5 Date Night Ideas in Omaha- Round 2

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. -Mignon McLaughlin

Date night is great.

For couples with young children, though, it can be lifeblood. Date Night gives you an opportunity to escape the title of “mom” and “dad” and for a moment relive what it was like to be a couple again.

We did a first round of date nights called We Tried 5 Date Night Ideas in Omaha and Here’s What We Think that gave us an opportunity to try many things we hadn’t done as a couple.

It was too fun. So naturally, we had to do it again. Here are 5 more date ideas:

1. Infinite Loop VR

I don’t drink Mountain Dew or Monster. Nor do I have a gaming chair and noise isolating headphones. In fact, I would have smug thoughts when I walked past video gaming chairs at the store thinking to myself, “how could someone waste so much time in front of a video game?”

I get it now. I want to play all the games, all the time.

Virtual reality game centers are all the rage on the West Coast and recently has made it’s way to Omaha with Infinite Loop VR. Upon walking in, you’ll notice there are 9 different bays separated by curtains. You can rent one bay or several at a time to do multi-player at the rate of $35/hour for each. Fairly affordable and a great option for double date. Each station had its own couch where non-players could view on the screen what the player was seeing.

Infinite Loop offers several different games and even for non-gamers such as myself, there was only a small learning curve to understand the controls. We played Arizona Sunshine which was exhilarating killing zombies and Loco Dojo which was charmingly fun (and kid friendly).

I was surprised how fun and non-nauseous the experience was.  The 2 hours we were there felt like no time at all. No wonder people can spend an entire day playing games. Not only was it fun as a date spot, I think families, teens, and groups would enjoy going here. If you’re a non-gamer, Infinite Loop VR will change your mind.

What Type of Couple Would Enjoy This: If you have a husband who was addicted to games and you made him get rid of his Xbox, this would be a way to help salve that heartbreak. I recommend and have recommended this as a date spot ever since and I truly believe anyone would have fun here.

Cost: $35/hour per bay

Website: https://www.infiniteloopvr.com/

2. Omaha Ballroom

Can you dance? Can you not dance?

Either way, Omaha Ballroom has you covered. We arrived on a Monday evening for their “Beginner’s Smooth Dancing” which is as smooth as it sounds. There were 3 other couples and from what I could tell, we were all in this together and learning (and stepping on toes) together.

Our instructor was very patient and encouraging as she demonstrated new moves and gave us space to practice them out.  You know those moments when you look at your husband and think “Wow, I’m crushing on him big time?” That’s how I felt when Tommy put his best effort into dancing and especially when he took the lead.

We progressed through about 4 moves in our time there and it was a very relaxed effort. I think couples of all athletic ability could enjoy their time at Omaha Ballroom and it’s a great way to learn a “life” skill as a couple. I mean, who wouldn’t want to rock out at a wedding?!? (which they have wedding lessons, too!)

Fun Fact: Elizabeth, the owner, also coordinated Omaha Dancing With The Stars so she’s the real deal!

What Type of Couple Would Enjoy This: If either or both of you consider yourselves “non-dancers” then Omaha Ballroom could change your mind. The different variety of dance styles will really branch out your dancing abilities and at an extremely affordable price.

Cost: Private Lessons are $85/hour and 10 Group Classes for Couples are only $59

Website: http://www.omahaballroom.com/

3. The Dinner Detective

How does forced extrovertism sound?! Awesome, right?!?!

After we checked in we were told to come up with fake identities and start mingling with everyone else there to “feel people out”. The actors were among the crowd so it would give us an edge to start meeting other couples. Tommy and I assumed new identities as Clyde and Sylvia.

The Dinner Detective is an interactive murder mystery dinner. Despite the “murder” part, it is actually a light-hearted and humorous experience. Actors portraying detectives presented clues mixed with witty banter throughout various points during the evening. I loved how they involved the audience- interviewing random people and asking them to perform ridiculous tasks.

If you fear attention then there is no guarantee that you won’t get picked, but the crowd size was small enough (about 60-70 people) that it might not be entirely intimidating. Even being an observer the entire time, Tommy and I got a huge kick out of everything we saw and felt engaged in the experience. At the end, we were given sheets to guess who the killer was by using the clues given throughout the evening. It was harder than I thought.

