Finding things to do with friends on or around campus can be difficult, especially since COVID-19 hit. Some businesses shortened their hours, while some just closed down altogether. Although some people may think there is not a lot to do in a small town like Vincennes, there is more than meets the eye. 

Vincennes has activities such as bowling, parks, escape rooms, and much more. VU Sophomore Amber Elliot maintains that bowling in the Jefferson Student Union is one of the best things to do on campus. 

“My favorite thing to do on campus is bowling. It is a good way to spend time with friends and family, plus I’m not too bad at it either,” Elliot said. “You don’t have to go out to have fun, sometimes campus holds activities for students to do and sometimes it’s nice to take a break and hang out in your dorm watching Netflix.”

Bowling is only one of the many things you can try around the campus. For history buffs there are plenty of museums around such as the William Henry Harrison Home and the Indiana Military Museum. Students who don’t want to lose their parking spot, but still want to get out of the dorms can visit Vincennes State Historic Sites. It is only a one mile walk from campus and gives visitors a view into the roots and historic features of Indiana’s first city.

Not only does Vincennes have museums and bowling alleys, but it also has a variety of parks where people can go for hiking or just to take a walk with nature. George Rogers Clark National Park is one of the more well-known parks in Vincennes and allows visitors to walk along the Wabash River and check out the George Rogers Clark Memorial. A few other parks in Vincennes include Kimmel Park, Chicago Park, and Gregg Park.

For students or visitors looking for a challenge and some free-spirited fun, they can go to Vincennes Escape Adventures: “Where adventure awaits at the edge of the unknown.” They have multiple escape rooms with different levels of difficulty, where participants can test their skills at problem-solving and teamwork. A few of many escape rooms available are: “The Hunt for Kore Anne”, “Egypt”, and “Crime scene.” Vincennes Escape Room also has seasonal and holiday children’s escape adventures for ages 4-10.

“We opened Vincennes Escape Room because at the time there were so few entertainment facilities in the area,” owner Rodney Carie explained. “We researched extensively with the effort to ensure that our rooms would not be like any others. So even if you have done many escape rooms, we think that you will find ours to be original, challenging, and a great deal of new fun.”

Carie said that VU students with their student I.D will get 20% off of their main rooms. 

“Our Escape Rooms are interactive, hands-on, problem-solving, clue finding, adventures that leave customers wanting more.” 

Vincennes offers many activities for everyone to enjoy whether it’s going for a simple walk in the park or going on a daring experience with friends. Even during tough times and class schedules, there is always something new to discover for visitors, students and locals in the town of Vincennes, Indiana.