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Fantasy Kingdom
Categories: Active Life Amusement Parks Active Life Playgrounds Event Planning & Services Venues & Event Spaces Amusement Parks, Playgrounds, Venues & Event Spaces [Edit]
1422 N Kingsbury StChicago, IL 60642
Neighborhood: Near North Side
(312) 642-5437
- Nearest Transit:
-
North/clybourn (Red Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 9 am - 5:30 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Justin S. said: "DISCLAIMER: I won free tickets so how could I really complain about anything. We went to a night game and showed up about an half hour before the game started. Pretty much got our drink on right off the bat despite our state of…" read more »
20 reviews for Fantasy Kingdom
20 reviews in English
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Review from Ruben Q.
Chicago, IL
1/30/2012
We had our son's 3rd year birthday party and had a great time. The kids loved it and adults were able to eat, mingle and have fun as well.
The staff did a great job - they helped with just about everything; cutting and serving the cake, managing the kids in and out of the play area (WITH NO TANTRUMS), setting out the food and drinks (BYOB), and handing out favors and balloons, in general managing the entire flow of the event - it was great. My wife and I were able to spend time with our friends and the kids. And the kids absolutely LOVED IT.
Yes, it's a little pricey but well worth it! -
Review from Url R.
Chicago, IL
3/29/2011
FK is a decent enough place for kids under 5.
Pros: Indoor parking garage. Seperate eating area with a fridge for your own food. No limit on play time.
Cons: Can get a bit cramped and feels cramped due to under ground location. Men's bathroom is a bit dirty. Industrial Location can be a bit tough to navigate through especially with the Mega Whole Foods now open. -
Review from Dana A.
12/20/2010
Fun for about age 5 (maybe 6) and under. Hit FK for a 5 year old girl's birthday party today and was pleasantly surprised. Though the location is a bit industrial, the 'kingdom' is a great escape for little girls.
The boys at the party got into the slides, fireman costumes, etc. but I believe this place leans a bit to little girls. Characters appear at parties and at scheduled times during the week to entertain and play with the kids--Disney Princesses, Buzz Lightyear, etc.
My seven year-old niece was at the party and revealed to me that she thought the place was for 'little kids' because the princess was fake! So just consider age when doing a drop in visit here.
Healthy snacks available for purchase. Muy importante. Try it out and enjoy. Nothing like dramatic play in a grand way. -
Review from Jessica E.
Chicago, IL
3/18/2011
This place saved me all winter long! My son is 1 1/2 and loves to push around the shopping carts with plastic fruit. He loves the baby carriage as well and is getting his first taste of socializing and sharing with others.
He also loves their baby gated play area that has a play kitchen and lots of different kinds of stacking toys and big duplo building blocks. Parking is easy, play is easy and meeting other parents here is easy.
I plan on going even when it's nice out for the AC and it won't be busy ... it'll be a little down time for mama and play time for baby.
Also, Fantasy Kingdom is clean, super duper friendly and not expensive! -
Review from Alan R.
5/18/2011
A great place to take kids. The entire place area is one long room, plus a separate area for children under two. They also have an area for snacks or meals. A bit pricey, but overall a great place to take the kids to play.
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Review from Christmas D.
Chicago, IL
12/7/2007
So it's seemed as of late that my kid is getting a little too old for the open play at Bubbles Academy and all I can wonder was "where did all those other kids go?"
Well, they are apparently all here!
If you're reading this you probably know that during that precarious age between 2 and 3 there's not a whole lot for your kid to participate in: most of the park district programs start at age 3, "pre-pre-school" programs are just too expensive to justify, heck, even Gymboree and Bubble classes add up to a Montessori tuition in a year's time. And even if you DO load up on classes (esp. for the winter months when outside play is out of the question) the odds are high, between erratic nap schedules, potty-training and meltdowns that you're going to end up missing a bunch of them anyway. I mean c'mon...whose 2 year old values the concept of puncuality?
Fantasy Kingdom is a drop-in play-place. You can go anytime you like between the hours of 9am and 5:30pm. Unlike Corner Playroom it's CLEAN (at least it seems that way). They even have a designated employee who spend the entire day wandering around and cleaning up after the dozens of tykes so nothing ever gets too out of place so NO ONE can enjoy it (I wish I had one of her for my house...oh...wait...that would be me).
The room is set up like a little mini Renaissance Faire with a 2-story castle on one side that has 2 tube slides. The other side of the room have a few "storefronts" including a Firehouse, a police station, a grocery and a clothing store(?). Each little storefront has all the accompanying make believe toys and outfits...a toddler version of LARP, I guess. There are a couple of tables with train sets, several ride-in cars, tubes to climb through, rocking toys, blocks, etc. There's also a separate little 2-and-under hoosegow with age-appropriate toys and nice big windows that look outside onto the river.
Shoes, drinks and food are prohibited in the play area so they provide a coat rack, shoe cubbies and a snack room with paper plates, cutlery and a microwave. You can buy snacks, juice boxes and other drinks at the front desk. There are tissue boxes and antibacterial pumps everywhere and they'll even provide complimentary diapers in case you forgot yours.
