50+ Best Places to Hang Out with Friends: Fun, Unique & Affordable Spots for Every Mood

Spending quality time with friends is important because friends and doing fun things are important.

Different budgets and moods need different places and activities. Some of my favorite places to go with my friends are amusement parks, mini golf courses, concerts, and beaches.

Picking the best place to hang out with friends is important for making memories.

Spending time with your friends can include a large variety of fun activities, so you’re not forced to repeat the same few activities until you are bored of them. 

Below, you will find 50+ places to hang out with friends. 

In This Post:

• Exciting and Fun Places to Hang Out 

• Chill and Cozy Hangout Spots 

• Affordable Outdoor Hangout Spots

• Unique and Creative Hangout Ideas

• Nighttime Hangout Spots

• Seasonal and Holiday Themed Hangout Ideas

• Other Hangout Ideas 

Exciting and Fun Places to Hang Out 

• Amusement Parks

Amusement parks are a great way to fill up a day with fun activities to do with your friends. Between the many available rides and games, it is easy to fill a full day with fun.

Photo by Elena Chawla

Arcade games are a fun way to play competitive games with or against your friends. I recently went to an arcade with several friends, and we found this game.

You throw a ball at the pins to see how many you can knock down within a certain time. My friends and I were competing to see who could knock down the most pins. 

• Bowling Alleys 

Bowling with friends is a great way to spend time playing a fun, competitive game with friends. Most of the time, I have gone bowling with friends, and we ended up getting pizza and soda for dinner. 

• Arcade Centers 

Arcades are full of a wide variety of fun, competitive games for people with different interests. There are all sorts of solo and team games to fill up your time.

When I go to an arcade, I usually play air hockey or bowling. My friends and I have gotten very competitive with each other during air hockey.

We always compete against each other in tournaments, and the winner gets to create the bracket for the next tournament.

Every time we play, we have to pause our tournaments after every game to let other people take a turn because our games take a long time.

That is when we play the bowling game. My friends and I play this game as a fun way to take a break from playing competitive air hockey. 

• Trampoline Parks 

Trampoline Parks are great ways to get out a lot of energy. This activity can take up to several hours and has many trampoline activities to do with friends.

Some trampoline parks have dodgeball, basketball, and foam pits to jump into on top of having free-range trampoline space. 

• Bouncy House Parks 

Bouncy house parks are fun, high-energy activities to do with friends. Between slides, obstacle courses, and open jumping space, there are opportunities for activities. 

• Escape Rooms 

Escape rooms are a fun and engaging way to spend an hour with friends. Work together to solve the hour-long puzzle.

The escape rooms have different themes for you to try with your friends.

The last escape room I went to was with a group of friends, and it was at a place that specializes in horror-themed rooms.

There were four different rooms with puzzles to solve, and two of the rooms involved live actors.

I went to this escape room with a small group of friends, and I was one of two people in the group who did not get scared by the horror aspects of the room we were in.

This friend and I had to convince the rest of the group to help us escape.

We didn’t end up finishing in time, but we got to see the two rooms we did not make it through. That’s when my friends realized they were lucky because those were the scarier rooms to get through. 

• Mini Golf 

Mini Golf is a fun game to play with a small group and can be more challenging than you might expect. I recently went to an outdoor mini golf course with two tracks to follow.

One of the tracks was more challenging than the other track. This mini golf place was fully outdoor and had a nature theme.

I went with a couple of friends and, before we started, we placed bets on who would win and who would lose.

The most challenging obstacle was a windmill. We had to hit the golf ball through the bottom of the windmill while it had a door that opened and closed.

One of my friends took at least thirty attempts to hit the golf ball through the windmill. 

• Roller Skating and Ice Skating 

Roller skating is a fun activity to do with friends that can be as long as you want it to be. Many roller rinks have disco nights and are available for birthday parties.

As much as roller skating is fun, it is also a good form of exercise. 

• Live Concerts 

Concerts are fun outings that will fill an evening for you and your friends. Find people with the same music taste as you and enjoy it performed live.

The last concert I went to was with a friend, and we drove five hours just to see it. We went straight from work and arrived almost two hours late just to wait another half an hour for the concert to start.

We had also just spent five hours driving there because there was bad traffic for most of the way.

Although it was 100 degrees, humid, and we were standing in the very back, we had more fun than at any other concert because we had gone with friends.

We stayed at a nearby hotel for the night because we didn’t want to drive home after the concert.

The next day, we drove back and stopped for an ice cream sundae lunch at my favorite diner. 

• Public Reading of New Works 

Artists have their new texts read to an audience regularly. Most of the time, new works are read in libraries and bookstores.

