At Evanston’s new Sky Zone location, visitors can ride down the Double Mega Launch Slides, play basketball in the Air Courts, tackle immersive digital games on iWalls and face off with jousting sticks in King of the Hill.
These are just a few of the attractions at the indoor active entertainment park, which opened Dec. 7 at 1715 Maple Ave. According to its website, Sky Zone operates and franchises more than 300 locations globally.
The park is the latest addition to Church Street Plaza, a retail center that also includes the AMC Evanston 12 movie theater and various restaurants. Sky Zone occupies part of the space formerly taken by the Century 12 Evanston/CinéArts 6 movie theater, which closed in 2020.
The park is scheduled for a grand opening on Jan. 20, which is set to include live music and free giveaways, according to Assistant General Manager Will Hay.
Hay said the park has seen strong attendance, especially during the holiday season. The park has attracted young children, teenagers and adults alike.
“Whenever you come to the building, whenever you have a party here, whenever you bring kids, it’s a place that we really want to be a community hub as opposed to just a business,” Hay said.
Most of the park’s attractions are open to all ages, though visitors must be at least five years old for the Double Mega Launch Slide. Younger visitors can play in the special Toddler Zone.
The park also includes a small cafeteria, lockers, cubbies and spaces for birthday parties and other special events.
Visitors can buy single-day passes starting at $27.99 for 90 minutes, or they can buy a basic monthly membership at the same price. Visitors with memberships can jump for two hours each day, attend exclusive events and receive discounts for parties and events.
Evanston resident Joshua Emanuel visited the park with his daughters, his son and his son’s friend. He said the park may not be accessible to everyone because of its high admission price.
“I’m from the 5th Ward of Evanston,” Emanuel said. “A lot of people over there can’t afford to come here.”
The park gives each visitor a wristband and tracks its capacity throughout the day to ensure it does not exceed its maximum of 695 people, including staff.
Each visitor must sign a waiver before entering. Staff members are assigned to supervise the attractions, and according to Hay, many of SkyZone’s employees attend high schools in the Evanston area.
Weinberg Prof. Melissa Rosenzweig visited the park with her son and his friend. Rosenzweig said the park’s many attractions provided her son ample opportunities for much-needed physical activity.
“If you have multiple kids, everyone can do something,” Rosenzweig said. “It’s really well thought-out, and there’s a lot to do. I plan to keep coming back.”
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