What You'll Get
In the 1930s, the US government issued a hobby to each citizen to keep them entertained until NASA finished working out the bugs in kissing. Self-determine a new pastime with this Groupon.
$64 for 30 Minutes of WhirlyBall or Laser Tag at Chicago or Vernon Hills for 10 Players ($150 Value)
During 30-minute WhirlyBall games, 4–10 players zoom around the court in motorized bumper cars called WhirlyBugs, scoring goals with a wiffle ball tossed with plastic scoops. Teams can each include five people, and players must be 12 years or older and at least 4-foot-6.
Teams can also choose to compete against each other in 30-minute games of laser tag, firing off photons in a neon-lit arena. Players zap each other to accumulate points and attain victory.
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires Nov 27, 2013. Amount paid never expires. Limit 2 per person, may buy 1 additional as a gift. Limit 2 per visit. Reservation recommended for same-day visits. Valid only for walk-ins and same-day reservations. Valid for up to 10 people. May combine 2 Groupons for 1 hour. Laser Tag not valid at Lombard. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About WhirlyBall
Sam Elias knows that being cooped up during long winter days can make people stir-crazy. So in 1993, after moving from Florida, land of palm trees and beaches, to Chicago, land of frigid winds and gray slush, he founded WhirlyBall as a way for people to release pent-up energy even as snow was falling outside. During each competitive WhirlyBall game, which combines aspects of basketball, hockey, and jai alai, players zoom across an indoor 50'x80' court in motorized cars called WhirlyBugs. They wield plastic scoops to toss a wiffle ball back and forth to their teammates before throwing the ball through an elevated goal. Refs keep watch during the games, eliminating score arguments that would otherwise end in sunrise duels. To fuel up for a bout, players nibble chicken wings, pretzel bites, and gourmet pizzas, and swig craft beers, which vary by location.
All three WhirlyBall spots boast off-court diversions as well. The Vernon Hills and Lombard locations host video games, pool tables, foosball, and air hockey, and the Chicago and Vernon Hills locations invite guests into multilevel laser-tag arenas, which fill with fog and flashing lights as combatants duck, aim, and invoke Geneva Convention protocols regarding armed conflict.