14 Fun Things To Do in Essex For Adults

Essex is home to more than 1.8 million people, so you won't be surprised to learn that there are loads of fun and exciting things for adults to do in Essex. Here are some of our favourites:

Fennes Shooting School

Clay pigeon shooting is a challenging and exciting sport that will test your reactions and your coordination to the max!

If you can put together a group of 6 people, you can book a Half-Day Shoot. This includes professional tuition, use of a gun under supervision, 50 clays and 50 cartridges per person, ear and eye protection, a Fennes Shooting School embroidered baseball cap and tea, coffee and bacon rolls on arrival.

Alternatively, book a Full Day Shoot which includes 100 clays and cartridges and a two-course lunch.

If you're not booking as a group, Fennes Shooting School offers One-to-One lessons or a One Hour Joint Lesson, both of which are perfect for beginners to the sport.

https://www.fennesclays.co.uk/

Escape Basildon

Pit your wits against the fiendish puzzles and tricky challenges in the Escape Basildon escape rooms.

There are 5 exciting games to choose from:

In "Phasmophobia" you're hunting for missing YouTube star Millie who was last seen investigating the notorious haunted house 13 Tanglewood Road. Watch out for the jump scares!

In "The Three Wands" you'll enter a magical universe where you'll need to solve tricks and challenges to teleport the dark wizards to a prison island.

In "White Witch" you travel to a magical land of snow and ice to defeat the Ice Queen and return summer to the land.

In "The Illusionist" you must escape the clutches of a sinister magician who has captured you during his final trick.

In "Casino Heist" you have an hour in a casino with its security cameras disabled, but you'll need to solve some tricky puzzles to get your hands on the loot.

Groups of 2-8 people can play, though 3-6 gives the best experience for all team members.

Escape Basildon is wheelchair accessible.

https://www.escape-basildon.com/

The Essex Distillery Tour and Tasting

If you like gin, vodka or rum, and you're interested in how they're made then book yourself on a tour of the Essex Spirit Company's distillery in Chelmsford.

On arrival, you'll be welcomed with an Essex Spirit Company drink and mixer of your choice.

After a brief introduction, you'll be taken to the distillery where you'll learn all about the distilling process and how every bottle of Essex Spirit Company drinks is distilled, blended and bottled.

You'll then head back to the tasting room and shop where you can try each of the company's core products, including 3 gins, 1 vodka and 1 rum, and perhaps some seasonal releases too.

The tasting is also a great time to ask your expert guide any questions you have about the distillery.

As a final bonus, you'll get 10% off purchases of your favourite spirits from the shop.

https://essexspiritsco.com/products/essex-spirits-co-the-essex-distillery-tour-tasting

Wild Forest Activity Centre

Offering 25 challenging obstacles on a 2.7km course set in 20 acres of woodland, Wild Forest Activity Centre is an exciting, muddy day out.

Your visit starts with an induction and safety briefing. Your instructor will show you around the course and make sure you know how to tackle each obstacle safely.

You then get 90 minutes of access to the course to put what you've learned into practice.

The obstacle course is a great activity for a memorable stag or hen do, and you can book a 90-minute, half-day or full-day experience.

Muddy stags and dirty hens will have use of hot showers, a hot drink, changing rooms and toilets. You can also hire the mud hut and bring your own food or use a recommended local catering company.

https://www.wild-forest.co.uk/

VR Escape

We all know that escape rooms are brilliant fun and that virtual reality provides some amazing experiences - so why not combine the two and make a virtual reality escape room?

That's just what VR Escape have done, creating amazing escape room experiences that wouldn't be possible without the magic of virtual reality.

There are 8 exciting games to choose from - a few of the highlights are:

The "Runaway Train" transports you to the Wild West where you have an hour to catch up with the train and derail Dr Steem's dastardly plot.

"Dragon Tower" puts you in a magical land where you are imprisoned in a tower. Can you escape before the clock strikes six, or will you suffer a terrible fate - death by dragon?

Are you brave enough to investigate the goings on at Count Malum's spooky manor? "Manor of Escape" gives you one hour to discover why screams have been heard coming from the manor and people have been going missing.

In "Time Travel Paradox" you've just invented a time machine, but your colleague has betrayed you and sent you back to the Jurassic Period to be eaten by dinosaurs! Can you take control of time, travel through the ages and escape your fate?

"Space Station Tiberia" sees your team hurtling through space on a mission to divert a giant meteorite that's on a collision course with Earth. Can you dock with the space station, get its systems working, fix its laser array and destroy the meteorite before it's too late?

https://www.vrescape.uk/

Nuclear Experience Days

Deep in an Essex woodland, on the site of a cold-war nuclear bunker, you'll find Nuclear Experience Days, home to some of the most exciting days out imaginable.

The thrilling activities include:

"Nuclear High Ropes" - the biggest high ropes experience in Essex, featuring 6 courses, a climbing wall and ziplines, there are more than 70 aerial obstacles that will really test your head for heights!

"Rifle & Pistol Shooting" lets you try shooting at both static and moving targets with CO2-powered guns.

