Things to Do in Black Forest

The FAC, which houses the Taylor Museum of Art, Bemis School of Art, and SaGāJi Theatre, was renovated in 2007 to incorporate a sparkling glass corridor, expand exhibition spaces, and update theatre sound and lighting systems. With a family membership, you'll get free admission to all the museum's galleries, early registration and $15 off classes at the Bemis School, discounts on FAC Theatre Company productions, discounts on events, and more (click here to see a complete list of member benefits.) This Groupon also includes four guest passes for introducing Byzantine–mosaic enthusiasts or Transylvanian werewolves to the Taylor Museum's Latin American, American–Indian, modern–American, and American–American artwork.

The Secret Garden runs from May 26 through September 6, and Aesop fables from September 22 through November 7. Shows are performed Fridays at 7 p.m. and Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. There's no show on the 4th of July, but there will be special Monday matinees of The Secret Garden on May 31 and September 6 at 2:30 p.m.

Looking to put a new spin on a classic family activity, the minds behind Glowgolf decided to give the game a phosphorescent update. Incandescent courses place friends and family amid a tropical-fantasy golf world of neon orange, green, and violet surroundings. Players putt luminous orbs through vibrant treasure chests and glimmering windmills while negotiating tricky obstacles near walls portraying black-light-lit aquatic scenes. With more than 20 locations spread over 10 states, Glowgolf's fluorescent labyrinths challenge human players and traveling gnomes.

Color Me Mine puts paintbrushes and pottery in the mitts of customers old and young. Budding Toyozo Arakawas will follow six easy steps to craft beautifully painted ceramics, first choosing a ceramic piece (most cost between $10 and $70) from Color Me Mine's selection of hundreds of seasonally changing items. After charting out the desired design from imaginative imagination, painters will select an underglaze from Color Me Mine's cast of more than 50 colors, then apply paint with the focus of a peregrine falcon occupied by a Rockwellian spirit. Color Me Mine handles all kiln-firing work, allowing clients to take home their final products within three to five days. A studio fee of $6 for children (12 and under) and $10 for adults covers all paints, supplies, glazing, and firing.

With a collection of more than 250,000 wealth-related objects, The ANA Money Museum educates currency-curious visitors on the history, art, and science of money. Catch the sparkle from silvery English coins from Oliver Cromwell's reign at the Coins, Crown, and Conflict exhibit. Or, watch golden change from 1795 to 1933 gleam in the Harry W. Bass Jr. Gallery, which also features a complete collection of $3 coins. Anyone who uses raw chunks of silver to brush his or her teeth will admire the die-cast craftsmanship and the image of the Goddess of Liberty cast on the museum's two U.S. 1804 dollars, of which there are only 15 known copies.

Rocky Mountain Batting Cages challenges softball and baseball lumber-luggers with six batting cages that use four semiautomatic fast- and slow-pitching machines. Once inside the cage with a free helmet and bat, batters set themselves in the new turf of the batter's box, simulating on-field experience with pre-at-bat rituals such as tightening gloves, loosening shoulders, or singing the refrain from "U Can't Touch This." For ace hurlers and infield clamberers, throwing tunnels and two pitching mounds make for a spot to hone in on an unhittable knuckleball. Rocky Mountain Batting Cages uses video analysis equipment and MotionPro! software to crunch cage-culled data and dispense digital feedback on swing technique and pitch fluidity.