When children whine and complain and say that there's nothing to do, there's a ready-made solution. It's called a family entertainment center, a place where people of all ages can find something to keep themselves amused. There may be a soft play area for toddlers, a structure with nets and tunnels and slides for children a little bit older, video games, virtual reality laser tag and more for older kids and adults and, of course, food of some sort to fuel the energy. And, no doubt, there are more kinds of fun to come in the future.
Harold Skripsky, president of the International Association of Family Entertainment Centers, says that there were about 250 family entertainment centers in 1993 and today there are 4,000 to 5,000.
What happens when Little Caesars loses a PTT franchise, and decides to open their own FEC? As Iggy once said 'Okemos Caesarland is guilty for forcing CECPTT to move from their okemos store to their NEW LANSING one across from the Lansing Mall!' Well at least they had some cool play equipment. And a walkaround of the LC's mascot.
Skripsky knows firsthand about this phenomenal growth. In 1983 he co-founded the Enchanted Castle in Lombard. At first it covered 10,000 square feet and offered a few activities including video games, a redemption center where tickets could be traded in for prizes, a slide, a ball bounce area and a restaurant that featured an animated show. One thing led to another and, with more than the wave of a magic wand, the Enchanted Castle now houses 46,000 square feet of soft-sculpture fun, high-tech entertainment, and a restaurant.
'A family entertainment center is typically a special-event occasion for birthday parties, corporate events and even wedding receptions,' explains Skripsky. 'But typically people come back to a family entertainment center two to four times a year.'
The key to success is change. 'You have to continually reinvent what you're doing because kids get bored quickly and even adults want immediate gratification,' he says.
This list of pizza chains includes notable pizzerias and pizza chains. Pizza is a dish of Neapolitan origin and cuisine, made with an oven-baked, flat, generally round bread that is often covered with tomatoes or a tomato-based sauce and mozzarella cheese. Visit Little Caesars Pizza online to find a pizza store nearest you. See our menu, order a carry out. Little Caesars (361) 643-5571; Our Menus Our Menu; Little Caesars. Visit Little Caesars Pizza online to find a pizza store nearest you. See our menu, order a carry out and learn more about franchise opportunities.
In addition to family entertainment centers, Skripsky points out, there are also children's entertainment centers, which focus on activities for children 10 years old and under; location-based entertainment, often found in malls, which feature one activity such as laser tag; and adult entertainment centers, with environments geared to attract grownups.
Some places offer a visit with no surprises, since an admission price gives each visitor unlimited activities. Many of the centers award tickets to those who play various skill games and have small or elaborate redemption centers where the tickets can be traded for trinkets. Be careful -- it's easy to get hooked on the ticket obsession.
Little Caesars Playland
For a stress-free time it's also crucial to keep in mind the reason for going to an entertainment center. As Skripsky so aptly points out, 'Probably one of the nicest things about my business is that I sell fun.'
Here is a sampling of some of the entertainment centers in the Chicago area:
Caesarland, Little Caesars, 7300 W. Foster Ave., 773-774-7330; 860 N. Roselle Rd., Hoffman Estates, 847-882-2992. These two Little Caesars restaurants each have a play structure with tunnels, slides and a maze, an art area, kiddie rides and a toddler area as well as a video game room. The Little Caesar character appears occasionally to lead kids in the hokey-pokey, the chicken dance and other activities. Admission is free and only the video games require tokens.
Chimpy's Pizza Safari, 1360 S. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville; 847-367-4386. This restaurant has a soft play structure, 3 animated stages, kiddie rides including a rocket, an alligator, a train and race cars, games and a redemption center. The play structure and animated entertainment are free, games and kiddie rides are one token (25 cents) each.
Chuck E. Cheese, 955 W. Dundee Rd., Arlington Heights, 847-577-8802; 1730 Fullerton Ave., 773-871-2484; 5030 S. Kedzie Ave., 312-476-0500; 106 Towncenter, Matteson, 708-747-5666; 1317 North Ave., Melrose Park, 708-343-1224; 1154 E. Ogden Ave., Naperville, 708-369-2012; 4031 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn, 708-425-5800; Village Crossing, Touhy Avenue and Carpenter Road, Skokie, 847-679-8180; Westview Shopping Center, Streamwood, 630-289-6700; 16090 S. Harlem Ave., Tinley Park, 708-429-9230. This restaurant chain, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, offers all sorts of activities along with pizza. There are a play structure for climbing and crawling, skill games and a redemption center, rides that include a carousel, fire engines and scooters and a robotic show. Admission is free for show and play structure; rides and games require tokens (four for $1).
