Indoor Family Fun
Family Attractions Around Salem and the Mid-Willamette Valley
Salem and the Mid-Willamette Valley is home to all kinds of family-friendly outings, from trampoline parks and climbing gyms to aquatic centers and bowling alleys. So, as you figure out your next family vacation, here’s what to look forward to—for kids of all ages—in Salem and the Mid-Willamette Valley.
If your kids have energy to burn, turn them loose at some of the region’s indoor adventure parks. Awesome Indoor Playground hosts a variety of attractions for children between the ages of 3 and 12 (with a special area just for toddlers between 18 and 36 months) that includes slides, climbing structures, and an open play area. Athletic Edge Adventure Park, meanwhile, hosts a three-story play structure, mini golf, table games, and more; older teens and adults, meanwhile, can enjoy air hockey, a golf course simulator, corn hole, and other fun games. And Get Air Trampoline Park delivers exactly what it promises: thousands of square feet of trampolines—with side-by-side trampolines, a dodgeball area, a kiddie court for younger children, and even a massive foam pit.
For older children, Extreme Velocity hosts indoor paintball, airsoft, and laser tag fields—along with a store that carries the latest gear for avid paintballers. And The Rock Boxx indoor bouldering gym boasts 5,400 square feet of professionally designed climbing walls up to 17 feet tall—along with heavily padded floors that make life easier for new climbers.
Kids 2 to 10 years old can spend entire days exploring the Gilbert House Children’s Museum—which has enticed and enchanted children since 1989 with multimedia exhibits that show off different types of transportation, small-town Main Street, forests, and more.
The whole family will find plenty to love at the Salvation Army Kroc Center, which hosts an aquatic center (complete with a family lighthouse slide), a cardio gym, an NBA-size basketball court, a rock-climbing wall, and even an arcade. And in Silverton, Silver Creek Lanes hosts glow-in-the-dark cosmic bowling on weekends, open bowling sessions, and an on-site eatery serving burgers, nachos, and other crowd-pleasing favorites.
If your little ones enjoy splashing about, the Mid-Willamette Valley hosts plenty of pools and fun-filled water features. The Woodburn Aquatic Center, for instance, hosts a lap pool, water slide, rope swing, wading pool, and more for kids of all ages. The Dallas Aquatic Center, meanwhile, offers a six-lane lap pool, a wading pool for younger tykes, and a “lazy river” feature for laid-back floating. And the Health and Wellness Center at Western Oregon University in Monmouth offers day passes for its aquatic center—where community members can enjoy open swimming, play water volleyball, and more.