This is a great way to support local artists and spend time with friends. This is also a great opportunity to get your work read. 

• Game Nights 

Game nights are a fun way to spend casual, relaxing time with friends. There are all sorts of games to play that fit different groups of people.

Between video games, card games, and board games, there are enough options to keep you busy for a while.

When I have game nights with friends, we usually play Ransom Notes or Cards Against Humanity. 

Related: What to Do When Bored in Class: 120+ Productive and Entertaining Ideas

Chill and Cozy Hangout Spots 

• Coffee Shops

Coffee shops are quiet and relaxing spaces where you can get coffee and a snack. One thing I do regularly with my friends is go to a local coffee shop.

We get coffee and a bagel and hang out for a little bit before getting our homework done. It’s a great way to get off your college campus while also feeling productive. 

• Board Game Cafes 

Board game cafes are a fun alternative to a party or a night in your bedroom. These cozy cafes are a lot of fun and are perfect for spending time with friends.

At a board game cafe, you can get a nice cup of coffee and play a game with your friends.

A few board games that I recommend are Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, Ransom Notes, Codenames, and Telestration. 

• Friend’s House or Your House 

Sometimes it can be nice to relax in your room. You can have people over for an evening of fun.

The options of fun activities are limitless and can include making dinner, baking, watching a movie, and playing games. 

• Movie Nights 

Movie nights with friends are a lot of fun. When I have movie nights with my friends, we usually gather all the blankets and pillows we have, make some popcorn, and watch a comedy.

On some occasions, we make brownies halfway through the movie. If my friends and I just got groceries, we will have other snacks with our movie. 

• Video Game Night 

Video game nights are a fun way to play competitive games with friends. My friends and I, semi-regularly, play Mario Kart together because we find it more fun to play together.

This activity also allows us to hang out while doing something more than sitting around on our phones. 

• Book Clubs 

Book clubs are a lot of fun, especially if you like reading. You can join a preexisting book club or start one of your own with your friends.

This past winter break, my friends and I made a plan to read the same book and then discuss it when we got back to campus.

This gave us something fun to do over the break and something fun to look forward to after getting back to campus. 

Related: 250+ Effective Habit Tracker Ideas to Stay Organized and Build Better Daily Routines

Affordable Outdoor Hangout Spots 

• Public Parks 

Spending time in public parks is a lot of fun. You can have a picnic and hang out in the sun.

Many small towns have a free concert series in local parks that are fun to go to with friends.

The town I am from has a summer concert series in the local park. Every Saturday afternoon, I went to the park with some friends and listened to the local bands performing and ate the snacks we brought.

After the concert, my friends and I would walk downtown and have dinner at a local restaurant. 

Photo by Elena Chawla

This is a picture I took of the sunset on a 5 am hike I took with a group of friends. Early morning hikes are a lot of fun, especially in summer when the weather gets warmer throughout the later parts of the day.

The hike was entirely on a winding dirt path that only went uphill. The view from the top was great. 

• Lakesides 

Spending time at a lake can also be fun. Some lakes have sand while others have rocks. Some of my favorite experiences with my friends have been hiking to a lake, eating lunch, and going swimming.

On some occasions, my friends and I would turn it into a camping trip.  My favorite lakes to visit are in Yosemite, so my friends and I would pack up a backpack, hike to the lake, go swimming, and camp.

My favorite lakes in Yosemite are Tenaya Lake, Lake Eleanor, and Ostrander Lake. 

Photo by Elena Chawla

Lake Eleanor, a lake and camping site near Yosemite, California, is a fun place to go swimming and fishing. This lake has beach-like coasts, camping sites, and is secluded.

Many access points to the actual lake require a short hike that ends up being around a mile long. There are small islands throughout the lake, and some of them are close enough to the shore that you can swim to them.

I went there a few years ago with some friends and we ate a picnic lunch and swam to a nearby island. 

• Ponds 

Ponds are fun places to spend time with friends. Last summer, my friends and I went to a pond with a twelve-foot rock next to it.

This pond was deep enough for us to jump off the rock into the pond. 

• Riversides 

Rivers are also fun places to go with friends. Some rivers are great for different kinds of boating activities.

Other rivers are fun to swim in. Many rivers have trails alongside them for walking, running, and biking.

My favorite time at a river was when I went with my friends, and there was a rope to swing on and land in the river. 

• Scenic Lookout Points 

Scenic look-out points are fun places to drive to or hike to with friends. You can bring food for a picnic, and you can go at sunrise, sunset, or during the day.

Some people prefer driving to look out points, but I prefer walking or hiking to them. 

• The Zoo and Aquarium 

The zoo is a fun place to spend with a group of friends. Animals are fascinating creatures, and it is fun to watch their behavior.

