Area Businesses Provide Plenty of Options for Family Fun

What does a mermaid, spaceship, Rubik’s Cube and the Perrine Bridge have in common?

They’re all part of Laser Mania, a new family fun center that opens soon in Twin Falls.

The business is just one of a handful of places in the valley that, with a variety of games and other activities, cater to young people and families.

“There’s not much for (youth) to do here in Twin Falls except go to the show and roller skate,” said co-owner Rodney Waite. ”And the shows are getting expensive.”

With the opening of Laser Mania, Waite and the other owners — his wife, Edith, and their son and daughter-in-law Jarret and Jenna Waite — hope to offer more options for area families.

Here are some of the valley’s current options of arcades, bounce houses, go-karts, miniature golf and other games:

Jarrett Waite owns a similar family center in St. George, Utah, which he bought from his in-laws about three years ago. It’s done very well in southern Utah — Jarret was nominated Operator of the Year by the International Laser Tag Association —and, with his parents in TwinFalls, he wanted to bring the same attraction to southern Idaho.

The city was supportive when the owners approached about licensing and zoning.

“They said ‘This is something TwinFalls needs and we want you here,’” Jarrett said. Afterward, members of the planning department challenged city council members to a game of laser tag once the center opens.

The laser room is out of this world with its theme of comets and spaceships. And unlike some centers, parents can watch their kids play thanks to windows that look into the room from a nearby hallway.

Besides laser tag, the new center, located in the Lynwood Shopping Center next to Dollar Tree, has an arcade, party room, and miniature golf course that includes five-themed rooms with colorful three-dimensional wall paintings that include pictures of the Perrine Bridge and other area attractions, ocean themes, and a large Rubik’s Cube. “We have the largest Rubik’s Cube in the valley,” Rodney said.

If you like arcade games, you’ll love Tilt.

Located inside the Magic Valley Mall near Shopko, Tilt attracts those who like to test their skills against computer-generated foes. Some are geared to children, others to teens.

“There’s a lot of games here,” said 12-year-old Cody Barnes.

“I like Wheel of Fortune best,” said his 9-year-old sister, Ally.

The kids, along with their sister Lindsey, 11, come often to the arcade with their grandmother, Sharlene Tranmer.

“I think it’s a good place for kids,” Tranmer said. “It’s entertaining and they feel like they get something for their efforts.”

She was referring to the thousand or so tickets her grandchildren had earned from the games last week. They turn in the tickets for prizes.