Retro Date Night Ideas for Fans of 1950s Culture

Date nights are a great ingredient to stir into any romantic relationship. They help keep you and your spouse or partner in touch and in tune. They're also effective for stress management and helping maintain your work-life balance. Of course, the standard dinner out is always an option, but it can get a little stale after a while. If you and your significant other dig 1950s culture, why not use some of these retro date night ideas to have a fun time mid-century style?

'50s Date Night Activities

• Go to a drive-in movie if there's still a drive-in theater near you. Or, if you have to travel a bit to get to one, make it a retro weekend getaway instead!

• Head to a local ice cream shop. Opt for some treats that were popular at soda fountains in the 1950s, like chocolate malteds, milkshakes, egg creams, or banana splits.

• Hit up a tiki bar if you prefer a little less dairy and a lot more booze than you get at an ice cream parlor. There was a huge explosion of the tiki culture fad in the 1950s and early '60s.

• Go rollerskating. There's probably a rollerskating rink close enough for a date night. Many even host retro nighttime skating sessions when they play popular rock and roll, rockabilly, and doo-wop from the '50s.

• Go bowling instead if you or your significant other don't mix well with slick floor surfaces and shoes with wheels. Bowling alleys were much smaller and much less automated in the 1950s, but it really caught on in America as a recreational activity during the decade.

• Queue up some classic rock and roll songs from the '50s, kick off your shoes and pretend you're at a sock hop, and twist the night away. Just make sure the kids are out of the house if you don't want to end up a viral sensation on YouTube.

• Or, if you're looking for a less physically demanding date night in, snuggle up on the couch and watch a classic 1950s film or two. And chow down on some TV dinners while you're at it!

• Playing classic board games is another low-key at-home option for a retro date night. Scrabble, Yahtzee, Life, and Risk were all popular at the time. So was Candy Land, if you like to keep it simple. Lively the evening up a bit by mixing up a few iconic mid-century cocktails!