Dave & Buster's, 1030 N. Clark St., 312-943-5151; 1155 Swift Rd., Addison; 630-543-5151. This establishment, geared toward adults, offers a Speedway that includes games such as Formula 1 and Motorcross racing, the 19th Hole golf simulator, a Midway with a horse race and a variety of electronic simulators, the Galaxian Theater featuring individual command modules that surround the player with an intergalactic battle, shuffleboard, billiards, and a restaurant with a full menu. Chips to participate in activities cost $1 for 3; games cost 1 to 16 chips. Only 3 underage guests are allowed per adult. Children are not allowed after 10 p.m.
Skripsky knows firsthand about this phenomenal growth. In 1983 he co-founded the Enchanted Castle in Lombard. At first it covered 10,000 square feet and offered a few activities including video games, a redemption center where tickets could be traded in for prizes, a slide, a ball bounce area and a restaurant that featured an animated show. One thing led to another and, with more than the wave of a magic wand, the Enchanted Castle now houses 46,000 square feet of soft-sculpture fun, high-tech entertainment, and a restaurant.
'A family entertainment center is typically a special-event occasion for birthday parties, corporate events and even wedding receptions,' explains Skripsky. 'But typically people come back to a family entertainment center two to four times a year.'
The key to success is change. 'You have to continually reinvent what you're doing because kids get bored quickly and even adults want immediate gratification,' he says.
This list of pizza chains includes notable pizzerias and pizza chains. Pizza is a dish of Neapolitan origin and cuisine, made with an oven-baked, flat, generally round bread that is often covered with tomatoes or a tomato-based sauce and mozzarella cheese. Visit Little Caesars Pizza online to find a pizza store nearest you. See our menu, order a carry out. Little Caesars (361) 643-5571; Our Menus Our Menu; Little Caesars. Visit Little Caesars Pizza online to find a pizza store nearest you. See our menu, order a carry out and learn more about franchise opportunities.
In addition to family entertainment centers, Skripsky points out, there are also children's entertainment centers, which focus on activities for children 10 years old and under; location-based entertainment, often found in malls, which feature one activity such as laser tag; and adult entertainment centers, with environments geared to attract grownups.
Some places offer a visit with no surprises, since an admission price gives each visitor unlimited activities. Many of the centers award tickets to those who play various skill games and have small or elaborate redemption centers where the tickets can be traded for trinkets. Be careful -- it's easy to get hooked on the ticket obsession.
Little Caesars Playland
For a stress-free time it's also crucial to keep in mind the reason for going to an entertainment center. As Skripsky so aptly points out, 'Probably one of the nicest things about my business is that I sell fun.'
Here is a sampling of some of the entertainment centers in the Chicago area:
Caesarland, Little Caesars, 7300 W. Foster Ave., 773-774-7330; 860 N. Roselle Rd., Hoffman Estates, 847-882-2992. These two Little Caesars restaurants each have a play structure with tunnels, slides and a maze, an art area, kiddie rides and a toddler area as well as a video game room. The Little Caesar character appears occasionally to lead kids in the hokey-pokey, the chicken dance and other activities. Admission is free and only the video games require tokens.
Chimpy's Pizza Safari, 1360 S. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville; 847-367-4386. This restaurant has a soft play structure, 3 animated stages, kiddie rides including a rocket, an alligator, a train and race cars, games and a redemption center. The play structure and animated entertainment are free, games and kiddie rides are one token (25 cents) each.
Chuck E. Cheese, 955 W. Dundee Rd., Arlington Heights, 847-577-8802; 1730 Fullerton Ave., 773-871-2484; 5030 S. Kedzie Ave., 312-476-0500; 106 Towncenter, Matteson, 708-747-5666; 1317 North Ave., Melrose Park, 708-343-1224; 1154 E. Ogden Ave., Naperville, 708-369-2012; 4031 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn, 708-425-5800; Village Crossing, Touhy Avenue and Carpenter Road, Skokie, 847-679-8180; Westview Shopping Center, Streamwood, 630-289-6700; 16090 S. Harlem Ave., Tinley Park, 708-429-9230. This restaurant chain, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, offers all sorts of activities along with pizza. There are a play structure for climbing and crawling, skill games and a redemption center, rides that include a carousel, fire engines and scooters and a robotic show. Admission is free for show and play structure; rides and games require tokens (four for $1).
