First Time Shopping at SCHEELS
October 2026 Monthly Adventure
My original plan for this month was to go on a ghost tour around Austin. However, I was simply too tired to participate in a 3-hour tour at night. Going alone is also not ideal for that activity and is one that I realized would be more enjoyable with friends. With October being Austin's busiest month of the year, I also wanted to avoid being in places where all the tourists would be. That led me to SCHEELS which recently opened in Cedar Park, a northwest suburb of Austin.
Background
Ads were running on tv and social media for several months leading up to the grand opening of SCHEELS. As their late August grand opening drew closer, those ads were amped up to highlight more of what to expect from the giant sports and outdoors store: shopping entertainment. The grand opening featured what was essentially a carnival in the parking lot and giveaways. The company did an excellent job of making it seem like something truly special was coming to Cedar Park, and people from all over the Central Texas area made their way there for the opening.
I did not want to deal with all the fanfare and opted to go a couple of months later for this Monthly Adventures Series post because I wanted a chill weekend. I knew that going within a couple of hours before the Texas Longhorns hosted Ole Miss for a football game while also being on the opposite side of town from all the action at Circuit of the Americas for the F1 United States Grand Prix meant the store wouldn't be too busy.
Getting to SCHEELS in Cedar Park
Driving to SCHEELS in Cedar Park is pretty simple because it's located about a half mile away from the 183 Toll Road on New Hope Drive. However, there is a lot of construction ongoing in that area with the traffic patterns altered every few months and a hotel and convention center being built next door to SCHEELS. Parking is abundant due to the lot being made to also allow for easy access to the future convention center and a massive furniture store on either side of SCHEELS. It's important to note that this parking lot is designed with high traffic in mind. There are multiple roundabouts to keep traffic flowing at the primary lot entry and exit points along with arrows indicating one-way or two-way rows for parking spaces. When you're leaving the parking lot and need to go left to get back towards the 183 Toll Road, the traffic light will be your friend!
My Experience Shopping at SCHEELS for the First Time
I wasn't at SCHEELS simply to do some sightseeing. Yes, I was there with the intention of checking out this new store that was hyped up all summer, but I also needed to buy a new latex-free exercise mat. Those are hard to come by at many stores and I figured a place as large as SCHEELS should have more options to select from at varying price points. From the moment I pulled into the parking lot, I instantly knew that I would end up going through the entire store before finding a new mat -- and I was correct!
The exterior of the store is reminiscent of a Bucc-ee's with bronze statues out front (including one of Frederick Douglass) and bright red lettering along the top of the storefront with a brick façade. There is also an enclosed lobby area of sorts that adds to the Bucc-ee's feel and it doesn't help that the beaver-themed store, like SCHEELS, sells some outdoor and camping gear. When you walk into the store beyond that space, you're clearly entering a space that only a business like SCHEELS can create. The most obvious sign is the gigantic custom fish tank serving as the official welcoming into the store.
Just past the fish tank was an electric Mercedes in burnt orange that I could only assume was on display for the F1 race at Circuit of the Americas over the weekend. Right behind the car was the full sized ferris wheel lit up in glowing primary colors with a large SCHEELS logo at the center of the wheel. Knowing that I was there on a mission to buy an exercise mat and still get back home before the start of the football game, I didn't spend too much time gazing and made a left towards a section of shoes and athletic clothes that felt like I was walking around a Dillard's or Macy's at the mall. There was a booth dedicated to sunglasses in the vicinity and wheeled items towards the back of the store. It was surprising to see a sports and outdoors store in Texas with so much skating and skiing gear for sale.
I continued my ground floor loop along what is the "back wall" of the store and found myself mesmerized by the amount of bikes and scooters on display. Across from that was a section dedicated to Texas Longhorns gear and it was the largest fan apparel section in the store. Other fan apparel included major professional sports teams in Texas and items for major and minor league teams in the Austin area. Along that same back wall on the other side of the bikes is a café with snacks available for purchase. As I kept walking the ground floor, there was a very large section of swimwear, shoes, and athletic apparel with custom designs for each section to match the featured brands. While walking, I saw the growing line for the ferris wheel made up of people of all ages.
Once I saw everything on the first floor, I made my way up the steps to the second floor. The second floor is where all the designated photo opportunities are located. A Jurassic Park-like dinosaur scene is next to the staircase with a sign that includes information about how to post and tag SCHEELS on social media. Across from that is a candy store which is conveniently located to the left of the children's baseball and softball gear. The sections along the "back wall" are filled comprised of jackets and coats of different materials and weights with the introduction of fishing and hunting gear along with a small arcade while continuing towards the opposite side of the staircases. This is also an ideal part of the store to get a great view of the ferris wheel!
On the side of the store directly opposite the dinosaur display is another feature for a photo opportunity. This one is clearly sponsored by Yeti, with a giant version of their classic all white cooler to take pictures in. More hunting gear is available while walking towards the front side of the store on the second floor, including a plethora of products for training hunting dogs. To complete the hunting section, there is a feature highlighting mountain wildlife that looks like something straight out of a science museum exhibit. Behind that is camping gear. To the right of that wildlife scene is where all the general health and wellness products were and the last section of the store that was left for me to see. After some careful comparisons and reviewing prices, I found a new exercise mat and began to make my way towards the staircase again so I could checkout and go home. There was an interactive saloon-themed shooting game sharing a wall with the candy store -- in case you needed a another reminder that the second floor is where all the hunting gear and the arcade are located.
Wrap-Up
I was only in SCHEELS for about 45 minutes and that place is fascinating to say the least! It felt like it lived up to the hype of all those ads on tv from the summer. SCHEELS is entertaining, overstimulating, and takes the best of stores like Academy, IKEA, Macy's, Dillards, Bucc-ee's and other businesses to combine them into a single, massive store. The employees are very friendly and can be found around pretty much any corner. They check to see if you need help looking for anything in the store and are super understanding when you tell them that you're there to just browse and see what's there. If you're committed to taking in the full SCHEELS experience by going to the arcade, candy shop, café, ferris wheel, etc., you will likely find yourself in the store for a couple of hours. If they had batting cages like Academy used to back in the day or maybe even golf simulators, I can picture someone spending half their day at the store.
Will I return to SCHEELS for more shopping in the future? I don't think I will unless it is the only place where I can find what I am looking to purchase. It's not the cheapest sporting goods store and I didn't see anything that really highlighted special deals or sales. I can find better prices and sometimes more options for certain items at other stores. I did enjoy my experience shopping for the first time though and I would consider returning if they were hosting an event that I wanted to attend. I'll be sure to keep my eye on their events calendar just in case.
On to the next adventure!
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