Students, families and the entire Moscow community have a brand new experience to enjoy with Moscow Axe Throwing. Perfect for date night, family time, friend group hangouts, parties and anyone who wants to throw sharp weapons with no consequence, this new business is minutes from the University of Idaho campus and downtown Moscow.
Moscow Axe Throwing had their grand opening on Oct. 8 and in the few weeks since. The business has already started to become a fun and valued part of the Moscow community. It is located at 310 W. Third Street and is open from noon to midnight every day of the week.
Co-owners Chris Ihler and Tyler Sabin first thought of the idea to bring axe throwing to the Palouse early 2022 and within months they had decided on Moscow as the community they wanted their business to be a part of.
“We wanted to find the best place to be successful while also having as much fun as possible,” Ihler said. “Because that’s the point of the whole venture for us, being successful and the opportunity to have fun.”
The building that is now home to Moscow Axe Throwing had previously been abandoned for almost a decade. This means the team had to do extensive remodeling before business could open. In the four months after signing the lease in June, Ihler, Sabin and a team of friends completely rebuilt the interior of the building. Tearing down most walls to make space for the axe-throwing stalls and creating a welcoming and fun environment.
“This is what fits our niche skill set and we were able to repair and fix everything we needed to get the business going,” Ihler said.
They hope to keep expanding the space, adding more axe throwing stalls and eventually transforming the downstairs of the building into a bar/restaurant with country dancing. Ihler wants to make the business into a social space that can bridge the disconnect between generations and connect the community.
“There’s a lot of room here to have fun and ideally be a part of the community at some level, we all understand that community connections have been struggling but there’s so much value there,” Ihler said. Since its opening, business at Moscow Axe Throwing has been steadily picking up. Ihler hopes that the business can become integrated into the community as a fun opportunity to get out and learn new skills.
The untraditional hours were decided on with hopes of accommodating different schedules and giving everyone the opportunity to have fun. Ihler is also very flexible, and customers can call or message the business online in order to reserve the space outside of business hours.
“I’d be happy reserving any time,” Ihler said. “As long as there’s a customer who wants to be here, I never want to turn someone away.”
For UI students, Ihler believes Moscow Axe Throwing could become a night life destination and an exciting new way to get out with friends. He and his staff are willing to accommodate student needs and are excited to see more students learning to axe throw and having fun.
“We want to cater to them (students), we want them to have a good experience, have fun throwing and get good throws,” Ihler said. “For those in the Greek system, we want to work with them to create amazing events.”
For students and community members alike, Moscow Axe Throwing provides a space to relax, have fun and spend time with friends. Ihler said that the people he meets are the job and seeing customers enjoy themselves is what makes the business worthwhile.
“I love that I can do something where I meet fun people every day, and I can have great interactions with them. They’re having fun which means I’m having fun,” Ihler said.
Reservations for lanes can be made online, and walk-ins are also welcome if space is available. Students and community members can try out this exciting new experience when looking for something to do in Moscow.
“Moscow Axe Throwing is the place to be and the thing to do,” Ihler said.
Grace Giger can be reached at [email protected]