Fun! I surprised my fiancé for her 30th birthday! It was intimidating at first but our coach was great at showing multiple throws and continually checking in with tips and advice. read more

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Very fun and user friendly. Much parking on Lake st, enter thru the alley. No food or drinks sold inside so bring your own. read more

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Small, expensive. To reserve lanes, you need 4 people, and they enforce. So if one drops out - you will be looking around on the street for a spare. Also, they require 4 people, but only have 2 lanes, meaning that you can't just schedule a session and throw. Unless you do walk-ins and with their set up - pass. they have 2 lanes, each with 2 targets. Meaning I'll be dodging my neighbor's slap-backs when their knife bounces. Good for casuals and parties, but I can't see how someone get's practice here comfortably. read more

Great coaching! Nice advice for newbies, and a great time. Coaches were patient and helpful. Highly recommend!

We came in during their walk in hours after calling them and we walked right into a lane. Everyone was so nice. The The place was a little hard to find and there is no parking on site but plenty of parking on the street. Small cheval is down the street. I will definitely come back and bring my friends read more

I was tasked with booking team bonding activities while my team came to Chicago for our retreat. This was definitely super fun and ideal since we had our own space. You get a little speaker so you can play your own music and it's BYOB. The staff was super friendly and helpful which added to our team vibe. Definitely fun!! The entrance is a bit sketchy so don't be scared if you think you're lost lol read more

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Came here for a birthday party, pretty interesting little place. The location is kind of hidden in the back of an alley sort of, don't be intimidated, it's decent inside. There are 4 throwing lanes. It's a little small, but pretty much you can rent the whole place out for your event. Price per person with a 30 person group was somewhere between $35-$45. I personally did not throw axes and was able to just spectate at no additional cost. The group had a lot of fun. The two instructors were friendly and helpful and let us do our own thing. I'd say the only complaint was that either there was no air conditioning...OR that they did have air conditioning, but it wasn't on long enough before we got there to really cool the place down. I think it did cool down later, but if I had to give one piece of constructive criticism I'd say turn your AC on well enough in advance so we're not all sweating our butts off! I'd probably come again if someone else had a party, but I'm not personally very interested in axe throwing itself, for my own personal reasons. read more

Went here for a friend's birthday and we had a blast! We were the last people booked for the night and basically had the place to ourselves. Our instructor did an incredible job with training us on axe throwing and was both witty and hilarious as we started playing. She also allowed us to try out other things like knife throws which was a new experience for me. I would definitely recommend coming here - the staff are great! read more

First of all, make sure you get the waiver signed before going! Totally speeds up the process and less wait time. Super fun place to go with a group of friends. It's clean and has a fun ambiance. Very casual and an easy sport to get a hang of. The coaches are very welcoming, nice, and easy going. There are different games to play with the axes. My tip for new players is to keep trying and ask the coaches for help! They're the pros, it actually doesn't take a lot of strength to hit the wooden boards! Also, the place itself is a bit hard to find. It is in an alley way behind a apartment complex. There's usually a flag/banner that is in front of the entrance. read more

Bad Axe Throwing Chicago West Loop - Bullseye! - Axe Throwing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The overall experience was great! It was my first time so I was definitely scared to throw at first. But then the staff was really attentive and gave many advices and eventually I was able t to hit on the bull's eye! Getting in there was confusing though. We ended up calling the number that was written on the wall, and apparently the number is to the other store/main office...? Good thing there was a group of people who had a reservation when we went there so we could get inside. If not, we gave up on doing it. read more

Came as a bonding event with my coworkers. Had a blast with everyone and they have a portable speaker you can play your own playlist on. I would say a little overpriced for what it is for the reservation (~48/person) but would come to the walk-in next time if i had a smaller group! You have a quick lesson at the beginning and they also came by partway through our time to help some of our people who were struggling more with the axe throwing read more

