Wheels Fun Park
Wheels Fun Park
3.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
3.5
25 reviews
Excellent
5
Very good
8
Average
5
Poor
3
Terrible
4
CharlotteDayTripper
Charlotte, NC1,367 contributions
Feb 2018 • Family
The indoor climbing gym is wonderfully fantastic. The other games need tickets and are reminiscent of the Chuck E Cheese model. Unfortunately, the prizes are the same too. Very cheap and expensive. They should have more compassion, cheaper and better quality toys for the little ones who love this kind of place. The place itself needs updating and feels a little dirty. The surprise was the food - really good and inexpensive. Made to order, and friendly, homey service. The fried pickles, the burger, the chicken fingers - all delicious.
Written 1 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
topaz1100
Durham, NC29 contributions
Jun 2014 • Family
Ok, I see how some people would say this isn't a great place to go ONLY because it is a very basic skate rink. Meaning no fancy bells and whistles and no fancy new arcade games like Frankies or Dave and Busters.
I have lived in Durham all my life and it pretty much looks like it looked when I was in middle school and I'm almost 40 now lol.
The good: Admission prices are cheap compared to other places you can take the kids, there is always a groupon to be purchased, they have Zumba classes during the week (also groupons), there are skate lessons for the kids on Saturday morning for cheap, they have go-carts, I liked the music that was played when I went the last time and they have huge projection screens that also show the videos of the music they are playing.
The bad: It's old and needs some updating, the bathrooms (HATE THEM), and the stall walls come to my chest so anyone walking by can see your business (if you know what I mean), the food is pretty basic
At the end of the day my kids love going there so it really doesn't matter what I think.
My last outing there was an end of the year get together with a bunch of local 1st & 2nd grade classes from local schools and EVERYONE (kids and adults) seem to be enjoying themselves. I actually took my books to study and just let the kids skate so I had a little time to myself while the kids enjoyed themselves.
I have lived in Durham all my life and it pretty much looks like it looked when I was in middle school and I'm almost 40 now lol.
The good: Admission prices are cheap compared to other places you can take the kids, there is always a groupon to be purchased, they have Zumba classes during the week (also groupons), there are skate lessons for the kids on Saturday morning for cheap, they have go-carts, I liked the music that was played when I went the last time and they have huge projection screens that also show the videos of the music they are playing.
The bad: It's old and needs some updating, the bathrooms (HATE THEM), and the stall walls come to my chest so anyone walking by can see your business (if you know what I mean), the food is pretty basic
At the end of the day my kids love going there so it really doesn't matter what I think.
My last outing there was an end of the year get together with a bunch of local 1st & 2nd grade classes from local schools and EVERYONE (kids and adults) seem to be enjoying themselves. I actually took my books to study and just let the kids skate so I had a little time to myself while the kids enjoyed themselves.
Written 17 June 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John D
Durham, NC28 contributions
Aug 2017 • Family
There is a lot to do, but my son likes the indoor play gym. It's very big and he can run around for hours.
It would be 4 stars but it is in need of some maintenance and updates.
It would be 4 stars but it is in need of some maintenance and updates.
Written 13 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wendy L
Chapel Hill, NC5 contributions
Mar 2014 • Family
We took our son to skate with some friends after school for his birthday and our experience was TERRIBLE!!!! They played one genre of music including "DOIN' the BUTT" when there were only 8-10 year olds skating. The music was completely inappropriate the entire time. They would not accept any requests to play any other current /pop songs and did absolutely nothing the entire time that we were there. They claim that they are open from 4:00-6:00 and reopen at 6:30 for night skating but asked everyone to leave at 5:40. Really disappointing!!!! Will never be wasting money at that trashy place again! I have never written a review of anything in my entire life but felt compelled to let others know about this place. Do not waste your money!
