Things to Do in Oakville

The rolling thunderclaps of scattering pins fill the air at Imperial Bowl, where sphere flingers hunt strikes and spares across 30 lanes set in an ultraclean, modern facility. As bowlers attempt to stay out of the gutter like a renegade raindrop, automated scorekeeping charts the current pin count, displaying all scores on a digital screen. Imperial Bowl complements its slick lanes with entertaining extras, including arcade games, pool tables, and cosmic bowling. The alleyway also hosts leagues for casual and serious competitors alike, and a full-service bar and concession area ensures ball-free hands remain filled with beers, sodas, and snacks.

Every design choice of Top Gun Shooting Sports' 18-lane indoor range was made with marksmen's comfort in mind, starting with the roomy booths. At 40 inches wide, each booth can accommodate both a shooter and an instructor, and at 84-inch-tall, the partitions prevent shells from ejecting into a neighbor's lane. While sportsmen enjoy these spacious surrounds and the convenience of automatic target retrieval, a HEPA-filtered ventilation system controls climate while removing up to 99.97% of particle discharge.

Complementing the range, a training center equips instructors to teach classes such as the NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course and personal home protection through a blend of classroom and live-fire training. In addition to overseeing this training, Top Gun's staff coordinates several levels of membership, such as the Silver membership that grants marksmen privileges such as waived lane fees for a year. The arms experts at the pro shop advise visitors on defense options, and gunsmith Eric Olson repairs, restores, and customizes firearms.

At Pink Galleon Billiards and Games, dozens of hot-pink pool tables make up just part of a colorful and enticing backdrop. Beach-themed decor abounds, and life-size airbrushed murals of pirates, mermaids, and nautical displays sprawl out across the walls. Since the first cue ball was hit in 1993, Pink Galleon Billiards and Games has expanded to three locations spread throughout the Saint Louis area. In addition to pool, Pink Galleon blitzes boredom with ping-pong, foosball, unlimited thumb wars, and arcade games. The family-owned business also boasts a menu of finger-friendly eats, ice-cold beers, and mixed drinks, all of which helped its South County location earn the title of Best Neighborhood Bar in South County from the Riverfront Times.

In 1910, fourth-generation German immigrant Alvin O. Eckert set up a small produce stand on a roadside in Belleville, Illinois. More than 100 years later, that roadside stand has flourished into the expansive Belleville plot of Eckert's Farm: a pastoral acreage where orchards surround a country-style restaurant, bakery, and handmade-custard shop. The Eckert family's sixth and seventh generations ensure this farm remains a true family affair. Sixth-generation member Jim Eckert is the chief horticulturist, and his cousin-once-removed, Chris, oversees retail operations and the sale of the farm's homegrown produce and spare scarecrow parts. Chris's sister Jill helms the food program, and his wife Angie oversees the Country Store and colorful Garden Center.

Throughout the year, visitors arrive on the Belleville farm's grounds for a range of seasonal activities, including peach-, apple-, and pumpkin-picking. During the summer, a concert series features live outdoor music on Friday and Saturday nights, and in the fall, staff lead bonfires and evening hayrides through the orchards. Inside the farm building, instructors teach cooking classes for adults and children, as well as a wine-pairing class.

Family-friendly activities also abound at the Eckert family's other two farms. The Grafton farm, where public apple-picking began in 1964, offers daily animal feeding and miniature golf. The seasonal Millstadt farm is home to a workshop, haunted hayrides, and an array of warm-weather children's attractions—including a 70-foot underground slide.