Theme & Amusement Parks in Council Bluffs

Though its name implies a focus on inflatable attractions, the all-ages indoor playground at Pump It Up of Omaha also gets kids active on an 18-foot rock-climbing wall and a theatrically lit karaoke and dance stage. These attractions stand among a sea of air-filled slides and climbing structures, some designed by members of the management team. The Slippery Slope challenges climbers to run up an inflatable slide, collecting velcro flags as they race to the top; bounce castles propel jumpers into the air; and the Chaos obstacle course lets racers run side-by-side or practice shaking hands while walking. The playground also holds special programs such as day camps for young and medium-young children, private birthday parties, and field trips. Many of Pump It Up's staffers are university students working toward education degrees; they often organize contests and games, and supervise visitors while playing on the same level as their smaller guests.

Glossy hardwood bowling lanes explode with the sounds of crashing pins at Aaron's Family Fun Center, where an arcade, outdoor mini-golf course, and six sand volleyball courts keep all manner of attentions entertained. The 32-lane array gives ample space for individual and league play, though larger parties can opt to reserve The Den, a private, elegant bowling alley featuring six lanes, library-paneled walls, and no restrictions on false old-timey mustaches. The mini-golf course challenges putters to 18 holes with a range of colorful obstacles for year-round enjoyment, though unfavorable weather may limit off-season play to all but the most wind-resistant of miniature athletes.

With more than 56,000 square feet of games, entertainment, and family-friendly amusements, Bumpers Bowling & Family Fun Center beguiles guests with a mini-golf course, bumper cars, a 24-lane bowling alley, and an arcade with 70+ games. With birthday party packages, kids can steer glittering bumper cars, hone strike skills at the bowling alley, and practice dropping things into holes at the 9-hole mini golf course before aiming parents’ car keys at garbage disposals. Meanwhile, adults can imbibe at a lounge with a cocktail bar, or savor brick-oven pizza from the full kitchen. Bumpers Bowling & Family Fun Center will also soon host bowling leagues for bowlers of all ages, from juniors to adults to seniors.

Mulligan Family Fun Center's three locations surround parents and kids with sprawling smorgasbords of kinetic entertainment. Outside, each park's sunny grounds encourage healthy activity with putt-testing miniature-golf courses and the hairpin turns of go-kart tracks. In the batting cages, aspiring sluggers test their swing while recognized major-league sluggers test their disguise against the park's do-not-admit posters. Back inside, climbers scale the rock wall’s vertical challenges and friends battle friends in laser tag’s intense light-based combat.

Each location also has its own signature activities. The Torrance location's rookie go-karts, for example, enable younger drivers to take a turn down the track, whereas the Palmdale location boasts a longer, 1,500-foot track for children and adults alike. At the Murrieta location, mini-bowling offers bumpers and kid-size balls, letting the whole family angle for strikes, and warm weather opens water slides so that wee ones can prevent their engines from overheating.

Shrieking giggles and scurrying feet fill Odyssey 1’s colorful confines, where tykes enjoy high-energy adventures in an indoor jungle gym, a space-age laser-tag arena, and a buzzing arcade center. Sock-clad kids aged 10 and younger can bound and climb through the jungle gym, which offers swings, slides, ball pits, and a cushy area designed for toddlers. Players dodge a barrage of futuristic beams in the laser-tag arena, open to guests aged 7 and older. Popular games including Guitar Hero and Connect Four await at the game center, where players can harvest tickets redeemable for fun prizes.

For more than two decades, Olympia Family Fun Center has helped guests young and old get their groove on with a wooden roller-skating rink, snack bar, and O-zone—an on-site dance club for teenagers. The rink's fluorescent lights and energetic, upbeat tunes keep skaters in motion as they loop around the rink, passing slower skaters and high-fiving onlookers who have really great hair.