Things to Do in Florence

The bowling alleys at Crossgate Lanes, Stone Lanes, and Eastgate Lanes invite gamers to send balls down gleaming runways in expansive, family-friendly facilities. Those weary of drawing straws to count the pins after each ball can take comfort in automatic scoring at all three locations. Each alley also hosts regular glow bowling, with lighting more luminescent than the water-wheel-powered disco balls of the 1970s. Patrons of Stone Lanes can also relax after their games in an onsite lounge, which is outfitted with three televisions.

The experienced instructors at Eastern Hills Indoor Tennis Club know what it takes to win games against tough opponents. Brian Clark and Steve Levine both crossed rackets with skilled rivals while playing for Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati. And Doug Matthews helps lead collegiate students to victory as the assistant coach of Xavier's men's and women's tennis teams. It's this wealth of experience that makes the club’s group lessons so successful. Classes are designed to improve the skills of all players, whether they're well versed in the sport or have only used a racket to bat away a bumblebee.

Amid leafy branches and between gently swaying trees, human beings soar through the air. Dagaz Acres' eco-adventure zipline course lets children, adults, and adult-size children explore woodland canopies up to 70 feet high, and staff ensures that participants glide snugly in their half-body swing harnesses. Adventurers plunge through seven dual ziplines strung over 23 acres of ground and ravines, three canopy-level ziplines, and two bridges. One bridge is a Burma bridge built with varying types of rope, and the other is a plank construction pirate bridge that stretches 90 feet and swings over a ravine to discourage motorcycle-chase sequences. Dagaz Acres' staff members spread their love of outdoors learning to team-building and leadership exercises held in single-day and overnight programs. They train athletic teams and office groups through ground exercises and on a low-challenge ropes course, which allows participants to engage in physical challenges without the added risk of a bird nesting in their hair. The company reflects this passion in its name, Dagaz, which is derived from a Nordic rune meaning "transformational breakthrough change." Staffers enable others to change through adventure as they design, build, and maintain zipline and ropes courses elsewhere through Dagaz Acres Management Inc. construction division.

At Cincinnati Diving Center, the certified instructors take the art of diving seriously—from beginner’s sessions to rescue-diver courses, all training programs incorporate both classroom and in-water sessions to ensure complete preparation for frolics in the sea or the neighbor’s aquarium. The center also sells scuba and snorkeling gear for successful swims and coordinates group trips to the ocean to free divers from the stresses of vacation planning.

At Neusole Glassworks, gurus of all stripes and skill levels come together to fuse, blow, and mold glass both for independent projects and classes that explore the art form. The nonprofit facility sets the stage for inspired creation with flame-working, hotshop, and fusing studios that help the crew and their pupils transform raw materials into polished paperweights, unique pendants, and colorful new windshields. Upstairs, Neusole Glassworks invites browsers to tote pieces home from the gift shop or let their eyes feast on the myriad colors and textures at Atmosphere @ Neusole—a gallery for emerging artists and the facility’s students. In addition to welcoming anyone into its facility, Neusole Glassworks dispatches a mobile glassblowing studio to enliven street fairs and churn out slippers for palace dance parties.

The Drake Planetarium & Science Center captivates young minds with educational shows as well as after-school programs that teach creative problem solving and teamwork. Planetarium shows cover a wide range of topics and teach audiences to recognize seasonally changing constellations, planets, and lunar foliage. Starry Nights at the Cincinnati Astronomical Society invite stargazers to peep into the universe through the facility's powerful telescopes or highly magnified monocles, and laser light shows also grace the planetarium dome with 2-D, 3-D, and abstract animations choreographed to classic rock and holiday-theme recordings.