If your child has had several birthday parties already (the ones with DIY decorations and dozens of little ones running around the room you will eventually have to clean), you may be looking to do something a little different for their next birthday. Instead of a birthday party, consider a birthday experience! Birthday experiences are still parties, but they are less about the sugar highs and gifts and more about memorable experiences with friends and family. Here are some places in Baton Rouge that will be a whole lot of fun for the birthday child.

Top Golf Baton Rouge

Golfing at Top Golf is a great experience for beginners and pros alike. Rather than standing outside at a golf course underneath the hot sun, Top Golf’s three-story hitting bays are climate controlled and feature TVs, complimentary clubs, free wifi, self-scoring balls, a bar, and a restaurant. You can even order food and drinks from your bay! If you don’t want to play, you can hang out at the rooftop terrace or mezzanine lounge, or you can sit back in the comfortable booth at your station and see who scores the highest. topgolf.com

Louisiana Art and Science Museum (LASM)

Your little scientist will love everything LASM has to offer for their birthday experience. Go stargazing in the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, check out the art exhibitions, learn something new at the Science Station, visit a real mummy from Ancient Egypt, and more! After your visit, you can choose one of many restaurants in downtown Baton Rouge for your post-adventure meal. lasm.org

13th Gate Escape

Looking for some birthday thrills? 13th Gate Escape has eight award-winning escape rooms that must be solved in 60 minutes or less. Your party can select rooms based on theme, difficulty, and scare levels. Run from Dr. Victor Delacroix in The Asylum, travel to another dimension in The Disappearance of Flight 13, or find the missing agent in Agent 13. Read more about each room, tickets, and availability online. 13thgateescape.com

Main Event

If you can’t choose between bowling, laser tag, or video games, visit Main Event where your experience can include all three–and more! Virtual reality, Billiards, Shuffleboard, games, story rooms, mini golf, and gravity ropes are other exciting activities available in this giant entertainment venue. In between games, or after your big win, feast your eyes on the Family Kitchen menu and share a meal with your partygoers. mainevent.com

Uptown Climbing

For those seeking sky-high adventures, Uptown Climbing has just what you need. The largest gym in Louisiana features a 90 foot-long bouldering wall, more than 60 rope stations, 6 auto-belay stations, a speed wall, a crack climb, and a dedicated sport lead climbing wall. Bring your own pizza, cake, and drinks to eat between climbing sessions. uptownclimbing.com

Knock Knock Children’s Museum

Play and learn at this six-acre space of interactive exhibits. Your child and their friends ages eight and under will have fun exploring while improving their literacy and STEM skills. There are over a dozen Learning Zones at the museum, from I See Food Cafe, to the Bubble Playground, to the Storybook Climber, and beyond. Food and drinks can be enjoyed in the museum foyer, or you can have a picnic at the LSU Lakes across the street. knockknockmuseum.org

Blue Zoo

Dive into your next birthday party at Blue Zoo Baton Rouge. Blue Zoo is an aquarium located in the Mall of Louisiana, where you will encounter fish, reptiles, and even mermaids! This interactive aquarium will let you touch and feed stingrays, pet birds, get up close and personal with sharks, make friends with a snake, and watch pirates sword fight as well. Check out showtimes and more information online. batonrouge.bluezoo.us/attractions

Sidebar for grandparents:

Grandparents can gift experiences to their grandchildren as well! Instead of buying them the latest and greatest toy, here are some things you can do together:

1. Teach them a new skill (baking, building, crocheting, fishing, etc.)
2. Take them to lunch and a movie
3. Go to the theater
4. Do an activity together such as hiking or swimming
5. Take a day (or weekend) trip to the nearest city you’d like to visit