Really, it seems they've thought of everything. Now, if they provided wi-fi for me I think maybe we'd stay 'til spring!Listed in: A little something for the…
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Review from Jackie W.
Chicago, IL
8/20/2009
I get the sense that FK is run by very nice, well-intentioned individuals. The space and choice of toys, however, leave much to be desired...
First of all, the equipment is one-size-fits-most. There wasn't much in the way of accommodations for the bigger children among the small-fry. My four-year-old is tall for her age, and she could not fit into any of the toy cars which royally cheesed her off. Secondly, all the toys revolving around play-acting were pretty domestic - for the $12 admission, I was hoping for more variety -- for example, sensory-based toys, board games for the younger set, et cetera. Third, FK falls woefully short when it comes to having an ability-diverse environment. There didn't appear to be any modifications for children with special needs, beyond the token "handicapped" stall in the restroom.
Good, but not good enough. Definitely not good enough to warrant a repeat visit -for us, anyway.Comment from Mark A. of Fantasy Kingdom 3/4/2011
Dear Jackie, Thank for your visit, and for sharing your… More » -
Review from Emily C.
Naperville, IL
2/9/2007
Super, super, super. There need to be more places like this for kids and adults. I only regret we found this so late.
Awesome fantasy areas that include a police station, a castle, a fire station, costumes, trikes, learning toys and more...Listed in: Places that don't suck
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Review from David S.
Oak Park, IL
2/21/2008
Don't let the location throw you. You gotta pass a couple of strip clubs to get to this unassuming industrial location. However, once you park and follow the signs through the building, Fantasy Kingdom is a great place for a party of the under-6 set.
It is a nice space, pretty large for this type of kid-gathering/party place, which has play area with many climbing structures, a food/eating area and also a baby/toddler corral.
We were there for a 4-year old girl's birthday party and I am guessing there were about 30 kids or so. The space was totally ample for the kids and parents that were with them. Fantasy Kingdom provided (at a cost, of course) the food and an event coordinator. The three varieties of Starbucks coffee made an immediate positive impression on the parents.
One great thing about Fantasy Kingdom was the level of cleanliness of everything in the joint. I'm not a crazy germophobe, but sometimes a kid-centered play area business can get quite skeezy. The toys, the play stuctures, even the bathroom was in good clean shape. Maybe in a year it will look a bit different, but for this party it was great.
http://www.oakparkdad.com -
Review from Becky M.
Chicago, IL
4/6/2011
This review is from Mommy's perspective, not my kids. They love it. They love everywhere that they are allowed to run around, yell, drop toys where ever and see lots of other kids.
The photos make it seem bigger. It's a bit claustrophobic. We've been twice-once on a school holiday. It was jammed packed that day especially with giant kids running all over my wee toddlers. Lesson learned-we went back on a quieter day and had more fun.
I can't figure out the target age because I see such a range there. The slides are sooooo steep and closed that it scares me to let my little ones go down alone, yet I feel like a creep going down them with them. There is a fenced in under 2 area, but all the toys are kinda junky and old. And no one enforces the under 2ness so those big, mean kids sneak in.
Love the indoor parking (wish it was included in the steep prices) and the separate little snack area. Staff is nice too.
Bottom line-like most of these places-fun for the kids, chaotic for the grownups! -
Review from Vincent E.
Chicago, IL
12/26/2009
I'm probably not going to be able to take advantage of Fantasy Kingdom for too much longer because the kids are getting a little old to enjoy it, but while they are still young enough, this is fantastic for a day when it is too cold/rainy/snowy/miserable to be outside.
Only drawback is that there is no WiFi. -
Review from elizabeth g.
Chicago, IL
7/22/2011
Fantasy Kingdom is a good play place for young kids (18 mos through maybe 5 yrs) especially during the winter months; HOWEVER, my kids have gotten sick from playing here almost every time we've visited. Unfortunately, other parents/nannies don't seem to keep their kids home when they're sick and because of the young ages (and everyone slobbering and putting the toys in their mouths), it seem that 24-48 hours after every winter-time visit we've caught a virus. I've stopped going because of this. I realize it must be impossible to try to keep sick kids out of FK. It's a good idea, but if you go in the winter you will see kids with runny noses and coughs...beware.
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Review from Molly F.
Chicago, IL
11/4/2009
Like the other reviewer I've taken my daughter here a few times, but I never really enjoy it. There aren't that many things to do. Most of the toys are the kind of stuff we have at home (dress up, exersaucer, train set, dolls and strollers) with the exception of the cars which are a favorite of my 2.5 yr old. But for $12 visit (and $5) to park....riding in the cars for an hour is not at all worth the price.
And the owner is always trying to sell you something when you come in. They have a little eating area for you to do lunch with your child, but they sell all kinds of unhealthy snacks to try to get more money out of you. Choc and vanilla milk- no thank you. I'll stick to the sippy cup of water or regular milk I brought from home.
Sometimes they have vendors come in to pitch you about new products (ex. organic baby food), but I'm not here for a sales pitch, I'm here to play with my child or maybe zone out for 5 min while my child plays with another child. I can learn about baby food at the grocery store.
