Things To Do in North Stamford

Traditionalists beware—The Haunt at Rocky Ledge is no mere haunted house. The frights start in the middle of the woods as guests find themselves navigating the Forest of Lost Souls under direction from a ghastly tour ghoul. If they're lucky enough to make it past the terrifying trees, wanderers will soon find themselves lost in the twisting paths of the Field of Screams corn maze, searching desperately for a finish line that merely waits to usher them to another frightful fate in the Haunted Barn. Patrons who manage to survive long enough to make it to the haunt's end and the final Last Rites attraction can rally their spirits and replenish their strength at the snack bar or head home to hide under the covers.

Though they operate more than 200 locations in upwards of 30 states, the team behind U.S. Baseball Academy aims to make each young athlete's experience a personal one. Their four- or six-week camps are taught by local instructors who are current or former coaches at the high school or college level, and typically offer a 6:1 or better player-to-teacher ratio for intense, professional-style training. The Academy's proven itinerary of hitting, pitching, fielding, and baserunning drills was developed by an advisory board of college coaches and Major League players, including Cy Young Award–winner and ace pitcher Brandon Webb.

A new graduate of Martin van Breems' Basic Keelboat course out on his first sail was pounded by driving rain and battered by winds raging at almost 35 miles per hour, but he kept his cool. When his fellow sailors found him, his jib was rolled, his main was reefed, and Breems recalls that it, "felt pretty darn good to see him doing exactly what he should have done in difficult conditions, instead of panicking."

Founded in 1986, Sound Sailing Center’s expert sailors introduce students to the Sound during their professional-quality classes. Their instruction philosophy ensures the proper learning environment for each student with classes that span several days with fewer students per class and a fleet equipped for single-handed sailing. The center also offers a variety of membership options.

• For $9, you get a day of table tennis for two people (up to a $20 value). • For $18, you get a day of table tennis for four people (up to a $40 value). The sounds of shuffling feet and travelling balls greet ears as they enter the 13,000-square-foot Westchester Table Tennis Center, and eyes are wooed by gleaming wooden floors and 18 brand-new Double Happiness tables. High ceilings set the stage as duos team up to battle like-minded twos in games of doubles, and Monday-evening beginner nights beckon the ping-pong shy. Facility-provided paddles slice through the spacious areas around each table, sending small plastic missiles back and forth between friends and family, and allowing kayak paddles to return to their intended use as giant mosquito swatters. After a full day of table flurries, men's and women's shower facilities allow athletes to cool down and clean off after a sweaty, fun-filled bout, and an on-site lounge invites prolonged post-game discussions between casual players and Olympic hopefuls.

Greenburgh Nature Center boasts approximately 33 acres of woodland preserve teeming with trails and gardens, attracting more than 70,000 nature lovers each year. Animal enthusiasts can investigate the indoor live-animal museum and its more than 100 specimens, and knowledgeholics can binge on the center's continuing research on American eels, waterfowls, eastern screech owls, and flatworms. Outdoor animal displays abound with creatures such as prairie dogs and rabbits. The upcoming exhibit The Way of Water follows the progression of Westchester's watersheds and includes live aquatic animals such as the invisible mermaid.

Each year, the banks of the Saugatuck River transform from a serene New England retreat to a raucous Southern street fair during the annual two-day Blues, Views & BBQ Festival. The syncopated chords of live blues performers waft through the air as visitors nosh on barbecue, jerk chicken, and other down-home favorites supplied by local eateries. Visitors can showcase their own culinary skills by helming grills during barbecue competitions, or highlight their stomachs’ capacity without undergoing embarrassing public x-rays during pie- and rib-eating contests. Carnival-style entertainment rounds out the festivities, ranging from a mechanical bull to inflatables for tots.

A bounty of physiological, psychological, and sociological research comes to fruition in My Gym Stamford’s kids’ fitness programs. Appropriate for children as young as 6 weeks and as old as 13 years, classes explore different genres of fitness, such as tumbling and hanging, sports and gymnastics, cardio and yoga. But the one thing they all share is the philosophy that fitness and agility should go hand in hand with social and cognitive development.