Came to Chicago to visit some friends and we wanted to do something fun there was a group of 8 of us and fun we did have. We enjoyed ourselves. The reason for the 4 stars is because we had made a reservation, but we didn't get in until 20 mins later as there was only one person working (not their fault) but they were super sweet! I just felt bad bc they were trying to take care of both large groups. We went on a Monday so it wasn't busy at all read more

Bad Axe Throwing in West Loop for a bachelorette party was a blast! We had 6+ people so pre-booked to have our own private lanes with two bullseye targets. There are walk-in options but it's not guaranteed you'll get in because it looks like there are only two throwing areas. The throwing coach we had was awesome and taught us how to throw, helped us out when we were struggling, and gave us games to play for a little friendly competition. The ladies I went with were a little nervous to do something so novel but everyone had a lot of fun and showed improvement by the end! Highly recommend if you're looking for a unique outing in Chicago. read more

Bad Axe Throwing Chicago West Loop - Axe Throwing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came to Bad Axe with a group for a birthday party and had a blast! I never thought of doing an activity like this and it is a bit intimidating, but the staff member we were with was so friendly and helpful. And the activity is surprisingly really fun, especially once you get the hang of it! read more

Bad Axe Throwing Chicago West Loop - Axe Throwing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went here with my team during our meetup in Chicago. We were a group of 13 people, and we had a blast! The coach was great and patiently taught us how to throw Axes. One group member could not get a good throw-in, so the coach worked with her until she got it. I highly suggest this as a team-building location. I am now hooked, by the end of our time, I was able to consistently land two-hand and single throws. read more

First timer! So much fun! Worked up a sweat lol came here on a date (fun date night spot!) and it was just me and my date so that was pretty nice. We were helped and coached by Atlas who was very sweet and knowledgeable on all things axe throwing, she even let us connect to the Bluetooth and play music it was a whole vibe. Will definitely come back! read more

Bad Axe Throwing Chicago West Loop - Axe Throwing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had a great time at Bad Ace Throwing! It was a small location but we came in as a walk in and didn't have to wait too long to get going. Just to set the scene, I've never thrown an axe in ever-dom and didn't know the first thing about it. Our coach, Kyle was patient and helped to explain the game and change our form based on our first few throws. After a while, you can really get into it and do some pretty cool things! Added bonus: the music was great! Overall, had a great time and would definitely return! read more

Bad Axe Throwing Chicago West Loop - That's me puttin' in work! - Axe Throwing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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When I left this place, I was on a natural energetic high! Oh if I only lived in the area. I'd join the league. Turns out, I can throw a bad axe or two or three! Here's how it works... You have to have a reservation or visit their website and look for "Open throwing Days". I went on an Open Throw Day. Parking is weird over there, so I'll let you know that you can't park on Loomis St or those parking lots across the street from the entrance to the building. The fee is $20 per hour per person. No cash, Square only. Also, know that you will need to have your cell phone in order to fill out and sign the waiver form. I would imagine you can borrow a tablet or phone from them, I saw a tablet hanging around over there. You walk right into an axe lane about 10 feet through the door. There's a fence to block any wild and loose thrown axes, but you literally walk right into the action. There are only 2 "throwing lanes" in this facility. That means, 2 separate sections/rooms for throwing axes. I was in the front room. The back room appeared to be a bit larger and can accomodate more people. Our session was lead by one of the staff members. I happened to arrive shortly after opening so I was lucky enough to get started with the group that arrived just before. The instructor was awesome, very social and full of funny chatter to keep the group lively. We started out "training". The instructor allowed us time to practice different throw techniques. After a couple practice rounds, it was time for the games! The group was broken into 2 groups. We played "Bad Axe", ie hangman. We played a couple of other games that I don't recall. What a fun fun time. You have to be some pretty laid back people to come out for this type of event and sure enough the whole 20 or so folks in our hour were complete fun. This is one of the most fun nights I've had in a very long time!!! I highly recommend this for people who are looking for something fun and different and basically for all around bad arse individuals! Return Factor: 1000% read more

