Get Out & About With 6 Summer Activities in Marion, IL

May 26th, 2022 by

Summer is the perfect time to get out and explore your community, and Marion, Illinois, has plenty of opportunities to do just that. A national refuge housing thousands of acres of green space teeming with wildlife is located a few miles away and provides a great location to hike, bike, or fish during those warm summer days. But if you’d like to avoid the heat, you’ll find plenty of indoor entertainment in town, whether you’re looking for video games, swimming pools, or indoor playgrounds.

Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge

Visit Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge this summer and spend some time exploring some of its 44,000 acres. A wide range of recreational activities is available at the refuge, which is one of the most visited in the country. Hikers will find 2,100 miles of trails and boardwalks, some of which are paved and universally accessible. If you’d like to catch a glimpse of wildlife but aren’t up for a hike, take a scenic drive through the area and keep an eye out for the bald eagles, wild turkeys, and white-tailed deer that live there.

For serious hikers, backpacking (with a permit) is allowed on trails too long to hike in a day. In addition, four campgrounds in the refuge are open during the summer months, and campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The refuge is open to fishing, and species such as largemouth bass, rainbow trout, and bluegill live in the lakes and streams located within its borders. All visitors entering the refuge must buy an entrance pass, which you can purchase online or on-site.

The Hub Recreation Center

Spend some time this summer at The Hub, and make use of the various amenities the recreation center offers. Escape the heat at the indoor aquatics center which features a lazy river and a two-story water slide. In addition, a six-lane lap pool plays host to swimming lessons and water aerobics classes all summer long, and at least two lanes are typically kept open for lap swimming.

In addition to the aquatics center, the Hub has a state-of-the-art fitness center housing free weights, elliptical machines, treadmills, and more. Take advantage of the indoor track on those hot summer days when you’d like to go for a walk but don’t want to deal with the heat. If you need it, child care is available. To use the Hub’s facilities, purchase a membership or a day pass to enjoy all it has to offer.

Pirate Pete’s Family Entertainment Center

Spend an afternoon at Pirate Pete’s Family Entertainment Center, and take advantage of the different activities offered there. Those ages 7 and up can play a few rounds of laser tag for only $6 per game. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, every laser tag game after your first one is discounted to $3. If you have children ages 3-7 to entertain this summer, stop by the center’s PlaySmart indoor playground and let them burn some energy on its colorful slides and climbing apparatuses. Here, $7 will get you an unlimited play pass for the day.

In addition to laser tag and the indoor playground, Pirate Pete’s is home to a large arcade with game tokens starting at four for $1. When you need to sit and rest for a few minutes, enjoy lunch or dinner in the on-site restaurant, which serves items such as pizza, chicken nuggets, and hot dogs.

Honker Hill Winery

Honker Hill Winery, which opened to the public in 2009, is a casual, family-friendly place to enjoy a glass of wine. Located on the highest point in Williamson County and surrounded by the Shawnee National Forest, the winery sits on 90 acres of land and provides impressive views of the area. It’s a popular local music venue and offers live music several times a week; both local talent and Nashville artists perform often. To plan your next night out, keep an eye on the winery’s list of upcoming events.

All of Honker Hill’s wines are produced from fruit grown in the on-site vineyard, and wine choices include sweet reds, dry whites, and more. If you’d like to try something a little different, blackberry and blueberry wines are also on the menu. Indoor seating is available, but for those warm summer nights, the outdoor patio can’t be beat. Find a seat or take a stroll around the pond while you enjoy your wine and take in the sunset.

Southern Illinois Music Festival

Don’t miss the Southern Illinois Music Festival’s 18th season, which runs June 6-26. National and regional publications, such as The Chicago Tribune, Symphony Magazine, and AAA Midwest Magazine, have recognized the festival in the past. The 2022 season will feature Richard Strauss’ iconic opera, “Salome,” which will be performed on June 18 and June 21 at Shryock Auditorium in Carbondale. In addition, the festival will present three large orchestral concerts in Marion on the evenings of June 17 and June 24-25 at Carterville High School.

The festival draws to a close with a 2 p.m. concert on June 26 at Carterville High School. While many festival events are free, others require event-goers to purchase tickets, which range in price from $10 to $25 per person. Check the concert schedule for more information about concert times and ticket prices.

Travis Tritt Concert

Travis Tritt, the Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter, performs live at The Marion Cultural and Civic Center on Aug. 19. The show is part of Tritt’s “Set in Stone” tour, which takes its name from Tritt’s “Set in Stone” album released in February 2021. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show begins an hour later. Tickets start at $59.99, and if you’d like to purchase one, visit the Civic Center’s website.

We here at Volkswagen of Marion hope you found this list of summer activities helpful. If you have an activity or a local venue to add, please let us know by calling us or sending us an email. We would love to hear from you.

Posted in Exploring Marion