Indoor Things to Do

10 Park Lanes offers 32 lanes, Bocce, corn hole, and ping pong.

The bowling alley also has a sports bar.

Birthday party packages are available.

Offers an arcade with over 30 classic video games like Donkey Kong, Joust, Street Fighter, and Star Wars.
Kids Bowl Free on Sundays until 8 pm.
Gameplay is free, except pinball ($1) and foosball ($.50)

Kids are allowed with parental supervision until 9 pm.
21+ after 9 pm (no exceptions)

*note that this venue has more of a bar vibe, but children are welcome before 9 pm.

Acting Out Studio is an award-winning acting studio that offers birthday parties, acting classes, summer camps, and more. They have four locations in Charlotte. If you love singing, acting, and all things musical theatre, you can book a party with them. Parties cost $350, are two-hours long, and include 10 kids (all ages). Each additional child is $10 per child.

Adventure Air Sports offers trampolines, a ninja course, arcade games, slides, slam balls courts, foam pits, and more. They offer several birthday party packages that start at $349 and include 120 minutes of jump time and 40 minutes of table time. You can book your party on their website.

Adventure Landing offers mini golf, batting cages, and arcade games. They offer birthday party packages starting at $119 for up to 6 guests. All birthday party packages include goody bags, one slice of pizza per person, one round of mini golf, and more. You can book your party on their website.

Indoor trampoline park with attractions like dodgeball, basketball trampoline dunk, a soft play area, zipline, toddler play area, and more.

Altitude Birthday Party Packages are 2 hours of playtime, with customizable packages available.

The American Girl Doll store offers in-store shopping for dolls & accessories, salon services, tea parties, and more. They offer in-store birthday party packages that start at $39 per child. All party packages come with a table activity, drinks, digital invitations, goody bags, and more. You can book your birthday party on their website.

Offers 40 bowling lanes, billiards/pool, food, and drinks.
AMF is wheel chair accessible, has a lounge, and sports bar.

The alley also offers kid and teen birthday party packages.

Art Buzz Kids is part of Wine & Design. They offer kids painting classes, birthday parties, art camps, after school art programs, and toddler art.

Summer camp with Art Buzz Kids is week long, half day camp, with June and July options available. Recommended ages vary.

Big Air Charlotte offers an indoor trampoline park and a soft play zone. They offer weekly jump specials including Cosmic Nights, Toddler Time, Air Camp, and Midday Maddness.

Four birthday party packages are available and start at $325.

Big Air Trampoline Park in Charlotte offers several birthday packages to fit your party needs. They offer four birthday package options starting at $325. All packages include jump socks, pizza, drinks, jump time (1 hour+ depending on package), dessert, and 40 minutes in your party room.

Offers large-scale professional theatre productions, including family-friendly theatre productions, throughout the year.

Performances are generally held at the Belk Theatre, Booth Playhouse, or Stage Door Theatre.

BounceU Charlotte offers 100% private birthday party rentals. Your party is the only party in the inflatable arenas and party room. Each 2 hour private party includes 1 hour and 10 minutes of split playtime between both of their large arenas plus 50 minutes in the private party room. Parties start at $239+ and you must book in advance.

Bowling alley offering 18 bowling lanes, an arcade, and a sports bar. They also offer birthday party packages. Book on their website.

Online reservations are available.
Birthday party and event packages are available.

Offers private escape room experiences, with 10% off for weekday games.
6 games with varying themes are available.

All ages are welcome, but those under 14 require parental supervision.

Build-A-Bear Charlotte offers several birthday party packages starting at $20 per guest. Their packages all include choosing a furry friend (animal valued between $14-$36) to stuff and a bear box or carrying case. You can book a party on their website.

Indoor parkour, ninja gym. They offer free play passes, classes, and more.

Summer Camps: Offers summer camps for ages 5-12 years old.
Camps are from 8:30 – 3:30. Learn more on their website. 

They also offer birthday parties. Read more here.

Learn why Carolina Ninja Academy is an awesome place to play indoors in our KA review!

