Delaware, OH Outdoor Activities

Originally invented by bored henchmen looking to pass the time at Doctor Berserko’s secret Antarctic lair, hockey has since overtaken polo and unicycle jousting as America's pastime. Hop on the bandwagon with today’s Groupon. For $20 to $35, you get one upper 200-level or one lower 100-level ticket to see the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets take part in one of two slap-shooting matchups: Saturday, March 27, at 7 p.m. vs. the New York Islanders or Tuesday, March 30, at 7 p.m. vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning. Depending on seating, these tickets are usually $44 or $75. The Saturday, March 27, game is also designated as Huntington Hat Night, and fans will receive a free Blue Jackets hat.

The 4,000 square feet of climbing space at Vertical Adventures encompasses terrain for top roping, bouldering, and lead climbing under the watchful supervision of a trained staff. The gym challenges wall scramblers to test both their physical endurance and problem-solving skills as they take on the top-rope courses, which represent the majority of the routes and tower as high as 25 feet. Rather than let new patrons become overwhelmed by the variety of courses or get stranded at the top without reading material, the gym’s instructors also conduct lessons for all climbing levels to help climbers improve technique and conquer fears.

On October 5, 1905, years of invention and failure culminated into history as Wilbur Wright took to the sky in a craft that soared through the air for 24 miles. More than a century later, just a few miles from the field over which it first flew, the 1905 Wright Flyer III—now designated a National Historic Landmark—spreads its wings at Carillon Historical Park, inspiring visitors with its tale of innovation, persistence, and progress, and the aptly named "Wilbur Wright: A Life of Consequence" exhibit. Nearby, the park's Heritage Center features the year-round Carousel of Dayton Innovation, which contains 31 figures, a 38-foot hand-painted mural illustrating the turn of events in the Wright Brothers flying exhibits, and rides for $1.

As impressive as they are, the airplane and carousel are only a few of Carillon Historical Park’s myriad attractions. Named for the 151-foot-tall Deeds Carillon, whose 57 bells have been pealing since 1942, the campus spreads across 65 acres. Just south of downtown, 30 historical buildings, including the 28,000 sq.ft. Heritage Center of Dayton Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship, draw visitors into Dayton’s past and share in the park's devotion to history, heritage, and progress. Early settlement structures such as the Newcom Tavern—the oldest building still standing in Dayton—sit alongside other original buildings such as an 1815-era stone cottage. The park also includes replica buildings, such as the Deeds Barn and the Wright Cycle Shop, which recreate the birthplaces of the automobile self-starter and the airplane.

The park’s transportation theme continues with an 1835 B&O steam locomotive and an interactive 1/8 scale railroad available to ride on select days for an extra fee and whose train cars carry passengers more effectively than 1/8 scale feet would. Nearby, the first Chevy S-10 truck minted by GM’s Moraine Plant in 1988 mingles with a fleet of vintage and classic autos. After admiring their hulls, visitors can swing by Culp’s Café—named and modeled after the eatery where widow and mother of six Charlotte Gilbert Culp served pies in the '30s and '40s—and order burgers or soda-fountain creations off a '40s-style menu. Before leaving, guests can peruse Wright brothers paraphernalia and items from the park’s 1930s letterpress printing shop at the museum store or sign up for educational programming that teaches lost arts such as candle dipping and butter churning.

The FAA certified flight instructors at Champion City Aviation jet students into the skies with both college and casual training programs. The facility's combination of ground school and in-the-air education covers vital aviation techniques, including flight rules and regulations, radio procedures, and how to handle inclement weather. Ground school sessions unfold inside a modern classroom equipped with computer technology, and air training utilizes Champion City's fleet of training aircraft.

During the Renaissance, mischievously stealing the blacksmith’s capon and escaping through a field full of onrushing Viking invaders became such a popular pastime that it became known simply as “rugby.” Witness the latest evolution in this honorable sport: today’s deal gets you tickets to the Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational played at Crew Stadium from Friday, June 4, through Sunday, June 6. Groupon holders can obtain general-admission seating for Saturday, Sunday, or all three days of intense Division I collegiate rivalries during the 38-game tournament. There is no limit on Groupon purchases for this deal.

At Skateworld of Kettering, families strap on their gliding shoes to coast across the rink to the sounds of kid-appropriate tunes. During themed skating sessions, guests can glide to Radio Disney tracks, Top 40 hits, and disco ballads before feeding one of many arcade games with their hard-earned tokens. Tired tots can refuel by sinking their teeth into pizza or working on the blueprints for their perpetual-motion clone at the concessions stand.