Written 14 March 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kimberly W
1 contribution
Apr 2015 • Family
If I could give zero stars I would! This place is a big JOKE. First, I would like to say that I got what I thought was a deal on Groupon for two wrist bands ($21). I will never trust Groupon again after this horrific experience. When I drove up to the place, I was not impressed. What little faith I had in this place delivering "fun" was further squashed when I walked in to the joint. What a crap hole! This place must have been around from the fifties with NO recent renovations. The whole experience was a waste of my life and money. What a rip off! They nickle and dime you for EVERYTHING. The miniature golf was crappy...the whole course was old and rundown. It was atrocious! I felt as if I would fall through the floor of the place or hurt myself on their makeshift games. The only thing that was worth the time was the batting cages. However, you could hear a sigh and moan from the machine throwing the balls. Sort of sounded like me walking around the whole place. The place STANK (The Play Gym area smelled like a big ball of FUNK), it was old, rusty, and no fun at all. They had the nerve to say no outside food. Are you serious? After what I paid to get in, they should have allowed it. Besides, the stale looking food they had available would have probably upset my gut. It was really expensive and not worth a dime of what you would pay. I would go to Dave and Buster's or somewhere else that is much nicer! Don't waste you time on this hole in the wall dump!
P.S. Someone mentioned in a post that go karts were included in their purchase on Groupon for the $11/a piece wrist bands. They weren't with mine! They wanted to charge us for them. They stated that we could do everything else except the go karts...we had to pay up to ride those dusty things. You would think that with all of the monotone, boring, rude, attendees they had at this place, that they were guarding "gold" in the game areas. They would stalk you to make sure you had on a wristband. Everyone who gives this place the time of day should get in for "free"! I will NEVER GO BACK. If you do decide to go, maybe get a tetanus shot before you venture in there. The place is hella old and rusty.
P.S. Someone mentioned in a post that go karts were included in their purchase on Groupon for the $11/a piece wrist bands. They weren't with mine! They wanted to charge us for them. They stated that we could do everything else except the go karts...we had to pay up to ride those dusty things. You would think that with all of the monotone, boring, rude, attendees they had at this place, that they were guarding "gold" in the game areas. They would stalk you to make sure you had on a wristband. Everyone who gives this place the time of day should get in for "free"! I will NEVER GO BACK. If you do decide to go, maybe get a tetanus shot before you venture in there. The place is hella old and rusty.
Written 6 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
123vagabond
Halifax Regional Municipality, Canada106 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
First off, we arrived to be told they no longer accept credit or debt as payment for "small" purchases. That must be anything other than a full birthday party etc. So it cost us $5 in ATM fees to pay for a round of mini golf. Worst mini golf course ever. No landscaping, no challenges unless you count the thick pieces of astro turf glued over the holes in the old turf or unless you count the challenge of putting with greens covered in dead leaves, berries, twigs and stones or trying to bank shot off broken bricks and missing brick trim. Please don't waste your money. This mini golf course needs major work to even upgrade it to passable. This shows absolutely no interest or care by the owners/operators. Very disappointing.
Written 3 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CourtneyC1234
4 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
We went here as a family to try out their Go-Karts in comparison to Frankie's. It wasn't busy at all and we enjoyed it a lot more. It costs $7 for 7 laps for a single rider and $8 for a double one. The course was a little bit bumpy which made it more fun than the competition a few minutes away. If we're ever back in town, we will for sure be back here!
Written 17 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gary C
Durham, NC459 contributions
Apr 2015 • Family
We bought promotional, all inclusive arm band packages to Wheels Fun Park as we knew we were going to have grandkids ages 4 and 5 to entertain one Saturday. Based on what we saw online, it looked like a fun place to go. We were not really sure what to expect, however we wanted to get there early before it got hot midday. The first thing we noticed was how clean the large parking areas and grounds were. Everything was well kept with no pollen or leaves anywhere to be seen. We went in to one of the buildings which also was also spotless. The manager Steven warmly greeted us and said they were not yet open as it was 10:30 and they did not open until 11:00. He said the indoor climbing area was still being disinfected which they did two times a week.
