Things to Do in Marion

Duck behind bunkers, belly-crawl through the jungle, or peak over sandy dunes on more than 125 acres of obstacle-laden fields and heart-pumping terrain. Located in Anderson, just 20 minutes northeast of Indianapolis, White River Paintball offers indoor and outdoor fields. Play it up old school on the classic woodsball field or duck behind a real Sikorsky helicoper at the airstrip. Hide out in an abandoned building in Bedlam City or head to the fort to artfully reinterpret the Korean Conflict with a loaded paint weapon and a promise not to cry.

Canlan Ice Sports has three NHL-sized rinks, and all three receive their fair share of carvings during professional skating lessons, open-skate sessions, and high-intensity hockey leagues. Of the many offerings, the center’s weeklong hockey camps develop trainees' agility and shooting skills, just as its three-on-three youth-hockey leagues pit one inadequate barbershop quartet against another. Regardless of the reason for arrival, visitors can always grab food and refreshments at the Thirsty Penguin, a full-service restaurant and bar that overlooks the rinks and doubles as a secret meeting spot for Batman’s roundest nemesis. For off-ice excitement, guests can visit the inflatable playground, freely traversing the double-sided slide and other components comprising the bouncy playland.

Since 1979, the namesake of Gary's Indiana Muskie Experience has navigated local lakes and waterways while helping anglers reel in trophy fish. By reading weather patterns and reflecting on wisdom gained through years as a water wizard, the fishing specialist sets out in search of the muskellunge, a deep-dwelling predator known to weigh up to 70 pounds. Gary carefully selects lures that represent the fishes' seasonal diet, finicky appetite, and general distaste for swashbuckling pirate hooks. He also equips each of his guests with rods and reels capable of withstanding the fish's well-known strength. Most expeditions take place on Webster Lake, Backwater Lake, The Barbee Chain, Lake Tippecanoe, James Lake, Oswego Lake, Loon Lake, and Upper Long Lake.

The Willamette Heritage Center at the Mill preserves slices of valley history by word and deed, keeping up 14 historic structures and filling them with historical tours and living history displays. The Jason Lee house represents the oldest building on campus, built in 1841. The structure also boasts the title of oldest surviving wooden frame house in the Pacific Northwest, and its interior sports the period appropriate furnishings right down to an iron stove and a snoring, bonneted grandmother. Nearby stands the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill, and piece of the Industrial Revolution that has survived since 1896, earning recognition as an American Treasure by the National Park Service. Workers keep the buildings clean and sound for tours and rentals, while actors keep the ground vibrant with living historical portrayals.

A classic lazy river drifts in a circle around Splash House Water Park's more than 30,000 square feet of deck as visitors soak in the sun in between dips in the water. An undulating wave pool tosses tube-riding swimmers to and fro, and twin waterslides whip riders in high-speed loops before firing them out into a pool of water or a misplaced Super Big Gulp container. Younger visitors frolic in the semi-submerged kids' play zone, constructed of nets, colorful piping, and bright yellow platforms with hidden, water-spewing spouts. Concession stands fuel the continuous fun with cool drinks, hot eats, and room-temperature napkins.

Golf-A-Round Indiana invites clubbers to test their swinging prowess amid the fairways and greens of more than 75 of Indiana's top golf courses. Golf-A-Round Indiana selects participating venues in a curatorial process that assesses each course's difficulty, United States Golf Association rating, and performance in people's-choice surveys—building a list of high-caliber semiprivate and public courses. Players receive 40%–50% off at each course and a minimum of two plays at each course, and certificates run through two seasons.

The majority of the courses also offer weekday and weekend discounts, giving busy golfers a chance to enjoy the game without having to take off work or convert the neighbor’s sandbox into a convenient practice bunker. All discounts remain valid throughout both the 2013 and 2014 seasons.