From art to sports to entertainment, there are many options if you’re looking for fun date ideas in Hickory, NC.
Whether you’re planning a first date with someone or you’re planning on spending time with your partner, it may be hard to find the perfect activity. What’s great is that if you’re going to spend time in Hickory, there is a large variety of activities you can do, including seeing a performance, going to a baseball game, enjoying delicious coffee, and much more.
To help you find the ideal activity for you, I made this Hickory date ideas guide with a lot of fun and romantic things to do for couples!
Date Ideas in Hickory
Attend a Performance at the Hickory Community Theatre
You can go to the Hickory Community Theatre for a romantic date. This is a historic performing arts theater with a history that dates back to the year 1948.
The Hickory Community Theatre is located inside of the old City Hall of Hickory, which is also the place where the first full-length production of the theater took place.
Lots of different shows take place at the theater, and the shows are a great way to discover Hickory’s local theater scene.
In addition to that, the theater’s cozy atmosphere and great concession options, as well as the historic building of the theater, are great for your date!
Address: 30 3rd St NW, Hickory, NC 28601
Have a Fun Time Jumping on Trampolines at DEFY Hickory
DEFY Hickory is an amusement center that is located at 1843 Catawba Valley Boulevard in the city of Hickory. The center is perfect for a fun date in Hickory because of the many attractions for all ages that you can find there.
The main attraction of DEFY Hickory is a large trampoline court with wall-to-wall trampolines that you can jump on.
Besides this trampoline area, there are other attractions that are great for a fund date.
For example, you can play basketball while jumping on the trampolines.
There’s also a ninja obstacle course and there is a large air bag that you can jump on from the “Stunt Fall platform”.
Address: 1843 Catawba Valley Blvd SE, Hickory, NC 28602
Attend Science After Dark at the Catawba Science Center
Science After Dark is an event for adults that takes place at the Catawba Science Center, and it is a great event to attend for a date night.
During the event, you can see the different exhibits of the Catawba Science Center and you can also learn new things about science from the experts of the museum.
The event takes place many times per year, and each version of the event has a different theme with other activities. For example, during Halloween, there are special Halloween-themed activities.
At the events, you can, besides learning about science in a fun and hands-on way, also enjoy beer and wine.
Make sure to buy a ticket in advance to secure a spot for the event!
Address: 243 3rd Ave NE, Hickory, NC 28601
Enjoy a Coffee Date at Taste Full Beans
Taste Full Beans is a coffeehouse that is located in downtown Hickory. The coffeehouse opened in 2001 and is a great place to get specialty coffees and teas.
You can get many types of coffee drinks at Taste Full Beans, including many unique ones.
If you want to have espresso lattes, there’s a large latte menu with a huge selection of hot, iced, or frozen coffee lattes.
Trying one of the unique lattes is a great and fun idea for a date. For example, you could try the “Blueberry Pancakes” latte or the “Cocomocho” latte.
Taste Full Beans also has a food menu with many options for breakfast and lunch. For example, you can get the “Veggie Lovers Wrap”.
Address: 29 2nd St NW, Hickory, NC 28601
See a Baseball Game at the LP Frans Stadium
The LP Frans Stadium is a baseball stadium where you can see a baseball game during a date.
This stadium is the home field of the Hickory Crawdads, a Minor League Baseball team in the South Atlantic League.
Seeing a baseball game at the stadium is a very fun date idea in Hickory and the great atmosphere and good food and drink options make going here an even more pleasant experience.
Address: 2500 Clement Blvd NW, Hickory, NC 28601
Have Ice Cream at Udderly Delicious Ice Cream
Udderly Delicious Ice Cream is an ice cream store that is located in Hickory. The ice cream store has three locations in North Carolina and was founded in 1995.
You can get incredible homemade ice cream at this ice cream store that is made with the finest ingredients and uses old methods.
There are many different types of ice cream to choose from with your date. For example, you can get gelato, milkshakes, sundaes, banana splits, shaved ice, and many other types of ice cream.
There is a large number of flavors to choose from, including unique ones!
Address: 131 US Hwy 70 SE, Hickory, NC 28602
Explore the Art of the Hickory Museum of Art
The Hickory Museum of Art is one of the best museums in Hickory. It’s an art museum focused on the Unifour region which comprises the Catawba, Caldwell, Burke, and Alexander counties.
The museum is a great place to go if you want to see a collection of American art on a date.
The museum was founded in 1944 and through the years the collection of the museum grew to 1,500 objects in total.
