Next to Roseville, it's my other city crush.
We had some friends check out Lookout Ridge (8595 Central Park Place), the indoor playground, not too long ago. Last week we headed there ourselves to see what there is to see.
Here's what you need to know:
Age range (playground): mainly 3+
Seating: Several tables and chairs on one side of the playground
Bathrooms: Yes
Outside food allowed: No
Party hosting: Yes
Price: Varies depending on when you visit. We went on a Thursday evening, during which they offer a deal. (See website for all prices.)
Lookout Ridge is a forest-themed indoor playground located on the bottom floor of Woodbury Central Park. It's behind closed quarters (bathrooms and eating/party space), which makes keeping the kiddos corralled much easier.
There's a lot more to the playground than meets the eye; it takes exploring to see all of the wonderfully hidden nooks and crannies.
At one end of the playground is a bouncy "house" complete with netting. My kids had a blast climbing in and jumping around this area.
To the far back of the playground is an obstacle course. It has dangling "vines," hanging "wrecking balls," and poles to climb over or under. This was Madi and Titus' favorite part of the playground.
Another side of the playground is well-suited for kids at least 1 year of age. There isn't much to it: A quick walk through a giant tree trunk to a few stairs which lead to a small slide.
Next to the playground is what I thought was the coolest feature: a "pond" of small critters and other small items (i.e. coins and amphibians). The critters are set in some kind of plastic so that they're seen and walked over but can't be touched. A boat sits on one side of the pond.
There are only a few entrances that lead into the playground. One is a climb up a rock mountain and the other a crawl up netting.
Once the kiddos get into the playground, it's hard to keep an eye on them. The playground extends up into a vaulted ceiling. From the seating area, I couldn't see where they were.
If I followed them from the ground, I could only hear them. The play area is surprisingly dark, making it hard to see much aside from the playground equipment.
My kids weren't comfortable scaling the playground by themselves. I think this is largely due to the fact that it was a dreary setting with a lot of playground cramped into a small space.
I personally would not return to Lookout Ridge. Even at the Thursday night discount price, it wasn't as fun an experience for my kids as other indoor playgrounds have been. The equipment is worn and ill-replaced.
If you're looking for an indoor playground to host a party, you'll have much better luck elsewhere (I really recommend Eagle's Nest!), especially considering you're not allowed to bring food into the premises. Woodbury does most things well, but their indoor playground has plenty of room for improvement.
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