Bachelor parties are for creating boisterous memories with the bros. Which cities are best for giving the groom-to-be an unforgettable prenuptial celebration?
To find out, Lawn Love ranked 2023’s Best Bachelor Party Destinations.
We compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on 34 key metrics, such as access to bars, party buses, strip clubs, paintball, and casinos. We also considered accommodations, safety, affordability, and transportation.
See where your city landed in our ranking below.
Planning a wild one? According to our separate Bachelor(ette) Party Survey, plenty of bashes end up with at least one barfing partygoer and about 69% of bachelor parties involve strippers. Check out our full survey results here.
In this article
City rankings
See how each city fared in our ranking:
The upshot
Epic escapes
New York lands at the top, offering plenty of options to plan an epic bachelor party.
Is it any surprise that NYC is No. 1 for Having Fun? From cigar bars to boat charters to strip clubs to karaoke, it’s easy to party all night long in The City That Never Sleeps. New York boasts high scores in every category apart from Spending.
Another energetic option is Las Vegas (No. 4), the self-proclaimed Entertainment Capital of the World. Have an indulgent bash in Sin City, with the highest number of strip clubs, casinos, and entertainment centers.
Golden State getaways
Three Golden State cities made their way into our top 10, thanks to abundant activities, delicious food, and stoner-friendliness.
Los Angeles (No. 3) smokes the competition with the most cigar bars and racetracks (tied with Las Vegas and Joliet, Illinois). The City of Angels knows how to celebrate with numerous karaoke bars, strip clubs, and entertainment centers.
Light up the night in San Francisco (No. 6), which offers the most bars, liquor stores, and nightlife options per square mile. At No. 1 in Eating and Drinking, The Golden City is great for foodies and beer lovers. It’s also the easiest city for Getting Around, ideal if you’re in a drunken or stoned stupor.
If you have an active entourage, San Diego (No. 8) is a great place to hop on a bike bar, play paintball, or go indoor skydiving. Get your yacht rock playlist together — San Diego sails with the most boat charters to float your party around the Pacific.
Texas toast
Plan a rowdy road trip through the Texas Triangle to carouse through all five of the Lone Star State’s largest cities.
Hop on a party bus in Houston (No. 5), and visit the city’s many cigar bars, strip clubs, or other top nightlife spots. Houston also has the most paintball and laser tag venues to fill your daytime itinerary.
Keep it wet and wild in Austin (No. 14) with a party boat on Lake Travis or Lake Austin. ATX also cuts through the competition with the most axe throwing venues. While Austin might be a bit pricey, Houston, Dallas (No. 25), San Antonio (No. 28), and Fort Worth (No. 45) are affordable destinations.
Be careful on those speedy highways — order a ride-share or choose a designated driver if you’ll be drinking. These cities rank among the top 20 for DUI/DWI lawyers because drunk driving is unfortunately too common in Texas.
Behind the ranking
For each of the 200 biggest U.S. cities, we gathered publicly available data on the factors listed in the table below.
We then grouped those factors into six categories: Having Fun, Eating and Drinking, Resting and Relaxing, Getting Around, Staying Safe, and Spending.
Next, we calculated weighted scores for each city in each category.
Finally, we averaged the scores for each city across all categories.
The city that earned the highest average score ranked “Best” (No. 1), while the city with the lowest ranked “Worst” (No. 200). (Note: The “Worst” among individual factors may not be 200 due to ties among cities.)
Sources
AreaVibes, Barbike.com, Booking.com, Casinos.us, Fishing Booker, Getaround, iFly, Justia Lawyers, LawnStarter, Neighborhood Scout, Other Lawn Love Studies, Rusty Wallace Racing Experience, TripAdvisor, Turo, Walk Score, Yelp, and Zipcar
Local tips
Check out the slideshow below for celebration ideas in each of our top five bachelor party destinations.
For a classy outing, head to Mister Paradise, The 40/40 Club, or The Carnegie Club. You could even learn how to craft your own brews at a Bitter & Esters workshop.
Photo Credit: Loe Moshkovska | Pexels
Try some of the city’s best dishes like Cuban sandwiches in Little Havana, or reserve a coveted spot in one of Magic City’s Michelin-starred restaurants.
Photo Credit: FishingBooker | Flickr | CC BY-ND 2.0
Take a brewery tour before catching a show at the Laugh Factory. Embrace your geeky side, and gulp down some booze while gaming at Blipsy Bar, or elevate your nightlife at fancier venues like Hyde Sunset or Poppy.
Photo Credit: Tony Mariotti | Flickr | CC BY 2.0
If you need another boost of adrenaline, schedule a racing experience at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. For evening adventures, check out OMNIA and Absinthe.
Photo Credit: Nick Amoscato | Flickr | CC BY 2.0
Houston has plenty of options for great eats, and you can decompress with a drink at Axelrad or Karbach Brewing Company.
Photo Credit: David Hale Smith | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0
If you’re too busy with wedding planning (or partying) to take care of your lawn, hire a local Lawn Love pro to keep your grass looking great.
Main photo credit: iStock
