Things To Do in Danville

The Proehlific Park Family Sports Complex and Fitness Center is a sprawling facility, whose space opens up for youth and adult programs, fitness activities, and sports. Three basketball courts and a 70-yard turf field welcome soccer and flag-football leagues. Meanwhile, the fitness center holds a weight room, spinning studio, cardio center, along with group exercise classes such as yoga, Zumba, and Pilates. While not relaxing in locker rooms complete with saunas, customers will also find free wireless and a smoothie bar in the lobby.

Dedicated to granting kids a safe, fun play space where even tumbles result in laughter, Monkey Joe's goes out of its way to foster a friendly environment for all guests. Throughout the day, the eagle-eyed staff—in adherence with a rigorous Safety Access Child Control System—oversees kids at play on the inflatable slides, obstacle courses, and climbing walls that dapple the indoor play area, with video monitoring on hand for further peace of mind. The main play area fields the bounces of youthful guests aged 12 and younger, and the Mini Monkey Zone's games and puzzles afford toddlers a chance to escape the world of older kids and their pre-algebra jokes for a recreational haven of their own. In addition to walk-in play, a bustling party zone facilitates gravity-defying birthday celebrations tended to by cheery staff. As their progeny run and jump, parents can retreat to the tranquil confines of the adult lounge with a computer station, comfortable chairs, and flat-screen TVs. Even after the ebullient crowds of tots have cleared the premises, the staff remains committed to children's well-being as they scour every inch of the inflatable equipment with sanitizing cleaners that evict common germs trying to nap in the cloud-like nooks and crannies.

Captain Josh Laferty channels more than two decades of experience fishing the local waters to help people find and reel in striped bass from Smith Mountain Lake. During his chartered trips, up to three fishermen hang out on an Angler center-console boat equipped with refreshments, safety gear, and fishing equipment such as Orvis fly tackle and Outcast planer boards. Since the boat comes stocked with everything needed for a day—or half-day—of fishing, participants only need to bring their Virginia freshwater-fishing license and arrive dressed in season-appropriate apparel and mermaid tails.

Engines roar across a tire-lined track, where single, double, and junior go-karts speed through turns and on toward victory. This is only one of the attractions that greets visitors to The Zone. Baseballs soar across the batting cages' mesh big-top tent, and the mini-golf course dots its baize landscape with obstacles such as miniature barns or tiny warehouses filled with smaller replicas of the mini-golf course. Indoors, video games fill an arcade with a symphony of electronic beeps, while party rooms play host to shindigs with themes such as princesses and activities such as crafts.

A Franklin Street icon, the recently renovated Varsity Theatre has entertained audiences and cineastes for more than 50 years with screenings of current blockbusters, cult flicks, indie films, and classics. A vintage marquee beckons audiences to file into comfy seats as 35mm and digital projectors project movies onto screens. Along with regularly scheduled showings, The Varsity also holds special events such as film forums, dinner-and-movie specials, or interviews with John Wayne's neckerchief. Groups can rent out the theaters for birthday parties, corporate functions, or special events, with multiple media services and catering options available.

Though a perfect row looks like one smooth motion, it is actually built from four component movements—you start with dropping the oars into the water during the catch, and then move the oars toward the stern during recovery. Such precision of form is vital in team rowing, where a single asynchronous stroke could cost the shell its momentum and, ultimately, a win for its team. Thus, Triangle Rowing Club strives for synchronicity amongst its students, building within them the balance, endurance, and hand webbing needed to propel teams of two, four, or eight to victory. The club often competes in regional regattas, traveling to nearby states to demonstrate their teamwork.

On the scenic Smith Mountain Lake, run-about motorboats and WaveRunners create arcing, white-capped wakes atop the water. Nearby, slower-moving pontoons host anglers and picnickers. The captains of each of these vessels owe their enjoyable day to the family-owned Hales Ford Marina & Boat Rentals, which loans its equipment to locals and visitors alike. In addition to pairing clients with the right boat, staffers also perform repairs and maintenance, including winterization for a variety of vehicles.