Things to Do in Gantt

Paranormal researcher Jason Profit has earned the title of "Greenville's Ghost Hunter." He has worked with the spirit world since an early age, watching his mother banish spirits from neighbors' homes and selling lemonade to specters unable to sate their thirst for vengeance. He developed a passion for the unexplainable and, now, tirelessly studies the history and rumors surrounding known haunted sites. On tours, Profit shares his research on local hauntings and gives guests the opportunity to explore the location of mysterious deaths and accidents.

Monkey Joe's immerses kids aged 2–12 in a cushy world filled with bright yellows, reds, and greens. Amid the air-filled structures, kids enliven imaginations and burn off pent-up energy by scaling walls, cascading down slides, and drafting the blueprints for their parent's new inflatable summer home. During breaks in the action, they can also hit the arcade to try their hand at air hockey and other prize-redemption games.

Parents can head to the lounge to sip a rich cup of coffee, surf the 'net, and watch TV, confident that their little ones are under staff supervision. The friendly Monkey Joe's crew can also entertain groups in a private suite.

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion was renovated and expanded to include thousands of new seats, a larger canopy structure, and a state-of-the-art sound system that makes the Houston Symphony’s perfectly punctuated staccatos sound superb. Direct brass ear-horns toward the melodic strings of the Houson Symphony at Dancin' with the Symphony, where guests can choreograph high leg kicks and rhythmic punches beneath the stars.

Inspired by the bright, rich colors of 18th-century French and Swedish design, longtime Greenville resident Jennie Leigh Gainey revitalizes tired old home decor or furniture pieces with a distinct aesthetic that Town magazine calls "Alice in Wonderland meets Ethan Allen." Gainey's refurbished furniture pieces evoke simultaneous airs of refined gentility and informal hominess, like an ivy-covered country manor or an English baron in sweatpants. Having traded in the makeup brushes she once used to makeover the likes of Matthew McConaughey for more conventional art supplies, Gainey uses coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to impart an antique finish to nearly any surface. Eager DIY-ers can gather to glean her technique during relaxed BYOB painting parties.

At Golden Park, bowling balls tumble down 32 slick lanes while optional bumpers steer them away from the gutter and automatic scoring tracks every strike and spare. Black lights and a disco atmosphere wash over the lanes during glo bowling, held Friday and Saturday nights until 1 a.m. The skating arena lets visitors relive the carefree days of the '70s, when kids gathered at the rink after school and congressional elections were decided by bouts of roller derby.

A snack bar and tiki lounge restore energy lost during heated games, and flat-screen TVs keep competitive juices flowing with sports broadcasts. Nearby, the game room shelters arcade machines, a foosball table, and four billiards tables that often host APA Pool League matches. Golden Park also boasts the Bowling Connection Pro Shop, which outfits players with new balls, shoes, and bags for forthcoming frames.