Things to Do in Andover

Inside of a 62,000-square-foot arena, The Alley orchestrates an endless labyrinth of entertainment options including 32 bowling lanes, an electric go-kart raceway, classic and modern arcade games, and billiards tables. The slick assortment of bowling boulevards includes eight cosmic lanes that stay aglow for 24 hours each day. The fume-free racing area spans 16,000 square feet of the facility, allowing racers to compete on a track as large as the average mansion of a Full House fan-fiction writer. In the Back Alley Sports Grill, bowlers, racers, and pool players gather under the glow of two 20-foot projection TVs in addition to flat-screen sets to enjoy concessions such as pizza and soft drinks.

When autumn's crisp breezes carry October into Kansas, Mr. Gourdman's Pumpkin Patch swings open its gates to help families celebrate the season with pumpkin picking, horseback rides, and an assortment of other fall-related activities. Visitors can simply soak in the scenery or take on some of the property's challenges, including a hay maze and an unofficial grass-eating contest against Mr. Gourdman's donkey, Leroy. During breaks, a picnic area lets groups gather around snacks from their own cooler, and an arts-and-crafts stand doles out keepsakes with which to remember the day.

Adventure Sports provides 385,000 gallons of deep, heated pool water for a realistic scuba-training experience despite the landlocked land on which it sits. The discover scuba-diving experience is a one-time, roughly 1.5-hour introductory course to the world of scuba diving. With training from a PADI-certified instructor, you'll learn the basics of using scuba gear, including the mask, fins, snorkel, weights, tank, and suction cups. All Adventure Sports instructors are up to date with training in CPR and first aid.

All Star Adventures and All Star Sports's two facilities are loaded with fun-park distractions for both kids and adults. While All Star Sports focuses on athletic attractions such as wall climbing and batting cages, All Star Adventures models its facility after amusement-park thrills that include helicopter rides, a tilt a whirl, and a classic-style carousel. Both locations house a snack bar and throw open their gates seven days a week, remaining open long past the time when the sun goes to bed and the moon comes out to daydream about Buzz Aldrin.

Founded in 2003, the Tallgrass Film Festival celebrates dramas, comedies, documentaries, and short films from all over the world. Especially focused on the underdogs of moviemaking, the festival invites auteurs to enjoy four days of eager audiences, after-parties, panel discussions, and popcorn fights. The festival has played an integral role in Wichita’s growing appeal to burgeoning directors and screenwriters, as noted by MovieMaker magazine earlier this year.

Mosley Street Melodrama, which brings life to the tradition of dramatic exaggeration, is Wichita’s only audience-participation dinner theater. Arm yourself with enough snark, wit, and emotional breakdowns to cheer facetiously as the villain saves the day; the productions are designed to incorporate audience cheers, boos, and flying fruit while rowdy, wholesome humor makes the entire family guffaw. After doors open at 6 p.m., theater buffs fuel their laughing machines with an all-you-can-eat barbecue buffet provided by Pig In! Pig Out! BBQ. Pulled pork, beef brisket, smoked chicken, sumptuous side dishes, and coffee or iced tea are available, along with vegetarian options if requested in advance. A bar with specialty drinks, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages is also available.