New Kidz Fun Palace in Queens Is Hours of Nonstop Indoor Play

In the summer heat, sometimes a playground or park just won’t cut it. Queens has plenty to offer when it comes to places to cool off, whether it be a museum, an indoor playhouse, or a food hall. Corona and Jackson Heights families can add Kidz Fun Palace to that list. Open since January 2018, the cute and fun-packed indoor playspace is a welcome addition to this family-friendly neighborhood.

My son and I found ourselves at the Kidz Fun Palace in Jackson Heights on a blazing June afternoon. Read on to hear about the highlights of our visit.

Complete with slides, a two-tier jungle gym, swings, ball pit, and trampoline, the Kidz Fun Palace has plenty to keep kids busy.

Tokens for all the arcade and carnival games are included in the admission price. 

When you enter, you’re immediately met with friendly service and a giant candy display. Rule #1 is "shoes off, socks on!" Socks are available for purchase for $1.

The pricing was decent for the offering. Weekdays, $10 per child buys 3 hours of play and $2 worth of tokens for the arcade section. (That will buy you 3 or 4 plays on the machines.) Or you can pay $12 per child for an "Unlimited Play All Day" option and $3 worth of tokens. On weekends, the price is $10 per child for 2 hours and $2 worth of tokens. You can also opt for a punch-card that will give you a FREE admission after 5 visits.

The seed pit is a good place to corral the young ones and take a breather. 

Inside, there is a very large room filled with a two-tiered jungle gym complete with ball pit, trampoline, air cannons, slides, swings, and more. Also in the room is a seed-pit (the more hygienic version of a sand box), and an arcade section.

My son immediately burned through his tokens on race car games. Note: Some of the games are out of order, so make sure the machines are functioning before the little ones sink their tokens in.

The interactive screen in the ball pit is a bonus. 

He then proceeded to burn through his own energy for the next 2 1/2 hours. It was exhausting just watching him as he made the rounds to and fro. He immediately made friends with some children his age. This is the sort of place that fills up on holidays and weekends, and there’s never a shortage of other kids to play with—a key highlight, since an empty playhouse can be a bummer. On our visit I saw kids ranging all ages, including some tweens, but the sweet spot I believe is 4 to 5 years old: old enough to engage in play with others, but young enough to enjoy all the amenities.

The playhouse is still in transition. Some of the games and equipment need repair and replacement. But the manager of the playhouse is incredibly helpful and kind. She had tissues ready for kids to blow noses. She had warm words and a piece of candy for my son when he burst into tears when his 3 hours was up.

Kidz Fun Palace also offers birthday parties at a reasonable rate. They recommend contacting them directly as they are still developing their packages.

Things to Know Before You Go:

• No outside food or drink allowed, though personal water bottles seem to be welcome.
• There are light snacks, candy, ice cream, and beverages available for purchase. 
• There is little seating for grown-ups, so get ready to follow your kid around or perch on some play equipment.
• There is no stroller parking inside. Some families opted to park strollers outside unattended, but note there is no security.
• Kidz Fun Palace is open 11am-9am Monday though Thursday, 11am-10pm on Friday, and 10am-10pm weekends and holidays.

Overall, my son had a blast. I might not travel all the way out to Corona specifically for this indoor play spot, but for families who live close by, this is surely a treat for the kids. If you're looking for a spot to grab lunch after a long play session or another site to visit, check out our Corona and Jackson Heights neighborhood round-ups.

Photos by the author