I heard about this place and was glad I was able to finally visit…read more The location was easy to find. I am not sire if this was normal but there was only about 4 other groups besides ours so there was no wait I had no expectations of this place and I did no research but I was very impressed and had a great time. There were plenty of games and rides on actual machinery. Also, there is a cafe which I didn't attend and a small arcade area We did allow our daughter to visit the splash pad. She had a great time there. There were a lot of air conditioning bathrooms to help kids change into a swimsuit Overall, I am a fan of this place and would return in the future

We just had our second trip down there and it was better than the first! A theme park is only as…read moregood as its staff- and the staff at the Decimator and mini-tractors were fantastic! They were so wonderful with my son and the best part of the day! Everyone seemed to take pride in their work, the park was clean, staff was helpful, and seemed to truly enjoy their jobs. The new splash pad is a lifesaver on a hot day. They've added more shade, and it's safe to assume more will be added when we return next year. All bathrooms are single-stall family/accesible which I appreciated a great deal. They're also climate-controlled which helped. I love being able to use construction equipment and try stuff that I can't normally access in my daily life. Yes, it's expensive but utilize Groupon if you want to save money. It's definitely worth the price for us because my kid loves construction equipment and he can safely use it here. To the team: We'll see you next August if not before!

This place is so much fun! My boyfriend and I went here for a quick date and had the best time. We…read moredid the Cirque Du Saboteur room, it was highly detailed and really fun. Lisa, our host, was so nice and super helpful! 10/10 recommend!

Took our three sons here while they were in town for the holidays. Three of us have done escape…read morerooms before, the other two had not. Our host Ryan was an amiable person who explained everything we needed to know in a clear, concise manner. He was a likable chap and exuded great excitement towards the game. My family watched a video and went into the Wonder Cabin to commence our adventures. It had a good combination of clues and there was a wide variety of secrets to unearth. It took all five of us to complete and we enjoyed the comradery and team building aspects of the adventure. Well done, a great time was had by all! Thank you! And when you finish the Bayou Boathouse we will bring the gang to try that one too!

Really cute spot for family fun and kid friendly! You can control your speed and the drops are only…read more80 ft. The only agony is the long lines but a fast ride. Definitely recommend coming earlier than 10 am to queue and find parking.

Before you get out the car, leave your personal belongings that don't fit into your pocket (ie -…read morepurse/bag) unless it's a fanny pack as they don't allow it on the ride. You are required to fill out a waiver, they have a QR code to scan once you get up the ticket booth they will verify that you completed it. They do offer a military discount - however we left everything in the car so we had to go back and fetch that. They give you a ticket, hold on to it as it's your ticket to ride! There were lots of things that could have been told to us while we were in line buying our tickets but instead we had an employee who screamed and yelled while we waited. I hate to say we waited longer than the actual ride took but we did. On that note, if you enjoyed your first ride they will let you go a second time for 1/2 off the price. But we got on the coaster, got buckled in and told to hold on to the handle bars. Given quick instructions (push forward to go, pull back to slow down) and up the mountain we went. During the ride they do take a picture so remember to smile! Was it fun, it was . . . However we need to extend the track and make it a little longer.

This has been on our bucket list since we moved to Nc 2 years ago! I wasn't sure what to expect but…read moreit was AMAZING. I definitely feel it's a must see at least once in your life. No detail was missed! We took the chairlift up to Oz and obviously back down. There was amazing views and scenery. Once we got to Oz there was plenty of spots for us to take pictures at and meet the characters. All characters did such a great job in their role! There is some hills and walking that you may need to wear good shoes or take a rest. I saw older people resting quite a bit as some parts can be difficult, I mean you are on a mountain! I'm very overweight and I did fine with resting 2 times after a killer hill. We also did the scenic view trail (extra fee) beautiful! Such a neat place and glad we finally made it out!

Honestly, I went in with fairly low expectations, and I left surprised at how much fun we had! We…read morearrived at the Beech Mountain Resort parking lot at 9:15am for our 10am time slot. There was plenty to do at the resort, including buying snack foods and shopping at Oz-themed booths. Around 9:30am we boarded the shuttle and then shortly after we left for the Land of Oz; we got there right at 10am. Without giving anything away, I was surprised at how coordinated the event was, and how we followed a pre-planned path, but we never felt like we were being hurried to the next event. I was concerned our tween boys would think the whole thing was hokey, but they had a blast too. All of the actors gave it their all, and I never saw anyone break character, which was impressive considering the amount of improv and crowd work they did. We zoomed through most everything, and we were done by a little after noon. If we had taken our time and gotten food at the Emerald City, we easily could have spent 1-2 more hours. It was an exciting event, and I'm so glad we went. There were lots of people in our time slot (1 shuttle and two school buses full), but everything was so well paced that it didn't feel overcrowded. Bit of advice: bring water and snacks in a backpack unless you are ready to pay a premium to buy them at the Land of Oz.

