Things to do in Dayton Ohio
Wondering what to do this weekend? Dayton Local has the most comprehensive list of local events, concerts, festivals, and other activities in Dayton. If you're looking for places to go and fun things to do in Dayton and around the Miami Valley, we've always got plenty of suggestions!
Dayton Events Calendar
Upcoming Featured events around Dayton
Harlem Globetrotters in Dayton
Get ready for high-flying fun! Known as innovators of the game of basketball for decades, the world famous Harlem Globetrotters come to Wright State University's Nutter Center.
Straight No Chaser: Holiday Road Tour
STRAIGHT NO CHASER bring their Holiday Road Tourtour to the Schuster Center in Dayton this Christmas.
North Pole Express Train Ride
All Aboard Nov & Dec - Experience the Joy of the Holidays! Hop aboard our North Pole Express with Santa and his elves for a magical train ride through beautiful Warren County.
Wild Axe Throwing OPEN in Beavercreek
Get your axe to Beavercreek and experience Dayton's first axe throwing bar. Perfect for date night, team building, corporate parties, or fun outings with friends and family.
Home For The Holidays with the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra
Home For The Holidays with the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra at the Dayton Masonic Center.
Our Lady of the Rosary Fish Fry
Friday Night Fish Fry - All you can eat Icelandic cod, chicken strips, fresh sausage and more. Everything made by Chef Joe is fresh and made from scratch. Doors open at 5.30.
Dayton Art Institute Special Interest Tour – Food Tour
DAI’s Special Interest Tours are community tours with specialized themes! Explore the museum and invoke your creative spirit following the tour with a quick, make-and-take art activity.
Family Movie Series at the Neon
Bring the family for fun, festive films this holiday season at The Neon. Merry Christmas!
Trivia Wednesdays - Stranger Things
Stranger Things Trivia at On Par Jan 14, 7PM. Free to play, prizes for top teams. 21+ at 8:30 or once trivia ends.
A Carillon Christmas
Featuring thousands of Christmas lights, traditional holiday fare, Santa Claus, live music, historical craft demonstrations, and so much more.
Woodland Lights
Walk the path to holiday fun at Woodland Lights - a half-mile wonderland of holiday lights, displays, and festivities! November 21-December 30, 2025
Light Up Middletown
A Drive-Through Fantasy Light Display - Open Every Night Thanksgiving Through New Year's Eve
Places to go around Dayton
Things to do around Dayton
Poelking Bowling
We feature (4) modern bowling centers complete with state-of-the-art scoring and bumpers on every lane.
Capri Lanes
Bowling Center in Kettering offering Open & Cosmic Bowl, Leagues & Group Events; Sports Bar with multiple TV's, great food and craft beers.
Pins Mechanical Co.
We’re Pins Mechanical Co. — your new go-to social destination featuring duckpin bowling, pinball, old-school entertainment, craft beers, and fun cocktails — located across from Day Air Ballpark. Always 21+ after 9pm
Wright State University Nutter Center
The Nutter Center, a state-of-the-art facility at Wright State University, hosts over fifty national touring concerts and performances each year.
JD Legends Entertainment Complex
JD Legends entertainment complex is an indoor/outdoor complex featuring a 24 lane bowling center, 3 sand volleyball courts, a tiki bar , sports bar , restaurant , night club and concert venue.
Cardinal Hill Recreation Club
Are you tired of the kids saying I'm bored every summer? Check us out! We offer a private, family-friendly membership pool, picnic tables, concession stand and much more!
Rivers Edge Canoe Livery and Oufitters
Canoe and Kayak Rental Trips on the Scenic Little Miami River - 30 minutes from Dayton, 45 minutes from Cincinnati. Whatever your pace, we have the ideal canoe or kayak rental trip for you!
Kettering Recreation Complex
Kettering Rec is home to an Indoor Pool, Fitness Center, Walk/Run Track, Adventure Reef Outdoor Warterpark, and Kettering Ice Arena.
Needle, Ink and Thread
Needle Ink and Thread is a sewing studio that holds private lessons, group classes, workshops, birthday parties, charity drives and so much more!
Twin Creek MetroPark
A world of serenity awaits with panoramic views and miles of hiking and equestrian trails. Only 20 minutes from Dayton, the park enables users to hike, fish, picnic, and many other exciting adventures.
Eastwood MetroPark
Five Rivers MetroParks - Highlights of Eastwood MetroPark include a 185-acre lake, Mad River, picnic shelters and a playground. The 3-mile loop trail offers hiking on mostly level terrain.
Breakout Dayton
With different rooms that follow unique story lines you and your friends will have 60 minutes to escape your adventure of choice by cracking codes, solving puzzles and following clues.
Garst Museum
Garst Museum is a large historical museum with over 300,000 artifacts on display in over 35,000 square feet of exhibit space within six building wings. Major exhibits are the Annie Oakley Center, CrossRoads of Destiny, American Indians, Lowell Thomas, the Village, Agricultural and Military exhibits.
Dixie Drive-In Movie Theater
The grounds of the Dixie Twin Drive-In offer an asthetic view back to the 1950's. Holding confortably up to 900 vehicles enjoy our tree enclosed grounds. We have two HUGE movie screens!
Carillon Park
Experience Dayton's rich heritage of creativity and invention at Carillon Historical Park! Enjoy our beautiful 65-acre campus with 35 special exhibit buildings and structures ready for you to explore.
Bonnybrook Farms
Located just 20 minutes east of Kings Island in southeastern Warren County. Chuck Wagon Dinner Rides, Weddings, Company Picnics, Country Fair, Fall Farm Day, Lantern Light Wagon Rides.
Cedarville University Theatre
The Theatre Program at Cedarville University offers a B.A. in Theatre (design or performance concentration), theatre minor, and three fully-produced shows a year. Check us out online!
Skateworld of Kettering
We are dedicated to be the #1 fun spot for kids of all ages and we strive to provide you and your family with a clean, fun, friendly, and safe place to skate.
Mike's Bike Park
Mike's Bike Park is Dayton's only INDOOR cycling facility! 50,000 square feet of riding for all ages and ability levels. Family friendly fun for everyone! We are open seven days a week!
Air Time Ballooning
Provides sunrise and sunset hot air balloon ride flight adventures in the Dayton and Cincinnati areas seven days a week, customized to you and your occasion.
Soak City
More than 50 water activities at the Kings Island waterpark, including 30 water slides, tropical lagoons, rushing rivers, and surfable waves including a 650,000-gallon wave pool, Tidal Wave Bay.
Lebanon Mason & Monroe Railroad
The Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad (LM&M Railroad) offers historic train rides for all ages in Warren County Ohio departing from downtown Lebanon.