Bad Axe Throwing Chicago West Loop - Bad ass! - Axe Throwing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here for a friend's birthday. I didn't actually do the axe throwing, but I still got a pretty good sense of the experience. It's tucked away in a warehouse-type building, so you have to be kind of on the lookout or you'll miss it. You walk right in to the action, there's no real reception desk or anything. There's two rooms/setups, and our group was in the back one so it took me a minute when I walked in to realize the first group I encountered wasn't ours. As soon as I walked in one of the instructors let me know I needed to sign a waiver (even though I wasn't throwing). It's a web-based waiver (so they can get your email address), and the form was being finnicky so that was a little frustrating. Oh technology. We had a group of probably about 20, although not everyone was throwing, so we had two instructors walking everyone through technique. Once people got up to speed they did different games, and then at the end showed people how to throw two axes at once (impressive!). The experience itself seemed like a lot of fun, but the biggest downside I noticed was (lack of) organization. You pay at the end, and it was done by one of the instructors using the Square attachment on his phone so there was some confusion in our group as to how to pay/who had paid, etc. There was no formal system. It also took a while to get everyone 'wrangled' for the games and such with a bit larger group. You can bring in snacks and such, and they do have tables set up to set out your spread. Be warned, their website says they're BYOB but this location isn't (they don't have the permit or something from the city)? Little bit of a bummer as it was advertised to us as such so some of us brought stuff and then had to kind of hide it. Overall, for groups/events this is something unique and different to do, and everyone in our group seemed to have a lot of fun. read more

Bad Axe Throwing Chicago West Loop - Axe Throwing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Overall: 3.5 if I could. Fun novelty experience that you'll be telling all your friends and family about, but it needs improvement organizationally. The good: Awesome experience if you live in the city and aren't exposed to this kind of activity often. Service was very friendly and fun. The space is small and intimiate, which is better than a larger warehouse. Lots of different "flavors" of games and competitions to play with your group. You can bring your own food too. Cool wall art! The not-so-good: Site advertises BYOB, which is not the case for the Chicago location (honestly, I think it's dangerous so it's probably for the best. That said, they need a disclaimer for that). The entrance to the building is hard to find. The organization of waiver signing, checking in, and checking out is poorly coordinated. You do everything on your phone. Not good standards. read more

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Good time with MJ, taught us well and I had a ton of fun, thanks for everything. The axes were perfectly sharpened

Just a heads up, the entrance looks like the building is shut down, but it's all the way at the end of the walk way. Place had plenty of space and required masks as long as you weren't eating or drinking anything. Ace throwing was more fun than I thought it would be and it a good place for a date, girls get together or a birthday. I personally think throwing the axe with one hand is easier than throwing it with both. I like that they include QR code's that have additional fun games to play. Will definitely be back read more

I recommended to my superiors that we should have our team event @ this brand spanking new place known as Bad Axe Throwing as its great for team building in addition to doing something outside of the norm. They took me up on my idea and we had nothing short of a blast this past Thursday. Our instructor was Seth and he was very good at remembering the names of 30 people...gotta tip my hat to that in addition to his humor. Seth was also good at instructing us on the proper way to throw an axe as well as multiple techniques. I love the wall are as it has Michael Jordan, Kanye West, Orpah, Al Capone & Jerry Springer on the walls complete with american flag like mustaches. If you're interested in doing something new and cool, I definitely recommend doing this as its a good time and the only place like it in the US. read more

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Went there last night, and my date and I had a ton of fun! I will be recommending this place to everyone I know. Not just because this place is fun, but their employee named Lamont was amazing. Lamont didn't have to let us in (we were there at like 10:45), but he did and still took the time to show the rules, how to throw, and give us pointers. He made my date's and my night and we will definitely be back. Not just because it's fun, but because of the awesome service by Lamont. GO HERE! ITS A GREAT TIME!!! read more

