Indoor Fun for all ages

Above: Indoor fun in our area includes an area trampoline park and a puzzle course with physical challenges (Altitude and Level 99 pics by Joao Melo)

Every summer, I like to offer some tips for indoor fun. I usually post it as a way to escape brutal heat waves. But this summer, the continuing on and off again rain forecasts are triggering me.

Many of the options are geared to families with kids. But there are also ones good for teens and adults (especially if you’re young at heart!), or specifically for seniors.

Free entertainment/relaxation

• Free playspaces: the Solomon Pond Mall (on the lower level), and McDonald’s (299 Turnpike Rd, Westborough and 155 Boston Post Rd W, Marlborough). 

• Libraries – The Southborough Public Library can be warmer than usual in high heat – but certainly better than outdoors or no A/C. Find a comfy chair and a good book to curl up with. The “Teen Space” is a good area for young adults to hang out. And the Children’s Room offers lots of summer reading activities for younger kids. (Hours are 10:00 am – 5:00 pm on Monday and Friday, 10:00 am – 9:00 pm Tues-Thurs.)

Unfortunately, our Library is closed on weekends in July & August. Fortunately, Northborough (9:30 am – 5:00 pm), Marlborough (9:00 am – 5:00 pm), Westborough (9:00 am – 1:00 pm), Hopkinton (9:00 am – 5:00 pm), and Hudson (9:00 am – 5:00 pm) are all open on Saturdays this summer – and on the same library card system as Southborough. So you can check materials out there and return them in Southborough (or vice versa). (Framingham (12:00 – 4:00 pm) and Ashland (9:00 am – 4:00 pm) are also open Saturdays, but they’re not on the same lending system.)

• Senior Centers – For seniors, you can relax at the Southborough Senior Center weekdays from 8:30 am – 3:00 pm. You can play pool, or maybe drop in on a game of cards or Mah Jongg. See the senior center’s newsletter here.

Surrounding towns’ centers are open a little longer (4:00 or 4:30 pm) most weekday afternoons and evenings on Tuesdays (7:00 or 7:30 pm). Click the following links for Northborough, Marlborough, Westborough, and Framingham.

Indoor Play for a price

• Paid playspace: The Natick Mall playspace is a Jam Time that charges for kids 0-12 yr olds to play there. Mon – Fri: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, Sat/Sun: 10:00 am – 1:30:00 pm (It’s usually open daily, but it’s closed this Saturday-Monday for the 4th of July.) Let’s Bee Kids playcenter in Hudson is another option, open Mondays – Saturdays. 
• Trampolines/inflatables – Both of these are open daily starting at 10:00 am, but require purchasing tickets:
  • Altitude Trampoline Park in the Apex complex in Marlborough. (Worth noting, they offer a special Toddler Jump Time for ages 2-6 on weekdays. Apex Kids for ages 2-12 (jungle gyms and inflatables) is open Tuesdays – Sundays.)
  • Launch in Framingham. (Their Toddler Time for kids 5 and under is Sunday mornings 9:00 – 11:00 am.)
• Entertainment Centers/Arcades/Laser tag:
  • Apex Entertainment Center in Marlborough has limited hours these days. But when it is open, it definitely has the largest range of indoor activities – ropes course, bowling, arcade, laser tag, Bumper cars, go karts, sports simulators, arcade, and mini golf. Bowling has to be booked at least 24 hours in advance. The facility is closed on Mondays. (Note: Altitude Trampoline Park and Breakout escape rooms share the facility but have their own hours. Apex Kids hours are also different – as listed above)
  • Dave & Busters at the Natick Mall has an arcade, virtual reality games, and sports bar. (Sun – Thu: 10:00 am – Midnight, Fri: 10:00 am – 01:00 am, Sat: 10:30 am – 01:00 am Fun & Games (Sun – Thurs: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm, Fri/Sat: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm) in Framingham and Pinz Bowling in Milford also both have an arcade and laser tag. (Roller Kingdom also offers laser tag.)
  • GameBox in the Natick Mall: An “immersive reality” gaming experience with projected images, and tracking players’ movements. Games include Paw Patrol for young ones and Ghostbusters older kids through adults. (Mon-Fri: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm. Sat: 10:00am – 8:00 pm. Sun: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm.)
• Bowling:
  • Apex (11:00 am to 8:00 pm but needs to be booked at least 24 hours in advance and is closed on Mondays)
  • Pinz in Milford (with an arcade and laser tag) is open daily. (You can sign kids up to bowl for free throughout the summer – two free games per day.) Open Mon-Thurs: 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm, Fri/Sat: 12:00 pm – 12:00 am, Sun: 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm.
  • Bowlero in Shrewsbury is open daily Mon – Thurs: 2:00 – 10:00 pm, Fri: 1:00 – 11:00 pm, Sat: 12:00 – 11:00 pm, Sun: 1:00 – 9:00 pm
  • Sawyer’s Bowladrome in Northborough is a small candlepin bowling alley. (I recommend calling ahead to check on their hours and availability each week.)
• Skating: Roller Kingdom in Hudson (Currently only open for Wednesday and Friday evenings, plus Saturday and Saturday afternoons. Wednesday’s are “Dollar Nights”.)
• Challenges/Escape Rooms:
  • Breakout at Apex (open daily with options to book starting at 10:00 am)
  • Level 99 at the Natick Mall is described as offering “challenge based entertainment”. It includes a slew of physical and mental challenges that can be taken on individually or as a team. Instead of purchasing a challenge, you purchase the amount of time you want to spend in the facility. (It opens at 11:00 am daily with varying closing hours.)
• Painting pottery: PYOP Studio in Northborough (closed Mondays & Tuesdays), Clay Time in Shrewsbury, Plaster Fun Time (One opened in Marlborough. The Framingham location closed.) Sun, Wed, & Thurs: 12:00 pm – 6:00 am, Fri: 12:00 – 9:00 pm, Sat:  10:00 am – 9:00 pm
• Museums: Click here for museum passes offered by the Southborough Public Library. (Plus, Highland Street Foundation will be offering free admission to one Massachusetts museum/venue each day in August. Check that out here.)
• $2 matinees – Regal Cinema at Solomon Pond Mall’s summer deal is back for kids’ movies matinees on Tuesdays and Wednesdays this summer. As usual, the discounted lineup doesn’t include recent releases. The times vary by movie.

Have a tip for someplace that I should add to the list? Post a comment or email mysouthborough@gmail.com.

For more of my “Favorite local places” series, click here.

[Note: Thanks to Michael Melo for updating some of the details on this year’s hours and options for me.]