So there we were, headed to Castles N' Coasters a wholesome amusement park in the desert... a place…read morefor families, laughter, and apparently, poor decision-making. Now my buddy this man reaches into his pocket and pulls out what I can only describe as a historical artifact. I'm talking a doobie so big it looked like Bob Marley himself rolled it during a greatest hits tour. I said, "Absolutely not. I am a grown man. I got responsibilities. I got a mortgage. I got snacks at home I haven't even finished yet." That didn't matter. Next thing I know, windows are up, car turns into a Dutch oven of bad decisions, and now I'm just along for the ride literally and spiritually. Somewhere between "this is a bad idea" and "why is everything funny," I lost control of the evening. We pull into the park around that magical time you know, that in-between hour... not quite day, not quite night... like God dimmed the lights and said, "Alright boys, let's see what happens." The whole place is glowing neon lights, arcade buzz, roller coasters rattling in the distance. Felt like walking into a carnival dream... or maybe a fever dream. Jury's still out. Now here's the thing about this place it's been around since the late '70s, sitting right there in Phoenix like a desert time capsule of fun. You got four roller coasters, including the Desert Storm, which sounds fun until you're on it reconsidering every life choice that led you there. Then there's the Patriot wooden, loud, and about as gentle as a bar fight. And somehow... SOMEHOW... we thought tequila beforehand was a good idea. So now we're buzzed, slightly baked against our will, and wandering this park like three philosophers who lost their notes. We're laughing at everything. Nothing's funny but everything's hilarious. A trash can? Comedy gold. A churro? Best thing I've ever eaten in my life. A child running past me? I'm emotionally invested in his journey. But I'll give credit where it's due the park itself? Clean. Staff's friendly. Nobody's judging three grown men giggling like idiots. It's got that old-school charm too arcades, mini golf, rides, the whole deal. You can bring a family here... or whatever version of a situation we were. Now the rides... oh, the rides. Let me tell you something nothing will make you rediscover fear like being slightly out of your mind on a roller coaster you thought you could handle. I got scared... not once... not twice... but a few times. The kind of scared where you start making promises to God you don't intend to keep. "I'll be a better man if I survive this drop..." Didn't mean a word of it. By the end of the night, we had the munchies, the laughs, and just enough dignity left to get back to the car without needing a group meeting. For a couple hours, though? We were kids again. No responsibilities. No stress. Just lights, noise, and pure, ridiculous fun. So yeah Castles N' Coasters might be a family amusement park... but under the right or completely wrong circumstances, it turns into one hell of a story. Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Just... maybe crack a window on the way there.

There's a couple machines upstairs that "ate our money". It's a play card with credits, but there…read moreare a couple times the games didn't let us play or credit us for a game. Also, the Simpsons machine doesn't let you play Lisa. it picks Bart if you select Lisa's button. Another machine is Zoltar downstairs. He only talks, but does not spit out a souvenir ticket. That one actually did eat my dollar. I guess it made up for it because a couple people abandoned their games downstairs in the middle, so the bf and I played for "free". It was on someone else's dime, but I guess that counts, too. We got nachos and drinks from the snack bar. Service was quick. As with any family fun event center, food was a bit overpriced. The female bathroom was nasty. I don't know how often they clean them, but there was paper all over the stall floor. The faucets had a lot of buildup on them. Both the male and female restrooms smelled funky. I didn't play at the putt putt section, but one day I'll be back to do that. Overall, a good arcade/food experience. I'd recommend this place to people. I cannot comment on any of the rides/attractions besides the arcade.

This place has been our go-to birthday spot for both of my kids for years, and we keep coming back…read morefor good reason. The train ride is a blast, the climbing wall is massive, and watching kids lose their minds on the bumper boats never gets old. The party packages are reasonably priced, which is a huge plus when you're hosting a group. They also recently added fans and misters to the party area, and it makes a world of difference especially on hot days. If you're looking for a fun, affordable spot for a kids' party (or just a family outing), definitely check this place out. Highly recommend!

We attended a birthday party here yesterday, and it was not a bad experience! My friend got the…read morehighest package for the party: which was a private area and it's own tables, play area, and grill. They were also given a set of tickets for the kids to ride on, which was pretty cool! My son was too young for the rides, but we were able to walk around. It is not a very big space, and I think there was maybe 8 rides total. The amusement park area was very clean, and the workers seemed helpful and chipper. We had a good time, and did not have any expectations when we came in, but it was pretty good. I would recommend this place for a lowkey birthday party and to rent out the cove!

fun place and concept, but the karts are quite rough and bumpy, and you need a decent amount of…read morestrength to turn. be careful on the first turn, its very narrow and abrupt. it was a fun experience, bought 3 races but only did 2 since the first time was rough, i went with a group of 4 and it was our first time but the workers joined in for some reason and kept crashing into us. why were they competing with newbie teens? anyways, they chipped my tooth, hurt my neck, and gave me a bruised back in one part. other than that, it wasn't too bad. be careful with kids. (i will be hyper-fixating on my chipped tooth though, an apology would be nice.)

