Rye Playland:
Westchester County’s “Old Man by the Sea” is America’s only art deco amusement park, complete with seven original rides predating the 1930s. Shoot out the mouth of the 1929 wooden Dragon Coaster, or race hand-carved horses around at 25 mph on the 1927 Derby Racer. The Ice Casino has three indoor rinks for freestyle, adult skating and Child Puck Time. If that’s not enough excitement for you, there are fireworks every Wednesday and Friday from the 4th of July until the end of August.
www.ryeplayland.org (914) 813-7010
Baseball Hall of Fame:
Springtime is all about baseball, and while Major League Baseball is fully engaged in training and trading tomorrow’s all-stars, the legends of the past are immortalized at the
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown. Lou Gehrig’s mitt, Jackie Robinson’s jersey, and baseballs that were knocked out of the park by the Babe—the Baseball Hall of Fame brings to life those moments in history when records were made and broken, legacies were born and our cultural landscape was changed forever. (888) HALL-OF-FAME (425-5633)
Adirondack Extreme Adventure Course:
Take your family fun to the next level, in this case to the treetops of
The Adirondacks Extreme Adventure Course. After a safety and equipment lesson, make your way as a family through obstacles and games of increasing difficulty (and altitude) strung high between the trees, and celebrate every challenge you complete together. At the end you can cut loose (not literally) and ride two giant zip lines through the all-encompassing beauty of the Adirondack forest. (518) 494-7200
Allegany Adventure Run 2008:
If you’re trying to stay in shape, but can’t stand the monotony of pounding out the calories on a treadmill in the gym, challenge yourself to a cross-country race through lush forest trails at the
2008 Allegany Adventure Run. The sounds of the deep woods and your pounding heart are the soundtrack along four different courses (6K, 9K, 16K and 22K) that offer an exhilarating run through nature’s splendor for runners of all levels.
Darien Lake Theme Park Resort:
A full day of amusement is waiting for you at
Darien Lake Theme Park Resort. Riders go from 0 to 40 mph on the brand new Moto-Coaster motorcycles in less than two seconds, and the Big Kahuna draws its water-park inspiration from nearby Niagara Falls for 700 feet of extreme tubing. For supermen and women alike, the Ride of Steel features a hair-raising 208-foot, 70-degree hill that rockets riders back to earth at 70 mph. If and when your equilibrium returns, stick around for this summer’s concerts at the 20,000-seat Performing Arts Center, including Tim McGraw, Dave Mathews Band and Tom Petty. (585) 599-4641