Aurora, IL Outdoor Activities

For more than 50 years, the monks of Marmion Abbey have tended 300 acres of farmland. They started with Christmas trees, and now maintain 120 acres of pines, spruces, and firs that smell exactly like car freshener. On the remaining acres, they tend pumpkin vines and corn mazes, interspersing these areas with scenic picnic groves.

Throughout the year, the monks open their land to the public. In the autumn, they host Pumpkin Daze, a harvest festival with hayrides and a petting zoo. Around mid-November, they grant access to their tree farm, supplying visitors with rental saws for you-cut trees and bellowing "Timber!" just like Paul Bunyan did when he fell into bed at night. The monks stock their farm store with handcrafted goods that complement the season, whether caramel apples in the fall or quilts in the winter.

Score 18 Indoor Golf is host to a fleet of six ProTee golf simulators, which faithfully recreate the views and physics of the sport in a comfortable indoor environment. The simulators transport players to their choice of more than 94 global courses, each rendered with high-quality graphics and realistic playing elements. A camera system and putting sensor accurately track the trajectory and speed of each shot, recreating skillful approaches and over-the-knee club bending rituals. The simulators also provide useful data after each shot, providing particulars such as launch speed and club-head impact position as instant feedback for fine-tuning swings. Between shots, players can lounge in comfortable leather chairs and compare scores on complimentary printouts.

Paranormal investigator Kevin Frantz, author of Naperville, Chicago's Haunted Neighbor, has led visitors through spooky Naperville settings while dispensing historically accurate yarns for six years. As they make their way through these eerie locales, Kevin invites guests to snap their own photographs in the pursuit of a keepsake paranormal portrait.

Metro Dash pits athletes against their own limitations as they sprint through a 600-meter course dotted with 20 obstacles that test endurance and strength. High hurdles, balance beams, rope swings, and cargo nets impede the path as contestants—guts wrenching and muscles pounding—sprint to awaken their inner warriors. The Metro Dash staff stands by to control the flow of runners and penalize those who refuse to do an obstacle for fear of soiling their powdered wig.

Metro Dash staff members divide the race into waves, sending runners through the course to climb and crawl in their race T-shirts as spectators cheer on in support. They require runners in the Elite division to run the course a second time, totaling the scores for competition. After the race, awards for the top three cumulative male and female finish times will be announced. A portion of proceeds goes to benefit the Navy SEAL Foundation

Since 1976, Riedy's Tee Time Golf Range's PGA professional instructors have helped people shave strokes from their games on an outdoor driving range. Ultramodern mats anchor golfers as they grace Riedy’s well-manicured grass tees with golf balls plucked from a bucket or the throat pouch of a pelican. Always onsite, Reidy’s instructors can aid players in achieving the ideal arch for their swing or understanding the basics of swing mechanics during personalized lessons.

Against the backdrop of towering trees, a massive stone turtle perches atop a 12-foot waterfall that flows into a sky-blue wading pool. Behold Tortuga, Turtle Splash Water Park’s mascot and one of many whimsical, interactive structures that dot Turtle Splash Water Park’s five acres. In addition to getting soaked under Tortuga’s waterfall domain, visitors can clamor across the park’s interactive water playground and soar down three types of water slides, including a 35-foot twisting tube slide. Turtle Splash Water Park also fosters a sense of community through water-powered revelry: Swimming lessons empower youngsters in the water, and special events throughout the operating season give patrons and kids a chance to meet neighbors and celebrate holidays.