One and only hands on interactive and mobile gem mining experience in SC! Pan for gems, stones and fossils. We come to you!

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library offers free services ranging from book rental, audio and visual rental, resources for research and learning, family-friendly programming and events, adult events, and so much more.

Services are available for adults, teen, children, students, outreach services, employment services, book club kits, and nonprofit services.

Events are held at all locations of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, including storytime events, the Makerspace Program, career development, and dozens of specialty events categorized by age and theme.

Locations:

Allegra Westbrooks Regional: 2412 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, NC 28216

Offers professional theatre, workshops, and classes for children. The theatre has upcoming theatre productions for all ages, exploring various themes.
The theatre is located at ImaginON.

Summer camps at CT Charlotte are available for ages 3 and older and explore theatre themes like dance, creative play, acting, production, and more.
Full-day camps are available for ages K and up, and Half day camps for ages 3-5 years old.
Class and camp scholarships are available.

Although you can’t rent out the theatre, they do offer birthday party group pricing as follows:

• 10% off for 10-19 guests
• 15% off 20-49 guests
• 20% off for 50+ guests
• 10% deposit – pay in installments, due 2 weeks before the show

Offers walk-in and DIY art programs, art birthday parties, workshops, art classes, and summer camps.

Summer camps are half-day or full-day, with STEAM based themes.
Ages 5 – 12 are welcome
June and July Camps available
Fort Mill Summer Camp

Offers a large arcade, VR, full-service restaurant, and bar.
Dave & Busters regularly has weekly deals, with 1/2 price games on Wednesdays
2 locations are available in the Charlotte area

Dave & Busters Concord, NC- 8361 Concord Mills Blvd., Concord, NC
Dave & Busters Pineville, NC- 11049 Carolina Place Pkwy. Suite LS-05, Pineville, NC

The Davidson Community Players offers theatre for adults and kids.
Adult shows are typically for ages 12 and older on the Main Stage.
Children’s shows are generally for all ages.

Children’s classes and workshops are available

Summer Camps at Davidson Community Players- Lake Norman arts summer camps (Summer 2026) for ages 4–16 feature 2-week performance camps like Moana and Guys and Dolls, ending in live shows.

• Summer Camps will take place at various locations: 
  • Armour Street Theatre – 307 Armour Street Davidson, NC
  • DCPC – 218 Concord Rd, Davidson, NC 28036
  • Cain Center for the Arts- 21348 Catawba Ave, Cornelius, NC

Indoor trampoline park with inclined walls, extreme air sports, wall tramp, zipline, battle beams, parkour, and kid jump zone.

Birthday party packages are available and require a 10-jumper minimum. Weekday parties get a 10% discount.

Interactive children’s museum with STEAM activities, live shows, daily events, and exhibitions. They also offer summer camps, birthday parties, and more. Their birthday party package is $13.80 per attendee and includes 20 kids and 5 adults. The package includes 1.5 hours in the party room, a t-shirt, and more. You can request a birthday party on their website.

This location is part of the Discovery Place Museums.

Summer Camps at Discovery Place Kids are available at Discovery Place Kids, with June, July, and August options. Camps are half day or full day.
Two birthday party packages are available to choose from, with “It’s Science”, “Colors in Science”, and “Gross Science” themes available.

*Currently closed for construction

Nature-based museum for families that offers nature exhibits, daily activities, special events, and live shows. In addition to an indoor museum, it also have an outdoor portion with nature trails.

Discovery Place Nature is part of Discovery Place Museums.
Open Tuesday – Sunday

Discovery Place Nature birthday party packages include “Insect Safari”, “Out of this World”, and “Animals of the Piedmont” themes, and are available for ages 3 – 12. Animal Encounter add-ons are available.

Discovery Place is a science museum with specialized science-themed events, lab workshops for kids, live shows, and featured IMAX showings of nature-themed shows and movies.

See our full Kidding Around review of Discovery Place!

Science Camps at Discovery Place Science are available for rising Kindergarten through 6th grade, with June and July options available.

