For couples who are bored of the standard dinner and movie date or feel like date night has grown stale, Hattiesburg offers some non-traditional options for a night out with your special someone.
Smash Room experience
Couples looking to bond over something exciting and adrenaline-fueled may want to check out Category 5 Smash Room.
The Smash Room invites people to let loose by smashing and breaking objects to their heart’s content. The business provides a safe environment for people to use weapons such as hammers and bats to smash items including bottles, dishes and electronics.
Protective gear is provided. Customers can choose their own music for their smash session and bring their own breakables to smash.
The “Date with Destruction” package is $60 and offers a 45-minute session for two to smash a box of 26 items plus two wine bottles and glasses. Extra boxes of items can be purchased for an additional fee.
Scenic hike
Couples seeking to get in touch with nature should visit Red Bluff, sometimes referred to as Mississippi’s version of the Grand Canyon. A bit off the beaten path, the hike offers scenic views of a natural bluff created by erosion, leaving red soil and clay exposed.
Located about 30 minutes from Hattiesburg, Red Bluff can be difficult to find. It is located on Highway 587 in Foxworth, just north of Morgantown. An alcove near a “road closed” sign is used for parking.
Though the hike to the bottom may not be for the inexperienced, the site also offers plenty of lookout points to observe the natural beauty of this formation.
Public Art Trail
If a romantic stroll around the city observing public art is your thing, Hattiesburg’s rich art scene offers plenty of public installations to discover, including murals, sculptures and hand-painted utility boxes.
The Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art offers an “art trail” with all the highlights, which guides people throughout downtown. Those interested can find a map and brochure on the Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art website.
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Hattiesburg history
History buffs may be interested in Hattiesburg’s Freedom Summer Driving Trail. The city was once a hotspot of civil rights activity and activism in the 1950s and 60s. The trail compiles 15 marked historic sites throughout the city.
The tour begins at Hattiesburg’s Visitors Center, located at U.S. 49 and I-59. A map can be downloaded from the Freedom Trail website or physically picked up at the Visitors Center. An audio tour is also available that provides accounts from those directly involved in Freedom Summer 1964.
Volunteer at an animal shelter
Volunteering as a couple can be fulfilling. Southern Pines Animal Shelter and Hub City Humane Society — both no-kill shelters — are always looking for new volunteers to help with tasks such as walking dogs, kennel enrichment and socializing animals. Off-site opportunities are also available.
Volunteers at Southern Pines must be 18 or older and new volunteers will get a tour of the shelter along with information on what volunteer opportunities are available. Information is available on the shelter’s website.
The shelter also offers a program called Dog’s Day Out that allows volunteers to check out a dog for an hour or the whole day.
Hub City Humane society offers volunteer opportunities of all kinds and more information can be found on the website
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Contact reporter Laurel Thrailkill at [email protected] or on Twitter.