What a fun way to spend a morning or afternoon! We went for a special occasion with our 3 kiddos -…read moreages 14, 12, and 9 and everyone loved it! There are varying levels of obstacles and zip lines on every course. Our favorite course was the zip line course, as it goes the highest into the trees and has the most speed for the thrill seekers :) The workers were helpful when needed, but mostly hands off otherwise. Because of the cool lock and safety system, it's really impossible to mess it up (unless you just totally don't clip in at all) and so easy to use and slide along from obstacle to obstacle. (see pics) We stayed for about 3 hours and enjoyed every bit of it! Highly recommended :) *Note - during the holidays, they have specials at a pretty big discount to buy tickets for the spring when they open.

It's a great place with challenging ziplines running around the trees in a charming & organic…read moresetting. Great to spend time with family or a group of friends! There are also zip lines for young children plus a lot of fun for teens. The staff is very accommodating and friendly. Update: I went to the yoga & climb class and it was a very nice experience! It was an outdoor yoga class on the deck. The class was a well worth-it, pleasant and relaxing outdoor experience led by Sharie.

This is sooo fun! I highly recommend adding to your list! My only complaint is that each ride…read moredoesn't last long enough. It's $40 for 3 rides which is a great deal compared to the one ride, and you're gonna want more! The workers are really nice and do a good job of explaining the coaster car operation. You control how fast or slow you go. It's a little unnerving the first time but then you get used to it. There's also a gift shop and coffee shop on site. It was decorated so cute for Halloween! Can't wait to go back!

This place was simple, classic, and a great break to the monotony of a cold winter day. Yes, our 3…read more20 somethings wanted to go ride the coaster! Some things never change. It was fun for them and very nostalgic however, it was slightly lackluster being from Orlando the home of roller coasters. But they all said they would do it again! You are given a choice between one and three rides. Hint make a reservation so you are sure to be able to ride!

FUN, FUN, FUN!!! They have tons of activities and things to do to keep the kids and adults…read moreengaged. I took my niece and nephews for a Saturday adventure and we did the go-carts a couple of times, the bumper boats, laser tag, the VR experience and then the game room. All the experiences were between $7-$8 each. I thought was a little strange that they were all the same cost. I spent a good chunk of change but walked away with a whole bunch of memories of a really good time. I only have one complaint, and that would be that 'Johnny Rockets' is no longer in the establishment. Had I known this prior to going, we would have dined elsewhere. We did utilize the snack bar, they had pizza, wings, and burgers, and all of these were just okay, not bad. Johnny Rockets would have been much better. Would definitely come back

This place was such a scam! We got there and spent $75 on a game card. After 3 games didn't work…read more(VR headset completely broken strap and wouldn't stay on my head + my partners headset was torn to shreds...hungry hippo game had ZERO marbles) and gave us back $55 that we didn't use (lost the money that we spent on their broken games) and then did go karting. My partner is the same weight as me and at full speed he was way ahead of me. I literally didn't even have a chance to catch up bc he was flying and my go kart was barely hanging on. Our first time here and will not be returning.