Birthday party packages are available with various themes, for ages 3 – 12. Animal meet-and-greet add-ons are available.

The IMAX theatre at Discovery Place Science offers multiple showings per day, with several options to choose from.

Immersive escape room with two locations in Charlotte, NC.
There are 12 games total between the two locations.
Reservations are recommended.

The minimum age for most rooms is 12 +

North Location: 9539 Pinnacle Dr. Ste 300, Charlotte NC
South Location:  4215 Stuart Andrew Blvd, Ste B, Charlotte NC

Extreme Ice Center offers public ice skating, figure skating lessons, regular skating lessons, hockey lessons, birthday parties, summer camps, and more.

Summer Camps include several hockey camps for ages 5 and older. Camps range from beginner skater to advanced.

Cooking classes, summer and school’s out camps, family events, homeschool classes, birthday parties, etiquette classes, adult sip n’ stirs, and MORE! All in a fun an educational environment.

Birthday Parties: Several party options are available for kids ages 3 to 17, including an option for two birthday kids to share a party.

• Birthday party packages start around $460
• 90-minute birthday parties available

The amusement park offers indoor activities including a large arcade, 24 bowling lanes, Hologate VR, and laser tag.

Outdoor activities like go-karting, minigolf, and amusement rides are available. You can host birthday parties here as well.

In addition to several eateries, restaurants, and bars, Gibson Mill also has a small indoor arcade, and a board game cafe.

Check out our full review of Gibson Mill.

This museum was built in honor of Charlotte’s first African-American Mayor, Harvey Gantt, and features African-American history, art, and more! They have a full schedule of events and programs to enjoy. Admission starts at $7 or you can purchase a membership. They are open from noon to 6 pm on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. On Wednesdays, they are open from noon to 9 pm. On Saturdays, they are open from 10 am to 6 pm. Closed on Mondays.

High Five Playhouse is an indoor playground geared for kids 10 and under. They have ball pits, climbing structures, slides, and more. They offer three birthday party packages starting at $275 for 10 kids. All packages include two hours of play time and time in party room, a slice of pizza, and a drink for each child. Visit their website to learn more about their parties and membership options.

INDOOR SKYDIVING IS REAL FLYING Experience the sensation of flying in our state-of-the-art vertical wind tunnels. Safe for all ages, experience levels, and abilities, perfect for kid’s birthday parties, corporate events, team building, and more.

Indoor skydiving, no plane required!  iFLY is a skydiving simulator. They offer indoor skydiving, classes to teach you how to indoor skydive, birthday parties, and more!

Check out how it works in our full review of iFLY Indoor Skydiving in Concord, NC.

Birthday Parties: iFly offers a variety of party packages with everything from private flights to pizza, party rooms and pictures!

Part of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system, the Joe & Joan Martin Center is a hub for family-friendly programming for children, teens, and families.

The center houses two theatres, an 11 and under dedicated library space, four multi-use classrooms, a teen-only library, a multimedia production studio, and an interactive exhibit space.

Special events can be found throughout the week, including storytimes, theatre productions, and more.

Hours:
Monday to Thursday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Friday to Saturday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Inner Peaks Climbing offers two climbing gym locations near Charlotte in Matthews, NC and South End. New through advanced climbers, including kids are welcome. You’ll find youth programs and adult programs, after-school sessions, school break camps, summer camps, birthday parties, and more!

Summer Camp: 3 options based on age and experience level!

• Ages: 6-9 years old
• Full day camp: 9 am – 3 pm
• Early/late care available
• Cost: $355/week

A science-based kids training program designed to help parents raise strong, confident, high-character kids. They offer a wide-variety of camps year-round including during the summer months. 

The Levine Museum of The New South offers exhibits where you can experience stories of the past that will help you better understand the issues we face today in Charlotte and nationwide. Admission is free but if your group is 10+ they charge an administration fee. You can take field trips here. They are open Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Mondays.

Masterpiece Escapes offers 5 escape rooms to choose from.
Bookings are private and recommended for ages 12 and older.

