Things to Do in Hampton

Today, Robert, James Cook, and their team of instructors teach courses in open water diving certification, as well as beginners classes and courses that can lead to careers. They also supply divers with all requisite equipment and help organize diving trips to destinations such as the Bahamas.

Bowling at Sparetimes is all about fun and convenience. Bumpers in each of the 32 lanes rise and fall with ease so that parents and children can share a lane, and an automatic scoring system keeps track of frames as pins clatter to the floor. The snack bar provides sustenance in the form of pizza and sandwiches, while the arcade offers a chance to stretch out fingers on both hands. Bowlers also take a break between games at the Winners Circle sports bar, where they can continue enjoy a game of pool or electronic darts. On the weekends, the lights go low during glow bowl, when music videos take over the two 10‘x12’ screens hanging above the lanes and black lights give white T-shirts a bluish gleam so that they can be used to direct approaching UFOs to the parking lot.

Hampton Roads IcePlex caters to skaters of all experience levels, from tot lessons for 4- and 5-year-olds to its hockey league exclusively for polar bears. Youth and adult hockey leagues pit hockey enthusiasts against other local teams for exhilarating season play. The rink welcomes figure skaters of all backgrounds to lay claim to the ice as well, performing the simplest of two-foot spins to the most complex slam-dunks.

Peninsula Fine Arts Center isn't a passive art museum where guests stare silently at paintings and statues. Instead, the center uses rotating exhibitions of paintings, photographs, and pottery to inspire visitors to create their own artwork. To that end, the exhibiting artists often teach in the center's Studio Art School. Classes range from single-day workshops to 10-week sessions, during which instructors might teach small groups to paint with watercolors or change out a flat pottery wheel. The instructors keep their schedule balanced, leading classes that suit all ages and skill levels. Other classes, such as Little Helping Hands Adventure in Clay, let kids and adults create artwork together.

Kids don't need to sign up for classes to try out their art skills, however. In the Hands On for Kids interactive gallery, young patrons draw on a chalkboard wall, build with blocks, and complete various projects inspired by the exhibitions.

ArtInspired pools together various forms of art to spark creativity and help members make positive lifestyle changes. In one part of the facility, visitors wade through the depths of their imagination during educational programs, including in graphics, photography, marketing and design. To burn off stored up energy, those same visitors may want to slide into their workout gear and partake in ArtInspired's collection of dance-based fitness classes. Those classes–which steer away from typical group fitness routines–include Zumba, Bollywood dance, and hip-hop, amongst others.

From its four locations around Hampton Roads, Cinema Cafe combines old-fashioned American cuisine with first- and second-run films. The multisensory experience has garnered the movie houses a total of 11 gold medals in the Virginia-Pilot's Best of Hampton Roads 2012 awards. Thanks to a roaming wait staff, diners can place their orders mid-film and enjoy them right in the theater, a practice that discourages pizza scalpers from stalking customers in the lobby.