The dinner choices (salmon, chicken, or vegetarian) were surprisingly yummy and the wait service was good!

Bonus, it’s held at the DoubleTree Hotel downtown which means COOKIES!

What Type of Couple Would Enjoy This: If you were planning on going out to dinner, why not make it a dinner detective dinner? It was fun to meet new couples, engage in solving the crime, and enjoy delicious food. Highly recommend if you want to try something that is unusual and potentially out of your comfort zone.

Cost: Approx. $55/person for a 3-hour experience including dinner, dessert, and gratuity.

Website: https://www.thedinnerdetective.com/omaha/

4. Approach Rock Climbing Gym

I have major respect for rock climbers, it is legit challenging, but legit fun.

Can I let you in on a secret? Once a month, Approach does this thing called “Date Night” where they have an onsite babysitter for your kids while you and your significant other get to climb rock walls or go out on the town- whichever you choose.

And it’s not like the other “date nights” offers where the kids are stuck in front of a movie and fed sugary snacks (which will bite you in butt 2 hours later), but they were in a FUN room with kid-friendly rock walls, slides, and swings. My kids did not want to leave.

We arrived around 5 PM on a Saturday and were welcomed by the friendly staff including a few dogs and some geckos. I recommend to showing up early and not hungry. There are some formalities involved in filling out waivers, getting fitted for gear, and learning the rules of the wall that all take place before any climbing does. But once that’s done, it’s incredibly fun to try out the different walls.

Every wall is self-serve and the other secret…this place was not busy. Like not at all. There were maybe 4-6 other climbers and we definitely did not have to wait in line for anything. In fact, our kids were the only ones in the kids room. Once you finish climbing, you will be tired and your fingers may hurt but you will also feel amazing because you worked out on a date night.

Bonus: Your kids will sleep well and they’ll probably be begging to come back.

What Type of Couple Would Enjoy This: If you’re an adventurous couple and are moderately “in shape” then this is perfect for you. If you have kids that like to climb, this will be a perfect date night for them as well. This was a date night, but more like a family night too, and the kids LOVED being involved.

Cost: $40 for Date Night and for a Day Pass/All Gear for each adult is $27 dollars.

Website: http://omaharockgym.com/

5. Joe’s Karting

One word: adrenaline.

I know someone is thinking this, but technically this place is in Council Bluffs and not Omaha, but CB is on the edge of Omaha so I call fair game.

I grew up eagerly waiting to be tall enough to finally do the go carts at Fun Plex and when I reached that height, it was a bit anti-climatic so it was safe to say I had my reservations about Joe’s Karting. Let me clear the air on this, Joe’s Karting is way more intense than Fun Plex go carting.

We went with another couple on this date and each race was (I believe) 8 laps around. Our first time around, the ladies took a more cautious approach braking on the turns while the guys were crazy men with awakened spirits of teenage boys. I’ve never seen my husband so giddy about cutting me off. What was great is we were able to see our fastest time around the track so that we could improve the second time around.

We sat and chatted while we watched other groups and racers get on the track. It didn’t feel rushed and was a great way to hang out. Armed with the knowledge that it would be a slim chance I could flip the go cart over, I turned on the crazy and shaved off 5 seconds off my fastest time for the first go around. I love my Sienna, but go carting gave me an opportunity to drive like the maniac I always envisioned I could be.

It was a fun experience all around and made for those who like a bit of danger.

What Type of Couple Would Enjoy This: Really great place for group or double dates. Also, great for those who vicariously like to drive like teenagers, but have adult responsibilities. If you want some adrenaline in your life, Joe can deliver!

Cost: Single Races start at $15/per person and are cheaper as you go up.

Website: http://joeskarting.com/

GIVEAWAY TIME

These dates were fun and kinda all over the place! Have you been to any of them before? If not, which one do you think you’ll try?

Let me know and you’ll be entered to win ONE hour at TWO bays at Infinite Loop VR- perfect for multiplayer or double dating. This giveaway is valued at $70 and a winner will be selected next Tuesday, May 8th at 9 PM.

Good luck!