Dave & Buster's, 1030 N. Clark St., 312-943-5151; 1155 Swift Rd., Addison; 630-543-5151. This establishment, geared toward adults, offers a Speedway that includes games such as Formula 1 and Motorcross racing, the 19th Hole golf simulator, a Midway with a horse race and a variety of electronic simulators, the Galaxian Theater featuring individual command modules that surround the player with an intergalactic battle, shuffleboard, billiards, and a restaurant with a full menu. Chips to participate in activities cost $1 for 3; games cost 1 to 16 chips. Only 3 underage guests are allowed per adult. Children are not allowed after 10 p.m.
Discovery Zone, 1512 N. Naper Blvd., Naperville, 630-955-1753; 15131 S. LaGrange Rd., Orland Park, 708-349-4693; 2570 W. Schaumburg Rd., Schaumburg, 847-882-8752; 6226 S. Cass Ave., Westmont, 630-663-0903; 1700 E. 80th St., Merrillville Plaza, Merrillville, Ind., 219-756-7529. The Zones have soft play spaces that include tunnels, slides and ball pits and the D.Z. Diner. All locations except the one in Schaumburg have game rooms. Special events are scheduled regularly. $3.99 for children under 3, $5.99 for children 4 and over, free for children under 12 months and parents.
Enchanted Castle Restaurant and Entertainment Complex, 1103 S. Main St., Lombard; 630-953-7860. The Castle offers Q-ZAR State-of-the-Art Laser Tag with fog and special lighting effects; The Rage, a Movie 'n' Motion Virtual Theatre featuring 6 different adventure films with spectators in seats manipulated with hydraulic motion; Krazy Bumper Kars; Bowlingo Lanes; Miniature Golf featuring a castle, waterfalls and fountains; 280 skill, redemption and sport games; an animated musical revue with singing dragons, a wizard and a princess; and four castle-themed dining rooms. Admission is free; activities range in price from $1.50 for the Bumper Kars to $5.25-$6.25 for Laser Tag. The Castle also has the ImaGYMnation Station Adventure Playland, which is a two-level area for kids under 12 featuring a maze, bumper bridge, trapeze bars, trolley slides and a foam forest; $4 admission to the ImaGYMnation for children, free for adults accompanying a child.
Family Playland, 2 Crystal Lake Plaza, Crystal Lake, 815-356-9820. The former Circus Playland reopens in early November under new ownership. Plans include the addition of virtual reality games, black-light air hockey and a computer room in which adults, if they wish, can work while their children play. The $3.50 admission includes pizza, pop, and tokens. Additional tokens (25 cents each) are available for purchase.
The Great Odyssey, 1515 W. Aurora Ave., Naperville; 630-355-7622. This center offers a 4-level play area with a maze, colored balls and other activities for children 3 and up, a whirling mini-roller coaster, bumper cars, an airplane ride, a classic carousel, video games and a redemption center, bumper bowling and cosmic bowling (call for times) with a light show, lasers, fog machines, music and glow-in-the-dark lanes, pins and bowling balls; $1-$3.50 per ride, $6.95 pass for unlimited rides Monday-Friday, $7.95 unlimited ride pass Saturday-Sunday, $3.25 per game for cosmic bowling.
Little Caesars Playland Closed
Hollywood Park, 5051 Cal-Sag Rd., Crestwood, 708-389-PARK; 2635 Bernice Rd., Lansing, 708-474-8989; 1050 Horseprairie Ave., Valparaiso, Ind., 219-462-1194. The indoor park in Crestwood features Fangalangus Island Fantasy Playland, two 18-hole miniature golf courses, FX simulator-special effects ride, 150 sport, skill and redemption games and redemption center and Flicks 'n Toons Diner. The Lansing location has the Cooter's Treehouse Playland, two 18-hole miniature golf courses, go-kart racetrack, batting cages, 100 sport, skill and redemption games and redemption center and Flicks 'n Toons Diner. Hollywood Park in Valparaiso features two 18-hole miniature golf courses, go-kart racetrack, batting cages, driving range, 60 sport, skill and redemption games and redemption center and Hollywood Snack Shop. Prices for various activities range from $4 for adults and $3 for children for miniature golf to $3 for Fangalangus Island Playland and $2 per person for FX Simulator Ride. Inside activities open all year.
