Things to Do in Vermillion

All manner of monsters prowl the halls of the Sioux Falls Jaycees Haunted House. Sadistic clowns smile from shadowed corners, herding visitors into a blood-spattered room where a ghoul in a straitjacket waits. Strobe lights and fog convince the senses that they've entered an otherworldly dimension or a very dusty camera, concealing the ghastly robotics and props lurking around each bend—such as a leering, demonic child named Hex. Though the attraction seeks to terrify, its ultimate goal is far more altruistic: ticket profits go to the Sioux Falls Jaycees, a community-service group whose volunteers don masks and gallons of fake blood to staff the entire house.

The Ballroom is the dancing brain baby of Denise Aamlid, who graduated with a dance minor in 1981 and has been helping folks two-step their way through life ever since. Friday-night open dances include 20 minutes of instruction on the dance style of the week, anything from swing and the cha-cha to the tango and waltz. Following the introductory lesson, you and your partner will dance to handpicked tunes for an hour and a half, providing a full night of lively dancing fun. Partners don't change at Friday-night open dances, so you won't have to worry about wrapping your arms around the neighborhood garbage can filled with baby raccoons. The card you'll get with this Groupon can be used by more than one person; it allows both you and a partner to get in for the reduced rate. Check the schedule to find a date that works for you.

From the vantage point of an overstuffed sofa, bowlers can comfortably watch as their team members and opponents compete inside Eastway Bowl. In addition to luxurious seating arrangements, each of its 32 lanes features a ceiling-mounted 32-inch LCD monitor and a coffee table that can cradle specialties from the Eastway Sports Lounge and Grille. Visitors can dine lane-side on breaded cod fillet or jumbo hot dogs, or peruse menus in the lounge. Seven high-definition television screens surround the dining area, broadcasting highly anticipated sports games and television coverage of children chasing sugar-cereal mascots.

Armed with state-of-the-art lasers, players dodge enemy beams in a 5,000-square-foot arena awash in neon and black lights. During open-play sessions held Friday–Sunday, up to 20 participants weave their way through the obstacle-laden space on a variety of missions. The lasers also function outside, enabling Galaxy Gaming to frequently host outdoor missions in yards with enough obstacles.

Competition continues in the gaming lounge, where more than 200 computer and console games run on more than 60 PC, PlayStation3, and Xbox 360 stations. Gamers can play friends or other patrons with all-day passes or during Friday and Saturday all-night sessions, which last from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. or whenever Mario throws out his back. Galaxy Gaming's resident techies also rid computers of viruses, build custom PCs, and create personalized gaming rigs.

Landshark Scuba is one of South Dakota's only Professional Association of Diving Instructors–certified centers; the facility has been educating landlocked locals in the diving arts since 2005. With the Discover Scuba class ($35), novice divers will be introduced to scuba diving within the safe and relatively shark-free confines of Landshark's pool (a $5.35 pool fee is included with this deal). Diving basics will be covered by Landshark's staff of friendly and experienced masters of maritime mobility. Should you choose to pursue further diving instruction at Landshark, credit from this beginner's class will count towards your PADI Open Water certification.

Four Midwestern locations bear the Crossfire Paintball name, together covering more than 200 acres of natural wooded terrain and open battlefields peppered with logs and drain-pipe bunkers. During typical high-speed, team-based battles, soldiers splat each other with watercolor-tipped spears and biodegradable balls filled with nontoxic paint as they attempt to capture the enemy's flag. Just as games for small groups and birthday or bachelor parties boost camaraderie among friends, corporate outings foster vital interoffice skills such as problem solving, quick thinking, and coordinating ties with colorful shirt stains.