Aquariums are also fun places to go with friends because aquatic animals are colorful and fun to watch.

I recently went to an aquarium with a friend, and we had a lot of fun watching the schools of fish and seeing the alligators. 

• Hiking Trails and Nature Walks 

Hiking trails and nature walks are usually my go-to in terms of fun activities to do with friends. There are plenty of options for all different kinds of lengths and difficulties. 

 

Photo by Elena Chawla

Hiking trails can get super muddy during the rainy months, making them difficult to walk through.

Using available resources, my friend made the pathway more accessible. My friend took spare cardboard sheets and covered the muddy part of the dirt path. 

• Farmer’s Markets 

I always enjoy going to the farmers’ markets because I prefer buying my fruits and vegetables there.

I usually go with friends because many farmers’ markets have live music and local bands performing. My friends and I get lunch at one of the vendors and listen to the live music. 

• Food Truck Festivals 

Food truck festivals are fun because you get to try different food from different vendors. These events sometimes have live music, which makes for a fun, high-energy event. 

• Local Street Performances 

Local street performances are fun because the performers are usually local artists. These events are set up to support local artists and attract people from the community to spend time in the downtown.

I enjoy going to these types of events with friends because we get to hang out and listen to good music. 

• Town or City Community Events 

Towns and smaller cities have community events that are free or lower priced. There are typically events for families and other events that are targeted towards different age groups.

My favorite community events to go to with friends are the concerts that are part of the free concert series.

The town pays local bands to play in the park, and these events are free to the public. My friends and I usually bring a picnic blanket and snacks and enjoy the music. 

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Unique and Creative Hangout Ideas

• DIY Arts and Crafts Workshops 

DIY colleges are a fun way to spend time with friends and create a project. Art projects you can do with your friends at home can include collaging and tie-dye.

Photo by Elena Chawla

DIY colleges are a fun way to spend time with friends and create a project. This collage was a collaboration I did with a friend.

We went through magazines and ripped out the pictures we liked best. We took a piece of paper and divided it in half so each of us had part of the page to decorate for ourselves. 

• Baking and Cooking Sessions 

I recently started baking and cooking with my friends, and I find it more fun and relaxing.

I get to spend time with my friends while also making good food. I recently made chicken with my friends, and it tasted better because I made it with my friends. 

•DIY Project 

In my first year of college, my friends and I started a friendship bracelet-making project. Each of us made one bracelet, but we had them tied to the same water bottle while we weren’t working on them.

Once we finished the project, we left them on the water bottle as decoration.

Photo by Elena Chawla

Related: Friendship Goals – The Ultimate Guide on Building Strong Friendships

Nighttime Hangout Spots 

• Late Night Diners and 24/7 Cafes 

Late-night diners and 24/7 cafes are great places to eat with friends after going out to a fun event. After going out to a concert with a friend last summer, we decided to go to a late-night diner on our way home. 

• Board Game Cafes 

Board game cafes are a fun alternative to a party or a night in your bedroom. These cozy cafes are a lot of fun and are perfect for spending time with friends.

At a board game cafe, you can get a nice cup of coffee and play a game with your friends.

A few board games that I recommend are Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, Ransom Notes, Codenames, and Telestration. 

• Camping Trips 

Camping trips are one of my favorite ways to spend time with friends. I typically enjoy backpacking, an activity where you and your friends hike to a campsite with your belongings strapped to your back.

My friends and I usually go for two nights to a place where we can swim in a lake.

The camping spot I went to the most was in Southern California because the weather was always warm, and the water in the ocean was warm enough to swim in. 

• Themed Mini Golf 

Mini Golf is a fun game to play with a small group and can be more challenging than you might expect. There are indoor and outdoor mini golf places, so you can play in any weather.

Mini golf courses usually have themes. This particular theme was pirates, and the atmosphere made people think they were on a pirate ship.

There were sections where the pathway took people across wooden planks, through caves, and onto pirate ships.

This particular mini golf experience was indoors, so there were LEDs making the atmosphere more like a pirate ship.

Although this mini golf place only had one course, there were enough obstacles to get through to keep my friends and me busy for a few hours.

Some of the golf holes were on ships and wooden planks, while others were in “the ocean.” 

Photo by Elena Chawla

• Bowling 

Bowling with friends is a great way to spend some fun, competitive time with your friends. Many bowling alleys have theme nights, such as disco. You can get pizza and drinks for dinner while bowling as well. 

• Scenic Lookout Points 

Scenic look-out points are fun places to drive to or hike to with friends. You can bring food for a picnic, and you can go at sunrise, sunset, or during the day. 

