Theme & Amusement Parks in Highland Springs

Guarded by pirate statues perched atop treasure chests, gripping pistols, and wielding hooks instead of hands, the 18-hole course at Pirate's Paradise Miniature Golf challenges players with rolling greens and winding waterways. In addition to a bounty of buccaneers, the mini-golf course is decorated with flowering plants, waterfalls, and tranquil ponds. After rounds of mini golf, players can reenergize with hot dogs, funnel cakes, and milk shakes whipped up at the snack bar. Elsewhere, youngsters can celebrate birthdays with two hours of unlimited golfing followed by two hours on the pirate ship, where they can feast with friends and force piñatas that won't break to walk the plank.

Chilled Ponds Ice & Turf Complex features a 200'x100' climate-controlled, indoor turf field, which is the first in Hampton Roads to be created from professional-level rubber infill turf. Watch your child score the game-tying goal in Chilled Ponds' professional soccer nets while he or she participates in a 12-week soccer league, which includes a free T-shirt. The schedule for the leagues is still being set, but games will most likely take place on weekend mornings. Players who need to brush up on dribbling, shooting, and passing skills can register for the fall soccer academy, which lasts for three hours each week. Chilled Ponds' approachable, professional instructors teach students the game from a team's perspective, meaning teamwork and a group mindset are emphasized, rather than solitude and solitary contemplations about aloneness. Call ahead to register.

Swaders Sports Park fuels friendly competition between friends and family members with an endless series of sports and gaming opportunities. Guests jump into one of four different go-karts and zip around two tracks or guide golf balls past challenging obstacles and serene water features—such as waterfalls, streams, and nymphs holding water guns—on two 18-hole mini-golf courses. Golfers can also head to the driving range or smack a different kind of ball in the batting cages.

Inside the facility, a whirring collection of lights and sirens ricochet off the walls from more than 70 arcade games. A multilevel laser-tag arena conceals players behind towering glow-in-the-dark obstacles, and the Route 66 bowling alley allows guests to bowl on highway-themed lanes without the risk of potholes that comes from playing on regular highways.

Like Superman's secret North Pole fortress, SkateNation Plus brings the excitement with lasers, arcade games, and 17,000 square feet of glassy ice worth gliding upon. Its regulation NHL–size rink serves as a venue for public skating sessions, in addition to figure-skating lessons, hockey games, and ice-dancing performances. More than 40 games in its onsite arcade whir with a flurry of tickets, and a full spectrum of prizes awaits quick-handed winners at the redemption counter. During laser-tag sessions, the Lasertron computer spontaneously upgrades players with such power-ups as "energizer" or "force field," which protects against enemy blasts more effectively than a lead vest or full-length mirror. SkateNation Plus also hosts a rock-climbing wall and full-service café to keep guests warm and energized during visits.

Amid all the indoor turf-sports fields of the Williamsburg Indoor Sports Complex, there's one dark maze that's lit by black lights and glowing neon walls alone. In this shadowy space, players blast beams of light from their lasers, engaging in team combat and open play inside a 5,700-square-foot, space-themed arena. They dodge behind glowing wall lights, illuminated mock computer screens, and walls painted to resemble metal and rivets. Players as young as 5 can navigate the arena's black-lit halls, while the staff helps keep competition friendly during open play and birthday parties.

A gathering place for both children and parents, Cartwheels & Coffee sows the seeds of neighborhood camaraderie with its multi-purpose recreational facility. Inside, an enclosed play area entertains children aged six and under with interactive fun, and a separate section keeps babies captivated with age-appropriate toys. Meanwhile, parents can kick back alongside each other in the Wi-Fi-equipped cafe and sip on locally roasted cups of coffee or recharge with other items from the menu. Special events throughout the week provide a change of pace to normal activities, including singing sessions on Mondays and dance classes on Wednesdays.