Axe-Throwing Facility to Open in Philly

Jokes about “an axe to grind” start here: the United States’ first competitive axe-throwing establishment is opening in Philadelphia. Axe-throwing is a trend that’s “all the rage” in Canada, and now it’s coming to the United States. Urban Axes will be opening in East Kensington next month. The sport has been compared to throwing darts, just “bigger and cooler.”

Group events at Urban Axes consist of at least eight players (although preferably twelve), and matches last 2.5 hours. All events start with private training from one of Urban Axes’ trained professionals and then proceed into a round-robin style tournament of two teams. There is then a final knockout round to determine the champion of the night! Don’t know anything about scoring axe-throwing? The pros have you covered.

Even better? While you are throwing axes with your friends, you can have a drink as well. Urban Axes has a BYOB policy: beer and wine are allowed. If you bring glass bottles, they ask that you drink out of plastic cups. And no hard liquor is permitted. Participants are also encouraged to bring their own food in, or to have it delivered to the facility while they play.

Do you need your own axe to play? Well, no. There are plenty of loaners available from the facility’s collection, all made to the specifications of professional axe-throwing rules and regulations. You can also purchase one from Urban Axes’ store for just $20, so there’s little excuse not to. Just think of how cool it will be to have your own throwing weapon! According to the UA FAQs, “if you want to bring your own axe, it must have a wooden handle and be between 1.25 and 1.75 lbs to be eligible.”

Other rules? You must be 21 or over to play, and you must wear close-toed shoes. UA emphasizes their commitment to safety first in all things.