It’s all about finding the perfect hill — snowfall is a must, of course, and elevation only increases the excitement. The right spot is key, too, and finding a partner to give you that starting shove is essential. Anyone who grew up in a place where >>

Take a walk through history in Strasburg at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, housing more than 100 locomotives. Modeled after a train shed, the museum showcases one of the largest and most significant collections of historic railroad artifacts, locomotives and rolling stock in the world.The museum >>

Although it’s affiliated with the famous Smithsonian Institution, The Works never calls itself a museum. The directors know that kids are all antsy fingers and restless feet, and they want to do something every moment. That’s why The Works, in Newark, Ohio, is headquarters for hands-on >>

If you think you have what it takes to drive a puck into the net, this is your chance to prove it. At the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, state-of-the-art interactive games create a virtual experience for visitors, with an opportunity go one-on-one with real >>

Jog across the field and dive behind bunkers to avoid being marked at the All-American Paintball Park in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Whether it’s played inside or outdoors, paintball is a fast-paced game that requires skill, dexterity and speed. Grab your opponent’s flag without being splattered with paint >>

Kids live for that precious 30 minutes of recess during school, and a day at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, is like recess on overdrive, for little ones as well as parents. This museum is the world’s only space devoted to >>

Calling all future Einsteins. The Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, one of the nation’s premier science museums, is an inventive spot to have fun while molding a young mind. For a getaway that’s as exciting as it is educational, get to the Science Center stat — >>

Tucked away in small-town southern Illinois is a unique rural treasure that is home to quite an exotic family. With alpacas, llamas, donkeys, sheep, peacocks, potbelly pigs, emus, swans, zebras and camels, Rainbow Ranch Petting Zoo & Exotic Farm in Nashville, Illinois, rivals even the best >>