After watching a video on WGN's Facebook page about how "safe" this facility was purportedly was, I decided to book an axe throwing outing for my birthday... until I learned that masks are NOT being required of patrons or employees as their video would lead you to believe! YIKES. When I called to get confirmation of this and asked if they're getting regularly disinfected, they said they're "working on it" in an annoyed manner. They got even more defensive when I pressed them about their mask policy, eventually telling me that they don't need my business, in so many words. After speaking to some friends and acquaintances about this experience, I further learned that several employees quit immediately after their re-opening due to several grossly unsafe practices, including those above. Fair warning for anyone thinking of planning an excursion here, please don't support this COVID-19 petri dish that doesn't care about the safety of their employees. Chicago doesn't want you here!!! read more

Talk about a spectacular, stress-relieving bachelorette party activity! We were able to bring in a spread of outside food to munch on between throwing axes. Collin gave us an overview on safety and techniques, and provided each of us with personalized instruction throughout the event. Once we got the hang of things, we split up into teams and played some semi-competitive games! We ended the night attempting some trick shots. By the end of the night, all of us girls had managed a couple really great throws and left feeling quite accomplished. While alcoholic beverages are not allowed (for good reason), The Bottom Lounge is right around the corner, serving up cold beers and hot music acts. We had such a blast and would definitely do this again! read more

Bad Axe Throwing Chicago West Loop - Axe Throwing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you know where Bottom lounge is then just go to the right of it and go to the end of the small street. The place is really small venue, but for what they are doing they don't really need any more. Only problem with that is that on a popular day you might have trouble booking. Went here as a private party for my friends bday. We had a blast! Bring your own food and drinks is a big plus and we had our own private section. We divided our group into teams and played a series of games against each other. Most of the people there were pretty competitive so at times that it got close it got very intense! The price is probably the only thing negative I could think of but they did ask if anyone was military or a nurse for a discount. Would def return for another party! read more

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My work team did a team builder event here and it was so much fun. The place is a bit hard to find but we found it with the help of GPS. Its basically a warehouse on the side of a dead end street. There were two axe areas in the place. We had the larger back area. The instructor showed us how to throw the axes with both hands and also one hand. We got to practice quite a bit before we broke into teams. We had a series of competitions between the two teams. We each got to throw the axes quite a bit. The instructor made it lots of fun while also giving instructions on how to throw better. We brought in our own food and that worked out great. It was super easy and we had a lot of fun. read more

This is now my 2nd time going Axe throwing and it's pretty much confirmed, I definitely like throwing Axes. Location - 2 out of 5 stars. It's on Loomis and Lake st. but it was a tall task finding this place. I circled the area 3 times before I found it. Loomis doesn't have a street sign up and the street looks like it's closed because it's dark with no street lights. It heads off a dead end next to an alley. You can see a small sign up at the top of the building that showed their symbol, Bad Axe. Google Maps won't help you in finding this place. In fact, it'll just confuse you even more. My suggestion would be to maybe call the city to have a street sign put there or put some kind of sidewalk sign there explaining that the establishment is down that street. It was a bit frustrating. Parking - 5 out of 5 stars. There was plenty of parking along Lake street. Not sure if this was a fluke but it was on a Saturday night. So no problems there. Parking was also free from what I could see so yay. Affordability- 4 out of 5 stars. The prices don't seem too bad and are on par with their competition. When you think about them constantly purchasing wood, paying their employees, keeping the lights on, it seems about right. It's $20 an hour for walk-ins and roughly $40 per person for groups. We actually had an issue (Not Bad Axe's fault) but majority of the people in my group all had things come up last minute and couldn't make it even though I paid a $96 deposit. It ended up only being 3 people and as an exception, they let all 3 of us play for 2 hours using the deposit. The Coach - 5 out of 5 stars. Our coach was Ray, who was a newer employee but she was terrific. Very nice, personable, friendly and professional. She explained all the rules in detail and had us sign a waiver. She even decided to play with us and kept score. She is also the one who saved us with the whole security deposit fiasco because initially we thought I'd have to cover all the people who didn't make it. She was great! Experience - 3 out of 5 stars. The experience is what you'd expect from Axe throwing if you've ever been. Throwing the axes with hopes of seeing them penetrate the wood is a delightful and a rewarding feeling. Even better when you get a bullseye! This location, (in comparison to BATL in Portage Park) seems a bit cramped though and the axes can really fly if it doesn't stick to the wood so I feel like this place is a higher risk that someone could get hurt. Not sure if it's because they use bigger axes than BATL does? Idk. The axes would fly all the way back to where we were and we had to dodge them a few times. Definitely a ricochet effect so be careful. That never happened with BATL. So I just think this place is just better for people more experienced. Overall - 4 out of 5 stars. While the place is hidden like a tomb and looks like you're going into an abandoned building, its friendly and accommodating staff, ease of parking and the unique experience makes for a great time - especially with large groups. I do think this place is better suited for people more experienced with Axe throwing because of the closed proximity (we were in the room to the left when you first walk in). If you're a beginner, I'd recommend BATL in Portage Park. I'd definitely come back here again though and I hope these kind of establishments expand. Thanks Bad Axe! read more