Explore the "Underground Secret Nuclear Bunker" on a self-guided audio tour of the fully-furnished Cold War bunker. Explore all three levels with the audio commentary and you'll emerge delighted to have survived your apocalyptic experience!

"Axe Throwing" is an increasingly popular activity, so why not give it a try? You'll learn to throw knives and axes with a qualified instructor.

https://nuclearexperiencedays.co.uk/

The Lock Climbing Wall

If you've ever fancied having a go at climbing but can't see yourself clinging to a slippery piece of rock in the driving rain, then indoor climbing might be for you.

And where better to have a go than at Essex's largest indoor climbing centre - The Lock Climbing Wall in Harlow? The Lock has 120 routes, 4 auto belays and a bouldering loft.

Novice climbers can book an adult "give it a go" session and your friendly instructor will get you onto the walls quickly and safely. The session lasts an hour and a half, and you'll experience the thrill of indoor climbing and bouldering before committing to a longer course.

If you want to learn the skills needed to climb unsupervised then there are 6 hour, 1 day (or 2 evening) intensive "Learn to Climb" courses available.

The Lock has a small café with hot and cold drinks and a selection of sandwiches, wraps and snacks.

https://www.essexoutdoors.com/the-lock-climbing-wall/

Blue Owl Pottery Painting Studio

For a fun activity that's also relaxing and creative, try pottery painting.

At Blue Owl Pottery Painting Studio you simply book a table, order the pottery online before your session, and it will be waiting on your table when you arrive. There's no booking fee, you just pay for the items you want to paint.

Once painted, your creations will be glazed and fired in the kiln, and you can collect them in a couple of weeks.

There are also evening sessions where you can bring your own drinks and snacks, and enjoy a relaxing evening painting pottery with your friends.

Group bookings for hen parties, birthday parties, team building or just groups of friends are welcome.

https://www.blue-owl.co.uk/

Riverside Leisure Centre Ice Rink

Ice skating is always lots of fun, whether you're a complete beginner or an accomplished skater.

The ice rink at Riverside Leisure Centre in Chelmsford offers public skating sessions that are open to adults.

There's also an Ice Disco on Fridays from 7.30pm to 9.30pm with DJ Edd Nicks.

Private lessons with a professional are also available to those inspired to improve their skating.

Skate hire is available at the rink.

https://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/leisure-centres/what/ice-skating/

Princes Theatre Clacton-on-Sea

The Princes Theatre is home to a great range of live shows including music (and musicals), drama, comedy, dance and lots more.

Many shows have a musical theme such as "The Take That Experience", "The Greatest Love of All", "The Neil Diamond Story", "Mercury", "Totally Tina" and lots more.

With shows as diverse as Wrestling, Psychic Sally, The Nutcracker and an evening of Burlesque, you're sure to find something that everyone will enjoy.

https://www.princestheatre.co.uk/whats-on

Lasertag at Bedlam Colchester

All the fun of paintball but without the pain and bruises, outdoor Lasertag at Bedlam Colchester is an activity everyone can enjoy.

In Lasertag there are no projectiles, your laser gun fires a harmless beam of light, so you don't need cumbersome masks, goggles and protective gear.

Lasertag is ideal for team-building, stag and hen parties, birthday celebrations, or just getting together for a fun day out.

You can book a 2-hour session for 6 - 8 players, and extra players can be added for an additional cost.

https://bedlampaintball.co.uk/venue/colchester-bergholt/

Brentwood Karting

If you enjoy watching Formula 1 on the TV then why not try motorsport for yourself at Brentwood Karting?

All the F1 drivers started their careers in karts - it's real motorsport but you don't need a second mortgage to take part.

For adults that haven't been karting before, Brentwood Karting offers open, timed sessions where you can experience the thrill of driving fast, just 2 inches from the ground!

Once you have some experience you can book a place on an "Adult Only Race Session" where you get to drive faster 270cc race karts that can reach 50mph and have the grunt needed to accelerate adult drivers quickly out of the corners.

All sessions are fully marshalled and include racewear, safety briefing and electronic lap time printouts so there's no argument about who's the fastest driver.

https://brentwood-karting.co.uk/

RollaCity

Re-discover the fun of roller-skating at RollaCity in Rochford.

There are lots of Open Skate Sessions you can go to, or if you prefer, there are Adults Only sessions where you won't be shown up by the kids!

If you're going as a group, there are "Evening and Adults" parties that include admission, skate hire, a private bar and exclusive cocktails.

https://www.rollacity.co.uk/

Billericay Brewery Tours

If you love beer, what better way to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon than touring a brewery?

You'll see how Billericay Brewery uses different processes and raw materials to get a range of delicious flavours in their beers.

And you'll get to taste these differences for yourself as your tour includes the opportunity to taste half pints of five different beers.

At the end of the tour, you can visit the on-site micro-pub and buy some beer to take away from the brewery shop.

https://billericaybrewing.co.uk/brewery-tours/

 

We hope you've enjoyed our selection of the best fun things for adults to do in Essex, and that you're inspired to organise an exciting day out.