By Jadrian Klinger
20 Take Me Out to the Ballgame
The sharp crack of a wooden bat connecting with a fastball, the snap of the ball against leather, the beauty of a well-manicured baseball diamond, the graceful precision of a perfectly turned 6-4-3 double play and the electric spectacle that is the home run – few sports inspire such rich nostalgia and offer such storied tradition. And the boys of summer are in full swing this time of year. Gather up your family, friends or that special someone for an evening out at the ballgame.
Harrisburg Senators,
Metro Bank Park
1 Championship Way, City Island, Harrisburg, senatorsbaseball.com, (717) 231-4444
Lancaster Barnstormers, Clipper Magazine Stadium
650 N. Prince Street, Lancaster
lancasterbarnstormers.com,
(717) 509-4487
York Revolution, Sovereign Bank Stadium
5 Brooks Robinson Way, York
yorkrevolution.com, (717) 801-4487
21 Out On the Frisbee Links
Have you ever been out on the golf course and thought to yourself, “I sure could use a frisbee right now”? Well, if you have, then disc golf is the perfect sport for you. With disc-golf courses – which are most often free to the public – in just about every midstate town, tossing a frisbee into metal baskets is a great way to spend some time outdoors.
Creekside Park, Camp Hill (18 holes)
D.F. Buchmiller Park,Lancaster, (18 holes)
Jackson Recreational Park,Lebanon, (18 holes)
Messiah Village, Mechanicsburg (9 holes)
Middlesex Township Park,Coyote Hills, Carlise (18 holes)
Pinchot State Park, Lewisberry (two courses, 18 holes each)
Red Land High School, Lewisberry (18 holes)
Whitetail Woods, Carlisle (9 holes)
Willow Mill Park, Silver Spring Township (9 holes)
22 Cliffhanger
The sport of ropes, chalked hand holds, groin-hugging harnesses, upper-body strength and fear scoffing joins together fun, exercise and more than a few adrenaline surges. Rock climbing, whether it be indoor or outdoor, offers everything an adventure seeker could possibly desire. There are very real risks and dangers involved with the sport though, so be extremely sure of your climbing skills before venturing away from the indoor rock walls
Climbnasium
339 N. Locust Point Road, Mechanicsburg
climbnasium.net, (717) 795-9580
Spooky Nook Sports
2778 Spooky Nook Road, Manheim
spookynooksports.com,
(717) 945-7087
23 The Kingdom of the Wild
From monkeys, lions and crocodiles to ostriches, zebras and snakes, the animal kingdom is on full display right here in the midstate. There is something for everyone, from kid to adult – exotic animal exhibits, safari tours, reptile houses, education programs and petting zoos.
Catoctin Wildlife Preserve & Zoo
13019 Catoctin Furnace Road, Thurmont, Md.
cwpzoo.com, (301) 271-3180
Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland
18628 U.S. 15, Allenwood
reptiland.com, (570) 538-1869
Lake Tobias Wildlife Park
760 Tobias Drive, Halifax
laketobias.com, (717) 362-9126
Land of Little Horses
125 Glenwood Drive, Gettysburg
landoflittlehorses.com, (717) 334-7259
Wolf Sanctuary of PA
465 Speedwell Forge Road, Lititz
wolfsanctuarypa.org, (717) 626-4617
ZooAmerica – North American Wildlife Park
201 Park Avenue, Hershey
zooamerica.com, (717) 534-3900
24 The A.T.
Running from Maine all the way to Georgia, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail stands as one the most famous hike-ways in America. We Pennsylvanians are fortunate because this amazing trail winds its way right through our own backyard, and a popular leg of the A.T., as it’s known to avid hikers, starts in Boiling Springs. Shoulder a backpack, lace up the hiking boots and grab a walking stick – the great outdoors are always open and the lines are never long.
Appalachian Trail Conservancy Mid-Atlantic Regional Office
4 E. First Street, Boiling Springs
appalachiantrail.org,
(717) 258-5771
25 The Greatest Show in the Universe
The oldest and greatest show in the universe is free. There is no admission price, viewing fee, tax or service charge to witness the most profound wonders known and unknown to humankind – or any other kind. The largest objects, the fastest speeds, the furthest distances, the strongest forces, the brightest lights are all on constant display – all you have to do to see it is look up at the nighttime sky. The best public place in the area to do it is at The Edward Naylor Observatory in Lewisberry.
