Need a new place to play indoors? Its cold out and the playground might not be an option, so KAG Contributor Robert Neely is recommending Mountain Play Lodge in Arden, North Carolina. Its only about an hour drive from Greenville and would make a fun family day!
This winter, our family discovered the Mountain Play Lodge in Arden, North Carolina (just south of Asheville). It’s the best indoor play facility we’ve visited with our 2½-year-old twins.
Photo Credit Mountain Play Lodge
A little about Mountain Play Lodge
The play area at Mountain Play Lodge features two large climbing areas, complete with steps, multiple slides, and overhead tunnels with obstacles to climb over, around, and through.
It also has a castle-themed section with a hidden tunnel, periscope, and slide, and a series of storefronts with plenty of room for imaginative play.
There’s also a separate toddler area—separated from the rest of the play floor by a gate—where younger children have a playhouse and their own small climbing area.
Most of all, the play area is clean and safe. Sturdy gates separate the lobby, shoe-removal area, and restrooms from the main play floor. For parents of kids who like to explore and get into things they shouldn’t, these gates are perfect.
The Mountain Play Lodge play area also includes plenty of comfortable seats for parents, plus a café area with tables and two televisions.
Photo Credit Mountain Play Lodge
Our trip to Mountain Play Lodge
For our first visit, on a Saturday, we arrived soon after Mountain Play Lodge opened at 10 am. We were pleasantly surprised to see how quickly our twins discovered they could do everything without our help.
Before long, my wife and I had settled into two of the many comfortable chairs to watch our kids climb, slide, and tunnel happily.
Even though there were dozens of kids playing, it didn’t seem crowded. There were plenty of options for everyone.
Thanks to the all-day pass, we were able to take a lunch break and drive five minutes or so to a local restaurant. Our exhausted kids inhaled every bit of food we put in front of them because of how much energy they had spent. Then we returned for another couple of hours of play.
On a subsequent visit, we found that one parent could easily handle both toddlers thanks to the excellent setup.
Children 2 and up will enjoy the play lodge, and the climbing areas are extensive enough that kids up to 8, 9, or even 10 years old should find plenty to do.
Photo Credit: Mountain Play Lodge
Plan Your Own Visit to Mountain Play Lodge
The Mountain Play Lodge is located about an hour’s drive from the Cherrydale area of Greenville, at 3389 Sweeten Creek Road in Arden, NC. It’s open 10-6 every day.
Admission is $13 per day for children age 3-12 and $9 for children 2 and under. Visit on a weekday and save $1 oneach admission.
Socks are required for children and adults. If you don’t bring your own, you must purchase them for $2 a pair on site. Also, no outside food is allowed, and two party rooms are available for private events.
So the next time you’re looking for something new for the kiddos to do when it’s cold outside give Mountain Play Lodge a visit. This place has won a bunch of local awards – find out for yourself why!
Has your family ever visited Mountain Play Lodge?
More Content for our Readers:
- Be sure to check out our Ultimate Guide to Indoor Fun in Greenville
- Other great choices for fun in Asheville are the Western NC Nature Center, the Biltmore Estates, and our list of WNC Day Trips
Robert Neely and his wife are parents to 1-year-old boy/girl twins. He’s been a writer, editor and journalist for 20+ years.
We Attend the SCCT productions every chance we get! Love them!
Thanks for this review. We tried out Mountain Play Lodge today with our 2.5 yr old and 11 mo old. It was great. They had a blast and we did too. About an hour from Greenville and well worth it.