Things to Do in Jacksonville

Artisans fashion their handcrafted wares before visitors' eyes, strolling minstrels entertain passersby with song, and knights suit up for their next jousting match. Such sights are commonplace in the wooded 16th-century village of Petit Lyon, where the award-winning Renaissance St. Louis hosts its annual St. Louis Renaissance Faire. Renaissance St. Louis opts not to set its festivities in England or atop a napping dragon like so many fairs before, but rather in 16th-century France as homage to the city's French-exploration roots. At Petit Lyon, volunteers costumed as villagers, noble courtiers, and peasants chat with guests, while nearby swordfighters and jugglers entertain visitors with their standup routines. Meanwhile, the town's king and queen host special audiences with youngsters, who can greet critters in the petting zoo or explore the Viking camp's longboat display. Along with the St. Louis Renaissance Faire, Renaissance St. Louis continues educating the public with its St. Louis Pirate Festival, regional events, and travelling exhibits.

The pedal pioneers at Boschertown Grand Prix Racing have been facilitating high-speed adventures on one of the largest tracks in the Midwest for more than half a century. In the early days of racing, the course served as a venue for the homemade karts of avid individuals, but now houses a herd of go-karts, sprint-karts, and super-karts that eliminate the possibility of unfair home upgrades such as engines outfitted with nitrous or the flux-capacitor of a 1981 DeLorean. Drivers as young as 10 reach speeds of up to 17 mph in a standard kart; racers 16 or older helm 24 mph sprint-karts; and drivers 18 or older take control of 28 mph super-karts. Wheels roll over hairpin turns, banked corners, straightaways, and opponents' rights to call themselves "Greased Lightning" as drivers dominate laps around the 5/8-mile track.

Less than 90 minutes from St. Louis, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum houses the world’s largest collection of original Lincoln artifacts, complete with the Gettysburg Address. A life-size replica of Lincoln’s log cabin set back in a forest of artificial trees stands 40 feet tall just like the President’s iconic top hat. The museum also houses a re-creation of the Presidential Box at Ford’s Theatre, where the president was assassinated, and the state-of-the-art Union Theater, which projects films such as Lincoln’s Eyes, a broad overview of Lincoln’s personal and political life with a special focus on slavery. In the Ghosts of the Library exhibit, transparent phantoms of Lincoln and his contemporaries drift around powered by Holavision technology. Youngsters, supervised by parents, can try on period dress, pose for photos with life-size cutouts of young Abe, or reenact historic scenes in the Lincoln Home dollhouse located in Mrs. Lincoln’s attic, the hands-on learning center. Before heading home, patrons can browse the museum store—more than 3,500 square feet of artifact replicas and Lincoln-themed merchandise.

Carlisle Sports Emporium is a 20-acre complex, which houses a new 6,800-square-foot laser-tag arena, multiple go-kart tracks, and two 18-hole miniature-golf courses. Flanking these three attractions is a roller rink where skaters can experience walking on wheels without having to stick their legs through two different cars’ sunroofs. Visitors can also stretch their sinews on the computerized indoor climbing wall—which can simulate classic climbs such as El Capitan or Devil’s Tower—or hone their hand-eye coordination in an arcade with more than 100 games.

The crunch of fallen leaves or packed snow telegraphs the motions of warriors hidden in the underbrush on the outdoor fields at Commando Paintball Sports. Paintballs whisper through the air, flitting out from the barrels of Tippmann FT-12 or Piranha markers. The projectiles splatter against two-story forts or hollowed-out vehicles on the three wooded fields, which stay open year-round in almost any weather. On the urban combat field, patrons take cover in any of 20 buildings, including a three-story bell tower perfect for getting a birds-eye-view of opponents. Those seeking tournament-style play compete in a hyperball field designed by expert players. Laser tag keeps clothing clean while still eliciting floods of adrenaline.

Sun Valley Golf Course stretches over a 200-acre neck of Lincoln County and treats players to an 18-hole tour of its gently rolling hills and valleys. Though players often find themselves awed by the course's scenic countryside setting, they're just as likely to recount later how they fared when faced with its most unique feature: hole five, a 720-yard par 6. To slay this lengthy monstrosity, players tee off from an elevated tee box, then must work uphill past creeks at 200 yards and 260 yards and a large tree in the middle of the fairway to reach the elevated green. Architect Gary Kern included the highly unusual hole, known affectionately as "The Beast," as a way to stand out from the courses that distinguish themselves by allowing only croquet to be played on their greens.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-71 course
• Total length of 6,607 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 69.8 from the back tees
• Course slope of 124 from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole
• Scorecard