The Mint Museum offers a unique gallery of art, craft, sculpture, and creations in various rotating and permanent exhibitions.

The museum has two Charlotte locations with different collection themes.
Mint Museum Uptown: 500 South Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC- Contemporary art, American art, craft, and design
Mint Museum Randolph: 2730 Randolph Road, Charlotte, NC- European, African, Ancient American, and decorative art.

Free admission on Wednesday Nights from 5 – 9 pm.

Offers glow-in-the-dark monster mini golf, an arcade, laser tag, bowling, a laser maze, and VR.
The location is mostly blacklight/glow in the dark.

Birthday party packages from Monster Mini Golf are available and are recommended for ages 5 and older.

Monster Mini Golf Gastonia location: 3924 East Franklin Boulevard, Gastonia, North Carolina 28056
Monster Mini Golf Charlotte location: 230 East W.T. Harris Boulevard Suite C-4, Charlotte, North Carolina 28262
Monster Mini Golf Monroe location: 108 East Sunset Drive suite 114, Monroe, North Carolina 28112

They offer over 60 interactive exhibits where you can shrink yourself or others and be mind-blown by the fun distortions. Regular admission starts at $24 and they offer group rates. You can even host special events here including birthday parties. They are open Sunday through Thursday from 10 am to 9 pm and open Friday through Saturday from 10 am to 10 pm.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame is a museum for all things NASCAR. They have special events, guided tours, interactive exhibits, and much more.

The museum offers summer camps and other camps throughout the year where children learn about NASCAR, engineering, hands-on experiments, and more, for grades K – 9th grade.

The NC Auto Racing Hall of Fame showcases North Carolina’s rich motorsport heritage with historic race cars, memorabilia, and tributes to legendary drivers and events.

Offers a full service restaurant serving Southern cuisine
Daily bowling (21+after 8 pm on Friday/Saturday), billiards, ping pong, shuffleboard, foosball, and a selection of complimentary games to choose from are available.

Boutique bowling alley with a tavern, duckpin bowling, pinball, and an arcade.
Kids bowl free with an adult on Sunday until 8 pm.
Food trucks are sometimes on-site AND you can bring in any food you would like.

The alley is ages 21+ after 9 pm.
Kids Night Out party package available.

The Play House Indoor Play Cafe offers fun indoor play spaces for children under age 6 and a bakery selection with complimentary coffee and wifi. Caretakers can enjoy a treat while their children play in the imaginative playrooms. They offer special events, summer camps, and three birthday party packages that start at $200. All packages include a 2 hour private time slot to play. Book your party on their website.

This indoor playground and cafe offers a huge indoor playground with multi-stories, a toddler area, slides, obstacle courses, swings, a ball pit, and even a ball blaster.
Ages 1 -10 allowed.
Admission cost is for 2 hours of play. Weekends and holidays require reservations.

Three birthday party packages are available, starting at $225. Full facility rental available.

Check out our parent review of Playland!

This natural history museum offers dinosaurs, minerals, critters, and a planetarium in its indoor museum. You will also find outdoor activities at the museum as well.

The museum offers free entry on the 2nd Tuesday of each month!

Summer camp at Schiele Museum offers week-long or summer-long camps for kids ages 6 to 6th grade. Camps are full day from 9 am – 4 pm.

They offer birthday parties with packages starting at $175 for members and $215 for non-members.

Learn more about the Schiele Museum of Natural History in our KA review! 

Skyzone indoor trampoline park in North Charlotte has several party packages you can choose from if you want to spend your birthday jumping with friends. You start by choosing your party theme (Freestyle Package, Glow Package, or Little Leapers Package) then you can select the platinum, gold, or silver tier for your party theme of choice. All packages include a private party room, party room set-up and clean-up, paper products, SkySocks, and e-invitations. No outside food or drink is allowed except cake or cupcakes.

Skyzone indoor trampoline park in South Charlotte has several party packages you can choose from if you want to spend your birthday jumping with friends. You start by choosing your party theme (Freestyle Package, Glow Package, or Little Leapers Package) then you can select the platinum, gold, or silver tier for your party theme of choice. All packages include a private party room, party room set-up and clean-up, paper products, SkySocks, and e-invitations. No outside food or drink is allowed except cake or cupcakes.

