The cure for summer boredom — here are 14 spots in the Valley with fun for the whole family
We’re one month into summer — the time for family cookouts, vacations and memories.
And, of course, school’s out. But what to do on those lazy, listless days? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a list of 15 places to find summer fun in the Mahoning Valley.
OH WOW! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science & Technology
OH WOW! is a science, technology, engineering and math museum for children and young teens at 15 Central Square, Youngstown. It has various edutainment programs for all ages.
Admission is $10 for adults and children age 2 and older; $9 for seniors age 65 and older and veterans; and free for children younger than age 2. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
For more information, call 330-744-5914 or visit the center’s website.
Escape Boardman
Escape Boardman is a group adventure escape room game where players work together to solve a series of puzzles in a themed room before time runs out.
Find it at 7253 Glenwood Ave. Unit B, Boardman, behind the State Farm building facing Glendale, or in the Southern Park Mall.
A game typically takes about 1 1/2 hours. They’re suitable for ages 11 and older. They cost $25, plus a $1.50 processing fee for each player. See its website for hours at both locations.
For more information, call 330-953-2170, send an email or visit the website.
Fun -N- Games Rewind
Teach the young’uns about classic video gaming at Fun -N- Games Rewind, an arcade offering old-school video game cabinets at 6989 Market St., Boardman.
It’s open this summer from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from noon to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 330-330-8440 or check it out on Facebook and Instagram.
Sports World
Sports World is “Boardman’s family fun center” and has attractions like go-karts, an arcade, adventure golf, batting cages and more.
This summer, it opens every day at noon. You can also book private parties. Find it at 8249 South Ave., Boardman.
For more information, call 330-726-1757 or visit its website.
White House Fruit Farm
The family-owned White House Fruit Farm is best-known for its apples and blueberry doughnuts.
Its market also offers a cornucopia of homegrown fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, blueberries, sweet corn, asparagus and eggplant. It’s a fun place for the whole family to relax by the lake, look at flowers and do other fun activities.
The market is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at 9249 state Route 62, Canfield.
Check it out online or call 330-533-4161.
Deep Freeze Ice Arena & Extreme Air Trampoline Park
When it gets unbearably hot outside, put yourself on ice at Deep Freeze Ice Arena, which offers public skating for $13 (plus a $3 skate rental) and for $5 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Be sure to check the skating schedule ahead of time.
Extreme Air Trampoline Park has — aside from the trampolines — two basketball lanes, jump bags, a rock wall, laser tag and a ninja course.
Both are at 360 McClurg Road, Boardman. There’s also another Extreme Air in Niles at the Eastwood Mall, 5555 Youngstown-Warren Road.
Call 330-953-3104 for more information or visit its website.
Camelot Lanes
Camelot Lanes at 628 Boardman-Canfield Road, Boardman, is more than a bowling alley — it’s got billiards, darts, an arcade and giant versions of tabletop classics such as Connect 4 and Jenga.
This summer, kids can sign up for two free games on each day of the Kids Bowl Free program. Camelot also hosts parties and fundraisers.
It’s open from noon to 11 p.m. Monday, Friday and Saturday; and from noon to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday. Lanes cost between $13.99 an hour and $25.99 an hour, depending on the time and day.
Visit its website for more information.
Hine Memorial Fund Playground
The neighborhood nonprofit The Walnut Grove developed this all-inclusive playground at 8800 Columbiana Canfield Road, Canfield, for “people of all ages and abilities,” according to its website.
The playground’s first phase was “the first of many accessible attractions” when it opened in 2018. The 1-acre playground was expanded in 2019. It also offers natural walking trails and access to the Mill Creek MetroParks Bikeway.
The park is open from dawn to dusk. Leashed pets are allowed on trails and drives, but not the playground. You can also bring your own food and drinks in certain areas.
Check it out online or call 234-414-0224 for more information.
Mill Creek MetroParks
There’s plenty for kids and families to do in Ohio’s first parks district.
Hit the batting cages, volleyball courts, Dek Hockey Rink or the Juliana Kurinka Children’s Play Area at Wick Recreation Park along McCollum Road in Youngstown.
Walk the 12-acre garden display at Fellows Riverside Garden along McKinley Avenue or take a tour of the parks system’s history at the nearby D.D. and Velma Davis Education & Visitor Center.
Scholl Pavilion’s spray basin is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.
Here’s a list of all events at the park this year. Get maps and more information here.
Austintown Township Park
Austintown Township Park offers recreational fields and courts for pickleball, tennis and disc golf; playgrounds; pavilions; walking and hiking trails; and a splash pad.
Find it at 6000 Kirk Road, Austintown. Call 330-792-2602 or visit its website for more information.
Boardman Park
Boardman Park, 375 Boardman-Poland Road, is celebrating its 75th year as a “green oasis” at the center of town. It’s on 243 acres “rich in natural beauty.”
It’s got playgrounds for older and younger kids, more than 4 miles of natural trails for walking, hiking or biking, a disc golf course and sand volleyball courts.
Check its website for a full map or see a schedule for its outdoor concert series here.
Lake Milton State Park
This state park on Mahoning County’s northwestern edge along Interstate 76 has “nearly 1,700 acres of some of the best recreational waters in Ohio,” according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Go swimming, boating, fishing, hiking or just for a picnic. It also offers a youth fishing pier and a wheelchair-accessible fishing pier.
The park, 16801 Mahoning Ave., Lake Milton, is open from dawn to dusk. See the full map here or set your GPS.
Davis Family YMCA
The Davis Family YMCA, 45 McClurg Road, Boardman, has two outdoor pools open daily until Labor Day. They feature geysers, water slides and a diving board.
Check the website for open swim hours.
For more information, call 330-480-5656 or visit its website.
This story was originally published July 21, 2022 at 5:00 AM.