Ok, so it was a date night with my son, to be fair. I’ve always been a bit terrified of axes. I mean, think about all the famous axe-wielding people, historic or fiction. There is Lizzie Borden who killed her father and step-mother with an axe (allegedly). Jack Torrance chased his family around the Overlook Hotel with an axe in The Shining (ask me sometime about my stay in that historic hotel - let’s just say I didn’t sleep well). Then there was Carrie Nation who decided the best way to move the temperance movement forward was to take a hatchet to the bar of various saloons serving booze. Oh, Carrie, how misguided were you?
Axe throwing is a perfectly good date night. It could also be a fun group outing with your crew. My night at Stumpy’s Hatchet House in Springfield’s Historic District was with a crew that included three of my friends, me and my son, and a new friend we met that night who joined our group. Apparently, my new friend has an alter-ego named Carmen — I feel we were destined to meet! Fast new friends are always aplenty in Springfield and they are the best!
Stumpy’s is located at 1719 North Main Street, between Reddi Arts and The Block Skate Supply in the heart of Springfield. They opened in May 2022 and are owned by a lovely couple who reside in Ortega and support all things local to Jacksonville. When we arrived, the rest of our party wasn’t there yet so we hung out in the waiting area. They have a bar with stools and an area near the window with a comfy couch. At the bar and snack counter, I ordered a beer for me and a soda for my son. While waiting, I bumped into the Executive Director of Springfield Preservation & Revitalization (SPAR), and chatted things up with her for a bit about all of the wonderful things happening in Springfield. Kelly is always prepared to greet you with a smile and give you a minute of her time, no matter how busy she is — and she is always busy — trust me I used to run Riverside Avondale Preservation so I know what a huge job that she has on her shoulders. Next time you see her, make sure to thank her for all that she does!
Once our friends arrived, we were given wristbands and walked to an area to sign waivers — of course you have to sign a waiver — you are throwing an axe that spins through the air to hopefully slam and embed into the wall, hopefully! After we signed our lives away, the friendly and enthusiastic staff went over all of the axe throwing rules, which are also displayed on a large wall board for reference. It is basically all of the things you need to know to keep you safe during your adventure. Mainly, you have to watch your surroundings, don’t hand the axe off to someone else, two people throw at the same time and don’t retrieve your axe until the other person has finished their throw. No problem! Easy peasy!
Except, all those rules evaporate once you start throwing and that rush of adrenaline surfaces the resting DNA of your axe-wielding Viking ancestors and makes you think you are a badass warrior woman fighting for your life on the field of battle. Actually, I don’t know that I have Viking ancestors but I do know I had some warriors in my family tree. I bet we all do somewhere along the line. This place will let your ancestor-warrior persona fly.
When I first started throwing, I thought I’d never figure out how to get the axe to land on the board. Everyone in my party was hitting the board at least occasionally, if not regularly, except me. Then, after a while, I stopped thinking about how I was throwing or standing and I just focused really hard on that circle in the middle of the board, and then it clicked. I hit a bullseye, then another, then another. Yes, I do apparently have innate axe throwing skilzzz! I just had to dig deep, stop overthinking it, and let my instincts do the work. It was so much fun!
As you can see from this video, my son apparently inherited those ancestor warrior genes too! BULLSEYE! We were built to throw axes, apparently — Get it River!
In each area, there is a list of games you can play with the axe throwing, which kind of reminded me of darts and all the different games you can make out of hitting the board in different places and orders. The games would keep it rotating quickly between players. Our group would just throw multiple times until we were exhausted, then trade. Wonder what four people do while two people are throwing? At Stumpy’s there is so much more! You can snack and drink in the gathering areas between the rooms, which are outfitted with hightop tables, chairs, and comfy couches. Or you can play one of the many other games that are all about the place. There is a shuffleboard table, a giant jenga, a large connect four, and several other game tables spread around the place to keep you occupied.
I would certainly visit this place again. Here are the deets: Stumpy’s has a Hatchet Happy Hour every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 4-6 pm, where admission is just $20 per person for an hour of playtime. Reservations are highly recommended. Regular price admission is $25 per person for an hour of gaming and hours are Wednesday-Thursday 4-10pm, Friday 4-11pm, Saturday 2-11pm and Sunday 2-8pm.
I am really looking forward to doing this again with a group of friends. I am thinking … women warrior girls night! I call Boudica, the warrior Queen of Iceni!