Things to Do in Chester

A traditional layout of kempt bent-grass fairways and greens, Wedgwood Country Club's gently rolling 18-hole course wends through a dense thicket of trees, bunkers, and ponds. Measuring 7,100 yards from the farthest tees, the par-72 course eases clubbers into the round with a relatively open front nine before testing their accuracy and squirrel diplomacy on a tight, tree-lined back nine. With four sets of tees, the course presents a par-hunting test to all players, from beginners to those who can wallop a drive more than 300 yards.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-72 course

• Total length of 7,100 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 74.4 from the back tees

• Slope rating of 133 from the back tees

• Bent-grass fairways and greens

• Four sets of tees per hole

• Scorecard

Rolling hills, wooded terrain, and shimmering waterways serve as the canvas upon which Beckett Golf Club’s 27-hole, 9,577-yard golf complex shines. The swath of verdant playing grounds forms three distinct nines that golfers mix and match to create varied 18-hole rounds. The longest layout, the blue course, confronts players with bends and jumps in the form of dogleg fairways and water hazards on three holes. A fast-starting swing is a must for golfers starting on the red course, where the first hole—a 498-yard par 5—is also the layout’s most difficult, bending sharply to the left with a lush patch of trees that prevents shortcuts and golf-cart drag races. The shortest of the three nines, the white course puts water in play on two holes and revels in the rolling fairways and medium-size greens that characterize the entire 27-hole layout.

As darkness creeps across city streets, Grim Philly unearths Philadelphia's grisly past with a pair of highly researched, carefully developed twilight tours rife with sinister themes and risqué adult content. Professor Joe Wojie—a regular lecturer on historical and macabre topics at Rider University in New Jersey—leads each two-hour odyssey, peeling back the corners of local folklore with stories and facts drenched in blood or terrifying amounts of grape jelly. In addition to its original Vampires, Sex, and Ghosts! tour, Grim Philly serves up spooks with Cemetery, Serial Killers; Blood & Beer!, which whets appetites with gruesome tales of gangsters and psychopaths before stopping at Mexican Post Tavern for beer and snacks. No matter the tour, guests are ensured to pass a number of historic sites, such as Benjamin Franklin's grave and the street corner where Paul Revere ate an entire horse.

The founders of Philadelphia Sightseeing Tours have dedicated more than a quarter of a century to local tourism. They bring that expertise to hop-on hop-off bus and trolley tours of the city, which allow guests to design their own itineraries. Sightseers board a London-style double-decker bus or old-fashioned trolley at the Bourse building and journey to more than 20 historical sites, including Love Park and the steps Rocky punched in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Passengers can disembark and explore the Eastern State Penitentiary or pose by the Liberty Bell for as long as they like before boarding the next bus or trolley. Tickets grant unlimited access to the vehicles for 24 hours, letting discoveries last until the sun goes down or Ben Franklin’s ghost starts his night shift at the tollbooth.

For nearly 40 years, First State Lanes has kept pastimers and ardent tenpin enthusiasts furnished with waxed lanes, snack-bar provender, and accouterments from a fully-stocked pro shop. Amateurs hurl spheroids at lanes alongside semi-pros doing battle in colorful league uniforms or impressive gladiator outfits. During rounds, the full-service snack bar slings pizzas, plates of signature chicken tenders, and a selection of beers. During the evenings, bouts of cosmic red-pin bowling cast pins in crimson and black-light glow, and any bowler who throws a strike that houses le pin rouge wins a dollar. For less alley-based diversions, guests can saunter over to the game room to play pool and arcade games.

Ever since the first giant pumpkin was carved into a carriage, people have wanted to travel in style. Philadelphia Trolley Works, a subsidiary of 76 Carriage Company, turns fairy tales into reality with a fleet of double-decker buses, motor coaches, horse-driven carriages, and their namesake trolleys. On any given day, the historic streets of Philadelphia pulse with trolley or horse-pulled tours of Independence Hall and the Rocky steps. Cinderella-inspired horse-drawn carriages and Victorian-style trolleys transport bridal parties to weddings, and jumbo-sized motor coaches can be rented for casino trips and cross-country air-guitar tours.