors rest at 60 degrees year-round to keep them free of snowman hermits.
Each trip also immerses adventurers in athletic activity, whether on hikes to summits and secluded waterfalls, spelunking through electricity-free cave tunnels, or rafting and kayaking down the Watauga River rapids. For those in search of extended excursions, guides lead children's adventure day camps and combination trips that further an environmental focus and bottle-cap collections through river cleanup projects.
Wahoo’s Adventures refers to itself as the “original” whitewater outfitter, having facilitated outdoor excursions on rafts, tubes, canoes, and kayaks for the past three decades. Whitewater-rafting tours take place upon the Watauga River, the Nolichucky River, and Wilson Creek Gorge, three waterways with differing levels of frothiness, much like three cappuccinos ordered by a family of bears. Alternatively, adults without rafting experience and children as young as 6 months can lazily drift down the New River while sprawled across tubes. As they pass rugged hillsides and scenic farmland, tubers can smell wildflowers, listen to chirping birds, and keep eyes peeled for Sasquatch footprints. Keeping clients safe is Wahoo’s main priority, which is why their experienced guides equip adventurers with high-quality life jackets, helmets, and paddles before taking the water.
Kidz Play Here offers a variety of activities for children ranging from infants to toddlers to preschoolers. Classes lead little ones in engaging themes such as gymnastics, ballet, yoga, and martial arts. Open-play sessions entreat parents to look after their little ones while they play at a train station, in a tree house, or with puppet shows. In addition to parties and drop-off, Kidz Play Here also offers adult classes such as yoga.
As patrons enter the historic train depot for their aquatic lessons, there's a good chance they'll be escorted inside by RiverGirl's dedicated mascot, Ms. Petunia the pig. Guests who don't succumb to Ms. Petunia's persuasive pleas for 13-hour belly scratches can experience Todd's untamed natural beauty by kayaking or tubing down the peaceful waters of the New River or taking a guided fishing trip with RiverGirl's founder, Kelly McCoy. As a fisheries biologist, Kelly's passion for what is believed by some to be the oldest river (second only to the Nile) helps visitors and locals enjoy the surrounding landscape with conservation-conscious activities.
Instructors at The Painted Parrot take a lighthearted approach to painting. Each strives to empower budding artists with guidance and feedback but emphasize creative expression over technical form. Their studio space reinforces the cheerful, no-pressure vibe: green and blue walls peek out from beneath previous classes’ paintings, and the studio’s resident parrots, JoJo, Petie, and Ralphie, squawk out commands for crackers or deliver lectures on art history over the popping of BYOB bottle corks.
Owner Jessie Smith and the staff at Barefoot Archery maintain a pro shop packed with an all-encompassing array of gear for enthusiasts of all skill levels, from dedicated hunters to hobbyists. Every time a customer purchases a bow from the shop, one of Barefoot Archery's experts takes time to show him or her how to properly wield and maintain the new piece, reducing the chance that customers will accidentally pull the self-destruct string. Jessie also relishes the opportunity to teach youngsters the art of the bull’s-eye through Junior Olympic Archery Development classes held in the shop's indoor range.