Stopped on a whim and had the best time!…read more We purchased three races each and got on the track pretty quickly. They give new racers the run down on how everything works, the flag system, etc. Explained the red button on the steering wheel that should only be used if necessary to back up. When my husband asked if the green button on the steering wheel was to boost your speed, the guy said if you think it does, then yes. LOL The carts go fast and it's a lot of fun. I like that after your race, you can get your results up at the counter inside to see where you ranked, your fastest lap, etc. I had one incident on my last race where I spun out and then someone hit me at full force. The flag guy ran over to make sure I was OK. My pride made me tell him yes, I was fine but it actually hurt. But I'm a big girl and can handle getting roughed up a little. LOL Thankfully it happened on my last race because my car did not handle too well after that - it shook terribly. I felt that the staff were patient, helpful and want everyone to have a good time. Our only issue was that we waited forever for our last race. They never called our names and group after group after group went on the course. Turns out they had somehow forgot about us. Arcade games, food, photo opps are inside and like I said, we had the best time!

Such a fun place to visit! There are so many restaurants and activities all in one area, plus…read moreparking is easy. Not too fun during the summer though because it's open parking! It's also a great spot to entertain and tire out the kids! Lol There's even a Ferris wheel, but it was way too hot for us to ride. We also found a photo booth near the restrooms ($8), which was a fun little bonus. It's conveniently located near OdySea, Topgolf, and Talking Stick, and it's super easy to get to from the freeway. If you're visiting during the summer, I'd recommend saving the outdoor walking for the cooler months and spending the hotter afternoons indoors at OdySea.

This is a cool, though touristy, entertainment destination in Scottsdale. Lots of positives about…read morethe place. A nice variety of family-friendly activities along with several shops and eateries on site, free parking, and great deals with the purchase of a combo ticket to experience different attractions at a discount. I did the "pick 2" combo for access to Butterfly Wonderland and the UFO Experience, and though the former was far more interesting and enjoyable, I'm glad I was able to check out both during my recent visit. Service was great as I interacted with staff at the arizona boardwalk, and the place wasn't overly crowded on a Sunday, which I appreciated.

AZ State Fair is amazing! It's spacious with food, rides, exhibits, adult beverages, various…read morevendors, live music, and more! I had to get a turkey leg, cotton candy, and a strawberry lemonade. (Yum-yum!) Try to ride share to the fair or you'll be paying out the wazooka to park. Accessible entrance.

I am from Houston and my hometown has the largest rodeo in the world. So I am spoiled when it comes…read moreto state fairs and rodeos. After moving to Phoenix earlier this year, a few months later I went to a fair in Scottsdale. It was severely underwhelming. So, given that experience, and my high standard, I didn't have high hopes for the Arizona State Fair. Boy was I wrong! I went twice. Once on a Sunday afternoon and once on a Sunday evening (September and October). First off, the Fair isn't located in the best part of Phoenix. All good. A lot of businesses are looking to make an extra buck by charging you for parking to park in their lot. Avoid it. You can find free parking on the side streets close to the Fair without much difficulty. Admission is roughly $18. Now for the experience. First, the food. When you go to a fair, you better not eat a salad. It's about indulgence. It's about ridiculous food. It's about classic fair food like turkey legs and corn dogs. It's about BBQ. It's about sweet treats like fried Oreos. On both visits, I left with a full stomach. Mission accomplished. The first time around, I had some mac and cheese with BBQ pulled pork and green onions. Plus some pineapple soft serve. On my second visit, I went a little overboard and had a classic salted pretzel, some elote, colossal fries, and some soft serve vanilla ice cream. The colossal curly fries are exactly what I'm talking about! I'm not one to back down from the challenge, but talk about a haul. I ate a good amount and barely made a dent. It could easily feed a family of four. Most of the food is decently priced for a carnival. There are some outliers like $20+ for a cup of strawberries with Dubai chocolate (I know it's a trend but this is highway robbery!) Next, the drinks. On my first visit, I had a beer. On my second visit, some strawberry lemonade. You'll find a lot of refreshments, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Beer, cocktails, lemonades (including ones in baby bottles), agua frescas, and pretty much any refreshment you can think of. Next up, the livestock. You'll have the opportunity to pet and see farm animals including horses, goats, pigs, longhorns, llamas, and more. There was even a talking parrot show on my first visit. Pretty cool. Finally, the entertainment. There are concerts, not a lot of big names (the biggest one I recognized this year was 2Chainz). Beyond the dedicated concerts, there's live music. There's a bunch of carnival rides, both for kids and thrill seekers. There are carnival games. There's shopping. Rodeo art. Vendors like Panda Express giving away freebies for downloading their app. You get the picture. There's plenty to do, both as an adult and if you have kids. And even some Halloween-related stuff. Stay until the sun sets to see the Fair lit up. They even had some drone fireworks the first time. Impressive. Overall, I had a great time. I'll mention one more thing. When I attended in September, they gave me a booklet. The booklet included free admission for a return visit in October as well as coupons for a bunch of vendors. That's part of what brought me back. Smart business.