Offers an indoor trampoline park with dodgeball, basketball, a foam zone, a drop zone, a ninja warrior section, a toddler zone, and more.
Sky zone offers special “little leapers” times for children 7 and younger, including toddlers, to enjoy safely.

SkyZone birthday party packages are available, including Freestyle, Glow, and Little Leapers

Northlake Charlotte Location: 7325 Smith Corners Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28269
Pineville Location: 10200 Centrum Pkwy, Pineville, NC 28134

Entertainment complex offering bowling, a large arcade, an escape room, and more attractions.

Two locations are in the Charlotte area

The venue has a full-service restaurant and bar.
Birthday party packages are available.

Sparetime Entertainment Huntersville– 16317 Statesville Road · Huntersville, NC
Sparetime Entertainment Pineville– 9600 Pineville-Matthews Rd · Pineville, NC

Performing Arts & Entertainment

Speedway Escapes offers 4 escape rooms to choose from.

The sports and family entertainment center offers family-friendly attractions including

Bowling
Jump-n-play
Sky Trail Ropes Course
Bumper Cars
Mini Bowling
Arcade Games
Laser Tag
Esports gaming
Playland Adventure Center
Rock Climbing
VR
They also offer several birthday party packages starting at $249 for 10 kids.

Party Packages are available

Bowling alley, arcade games, laser tag, bumper cars, VR, and augmented reality bowling are offered at Stars & Strikes.

Adult and kid birthday party packages are available.

The Sullenberger Aviation Museum in Charlotte, NC is a family-friendly destination filled with interactive aviation exhibits. Explore real aircraft, try flight simulators, and see the actual “Miracle on the Hudson” jet. With both outdoor and indoor spaces—including a historic hangar and a STEM-focused Makerspace—it’s an engaging spot for everyone.

Check out our Sullenberger Aviation Museum Review for all the details.

The museum offers:

• Birthday Parties (at about $30 per child- check out their packages)
• Aeroquest Summer Camps for kids 4th- 8th grade. Camps are offered various weeks in June and July and are divided up by age.
• Field Trips
• Homeschool classes

Retro arcade with classic 80’s and 90’s games.
Also offers a full bar.

Children are welcome until 8 pm.
After 8pm, 21+
$10 per adult and $5 per anyone under 21
Tuesday & Wednesday is $5 for everyone
Games are free to play after entry fee.

The modern art museum located in Charlotte offers rotating exhibits, permanent exhibitions, jazz music events, and special events.
The museum offers a Family Day regularly, which is free admission to the museum.

Escape room in Charlotte with haunted, spooky, and “cold case” themes.
There are 4 escape room themes to choose from.

Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Reservations are required.

We recommend this escape room for older kids, teens, and adults.

Concord Mills is home to The Escape Game. We checked it out and had a blast! Most of these escape room will fit up to 8 people and one of the rooms will even fit up to 12.

Location at Gibson Mill in Concord, The Valcarol Missions offers three escape rooms and a game show.

Timed Out offers four escape rooms that are generally best for older kids, teens, and adults.

Escape room themes include elements like illusions, aliens, police stations, and laboratories. You can host your next birthday party or event here.

With two locations in the Charlotte area, Urban Air offers a huge multi-story “adventure hub”, VR, an indoor playground, and more.

Urban Air birthday party packages start at $149 for small squads, and up for a party of 10, with 3 options to choose from.

Summer camps at Camp Urbie feature STEM activities, guided activities, open play time, and more!

Urban Air Cornelius Location: 17001 Kenton Drive, Cornelius, North Carolina 28031
Urban Air Mint Hill Location: 9108 Lawyers Road, Mint Hill, NC 28227

Indoor inflatable playground located in the Concord Mall bounce houses, inflatable slides, inflatable obstacle courses, a toddler play area, and more.

Birthday Party Packages are available for 5 – 24 children, packages vary by price.