Life’s Better Here: Allen County

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - There’s never a shortage of things to do in Allen County, you just need to go looking to find them. If you’re looking for a fun, but calm place to host your next party. Go to where the fun grows, and the Fun Farm in New Haven.

What began 8 years ago as an idea, the Fun Farm is an event center where you can go and explore the story book world that sits on 25 acres of land.

Builder of the fantasy world, Troy Ganser with the TAG Art Company says he was inspired by the movie Big Fish and wanted to have a similar place of discovery.

Ganser explained, “Instead of storefronts, we have a pirate ship and a castle, and so forth. So, the Fun Farm is an homage of sorts to that, but also a kinder, gentler era where you can have a simpler experience and engage with the imagination and sense of wonder. Not high tech. Not little Vegas.”

The TAG Art Company typically goes out to events to do face painting, dress up as superheros, or any number of things for your entertainment, but the Fun Farm is where any or all of that can be brought to you and your event.

“Each of these buildings reflects one of the things we specialize in,” Ganser says. “So, we have a dinosaur doghouse because we can do dinosaurs. We have a pirate ship because we can do pirate entertainment. We have a castle because we can arrange for princesses.”

For Ganser, the Fun Farm is a place where kids can be kids and adults can be kids again, and regain that sense of wonder, saying “What we do, the experiences we have, that’s our product, and we want to put more wow, more sense of wonder in the world.”

If you’re looking for somewhere to hang out and do a little rock climbing, Earth Adventures Unlimited in Fort Wayne is the place.

Opened in 1991, the outfitter has helped people get ready for their hikes and kayak trips, but downstairs, you can get ready to rock....climb

The bouldering gym, different from rock climbing because you don’t use any ropes, is a one of a kind space in Fort Wayne. Store manager Bridgette Bodeker says the space helps people prepare for the outdoors.

“We get a lot of climbers coming in and they didn’t know that this could be an active, everyday situation where they build their strength with their muscles and get ready for their next outdoor climbing adventure,” Bodeker says.

For just $1, yes ONE DOLLAR, anyone can come into the store during open hours, Tuesday through Friday 10am - 6pm and Saturday 10am - 4pm, head downstairs and climb any way they like, whether it’s for fun or fitness.

Bodeker explained “They can come climb during all of those open hours and they can work around the room. Kind of call it around the world where you can grab any hold you see and move around the room, or we have set routes where you can climb those specific taped routes so you can follow that track.”

For Bodeker, she enjoys helping people with their unique experiences, saying “I love when people bring pictures back from their trips and to know that I helped them get geared up for their trips and give them good experiences.”

And those experiences are part of what makes life better in Allen County.

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