Reading the reviews in advance of our visit I was apprehensive --but we had a great visit. If…read moreyou're expecting it to be like Disney --you'll be disappointed. If you're looking for a small park to take the kids away from the crowds you will be pleased. Parking: Plenty of parking and they carried the Christmas theme into the parking lot by making the parking spots with candy cane style paint. Perhaps the BEST part of the parking, aside from that it is really close to the entry, is that the spots are larger than standard. This was super helpful for unloading the baby, stroller, etc., plus I didn't worry about a child whacking my car with their door. Entry: They had a photo spot set up right before you entered. We went in October and it was Halloween themed. One review accurately noted that they do charge a 3 year old the same as an adult --I wish the park would revisit this --but entry was roughly $26 per person. I thought the price was fair considering they have to care for animals, maintain the park, pay employees, etc. Also, they offer a military discount, senior discount, etc. The lady at the entry booth was super friendly and super efficient. Park Overall: well maintained, pretty trees, and a creek that runs through the entire park. There is also a train that runs a loop of the entire park and comes and goes every few minutes. When we went, the park wasn't busy, and the employee/conductor of the train moved the train up so we could take a photo by the engine. Children and adults can ride the train to move from the entry to the amusements/rides. Non-Ride Entertainment: One of the overlooked aspects of the other reviews is that Santa's Land has a LOT of non-ride entertainment for kids. They have several playground areas. At the entry, there is a merry-go-round, a slide, several springy rides for small kids, statues for the kids to take pictures with, an igloo (that my daughter loved), among others. There was another playground in the zoo area that was themed like mountain-climbing with a slide that my daughter really loved. There were also several animated displays, to include animated reindeer preparing Santa's outfit, Christmas Carol, Nativity, a small church, among others. They also had a nicely decorated building where kids could take a photo with Santa. The Santa was super nice and super patient with the kids. Santa was wearing a mask due to COVID ongoing at the time of our visit. They also had a magic show, a blacksmith demonstration, among others, that the kids seem to really enjoy. I really appreciate the non-ride entertainment because it really spreads out the visitors, kept lines for the rides short, and gave me a break from repeatedly going on rides with my daughter. Amusements/Rides: The rides were a little older --but they were really cool and seemed to be well-maintained. Why cool? For example, the carousel had metal mechanics, however, the frame overall was made of wood --I thought this was really neat. They had a little helicopter ride (goes in circles and the rider controls elevation by a bar) which had rotors that actually turned while the ride was in motion. They had a reindeer roller coaster, which they are somewhat famous for, that let kids ride roller coasters, where they might be otherwise precluded due to age/height, without being too scary/intense. At the height of the Ferris Wheel there was a great view of the Great Smoky Mountains. There was also a small boat ride (similar to a carousel). Every single employee was SUPER friendly, super kind, and took safety seriously. The rides are most appropriate for children --if you have thrill-seeking teenagers they may be less amused by the rides. Zoo: They had a lot of cool animals, kangaroos, a camel, black bears, goats, reindeer, emu, alpacas, chickens, ducks, among others. The animal habitats all seemed to be clean, the animal caretakers seemed to be really good with the animals, and my daughter loved looking at and feeding them. They had a fish exhibit that had the largest rainbow trout I've ever seen and a fish food dispenser (required a quarter (and they provided change for dollar bills)). The black bears were super playful and you could feed them too by sending the food down a tube. You could also feed the goats, reindeer, alpaca, and others. Food: There was pizza near the entrance and a grill at the train stop near the rides. We ate at the grill near the rides. The employees working in the grill were super friendly and working super hard. They offered cheeseburgers, hot dogs, corndogs, chicken sandwich, nachos, soda, hot chocolate, etc. The food was priced SUPER reasonable: I had a double cheeseburger, fries, and a soda and it was $8.25. They also had a stand in the train station with funnel cakes, etc. I appreciated not being price-gouged for park food! We had a great visit --and will definitely be back when we're in the area again. The park should consider children pricing and renovating their bathrooms.

The kids had a good time at this run down amusement park but it was such a sad experience for all…read moreof the adults. The animal enclosures were honestly hard to look at. Many of the animals were housed on bare cement with no natural landscape, nothing like grass, dirt, plants, or anything resembling their natural habitat. Several enclosures also seemed to get very little sunlight. It didn't feel like an environment where the animals could behave naturally or be comfortable, and it took away from any positive experience. The animals looked sad and depressed. It reminded me of old timey circus cages that were used before we were held to any standard of how to treat animals. This park needs to invest in more natural, enriching habitats with real ground cover, shade and sun options, and space to roam. If that's not possible, those animals need to be given away to a zoo that is able to properly care for them.

I want to say this has been one of the highlights of my family trip. When your 16 yo his 17 yo best…read morefriend and wife all agree on this fact it says something. As adults we have this tendency to say "if I knew then what I knew now, I'd have paid more attention in school!" Well here's your chance. This tiny aquarium will impart more knowledge in a short visit than you probably take in most months if you take advantage of it. The interns and owner (a former teacher) are committed to answering questions. The things they are studying and sharing are amazing. If you go in and you want to learn and ask questions this will be an experience you won't forget. Think of the best science teacher you ever had, having an opportunity to show the world what she loves to talk about... and that is what you have here. Do yourself a favor, go, enjoy and learn!!

We went awhile back to see Charlotte and were sorely disappointed. Hearing of her death today…read morereminded me I had forgotten to write a review. This location is privately run and not for educational purposes. More like going to a friends house to see their pets. Please consider going to an aquarium run by scientists for educational purposes.