Collection of 2,000+ wood-carved birds such as eagles, owls, and swans, and a reconstructed wetland that features decoys and hunting gear
Salisbury
$24 $14
Since 1993, Cirque Dreams' family-friendly variety extravaganzas have called upon a cast of acrobats, strongmen, and daredevils to wring the oohs and aahs out of audiences with tremendous feats of derring-do. During each themed production, more than 100 performers garbed in dazzling outfits twirl high in the air, contort their bodies into impossible shapes, and solve long division problems to earn uproarious applause from the crowd. At Dream Studios in Pompano Beach, Florida, hundreds of contracted artists from around the world develop their skills and prep for Cirque Dreams performances under the direction of Neil Goldberg and his team of choreographers, contortionists, and designers.
Club-swingers at Heritage Shores Club launch aerodynamic orbs over 7,000 yards of greens and fairways, aiming to shoot a par 72. The Arthur Hills–designed course is built to be both challenging and fun, with water flanking many shots, bunkers creeping just out of view, and clowns waiting in the bushes to juggle lost balls. Five varying tees dot the start of each hole, making rounds customizable according to skill level and preference, and building in variation for future visits. Pairs and foursomes follow their mini globes in carts, gliding over the course's undulating fairways and celebrating good shots by steering donuts on well-manicured greens.
Nightmare's Haunted House fills its dreadful depths with the trappings of its visitors' greatest fears, including crazed clowns, murderous ghouls, and throngs of the undead. Massive plumes of flame guard the entrance to this multilevel fright, where a cast of volunteer spooksters shudders down narrow hallways to the sound of chainsaws and blood-curdling screams that emanate around every creepy corner. Come face to face with Dr. Death, traverse the ethereal spinning lights of the Spinning Vortex of Terror, and fight with the Butcher over his exorbitant prices for ground round.
From 3,500 feet, you can barely even see the wild horses roaming Chincoteague Island. But when you’re hang gliding alongside an instructor from Virginia Hang Gliding, it doesn’t seem to matter much. What you can see from these towering heights are awe-inspiring views of waves crashing in from both the Atlantic and the Chesapeake Bay while you feel the adrenaline rush of soaring through the air. Clients help maneuver the glider over Virginia’s scenic beaches, far above the other visitors and the hundreds of bottles containing notes about boring islands. The whole time, they rest safe in the knowledge that they’re in the capable hands of one of the experienced pros who ride along.
Inside Stratosphere Trampoline Park, groups of daring jumpers defy the Earth's fierce gravitational grip upon grids of trampolines. Whether leaping through open jump sessions or playing games of dodgeball, visitors aerially traverse the wide arenas, rocketing off angled surfaces and diving into pits full of foam cubes. And since the planet's will cannot be fought forever, the park also contains a set of batting cages, where visitors can work towards their goal of one day sending their spherical projectiles into geosynchronous orbit.
The glistening waters of Schumaker Pond welcome visitors to The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, named after Stephen and Lemuel Ward, two carvers who transformed the art of decoy crafting. The collection of wood-carved birds served not only as hunting tools, but later, as artistic objects that illustrated the beauty of wildfowl from around the world.
Size: 12,000 square feet of exhibition space with more than 2,000 objects in its permanent collection
Eye Catcher: The sounds of ducks echo in The Decoy in Time Gallery a reconstructed wetland that features decoys and hunting gear, illustrating the decoy's history starting with its use by Native American tribes
Permanent Mainstay: As their day job was cutting hair, The Ward Brothers Workshop is a reproduction of their barbershop studio and displays their original carvings
Don't Miss: For decades, the museum foundation has hosted a decoy carving championship, gathering artists from the world over. The World Championship Gallery features many of the winning decoys and includes carvings of eagles, owls, and swans, among others.
Past Exhibits: Not only hunters use decoys; conservationists do as well, to try to attract birds to safe areas. Birds of a Feather: Conservation Decoys displayed many of these decoys.
Special Programs: On the grounds around the museum, patrons can see wildlife in its natural habitat at the Ward Museum Living Classroom and during a walk through the nature trails.
From the Press: "Some [objects] are workmanlike, displayed so the visitor can see how the wood was carved. Others, like an arctic tern and gyrfalcon carved out of walnut and encased in its own glass cube, are spectacular works of art." ? Bay Journal "Like decoy carving itself . . . the Ward Museum has grown to be a significant purveyor of the artistic, natural, and cultural legacy of this art form." ? NEA Arts Magazine
