Eureka, MO Outdoor Activities

Since swinging open its doors in 1965, Rock Roll-O-Rena has provided a safe hub for lacing up and rolling around or simply kicking back with friends and family. Second-generation owners Glen and Jo Donna Neifert keep the facility in top shape, sending skaters gliding across the hard maple floor as speakers shell out top 40 tunes.

Off the rink, bleacher seating, a fully stocked concession stand, and arcade games divert attention from unhip physicists lecturing skaters on centripetal force, and air conditioning maintains a cooler atmosphere during the summer months. Dedicated to keeping the community strong, Rock Roll-O-Rena also offers a strong incentive for youngsters to keep up their grades, trading a discount pass for each A on a report card not earned by staining it with alphabet soup.

Every design choice of Top Gun Shooting Sports' 18-lane indoor range was made with marksmen's comfort in mind, starting with the roomy booths. At 40 inches wide, each booth can accommodate both a shooter and an instructor, and at 84-inch-tall, the partitions prevent shells from ejecting into a neighbor's lane. While sportsmen enjoy these spacious surrounds and the convenience of automatic target retrieval, a HEPA-filtered ventilation system controls climate while removing up to 99.97% of particle discharge.

Complementing the range, a training center equips instructors to teach classes such as the NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course and personal home protection through a blend of classroom and live-fire training. In addition to overseeing this training, Top Gun's staff coordinates several levels of membership, such as the Silver membership that grants marksmen privileges such as waived lane fees for a year. The arms experts at the pro shop advise visitors on defense options, and gunsmith Eric Olson repairs, restores, and customizes firearms.

As soon as the sun crests the horizon, the crew at Balloons Over the Rainbow is already hard at work, inflating balloons and assembling the gondolas that will soon take flight over St. Louis. After fashioning the craft, crewmembers and passengers gently float upward like a levitating children’s magician to hover above the metro area for a cloud's eye view of local attractions and flora and fauna. Balloons Over the Rainbow prioritizes its passengers’ safety, providing peace of mind throughout each skyward sojourn via a perfect balloon safety record and stringent security policies. After their scenic and safe trip, groups return to the ground to celebrate with a commemorative certificate and lapel pin.

It’s only 5 kilometers long, but the Zombie Survival Dash, as the name might suggest, is a bit more than the average run. As runners tagged with timing chips for tracking, placement, and action shots make their way toward the finish line, they're also equipped with three flags representing their health. Meanwhile, the course's stretch is littered with both traditional obstacles and costumed zombies who block, stumble, and chase runners and attempt to steal their health flags.

All the while, spectators look on, as every half hour a wave of 300 survivors is unleashed upon the course. Then, spectators, survivors, and zombies retire hand-in-hand to an all-day after party with live music and entertainment, just like at the end of a real zombie movie. Vendors dispense food and drink as partiers participate in zombie-themed fair activities such as faux-grenade tosses and body-bag drags.

There are a lot of places sinister ghouls can hide in 29 acres of forest. But unfortunately for STLFear’s guests, only the light of the moon will guide them as they navigate the forest’s haunted depths, forcing them to rely on their wits as they make their way through the leaf-strewn paths. Visitors can test their mettle on Friday and Saturday nights in October until 11 p.m. when the staff closes off the gates. STLFear also offers passes so that guests can skip the line and a coffin in which brave visitors can take novelty photographs.