Things to Do in Philadelphia

Looking to put a new spin on a classic family activity, the minds behind Glowgolf decided to give the game a phosphorescent update. Incandescent courses place friends and family amid a tropical-fantasy golf world of neon orange, green, and violet surroundings. Players putt luminous orbs through vibrant treasure chests and glimmering windmills while negotiating tricky obstacles near walls portraying black-light-lit aquatic scenes. With more than 20 locations spread over 10 states, Glowgolf's fluorescent labyrinths challenge human players and traveling gnomes.

Abington Kids Creative Arts Studio's lively instructors foster the burgeoning minds of youngsters with classes focused on building creativity and imagination. The team allows little ones aged 4–14 to disconnect from their phones, computers, and robot teachers to engage in fun, hands-on activities during afternoon open sessions.

Two-hour sessions allow kids to express themselves artistically and exhaust internal sugar reserves through drawing, molding pottery, playing music, and acting in theater performances. My Adult & Me sessions invite grown-ups to stay-and-play with their children, while the Drop Off Program's extended studio hours free up time for parents to run errands or triathlons. As children exercise their brain biceps, adults can relax and indulge in complimentary coffee and tea.

Abington Kids Creative Arts Studio also hosts summer camps to occupy up to 15 youngsters at once when school is on break and their Miami beach house is being renovated. Weekly themes range from Fantasy Week to Music Week to Puppet Week, each filled with crafts and fun projects.

High on a hill in Bryn Athyn, a vision of old Europe towers over the surrounding greenery. Built as a private residence between 1928 and 1939, the 20th-century castle was constructed in the medieval style, using symbolism that reflects the faith of the community's earliest inhabitants. The building now serves as a museum that houses religious art and relics dating from Babylonian times up to the present. The museum's permanent and temporary exhibits range from a medieval collection of stained glass that spans the years 1100–1300 to an Egyptian collection that includes an ornate granite libation bowl, which Egyptian priests are said to have used to dump Gatorade on their football coach.

In 1953, Rabbi Mortimer J. Cohen commissioned famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design the Beth Sholom Synagogue, which remains the only synagogue he masterminded during his illustrious career. Listed as a national historic landmark in 2007, the Beth Sholom Synagogue draws visitors with its unique construction and educational visitor center, which is nestled in one of the synagogue's social spaces. The visitor center allows guests to acquaint themselves with Wright's creative process and partnership with Rabbi Cohen through interactive kiosks, displays of Wright's architectural sketches, and excerpts from the pair's online chat logs.

CitySolve lets citizens explore their metropolis through a one-day odyssey that tests speed, stamina, and smarts. Teams scamper through their burb as they solve clues ranging from anagrams and pop-culture trivia to deciphering graffiti written in pig Latin. Interspersed throughout the race are mettle-testing physical challenges, molding iron wills to such tasks as dodgeball, improv comedy games, or identifying ice-cream flavors. Each day's race also awards winners for best costumes and best tweet. Each urban iditarod takes between two to three hours, and jet packs are strictly prohibited.

A combination magic shop and theater, South Street Magic revels in the impossible. Every Friday night, mentalist Lucas Simmons presents his jaw-dropping Deadly Game of Chance, where, armed only with his mastery of the mind, he risks his fingers in a bag full of broken glass randomly placed by an audience member. Sunday afternoons, Mr. Messado dons his finest hat and wand for two family-friendly shows that might incorporate juggling, puppets, and classic illusions, such as convincing the audience that they have free will. In the evening, Dan Hauss of Paper Crane Magic demonstrates his preternatural powers of illusion, with which he destroys and repairs ordinary cards at will, melds shoelaces even as their wearers gape, and causes audience members' signatures to manifest on cards in his deck. Thursday nights, South Street Magic features a differently weekly performer from across the United States and abroad. Previous examples have included Peter McLanachan from Scotland, Mr. Bottle from Singapore, and Max Krause from Phoenix, and upcoming performers include vaudeville enthusiast Fred Siegel and world-traveling illusionist Sam Sandler, who both hail from the Philadelphia area.