The collection of the Hickory Museum of Art consists of various specific items. Some of the items that you can see at the museum include glass art, high-speed photography, and American pottery.
A variety of events also takes place at the museum and these can be very nice to check out if you’re looking for romantic things to do in Hickory for couples. For example, there are often workshops during which you can be creative.
Address: 243 3rd Ave NE, Hickory, NC 28601
See a Movie at Carolina Theater Hickory
Carolina Theater Hickory is a historic movie theater that you can go to for a romantic movie date.
The theater dates back to the year 1934 and has a beautiful historic design.
A selection of the newest Hollywood films is shown at the movie theater.
You can get delicious concessions at the movie theater, such as fresh popcorn.
Seeing a movie at Carolina Theater Hickory is also great if you are looking for a cheap date idea, as the rates for seeing a movie at the movie theater are low and the concessions of the movie theater also have reasonable prices.
You can also choose to see a movie during the day, which is cheaper than going here at night.
Address: 222 1st Ave NW, Hickory, NC 28601
Enjoy a Shopping Date at Valley Hills Mall
You can go to the Valley Hills Mall for a shopping date. This is a shopping mall that you can find in the south of Hickory.
The mall is home to more than 70 specialty stores and you can find various eateries at the mall as well.
From apparel to shoe stores to jewelry stores, you can find all kinds of stores at the Valley Hills Mall.
You can also find the movie theater “AMC Hickory 15” at the Valley Hills Mall. During one date, you can shop at the stores and see a movie afterward for an even more fun time!
At the movie theater, you can see the latest Hollywood movies!
Address: 1960 US Hwy 70 SE, Hickory, NC 28602
Discover the Hickory Aviation Museum
You can learn about aviation during a date when you go to the Hickory Aviation Museum. This is a non-profit museum that is located at Hickory Regional Airport.
The museum, which you can visit for free as the museum has no admission fee, consists of two parts: an outdoor part and an indoor part.
Outside, you can find a collection of 30 aircraft, that includes a Republic F-105 Thunderchief and many other aircraft. Next to each one, you can find information about the aircraft.
Inside the Hickory Aviation Museum, you can find all kinds of exhibits related to aviation history. These exhibits have memorabilia related to various parts of aviation history. For example, you can see memorabilia here related to WWI.
Address: 3101 9th Ave Dr NW, Hickory, NC 28601
Have Delicious Food for Dinner at Olde Hickory Station
The Olde Hickory Station is a unique restaurant that makes for one of the best date night ideas in Hickory. It’s located inside the historic train station in Hickory’s downtown. This unique location makes it a great restaurant for a romantic dinner date.
The train station was renovated by Olde Hickory Brewery.
You can visit the train station restaurant every day of the week and go there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you prefer to have a brunch date instead, that’s possible too, but only on the weekends.
There are many delicious dishes to choose from for lunch and dinner. For example, you can get all kinds of burgers and sandwiches at the restaurant. One of the best burgers to have is the Black Bean Burger.
The restaurant also has an in-house bakery where you can get great baked goods, tasty pastries, and many other items.
When having food here, you can also try a craft beer here, and there are about 50 different craft beers to choose from. In addition to that, there’s a huge wine list and you can get all sorts of cocktails at the Olde Hickory Station.
Address: 232 Government Ave SW, Hickory, NC 28602
Go to Olde Hickory Tap Room and Have a Romantic Lunch
The Olde Hickory Tap Room is an independent and local restaurant located at Union Square where you can get delicious American cuisine and locally brewed beer.
Besides going here for great craft beers, you can also have a romantic lunch at the restaurant. The menu includes lots of different food items, such as burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, and other items.
You can visit the Olde Hickory Tap Room every day of the year, and because of the central location of the restaurant, you can, in addition to going to this restaurant, also decide to choose any of the other romantic activities in downtown Hickory.
Address: 222 Union Square NW, Hickory, NC 28601
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Hickory Date Ideas Tips
When you are choosing any of the restaurants that I mentioned in this Hickory date ideas guide, I recommend making an advance reservation. That way, you can be sure of not having to wait and being able to have lunch or dinner at the place when you show up!
Also, I recommend looking at the opening hours of the place that you’ve decided to go to at the last moment, as opening hours might change, and you don’t want to ruin your date by arriving in front of a closed place!
Date Ideas in Hickory Map
As you see, there’s a lot to do for couples in the city. I hope you liked these date ideas in Hickory, NC!