Theme & Amusement Parks in Lufkin

Shankz Black Light Miniature Golf has two locations that encompass 18 holes apiece, with each course set aglow in neon and covered with exotic creatures. As they travel through the indoor facilities, each putter must navigate around wrecked pirate ships, shoot between stubby dinosaur legs, and wrest their clubs from the mouths of tigers in what typically amounts to a 35- to 60-minute round of golf. To accentuate the course's glowing artwork and scenery, golfers can opt to put on a pair of 3-D glasses. Beyond the neon greens, Shankz also features the Balladium and Ballaster game rooms, in which competitors fire Nerf balls from air cannons at targets and at each other to score points and ward off encroaching Nerf army tanks.

Seven acres of mini golf, bumper cars, paddleboats, and other attractions enthrall the young and young-at-heart at Adventure Kingdom. The park's Renaissance theme pervades 18 holes of mini golf, where colorful plaster knights joust, and a period stockade locks up players deemed criminally over par by a jury of their opponents. Fueled by gas, the bumper cars swivel and smack, and paddleboats shaped like swans gracefully float along tranquil waters. Hot days make Water Wars a must-see, as visitors hurl water balloons toward targets that trigger an onslaught of noise, splashing, and spontaneous melting.

Nearby, a log cabin built in 1932 hosts the opening scenes of birthday parties and field trips. As the birthday child tears into gifts atop a throne bordered by rich hardwood paneling, a rough-hewn wooden table sports guests' goblets and supplied tiaras. Field trippers enjoy a history lesson about Texan frontier life or about the Renaissance before racing toward free volleyball courts and horseshoes or picnic tables and tents perfect for outdoor feasts or meetings about new recess-line etiquette.

In the shade of rust-red barns and tall trees, groups of llamas, goats, and ponies trot around wooden-fenced corrals, nabbing bites of feed from youngsters’ extended palms. This idyllic scene is one of many that abound at 7 Acre Wood. An old-fashioned Western fort houses a saloon and jail cell for interrogating suspicious-looking cartons of milk. Nearby, tots soar above slides and swings on the playground’s zipline or weave through the mini-golf course. The property also hosts 7 Acre Wood's Concessions, where families can refuel with coffee and snacks.