Things to Do in Syracuse

The photogs behind Premierbooth spice up celebrations and social gatherings with an expansive, wheelchair accessible photo booth that can house up to 20 partygoers. The booth’s SLR digital camera captures high-resolution images, which promptly spit out of its companion and occasional nemesis, a lab-quality photo printer. Much of the booth is customizable for the host and their guests—from photo layouts and booth-size to silly props and an HD display that allows you to see yourself while you pose.

Concealed by glowing dividers, combatants creep along the AstroTurf, hunting for a clear shot at an opponent's battle suit. The 6,900-square-foot arena's lasers, black lights, and shadowy corners call to mind a real-life video game or a haunted discotheque. Skirmishes typically run for 15 minutes, pitting the red team and the green team against each other in a tactical contest. During cease-fires, laser combatants can fire quarters into an assortment of arcade games.

At Create Art Studio, owner and instructor Karyn equips prospective paint-slingers with the instruction and inspiration to realize artistic dreams during step-by-step classes, private parties, and open-studio sessions. The studio seamlessly combines two of Karyn's greatest passions, drawing on both her art-education degree from Purdue University and more than 10 years of classroom experience as a teacher.

During the two-hour step-by-step sessions, she and other instructors equip aspiring artistes with all of the necessities to create an original masterpiece, including smocks, easels, canvases, paints, brushes, and haughty French accents. In addition to the instructors' aid, creatively challenged participants can glean clever ideas from the inspiration wall, which helps pupils explore art-worthy subjects beyond traditional bowls of fruit and sunsets. Like conscientious speakeasies, the studio invites guests aged 21 and older to bring along their own snacks and alcohol.

Awarded Best Martial Arts School in the Family Times' 2012 Besties Awards, Five Star Martial Arts teaches kids and parents alike the rapid-fire movements of martial arts. During youth programs, students aged 4 and older build stamina, dexterity, and intelligence through disciplined instruction at the hands of seasoned masters. Alongside typical belt rankings, badges and stars reward younger students as they master flurries of kicks and punches. Adult students find their own fitness rewards during cardio kickboxing, which blends an international potpourri of martial arts moves with calisthenic and aerobic foundations to form an explosive full-body workout that targets and tones major muscle groups across the body.

Trainers pair their fitness expertise with motivational attitudes, working one on one with students to help them on their path towards achieving personal wellness goals. Sharing schedule space with Zumba fitness sessions, classes unfold within Five Star Martial Arts' recently expanded studio. There, new equipment and installations including a Tumbl Trak, a massive foam pit, and a collection of polyplus climbing ropes help trainers add complex gymnastics-inspired exercises to their already sizable arsenal of workouts.

For more than a decade, Raven Helicopter's pilots have dazzled skyborne passengers with stunning vistas seen during aerial tours and chartered flights. During each journey, a certified pilot deftly ferries passengers through the skies in a striking, streamlined R66 turbine helicopter, outfitted with a wraparound bubble canopy for easy viewing of scenic landscapes, and a cargo hold for carrying skis, golf clubs, and other, smaller helicopters. Guests drink in the idyllic forests, hills, and lakes of the region as they snap pictures or roll film for posterity.

Players at NVP Paintball wreak colorful havoc across two speedball courses during weekly skirmishes. A massive indoor arena houses the action during winter months, keeping harsh elements and battle-tested yetis away from combatants as they unload paintballs on nearby frenemies. Padded Turf XL flooring simulates the experience of playing on grass, and an upper-level viewing area gives onlookers an overhead view of every match. On the outdoor field, players duck behind strategically placed inflatable covers stationed on blue astroturf. Between matches, players can retire to the pro shop to peruse new equipment or grease their ammo hoppers with nacho cheese from the snack bar.