The Edward Naylor Observatory
Astronomical Society of Harrisburg, Pa., Inc., 670 Observatory Drive, Lewisberry, astrohbg.org,
(717) 938-6041
26 Make Me Laugh
You can stay home, lounge on the couch, flip on the television and easily find something funny to watch. You may even crack a smile or let loose a chuckle, but nothing on cable can compare to the experience of witnessing a live comedic performance, and Central Pa. has more than enough funny to offer.
The Harrisburg Comedy Zone
110 Limekiln Road, New Cumberland
harrisburgcomedyzone.com,
(717) 920-5653
Second Street Comedy Club
236 N. 2nd Street, Harrisburg
secondstreetcomedyclub.com,
(717) 681-8012
Stitches Comedy Club
2300 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster
stitchescomedy.com,
(717) 826-3472
27 Thespians Live
The arts of story, song, speech, dance, set design and acting all come together in the realm of live theater performance. The films, shows and musicals on television and in the movie theater are certainly entertaining, but there is an undeniable magic to seeing a live production in person. Whether it’s Shakespeare brought to life in a park, or a national touring company at a big-time venue, live theater is well worth experiencing, and there are seemingly endless opportunities in the midstate to catch a show.
Allenberry Playhouse
1559 Boiling Springs Road, Boiling Springs
allenberry.com, (717) 258-3211
Carlisle Theatre
40 W. High Street, Carlisle
carlisletheatre.org, (717) 258-0666
The Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
510 Centerville Road, Lancaster
dutchapple.com, (717) 898-1900
Fulton Theatre
12 N. Prince Street, Lancaster
thefulton.org, (717) 394-7133
Gamut Theatre
605 Strawberry Street, Harrisburg
gamutplays.org, (717) 238-4111
Gretna Theatre
200 Pennsylvania Avenue, Mt. Gretna
gretnatheatre.com, (717) 964-3627
Hershey Area Playhouse
830 Cherry Drive, Hershey
hersheyareaplayhouse.com,
(717) 533-8525
Hershey Theatre
15 E. Caracas Avenue, Hershey
hersheytheatre.com,
(717) 534-3405
Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg
915 S. York Street, Mechanicsburg
ltmonline.net, (717) 766-0535
Oyster Mill Playhouse
1001 Oyster Mill Road, Camp Hill
oystermill.com, (717) 737-6768
Theatre Harrisburg
513 Hurlock Street, Harrisburg
theatreharrisburg.com,
(717) 232-5501
York Little Theatre
27 S. Belmont Street, York
ytl.org, (717) 854-3894
28 Back in Time
So far, modern technology has yet to come through on fulfilling the time-travel promises made by countless science-fiction novels, shows and films. But, until science gets their priorities in order, there are ample opportunities in the region to re-live the long ago with re-enactments of the Battle of Gettysburg as well as the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire.
The Battle of Gettysburg Re-enactment (July 4 through 7)
gettysburgreenactment.com, (717) 338-1525
Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire (August 3 through October 27)
2775 Lebanon Road, Manheim
parenfaire.com, (717) 665-7021
29 Riding the Rails
Long before autos clogged the roadways and planes filled the sky, the quickest way to travel was by rail. And the midstate provides numerous opportunities to experience the fun of traveling via train. From tourist passenger cars, themed rides and track trips through history, escape from traffic-filled roadways and enjoy the charm of the rails.
Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad
136 Brown Street, Middletown
mhrailroad.com, (717) 944-4435
Strasburg Railroad
301 Gap Road, Ronks
strasburgrailroad.com,
(717) 687-7522
Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association
RR 2, Mechanicsburg
wghseas.org, (717) 766-4001
30 Mud Running and Zombie Racing
Adventure runs and races make plain-old jogging or sprinting enormously more entertaining by utililzing diversions such as obstacles, mud and zombie costumes – just to name a few. For those in search of real competition or just a unique blast of athletic fun, sign up as a team or go solo in one or all of the many adventure runs going on throughout the summer.
Capital City Adventure Challenge (June 29)
City Island, Harrisburg
harrisburgymcaraces.com
The Filthy Fun Mud Run (September 14)
Shippensburg
filthyfunevents.com
Gung Ho Adventure Race 2013 (June 15)
Pine Grove Furnace
gunghoadventurerace.com
Lower Allen Park Adventure Run (September 7)
Mechanicsburg
millsadventurerunning.com
Spartan Race Pennsylvania Sprint (July 13)
Palmerton
mudandadventure.com
The Zombie Mud Run
(September 21)
Reading
thezombiemudrun.com