• Book Club Meetings 

Book clubs are a lot of fun, especially if you like reading. You can join a preexisting book club or start one of your own with your friends.

This past winter break, my friends and I made a plan to read the same book and then discuss it when we got back to campus.

This gave us something fun to do over the break and something fun to look forward to after getting back to campus. 

• Music Jams 

Music jams are also fun because you get to play super cool music with your friends. I enjoy music jams because I get to spend the time playing cello and guitar while my friends are playing the instruments they love playing.

A few years ago, two of my friends and I tried to start our own band, but it fell apart because we couldn’t find time to practice enough. During the time we spent playing together, we had plenty of fun.

• Karaoke Night 

Karaoke night is a great way to spend a fun evening with your friends. The crowd that this kind of event attracts makes the actual karaoke more fun.

A few years ago, a few friends and I went to a pub for dinner and to participate in their karaoke night. We ate good food and listened to other people sing alternative rock songs.

Every time we thought of a song we wanted to sing, another group had already signed up to sing it.

•See Christmas Light Displays

Photo by Elena Chawla

Walking around your neighborhood to see the holiday lights in December is a fun thing to do with your friends.

Although some houses only have small decorations, there are many houses that go all out with their decorations.

There are several houses in my neighborhood that have so many decorations that there is no room for anymore.

I enjoy taking my friends to see those houses because they are always surprised at how many decorations there are. 

• Open Mic Night 

Open Mic Nights are great ways to perform your work in front of a crowd. You can perform with your friends as well.

Recently, my friend and I went to a local cafe for an open mic night and performed a scene of a play she wrote. We got coffee and enjoyed the rest of the performances. 

 

Photo by Elena Chawla

• Comedy Shows 

Comedy events are fun to go to with friends. These events are designed to make you laugh and give you an evening full of fun.

I recently went to a comedy event with some friends, and we found it more fun because we shared the experience. 

Related: Friendship Goals – The Ultimate Guide on Building Strong Friendships

Seasonal and Holiday Themed Hangout Ideas 

• Ice Skating 

Ice skating is a fun activity to do with your friends for a couple of hours. In the winter, you can even go ice skating on an outdoor rink if you live in a cold place. 

• Beach Days 

In the summer, beaches are a great way to enjoy the hot weather. You can bring a picnic lunch, beach towels, and an umbrella to spend your day at the beach with your friends.

Last summer, my friends and I got sandwiches and lots of water and went to the beach for lunch and to hang out for a couple of hours.

Photo by Elena Chawla

Spending time at the beach is a great way to hang out with your friends. In the winter, I enjoy going to the beach with my friends for dinner and to watch the sunset.

In the summer, I like having a picnic on the beach and going swimming in the ocean. I always go to the beach with my friends, and we always end up staying for a long time. 

• Firework Shows 

Watching fireworks is a fun event that you can do with your friends. Last year, I watched a fireworks show on New Year’s Eve with my friends, and we had a whole lot of fun.

We also got to listen to live music before and after the 20-minute-long fireworks show. 

Photo by Elena Chawla

Related: 40 Best Books About Learning and Studying – The 2025 Student Guide

Other Hangout Ideas 

• Spa Day 

Spa days are a fun way to relax with your friends and spend the whole day having fun. This is an activity you can do at home or at a spa.

Not too long ago, my friends and I had a spa day at home where we made face masks out of oatmeal. We did our nails and spent the day relaxing. 

• Road Trips 

I am also one to enjoy road trips with my friends. My favorite kind of road trip is picking a direction, driving that way, and stopping along the way for fun activities until we are ready to stop for the night.

For my last road trip, my friends and I drove down the coast of California. 

Photo by Elena Chawla

The Crystal Springs Reservoir is located on the Peninsula south of San Francisco. Although you cannot swim there, the reservoir is surrounded by trails that are great for hiking and biking.

The views are gorgeous, and the paths are wide enough for people to walk next to their friends. This hiking place is great for people who want a scenic hike, run, or bike ride with friends. 

• Phone Call, FaceTime, or Zoom 

Although spending time with friends in person is more fun, there are still opportunities to stay connected remotely. Many people end up needing to travel for college, even if that means going to college far away from friends from back home.

Waiting to go home at the end of the semester to see your friends can be a long time, so there are plenty of ways to stay connected throughout the semester. When I am at college, I call my friends who go to college across the country from me. 

Final Thoughts 

There are so many activities and places to go with your friends, so you won’t run out of ideas for things to do. Since there are so many options, you should try as many as you can with your friends.

Spending quality time with friends is important, and so are the activities you choose to do. Share your favorite places to hang out and activities to do in the comments. 

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