Steven said we could go get started on playing jungle golf before it got too hot as he had just finished blowing the pollen and leaves off of the course. Steven put the armbands on the children and handed them each a club for their size. Steven also handed me a putter and said I could play for free to show the little ones how to do it. That was the voice of experience as it turned out. It was far easier to show them how to play than it was to try and tell them how to play. The course is challenging as there are double dog legs on many holes with no two holes being the same. It kept my interest up through the entire round. The holes are also big enough to not endanger a player when the next one tees off prematurely as was the case on several holes with the grandkids.
When we finished the game, the indoor climbing area was open. The grandkids eyes were wide eyed in amazement when they saw the climbing area. They immediately took off their shoes and put them in the rack and started following the other kids climbing in from the ground level. This is McDonalds Playland on steroids and is at least 50 times larger. It is 4 stories tall and is completely enclosed with netting so it is perfectly safe for the little ones. There are many curved plastic pipes with side viewing windows and places where the kids can stand up and look out. There are multiple courses on each level with slides that end in the area filled with plastic balls. There also was a huge 4 story curved slide that the kids enjoyed. We were kept busy walking around the climbing area trying to not lose sight of the grandkids. There are multiple rocking chairs and some booths for parents to sit while their kids are busy climbing. There are also long rows of tables in this room for birthday parties and there was one being set up while we visited. There are few games that included Skee Ball Bowling, Whack A Mole, a junior and big boy basketball shooting game and a fun double player squirt the ducks game that our kids thoroughly enjoyed.
After this we hit the restrooms that were very clean, well decorated with beautiful tile and had facilities that were kid sized. The water fountain conveniently has steps for kids of all sizes. After this we were off to the maze. This is a huge maze where there are plastic partitions and an elevated viewing area for the parents. The grandkids really enjoyed this as it was fun when we hit a dead ends and had to backtrack. After all of this we were ready for some lunch. The menu includes most kid favorites so we ordered hotdogs $2 and an order of fries that easily fed several people. There also is fresh popped popcorn and hand dipped ice cream with cones and cups for the little ones. The waitress brought us the food in a very short time that was thoroughly enjoyed.
We passed on dessert for the moment and headed back to the climbing area which had gotten a lot busier than before. That being said, the area is so huge that it can accommodate a large group of kids. After another round of shooting the ducks they were off for the climbing. By now the grandkids knew their way around the climbing levels and were in excitement overdrive which led to a slight head bumping between the two of them getting out of the balls. The little one was in tears and the birthday party was just beginning so we went for ice cream to calm her down. When Steven saw her in tears, he gave them ice cream for free saying no teary eyed kid should have to pay. I repeatedly offered to pay to no avail. The grandkids each had a cup of Strawberry and were just about worn out after 4 hours of nonstop fun. On the way out Steven thanked us for coming and said good bye to each grandkid.
Steven is one great manager that is everywhere ensuring all guests have a wonderful time. The one price admission bands also included roller skating in an entirely separate building that we hope to do next time. There also are two seater go carts available for an additional $8 to give the little ones a thrill along with batting cages with a variety of speeds for the pitches. I also noticed there were weekly summer camps available while I only could wish that I was young enough to attend !!!
The Bottom Line:
This is an extremely clean fun park that has many attractions for kids of all ages and is run by a manager that cares. Steven must have read the Disney Management playbook on how to make sure kids have a wonderful experience. The little ones have their own separate and safe climbing area that will keep them busy for hours. Thankfully Wheels does not have many of the games that can easily run up a big bill while not providing exercise for the little ones. This place is huge with enough room and parking to easily handle large crowds. This trip will definitely be repeated many times over the summer. After seeing the pictures of the grandkids having so much fun, their parents are looking into scheduling a birthday party at Wheels.
Steven said we could go get started on playing jungle golf before it got too hot as he had just finished blowing the pollen and leaves off of the course. Steven put the armbands on the children and handed them each a club for their size. Steven also handed me a putter and said I could play for free to show the little ones how to do it. That was the voice of experience as it turned out. It was far easier to show them how to play than it was to try and tell them how to play. The course is challenging as there are double dog legs on many holes with no two holes being the same. It kept my interest up through the entire round. The holes are also big enough to not endanger a player when the next one tees off prematurely as was the case on several holes with the grandkids.
