Things to Do in Norristown

Arnold's Family Fun Center's 200,000-square foot facility buzzes with flashing lights, bright colors, and adrenaline-fueled activities suitable for all ages. Guests use softball-sized bowling balls to bust birds masquerading as pins during rounds of duckpin bowling, and black-light mini golf plunges putters into the depths of an ocean reef as they fight radiant octopi and pirates. More than 75 go-karts speed around two racetracks, and bumper cars let drivers explore the safer side of road rage. Inside one of the largest arcades in the area, guests try their luck at more than 200 arcade games, including favorites such as Deal or No Deal, Big Buck Hunter Safari, and Guitar Hero. A bounce area keeps young feet busy, and a pizza and salad buffet refuel energy reserves before rigorous games of laser tag.

Sunlight and moonbeams glimmer on Philadelphia harbor, where The Ben Franklin Yacht glides silently to reveal a new perspective on the cradle of American democracy and replicate the freedom of the open ocean. Recently refurbished, the modern vessel hosts up to 300 guests in long, low decks whose mirrored ceilings flood the space with reflected light and expose pirates who have "Mom" tattoos hidden in their bald spots. A wooden dance floor and bar fuel parties, and knowledgeable guides propel discussion about the city's history from the breezy top deck. The port of departure is within walking distance of other famed sights, such as the Liberty Bell, Constitution Center, and the cherry tree from which George Washington famously crafted his wooden wig. Boarding begins approximately 30 minutes prior to each excursion.

Open year-round, the course at Juniata Golf Club sprawls over 106 naturally hilly acres and challenges players with tricky lies and imposing hazards that complicate its relatively short length. Frankford Creek winds into play on six holes of the Edmund B. Ault design, ensnaring worm burners in a reedy morass. The par-4 sixth hole exemplifies the difficulty of the course as a whole, measuring just 360 yards in length but forcing shots to climb entirely uphill from tee to shallow green like a marathon-running pack mule.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-66 course

• Total length of 5,275 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 64.8 from the back tees

• Course slope of 109 from the back tees

• Three sets of tees per hole

A pencil peeks out of hole in the lid of a shiny red apple, bits of yellow and black fleck a butterfly's wings, and blue and green glass curves to catch the light from the candle it holds. These are just a few of the projects invented at Busy Bees Pottery and Art Studio, where visitors can paint bisqueware, sculpt clay, or fuse glass to make homes or city-bus windows more beautiful.

Long tables sprawl across the studio's checkered floor, and plates bearing pastel treats and serene landscapes polka-dot the walls for inspiration. A paint bar arrays samples of tiles painted in each color so artists can preview their ceramic's finished looks.

Philadelphia's centuries-old cobblestone streets, monuments, and buildings are brimming with history—but it takes an expert to extract it. The knowledgeable guides at The Constitutional Walking Tour lead visitors on a 1.25-mile journey through areas accessible only on foot, giving an up-close perspective of America's first planned city. The tour winds through Independence Mall, taking groups past more than 20 landmarks such as Independence Hall, Christ Church, the National Constitution Center, Declaration House, and Old City Hall. At each site, experts weave together the details of landmark events such as Thomas Jefferson's drafting of the Declaration of Independence.

A fused-glass peace sign dangles in a window, its iridescent blue-and-green hues catching glimmers of sunlight. Elsewhere, a shiny yellow-and-black dog formed from clay smiles from its painted-on mouth. These are just two of the many artistic projects students can tackle at The Mud Shack, an art studio brimming with classes in glass fusing, ceramics, and pottery painting. Working artists helm the sessions, guiding pupils toward creating their own magnum opuses in the form of a hand-thrown vase, a mosaic tile, or a mug for holding smaller mugs.