Things to Do in Fall River

Incandescent fish, turtles, and dolphins illuminate the underwater-themed wonder worlds of Oceans 18’s glow-in-the-dark mini-golf course and two lanes of mini bowling that provide indoor fun year-round. Oceans 18 keeps links-lovers entertained with a full-size golf simulator while mini bowling promises all the fun of the alley without the hassle of wearing rental shoes or a bedazzled bowling glove. Patrons can also carry on their competitive spirit in Oceans 18’s extensive arcade.

It would take months of sea travel, extensive scuba certifications, and fluency in several crustacean dialects to find—let alone interact with—all the creatures found in Ocean Explorium's interactive exhibits. The science center emphasizes environmental stewardship and scientific literacy through several educational habitats such as touch tanks of local aquatic wildlife—including New Bedford's world-famous scallops and schools of rays and sharks. The Living Laboratory exhibit brings visitors face to face with sea creatures such as baby sharks, shark egg cases, coral farm, and moon jellies. Beyond the up-close encounters with denizens of the deep, Ocean Explorium also enlightens patrons with a variety of non-living displays. The Explorer's Zone presents scientific experiments that reveal the workings of the natural world through hands-on exhibits themed around different weekly topics, and Discovery Bay enthralls children aged eight or younger with games, puzzles, and a sand and water table. Advanced computers construct a three-dimensional image of our home planet as it appears from outer space in the Science on a Sphere exhibit, displaying global weather patterns in real time or replaying natural phenomena from history, such as the time it rained men.

Past rows of seats covered in crimson, past a red carpet that brings out the auditorium's regality, past a centerpiece chandelier that dangles from the ceiling with the quiet grace of a toddler climbing out of her crib, is a stage. Upon this stage, the Zeiterion Theatre explores the performing arts, hosting national and international performers who enlighten the community to other cultures and inspire the younger population to actively participate in the arts. Every year, Zeiterion, lovingly known as "The Z," also provides 5,000 free tickets to children and families with low incomes, working to make arts more accessible to all.

Perfectly picturesque with white wooden fencing, a bright red barn, and lush, green pastures, Grandview Farm's storybook surroundings provide a welcoming setting for riders to hone their horsemanship skills. Once awakened from their standing slumber inside the 16-stall facility, Grandview equine employees and their certified human handlers teach students saddle seat, hunt seat, and Western riding styles in both private and group lessons.

Named as a Best of Rhode Island 2011 attraction by Yankee magazine, The Butterfly Zoo cultivates a tapestry of colorful flying creatures. Celebrating its 20th summer, the zoo’s enclosure houses hundreds of different butterfly species from across the globe, including white monarchs, common buckeyes, and chinese yellow swallowtails. A variety of mounted butterflies is also available for purchase to decorate a home office or serve as a warning to moths fluttering around your home office. Open until Labor Day, the zoo’s outdoor enclosure is also sometimes visited by larger flying critters, including wild turkeys and hawks.