Thunder Road details attractions for new indoor entertainment center

Feb. 4, 2020

An immersive theater experience, a cutting-edge bowling system, bumper cars and a two-story laser tag game will be some of the marque attractions at Thunder Road’s new indoor entertainment center.

The 30,000-square-foot building is under construction at 201 N. Kiwanis Ave. on the same property that includes outdoor attractions such as go-carts and miniature golf.

“In the summer, we’re hoping you can spend the whole day there,” general manager Ryan Friez said.

Along with year-round options for kids, the goal with the new addition is to make it a “classy, but fun” space for all ages.

“We’re really trying to make it an adult playground as well,” Friez asid. “It’s go big or go home, and I think we went big.”

Thunder Road just finalized the attractions that will be included in the indoor space. They are:

Hyper Bowling

This “next-generation” Hyper Bowling system touts the end of the gutter ball and incorporates a video game into the experience.

“The bumpers pop up and are LED-lit,” Friez said. “It’s taking it to the next level.”

Here’s a look at how it works:

 7D theater

The eight-seat 7D theater at Thunder Road will be among a handful of its kind nationwide.

Developed by the same company that helped Disney create its Soarin’ Around the World attraction at Epcot Center, it immerses visitors in an experience that includes water, wind and fog.

“When you look at the standard things at major theme parks, as far as what the theater will envelop and do, it’s cooler than those parks. They don’t go to this level,” Friez said.

“Even if you’ve been to Disney or Universal, you won’t have experience something like this.”

Large arcade

The arcade will be a mix of video games and redemption-style games that will help visitors earn prizes.

“We were just at a convention and looked at some brand-new, cool ones that attracted a lot of fun,” Friez said. “And we’ll probably take some of the games on the patio in the summer.”

Two-story laser tag

The laser tag experience will take up part of two stories of the building “and is one I think will be awesome,” Friez said. “It will be amazing.” 

Spin Zone bumper cars

A bumper cars attraction for all ages will include a feature that allows the cars to spin around as riders choose. Here’s how they work:

Ax throwing

Thunder Road is getting in on the ax-throwing trend, adding the option as another way to extend visitors’ stay at the park. Payment for all attractions will be based on credits loaded onto a card.

Food and beverage

Thunder Road’s indoor center will include a restaurant as well as a quick-service area, but dining spaces will be spread out around the building.

The menu will include pizza, chislic, nachos, boneless wings, chicken strips, salads, wraps, smoothies and ice cream. The beverage emphasis will be on national and local beers and wine.

“We’re playing with different logos and names, and we’ll separately brand the restaurant with a little different hours,” Friez said.

Construction, hiring

The building’s outer shell is mostly done, and work has moved inside, with concrete pouring and electrical installation scheduled this week.

“We are going to need a lot of need for new employees,” Friez added. “We will have seasonal people coming back, but we want a larger staff so they get trained outside and then cross-train them inside the building. The restaurant will be hiring a complete staff as well, and some other positions like a sales manager will be brought on before we open the full facility to market the entire park.”

The outdoor portion of Thunder Road will open as normal in early spring. The hope is to open the indoor space in July.

Those interested in hosting events after that can start reserving the space. It is expected to accommodate about 400 people facilitywide, plus more on a patio.

“A lot of facilities are geared toward kids or adults, and we primarily for groups are dealing with a lot of companies, family reunions, so parties with adults,” Friez said.

“We wanted something that would be friendly for both groups where they would really feel at home. They have room to walk around, and the finishes and seating areas are very nice. So it’s a place where everyone feels comfortable, and a place you want to spend a long time.”

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Thunder Road details attractions for new indoor entertainment center

An immersive theater experience, a cutting-edge bowling system, bumper cars and a two-story laser tag game will be some of the marque attractions at Thunder Road’s new indoor entertainment center.

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