I grew up chopping wood, so this was a rather nostalgic experience and almost the epitome of Chicago city culture trying to get some more nature-driven activities happening. It was such a great experience! The guy helping was super helpful with the overview. He gave great advice to folks struggling, shared a fun game, and had some jokes. Highly suggest it! read more

I was here for a bachelor party. I was skeptical, because I've been axe throwing in the past... it was okay. The employees at Bad Axe did a fascistic job of keeping us entertained. Throwing was fun. All 15 of the ADD/ADHD people in our group were engaged and having a great time. At no point did the group get bored or become disengaged. I would definitely recommend this business to friends and family. I look forward to going back. read more

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I had such an awesome time at Bad Axe Throwing - - who would've thought!! I gotta tell you, when my coworkers told me we were doing our team building here I was a bit worried/nervous, all of the above. I was thinking, "I hope they at least have lighter axes, or smaller sizes, etc (for women)". Turns out they only had one size so I was even more nervous. Ha! Net, net it was such a good time! Coach David was exceptionally awesome at making it fun and explaining the rules of the various games. We even asked him to join us for some eats afterward, and he showed up! Super friendly guy - makes for great service at the Axe Throwing. What made it the best part, you ask? Coach David said maybe 1 or 2 out of 10 make it on their very first try. Myself and my manager were the only 2 of our group to achieve that!! Great place, lots of fun, bring one to Northern California!! read more

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Collin was the Bestest Coach, had a Blast 05/2019 Date was the greatest. Bad Axe million Thumbs up!!!! read more

Bad Axe Throwing Chicago West Loop - Collin was the Bestest Coach, had a Blast 05/2019 Date was the greatest. Bad Axe million Thumbs up!!!! - Axe Throwing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Literally one of the most unique experiences I have ever endured! When my executives informed me that they sponsored a managerial outing to throw axes I was both perplexed and nervous as I had never thrown an axe before. The staff here are all very accommodating, thorough with their explanations, and very supportive of those who have subpar hand/eye coordination. I legit had no idea that I would actually be good at this! I guess all of my years pretending to be a character in Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games finally paid off! I hit the bulls eye on my third ever throw (one handed) and many many times after! I will definitely be getting a group of my friends together and coming back! This was just too fun of an event. read more

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Went twice to Bad Axe, once for a work event and once on date night. What a fun outing each time. The trainer/hosts are super nice, they do a great job explaining the basics and then watching you to improve techniques. They also keep groups engaged by having people compete in friendly games. Huge thrill to hit the targets. Fun experience to try a couple times (and you can bring drinks/snacks too!). read more

