Entertainment and relaxation: A guide for what to do around Waterloo region

The Waterloo region is never short of fun things to do. From entertainment facilities to boutique stores, there is something for everyone. It’s hard to know what to try with so many places around, so Imprint has compiled a list of places about what to see first.  

UniClaw 

Hours: 2 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Mon, Wed – Fri), 12 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Sat – Sun) 

Location: 140 University Ave. W., Unit 1B, Waterloo, ON N2L 6J3 

Who doesn’t love a good plushie? Those adorable stuffed dolls filling your room are too lovely to resist. How about instead of purchasing them from the store, you had to win them yourself?  

UniClaw has heaps of claw machines with plushies to win. There are big machines, little ones, and even a machine where you can cut a string to win a plush. Testing your skills have never been more rewarding with the prizes you could win.  

To play, you first must pay for tokens which are then to be inserted into the claw machines for a chance to score a plush. You have the option to keep the plush, however the plushies from the machines are worth a specific number of points that can be used to trade for nicer plushies or other figurines that line the wall behind the cashier. You can also save the points on an account to accumulate them to exchange for a prize worth more points on your next visit.  

Conestoga and Fairview Park Mall 

Hours: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. (Mon – Fri), 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Sat), 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Sun) 

Location: 

• Conestoga Mall: 550 King St. N., Waterloo, ON N2L 6L2 

• Fairview Park Mall: 2960 Kingsway Dr., Kitchener, ON N2C 1X1 

If you are looking to shop in a mall, head over to Conestoga Mall in Waterloo or Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener. You can skim through books at Indigo, grab some bubble tea, or try on some new clothes. Although many of the stores in both malls are the same, there are a few stores unique to each mall. For example, Fairview Park has a Hot Topic store while Conestoga Mall has a Mind Games store.  

The best option to get to either mall is to take the ION. The ION only has one line with Fairview Park Mall on one end, getting off at the Fairway Station stop, and Conestoga Mall on the other, exiting at Conestoga Station. 

Board Game Cafés 

Hours:  

• The Adventurers Guild: 4 p.m. – 11 p.m. (Mon – Thurs), 4 p.m. – 12 a.m. (Fri), 11 a.m. – 12 a.m. (Sat), 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. (Sun) 

• Pair A Dice: 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. (Mon – Thurs), 5 p.m. – 12 a.m. (Fri), 3 p.m. – 12 a.m. (Sat), 3 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Sun) 

Location: 

• The Adventurers Guild: 36 Ontario St. N., Kitchener, ON N2H 4Y4 

• Pair A Dice: 258 King St. N. Unit 11, Waterloo, ON N2J 2Y9 

An entertaining night of board games will never go out of style. Grab your friends and some food at these cafés for a fun board games session at The Adventurers Guild in Kitchener or Pair A Dice in Waterloo. There is a vast selection of board games to choose from at both locations. The Adventurer’s Guild is a bit unique as it offers video games to play as well. If you hunger for some older video games, The Adventurers Guild has NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, and PS1 games. Dungeons and Dragons sessions are also welcome at the Adventurer’s Guild and Pair A Dice. Pair A Dice charges $6.79 per person and The Adventurer’s Guild is $8.50 per person for the entire length of your visit. Both places serve food and drinks for visitors to enjoy.  

Movies 

Hours: Vary

Location: 

• Princess Cinemas: 6 Princess St. W., Waterloo, ON N2L 2X8 

• Princess Twin Cinemas: 46 King St. N., Waterloo, ON N2J 2W8 

• Galaxy Cinemas: 550 King St. N., Waterloo, ON N2L 5W6 

• Landmark Cinemas:  415 The Boardwalk, Waterloo, ON N2T 0A6 

• Apollo: 141 Ontario St. N., Kitchener, ON N2H 4Y5 

Moviegoers can find their fix at Princess, Princess Twin, Galaxy, Landmark, or Apollo. These cinemas air a wide range of movies, new and old, for the viewing. Classics, new hits, documentaries, video fests, and more can all be seen.  

Enjoy the classics? Apollo, Princess, and Princess Twin screen many classic movies like The Princess Bride, the cartoons of Max Fleischer, and the Shawshank Redemption. Inside of Princess Twin Cinemas lies Princess Café, which hosts a dinner and movie pass for $26. The dinner consists of a panini, a tea or coffee, and of course, the movie ticket. Apollo hosts events alongside certain movies like their Drunken Cinema series. Drunken Cinema is an interactive game during the movie with game cards and glowsticks. Other movie events include refreshments provided during their movies.  

For modern movies, take a trip to Galaxy Cinemas Waterloo or Landmark Cinemas. The current hits can be viewed at these cinemas to make sure you’re never behind on the most popular movies airing right now.  

Waterloo Region Museum  

Hours: 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily 

Location: 10 Huron Rd., Kitchener, ON N2P 2R7 

Every town you visit has some history for how it came to be in its current state. Waterloo is no exception, and their museum puts it on display for people to learn about. Did you know that the Waterloo Region Museum is the largest community museum in Ontario? The building holds two indoor galleries and a war memorial to view. Not just that, it holds many exhibits, both local and global, that are filled to the brim with interesting information. If you prefer something more hands on, there are also workshops at the museum.  

The museum is connected to Doon Heritage village, a place to explore life in Waterloo during 1914. Unfortunately, this site is closed until 2025 due to utility replacements. Keep this one in mind and take a visit when it opens again. 

4Cats Waterloo Art Studio 

Hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Tues – Fri) 

Location: 133 Weber St. N., Waterloo, ON N2J 3G9 

Making something of your own and seeing the product of your hard work is a delightful sensation. Art is beautiful and even more so when you can partake in the creation of it yourself. Do you want to make mugs, bowls, planters, or little clay figurines? At 4Cats Waterloo Art Studio, you can join instructor-led workshops or self-paced workshops to make such pieces. Self-paced workshops have given time limits, with participants paying per hour for any extra time they take. If you’re joining an instructor-led workshop, consider going as a group as some projects have group deals. For example, on some projects, there is a deal of 2 people for $45 ($22.50 per person), 3 people for $55 ($18.33 per person), or 4 people for $65 ($16.25 per person). After finishing your project, you have two weeks to pick it up from when you started it.  

Splitsville Waterloo Bowling  

Hours: 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. (Mon – Thurs, Sun), 10 a.m. – 12 a.m. (Fri – Sat)  

Location: 341 Marsland Dr., Waterloo, N2J 3Z2 

If you are looking for a fun way to spend a few hours with friends, check out Splitsville Bowling alley. This brand new 43,000 square foot entertainment center opened in July and has something for everyone. With 24 lanes of 10-pin bowling, a state-of-the-art arcade facility, and many more amenities, the fun is endless at Splitsville. The key that makes Splitsville so special is that you can skip the industry bowling standard of renting shoes and can simply start bowling on any of the 24 lanes. On top of this, there are food and drink options which can be served while you enjoy your game of bowling. Pricing varies with the amount and frequency you are looking to bowl. 

Now that you know about the many options, you should try them out. Whether you’re with friends, by yourself, or on a date, get out there and explore all that Waterloo region has to offer! There are many experiences you wouldn’t want to miss out on.