Things to Do in Lakeland
Recommended Things to Do by Groupon Customers
Golf Etc. Lakeland helps golfers through the entire process of upgrading their arsenal, from finding brand-name equipment to adjusting their current gear to fit their game. Brothers Luke and J.J. Miller—the latter of whom coaches golf at Southeastern University—run the shop and personally oversee the custom club-fitting process. In the hitting bay in the back of the store, visitors are likely to see Luke—who fits and maintains clubs for many local pros—analyzing a client's swing with technology that helps him prescribe the right club or zone in on any modifications, such as adjusting the length of the shaft or replacing the club head with a jai-alai basket. Golf Etc. also features an indoor putting green for golfers to test out prospective flatsticks, and J.J. and Luke regularly perform club re-gripping and repair services.
Though the creatures on display at Dinosaur World don’t need much space to roam, plenty of care has been taken to furnish them a comfortable habitat. They peer imposingly from the hillsides of Kentucky, crane their necks up through native trees, and stomp through prairie fields. Although a life-size mammoth or T. rex might be hard to miss, little visitors might still jump with delight at noticing a baby dino suddenly appear from behind a bush. Giant brachiosaurus necks arch high above treetops, while toothy meat-eaters and spiny stegosauruses roam the world below. The fiberglass, steel, and concrete models reach up to 80 feet in length, and are built according to the latest scientific discoveries about what dinosaurs looked like and what styles were trendy in the Mesozoic era.
The first Dinosaur World location was a former alligator farm in Florida and five years later another one was opened in Kentucky. As Swedish-born Christer Svensson began to fill it with statues, he consulted with experts around the world to not only create realistic reptiles but to surround them with fun, educational activities. Kids can sift through sand to find shark’s teeth, gastropod shells, and trilobites in a fossil dig, get to know some lizards a little better on the playground, or examine ancient eggs and raptor claws in the museum.
Overseeing an air-conditioned, eight-lane range, the marksmen behind Plant City Gun Range enforce house rules, maintaining a secured environment while sportsmen shoot targets up to 15 yards away. NRA-compliant instructors from VIP Security Training organize the facility's classes, from beginner safety courses to advanced tactical shooting. Beyond the range, the facility extends into a pro shop, where two gunsmiths with decades of experience repair, restore, and customize firearms with services such as mounting scopes or by engraving lyrics from Les Misérables into the stock.
David Morejon has completed three Ironmans and more than 90 triathlons, but arguably his most impressive feat has been bungee jumping from 150 feet—in a bull costume. David's passion for fitness, adventure, and animal outfits shines through in The Hog Wild Mud Run, which he co-owns with Adam Morejon. Participants are encouraged to wear creative costumes during the events, which pair tests of strength and endurance with slogs through waist-deep mud. Each mud run closes with a party where a DJ spins while athletes celebrate with beers, rather than by drinking leftover mud with festively colored straws.
Fresh paintballs delivered each week splatter on first-time players and tournament competitors on Central Florida Paintball's 12 courses sprawled across 22 acres. Experienced players prep for tournament play on one of six flat-grass airball fields decorated with inflatable barriers. Staff members rebuild these X-ball and speedball-style fields every two weeks to improve the health of the bahia grass and switch up the terrain. With limited protection, these faster-paced airball fields force teams to work together and move as a unit as they attempt to outlast the competition.
Recreational players attack and defend on 12 acres of woodsball courses equipped with a two-story fort as well as larger huts. Stone structures invite players to duck inside for a breather, and crowd of trees affords a sliver of protection and a place to spy the coming ambush. Though both fields are open 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, the woodsball fields are available Wednesday–Friday to groups 10 with a reservation. Guests can stalk each other at night on lighted fields equipped for evening play or retire for the evening to overnight campgrounds with fire pits perfect for making popcorn seasoned with unspent paint capsules.
Since 1973, Adventure Diving has transformed land walkers into underwater explorers with dives and scuba lessons. Its location in the Crystal River puts adventurers on the doorstep of the "Manatee Capital of the World," and regular snorkeling trips lead guests into the crystal-clear waters for a chance to glimpse the adorable creatures. Adventure Diving's scuba-certification courses combine online learning and practical lessons to enable solo excursions. A full slate of above-water activities keep feet dry and collectable water wings in their original packaging, allowing visitors to soak in sunset cruises, airboat rides, horseback adventures, and helicopter tours.