When we finished the game, the indoor climbing area was open. The grandkids eyes were wide eyed in amazement when they saw the climbing area. They immediately took off their shoes and put them in the rack and started following the other kids climbing in from the ground level. This is McDonalds Playland on steroids and is at least 50 times larger. It is 4 stories tall and is completely enclosed with netting so it is perfectly safe for the little ones. There are many curved plastic pipes with side viewing windows and places where the kids can stand up and look out. There are multiple courses on each level with slides that end in the area filled with plastic balls. There also was a huge 4 story curved slide that the kids enjoyed. We were kept busy walking around the climbing area trying to not lose sight of the grandkids. There are multiple rocking chairs and some booths for parents to sit while their kids are busy climbing. There are also long rows of tables in this room for birthday parties and there was one being set up while we visited. There are few games that included Skee Ball Bowling, Whack A Mole, a junior and big boy basketball shooting game and a fun double player squirt the ducks game that our kids thoroughly enjoyed.
After this we hit the restrooms that were very clean, well decorated with beautiful tile and had facilities that were kid sized. The water fountain conveniently has steps for kids of all sizes. After this we were off to the maze. This is a huge maze where there are plastic partitions and an elevated viewing area for the parents. The grandkids really enjoyed this as it was fun when we hit a dead ends and had to backtrack. After all of this we were ready for some lunch. The menu includes most kid favorites so we ordered hotdogs $2 and an order of fries that easily fed several people. There also is fresh popped popcorn and hand dipped ice cream with cones and cups for the little ones. The waitress brought us the food in a very short time that was thoroughly enjoyed.
We passed on dessert for the moment and headed back to the climbing area which had gotten a lot busier than before. That being said, the area is so huge that it can accommodate a large group of kids. After another round of shooting the ducks they were off for the climbing. By now the grandkids knew their way around the climbing levels and were in excitement overdrive which led to a slight head bumping between the two of them getting out of the balls. The little one was in tears and the birthday party was just beginning so we went for ice cream to calm her down. When Steven saw her in tears, he gave them ice cream for free saying no teary eyed kid should have to pay. I repeatedly offered to pay to no avail. The grandkids each had a cup of Strawberry and were just about worn out after 4 hours of nonstop fun. On the way out Steven thanked us for coming and said good bye to each grandkid.
Steven is one great manager that is everywhere ensuring all guests have a wonderful time. The one price admission bands also included roller skating in an entirely separate building that we hope to do next time. There also are two seater go carts available for an additional $8 to give the little ones a thrill along with batting cages with a variety of speeds for the pitches. I also noticed there were weekly summer camps available while I only could wish that I was young enough to attend !!!
The Bottom Line:
This is an extremely clean fun park that has many attractions for kids of all ages and is run by a manager that cares. Steven must have read the Disney Management playbook on how to make sure kids have a wonderful experience. The little ones have their own separate and safe climbing area that will keep them busy for hours. Thankfully Wheels does not have many of the games that can easily run up a big bill while not providing exercise for the little ones. This place is huge with enough room and parking to easily handle large crowds. This trip will definitely be repeated many times over the summer. After seeing the pictures of the grandkids having so much fun, their parents are looking into scheduling a birthday party at Wheels.
Written 5 May 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shalonda E
Oxford, NC3 contributions
Oct 2014 • Family
This place was horrible.I took the kids on a Saturday night and they were not busy at all.We ordered a pizza and when the guy brought it out to the table,half of it fell onto the table and he pushed it back on the tray with his BARE HANDS!! We asked for another pizza and the manager charged us for another one. After we told him we were not buying another pizza he threw (literally) the whole pizza in the trash. We just asked for our money back and left. We will not be returning
Written 1 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MayHV
Durham, NC14 contributions
May 2014
We had been to wheels or try to go more than a couple of times. The place it's small and not very well taken care of. Most of the items where out of service on our last visit. I really think that the owners should expend some money in it in order to make money.
Written 12 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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