Went to Bad Axe Throwing for a friend's birthday party. I'll be honest, I wasn't thrilled with the $49 price tag, but that's just because I didn't know what I was in for... I'd never thrown an axe before, but the instructor did a good job of teaching throwing via both the 1-handed and 2-handed styles. Everybody in our group when through a couple times to get the hang of each method, then we squared off on some axe-throwing games! Basically they were games you play in darts, but adapted for throwing axes...SO A LOT COOLER! There's just something about throwing an axe and having it split into a wooden target that makes you feel like you're on the oregon trail trying to kill rabbits to feed your family. I don't know haha. Seriously though the games were so much fun! Toward the end, the instructor showed us trick shots, like the underhand throw, the two axes at once, two axes underhand at once, two axes at two different targets, and he even did a between the legs throw which was baller. When it came time to pay, I thought the $49 was a steal. Seriously, we were there for a full 2.5 hours! In the past when I've dropped money on lessons (archery, guitar, shooting), it lasts for 45 minutes to an hour. The 2.5 hours was fun, informative, fun, competitive, fun, and just enough time. At the end, I had a small blister on my right hand from absolutely dominating all day, so I was about ready to be done anyways. Highly recommend! Pro tip: I parked on Lake just in front of McDonald's for free. They don't recommend parking right in front, since the guy upstairs calls and gets people towed frequently. read more

If you dont schedule ahead with at least 8 people, this isnt worth it. Walkins get smashed (no matter how many) into a couple "lanes" even if others are open. But what they call lanes suddenly shrink if a lot of walkins come in. We were a party of 4, we were told up to 8 on "lane 2" which was 2 throwing lanes until a bunch more walkins came in. Then it was at least 16 people per "lane 2". When they introduced the additional 10 people, "these rules are for safety and if you dont like it, there's the door." Imagine bowling with 4 people on one side of the return and 4 people on the other, then after your first frame, they add 4 people to each side and told you that you have to rotate the new ones in "for safety" and if you dont like it, "there's the door". Plan ahead, they claim there is an 8 person minimum that you pay for, no matter what. $24 per person/hr. Update: in response to Jesse G. from bad axe throwing. Thanks for responding, I will be following up with you thru email, but to be clear... NO ONE was being unsafe, the staff had no problem with the 1 round of throwing we had done. Her tone definitely wasn't joking. It was a stern, rude, warning to the lane that they knew they were overcrowding that if we didnt like their policy, our business wasn't welcome...under the BS disguise of a "safety" warning. The 4 of us were charged as 8 people, then they put 8 more people on a lane that already had 6 people on it. read more

This place was fun. I was very nervous and our coach made me feel confident the whole time. He also set up some games for us and served as a score keeper which made for a more interesting time than just throwing axes at a wall. It was a small location with only about 4 lanes total. It was great for our party because it felt very private. read more

Bad Axe Throwing Chicago West Loop - Axe Throwing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Bad axe throwing was an excellent experience! We came here for my BIL's birthday celebration and it was every bit of amazing. I believe Collin was are instructor and he was so helpful and hands on, no one got hurt on his watch! He showed us different techniques and how to stand correctly so we wouldn't hurt ourselves. They allowed for us to bring food so we had beggars delivered and they even stored a birthday cake for us. It was such a great experience I will definitely be back! read more

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Ok, so the concept was amazing. I definitely had a blast and our host did a great job of giving us tips and checking in on us to make sure we were having a good time. The place is super cool and definitely something I would go back and do again. Now onto the other stuff that I think would help take this place to the next level. First of all it's in the cut. It's around the corner from bottom lounge. I think the address I got was wrong or maybe the city sucks away addressing things. I don't know. But either way it was a nightmare for my uber driver to find. So he didn't and we ended up being lost for a hot second. Which ok fine I guess that's why it's so cool but a sign or some better directions would help. Secondly, their website is confusing AF. Which again I don't blame the local chapter for because clearly it's a national thing but the website didn't clearly state their policy on what they mean by byob. So there were several couples there who brought beer and were told they couldn't bring it in. And that put the host in an awful position because now he's the bad guy when really it's the website's fault. Lastly, I know we love in a digital age but some of us old foggy millenials still carry cash and know how read a printed page and sign our names in cursive. So for us older and gainfully employed people please accept cash and have printed waivers on deck. Overall again, a fun experience. Great way to blow off steam or impress your dates. But definitely need to tighten up that website. read more