Jeepers!, 4516 N. Harlem Ave., Norridge; 800-533-7377. This center includes a soft playground with a giant slide, tubes, chutes and obstacle courses, bumper cars, Flying Bananas, Python Pit Roller Coaster, Yak Attack Himalaya ride, skill games and a redemption center and the Tiny Rhino Diner featuring pizza from Pizza Hut. Ride tickets are 75 cents each when purchased in a pack of 10, 60 cents each when purchased in a pack of 20; $6.99 for all-day wrist band Monday-Friday; $10.99 for an all-day wristband on Saturday-Sunday; $3.99 for an all-day wrist band for children under 36 inches tall.
Jungle Jim's Playland, 723 W. Golf Rd., Des Plaines; 847-640-5500. This indoor kid-sized jungle has rides such as the Amazon Roller Coaster, Lion Bumper Cars, a ferris wheel, the spinning tops as well as a soft playground with tunnels, slides, nets and a ball pit as well as games of skill; $6.99 per child for unlimited rides on weekdays, $7.99 per child for unlimited rides on weekends, adults accompanying children are free.
Kid 'n' Me, 126 S. Waukegan Rd., Deerfield; 847-272-6660. This is an indoor playland for younger children. Various play areas include a miniature grocery store setting, a make-believe underseas environment, a place to play with giant blocks, some playground equipment for little ones and an enclosed area with mats and cubes and other objects to play with for babies. $3.75 for children under 2, $6.75 for children 2 and older, adults free with paid child admissions.
Leap 'N Lizards, 19 Berkshire Drive, Crystal Lake; 815-356-5656. This center has a playscape with 4 levels featuring 3 slides, an air bounce, nets, foam blocks, a foam forest and 2 ball pits including one for children under 3. Refreshments include pizza, nachos, chicken nuggets and other kid-friendly food. Admission is $3 for ages 12-24 months, $5.95 for 24 months and up; infants and adults are free; $5.95 for 2 children 24 months and up on Tuesdays; $3.95 for one child 24 months and up on Thursdays.
Let's Dress Up, 1222 S. Highland Ave., Lombard; 630-932-7529. This dress-up playhouse has as many as 1,500 child-sized costumes ranging from wedding dresses to glamorous gowns and ballerina tutus as well as get-ups for action figures, cowboys, military men and Dracula. Various themed rooms include the enchanted forest with palm trees and the princess parlor with a crystal chandelier. $6 for one hour, $8 for 1 1/2 hours, $1.25 additional for a tea party.
Magic City Midway, 3400 Grand Ave., Gurnee; 847-249-9100. This indoor entertainment center offers a 3-story play space and ball crawl, bumper cars and a roller coaster, virtual reality golf, video games and a redemption center and a roller skating rink. Individual prices are $5 per child for the Ball Crawl, $2 per ride for the bumper cars or the roller coaster; several Fun Packs are available starting with one for $29.95, which includes 4 bumper car tickets, 4 roller coaster tickets, 4 ball crawl tickets and 4 roller skating tickets (skate rental not included).
Odyssey Fun World, 19111 S. Oak Park Ave., Tinley Park; 708-429-3800. This entertainment center offers 43,000 square feet of indoor entertainment open all year and 12 acres of outdoor activities open on weekends through Sunday, Oct. 26, although it may be open on Nov.1-2 if weather permits. It offers 2 levels of arcade and redemption games, Laser Zone featuring laser tag inside an inflatable space ship, a 4-level Exploration Adventure with tubes, tunnels and slides as well as a Connie's Pizza restaurant. The outdoor space features bumper boats on a pond of water, batting cages, 2 18-hole miniature golf courses (one is wheelchair accessible), 2 go-kart tracks, speed boats (for ages 21 and over with a valid driver's license), Kidz Park with amusement rides for ages 12 and under. Admission is free and activities are priced separately. For example, laser tag is $3.50, Exploration Adventure is $4.95 Monday-Thursday, $5.50 Friday-Sunday, $2.95 for ages 1-3 and free for children under 1 with a paid children's admission. Wristbands are available for $6.99-$18.99 depending on the number of activities included.
Super Just Games, 557 Waukegan Rd., Brookside Plaza, Northbrook; 847-559-8727. This center has more than 200 skill games, many of which are free and others that operate on nickels, and a redemption center as well as bumper cars and a carousel. $2 entrance fee.
Tunnels of Fun, 2843 W. Kirchoff Rd., Rolling Meadows; 708-590-1800. This play park features places to climb, crawl and bounce with tubes, a rope bridge and other activities in areas geared to the development of different age groups including a section for toddlers. The center also includes a dress-up area as well as a quiet room with workout equipment for adults who bring children. $4.95 per child, free for adults.