Such a great place for kids and families. Non stop fun and the atmosphere is amazing. Highly…read morerecommend for kids. Especially if they have a lot of energy. Perfect place for them. Friendly staff and well kept place.

From the owner: This is the world's largest bounce park—and for the first time ever, it's indoors, making it…read moreperfect for summer fun! The multi-zone park offers a wide variety of attractions and play areas for the whole family to enjoy. Highlights include 23-foot slides, a ninja wall, battle beam, obstacle course, basketball, a large pyramid with slides, Wipeout-inspired games, a dedicated toddler area, and much more.

Slick City on Thunderbird Rd in Glendale is now one of my favorite places to show off to friends…read moreand visitors. Among all the different slides there is something for everyone from 6 (my grandkid) to 76 (me)! Although they are all fun, my favorite slide is the Python, followed by the Royal Flush. But I recommend you try all the slides! This is a great place for birthday parties, there's a cafe and lots of tables overlooking the playing floor. There is also a special area with toddler-size activities. One thing I especially like about Slick City is that through the adventure of slides, it teaches children self confidence and helps give them the courage to overcome fear in a healthy environment. Granddaughter (7 yrs) climbed up to the top of one of the tallest slides, only to start crying from fear and then she'd climb back down. 15 minutes later she'd go up again, only to come down, defeated by her fear. She kept it up (learning determination) until she finally found the courage to slide down from the top. The smile on her now self-confident face was priceless. She had conquered her fear! She went back and rode that slide again at least 10 times. The place is pricey but well worth it. Note: you must purchase a pair of their special traction socks in the slide areas. They do not allow any other brand, so save yours for subsequent trips.

We LOVE Slick City! Every time we go the staff is very friendly and supportive. And honestly that…read moreis the p The plus because you. Annoy beat what they had to offer. The slides are creative and fun, the basketball court is well kept and functioning. Overall the entire facility is clean, fun and a happy place to be.

We had such a fun experience here today! We came from out…read moreof town and wanted something fun for the kids today and this place hit all the marks. Train, playground inside and outside, splash pad, carousel and lots of lunch picnic tables. It was great to see everyone out enjoying summer. Bathrooms easily accessible for the littles. Great experience overall! If we lived closer we would definitely be here more.

WOW !!! Way more than expected when looking for something to do with an extra day in Phoenix area…read more Decided to visit on a whim (saw Free, Trains, Park). Really glad we did as we spent the better part of the day with no kids/grandkids (hope to bring them one day) enjoying the park. The locals are really lucky to have such a gem near-by to enjoy. So many things to enjoy from a train ride ($3) per ride or you can buy a day pass for $12 which includes the Carousel (pretty sure). There is a shaded playground and splash area (free) with picnic tables located throughout the park. We saw several parties going on at different covered areas (assume u can rent), and there is the Family Circus pavilion with tables near the snack bar Snack Bars (2) - one building and one in a Caboose near playground. The prices are really reasonable and a nice menu (chicken tenders, corn dogs). The ice-cream sucked us in with "Superman" which takes me back to childhood in the mid-west. Prices were great and the Staff even greater as they were super friendly (could be a name of a new ice-cream flavor). Tables located inside if needed to beat the heat. There is a gift shop with unique items to the park(t-shirts. stickers, stuff animals, puzzles etc.) a museum with the history of the park & the Family behind it. We spent the best part of the morning walking around the park, riding the train and exploring the miniature train building which in itself is amazing and beats some that we paid to visit. They have all the sizes on displays that I am sure a lot of spouses are happy that they are there and not in the basement or family room. These dioramas are intricate and beautifully done for each gauge of train with historic scenes to cool pop-culture ones. You could walk around a dozen times & probably see something you missed each time. They definitely spend a lot of time, money & energy to keep it up. Restrooms located throughout the park, easy free parking and a lot to see & do, if you have kids or grandkids or just a big kid yourself.