We had the opportunity to spend a day at the Castles N’ Coasters Family Fun Park in Phoenix with our four kids over winter break. I have many of my own fun memories of this park from when I was a kid. It’s been a familiar landmark near the Metrocenter mall for over 40 years now. The blue and gold castle motif is not to be missed along the I-17 freeway and excited screams from riders on the bright green Desert Storm (the only loop coaster in the state of Arizona) and the Skydiver drop can often be heard as you drive by.
The park itself is divided into several areas. You enter the park through “the castle” which features a 10,000 square foot arcade spanning three levels. There are a wide variety of classic and modern arcade games, along with a full snack bar. It’s a great place to spend an afternoon, even on the hottest summer days. Most of the interior is original from its 1980’s glory and it screams with nostalgia (like you’ve entered an episode of “Stranger Things”)!
As you exit the arcade, you are welcomed by four very elaborate 18 hole miniature golf courses. They are designed for all levels of skill. This is one of the largest courses we’ve seen, with fountains and statues and little “towns” to work around on multiple levels (please note they are on staggered levels and not handicap accessible). Above the golf course is a zipline and ropes course for the adventurous types. A round of golf is $15 per person with your choice of which of the four courses you would like to play. If you are also buying a full attraction pass, you can add on golf for only $7.
The theme park itself begins with bumper boats on one side (that were unfortunately closed for maintenance during our visit) and a small Indy go-kart course on the other. We had a blast racing each other on this course – those little cars go much faster than they look! Smaller children who can’t drive can ride as passengers and be a part of the fun as well, as long as they meet the 40 inch height minimum. We found the longest wait times were actually for this attraction, since they allow you about 5 minutes to loop the track per group, and it takes quite a while to load and unload the cars.
As you cross the bridge to enter into the main center of the amusement park, you are greeted with a Fun House, which has an extra charge (or included with Elite pass). The amusement park area contains two coasters, the larger Desert Storm with a 42 inch height minimum and the smaller Patriot with a 36 inch minimum. There are bumper cars, a Magic Carpet ride guaranteed to make you dizzy, the Sea Dragon swinging ship, a log water ride, and multiple free fall drops (my life may have flashed before my eyes on the larger Sky Diver, which is much, MUCH higher than it looks from the ground. I could see the entire city from the top before I rudely plummeted to the ground – screaming the whole way).
There are also 4 kiddie rides, including a beautiful classic carousel and three toddler sized rides (32 inch minimum). There really isn’t enough to keep very young children entertained, so I would recommend ages 5+ if you’re planning a day here.
Castles N’ Coasters Family Fun Park in Phoenix
There are typical theme park food options available inside the park (pizza, burgers, chicken tenders & fries) with theme park pricing, but I don’t think there would be any issues with bringing your own sealed water bottles and snacks into the park as well since they don’t do any screening upon entry. We were very pleased with how clean and well maintained the park was!
The only ride we skipped was the “Splash Down” log ride that nosedives you into water. We didn’t think we could manage that with temperatures in the 50s, but from my past experience – I can tell you it’s a fun one!
We attended on a Thursday during holiday break and the crowds were very low. We walked directly onto most rides and never had to wait more than 5 minutes for any attraction, with the exception of the Indy cars.
Tickets are available for advance purchase on their website. An elite pass will give you unlimited attractions, a $10 arcade credit and one round of miniature golf for $60 a person, or you can purchase an unlimited ride pass for $50 per person. They also have a banquet room on site for hosting birthday parties and events. Visit their website for more information and for hours of operation.
More great things to do can be found on our master lists!
