MCKINNEY, Texas — It’s common to get lost in a screen, spending hours binging the latest hit television show. Or scrolling mindlessly through a phone. Or stuck searching for the latest deals in front of a computer.
However, there’s a new place in McKinney that’s giving people an old-fashioned way to get lost in the day.
“There’s nothing more Texas than an old red barn on some land for people to come and just have fun,” said Ryan O’Dowd, owner of WayBack Barn in McKinney.
WayBack Barn is exactly that, a barn. It’s been open a month giving people a place to escape the busyness of everyday life.
“To connect with their friends and family outside and just have fun,” O’Dowd said.
Ryan and his wife, Laura, came up with the idea after a family vacation in Colorado where they had a ton of fun being outside playing games.
“And we came back here and there’s just nothing to do outside,” O’Dowd said. “Everything is inside.”
They couldn’t stop thinking about how much fun they’d had on that trip to Colorado. So, to bring some of that joy home, they bought a 100-year-old horse barn, cleaned it up and surrounded it with fun.
Surrounding the barn, guests will find tetherball, gaga ball, axe throwing, numerous yard games and a miniature golf course that will open later in the spring.
Guests can bring their own drinks—Ryan and Laura are in the process of acquiring a liquor license to serve alcohol—rent the barn or accompanying grain bin for a party, or just sit and relax.
“I feel like you’re having fun and making memories without really having to try,” said Laura O’Dowd.
WayBack Barn has only been open a month but its already served up some Texas-sized satisfaction.
“I heard a little girl leaving and she was like, ‘This was the best night of my whole life!’”
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