Even the staff is awful. The owner almost never opens his mouth unless he's trying to convince you to buy whatever the vendor is selling, probably because the vendors pay to come advertise there and he's trying to make it look worthwhile. And the grumpy woman behind the counter (his wife? his mother?) literally sits on her ass all day and stares at her computer and barely even looks up to take your money. SO RUDE! Granted we don't come to play with her, but would it kill them to act like they appreciate our patronage?
As far as cleanliness it also leaves MUCH to be desired. A few times a day they have a gopher girl run around and put all the toys back in place, but they never "clean" anything. Ewwww! How many kids a day pick up (and often eat or lick) these toys and they just get put right back for the next child to use. And while they have a sign for parents of sick kids to please visit another day, many of the kids running around have runny noses and coughs. So I guess each visit comes with a chance to take home a case of H1N1 for no additional charge. At least something is free.
Overall not a good place to spend time or money.
PROS:
Out of the house
CONS:
Bad location
Hardly any natural light, dim lighting resulting in depressing environment
EXPENSIVE $12day and $5 parking
Rude/unfriendly staff!Comment from Mark A. of Fantasy Kingdom 3/4/2011
Hi Molly, Thank you for your feedback, and I'd like to… More » -
Review from Erin M.
4/13/2010
Just spent the entire morning here with my daughter. If your looking for a safe, CLEAN, fun environment for your young children, this is the place. The owner Mark greeted me, explained the layout and had us playing in no time at all. The staff is incredibly friendly and there is plenty to keep the little ones occupied. Children's music kept the atmosphere upbeat and they have scheduled activities throughout the week. Cannot stress enough how clean this place was. I was really impressed! I would absolutely recommend FK to those with young children.
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Review from celyn p.
Chicago, IL
6/9/2008
Was invited for a birthday party for my one-year old's friend about a month ago The little guys had tons and tons of fun there, but upon entering the room I was repulsed by the smell. My babysitter and I almost didn't go in because the place reeked of urine. :- / Not a good idea to have carpeting at a place like that unless you're going to clean it daily! Would love to go back for the sake of my son's enjoyment, but I don't think I will ever go there again unless they eliminate the carpet and odor.
Comment from Mark A. of Fantasy Kingdom 3/9/2011
Dear Celyn, Thank you for your feedback, and I'm sorry you… More » -
Review from Sarah D.
Chicago, IL
2/16/2008
Safe, great place for kids to play. They have an eating area that is clean. You can stay there all day for the same price. On some days they have someone come in a play music which is fun. My only complaint is that the bathrooms are out of the area in another part of the building so if you have multiple kids you have to round everyone up and lug them to the bathroom.
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Review from Natalie S.
Chicago, IL
8/30/2007
I just looked down, and my socks have not been knocked off by Fantasy Kingdom. I suppose if it were winter and my son had been cooped up for weeks I'd be glad to have somewhere clean and safe where he could run free and play with other kids. I visited yesterday with my 17-month-old, my sister and my three-year-old niece, however, and wasn't all that excited about the place. There are fantasy play areas, and they look cool from the outside but then crawl inside and you'll find them mostly dark, only partially decorated and basically empty. There are toys to accompany each room- fruit and veggies for the store, fire trucks and uniform for the fire station, etc, but they're everywhere, making it almost impossible for a child who wants to play house to do so. He or she would spend their whole day trying to find the pots and pans over in the castle or in the police station. The toddler area is full of baby toys- rattles, excersaucers, etc, and when I brought my son inside I found it was full of three and four year olds taking toys away from the babies and bossing them around. My son had fun running around the main play area, but I was pretty disappointed in the other parents; not only was I following him around making sure he played nice and stayed safe, but I was also having to babysit other people's kids because they were too busy reading the newspaper or chatting with friends to actually make sure their kids weren't hitting, fighting or being brats in some other fashion. If I wanted to watch a bunch of snotty kids I would open a day care, not pay $10 plus $5 for parking. As a final complaint, literally none of the battery-operated toys were working. I don't know if they needed new batteries or if they were broken, but none of them worked.
So, all in all, it's a good place to go if you're with some other kids you know and you can trust everyone will be mostly nice to each other and if you're sick of playing at your own house. But in nice weather you're better off at the park. To end on a positive, there is a kitchen area where you can put your lunches in the fridge and warm them up, I thought that was a good idea. -
Review from Erin H.
Chicago, IL
2/27/2011
My son loves this place and asked to have both his 3rd and 4th birthday party here. He's now asking to have his 5th birthday there as well!
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Review from Elana C.
Chicago, IL
6/17/2009
It was our first visit to FK. The place is very good about 4,000 SF and the owners are really nice and helpful. There is a 5.00 parking fee, but it's worth it rather than looking for parking on the street-the area is kind of busy.It's a fun place for a kid to play with new (for him) toys. I liked the area for kids 2 and under only-they were pretty safe their from running 6 years olds. The decoration is pretty cool, adn the "jail" with wooden phone "one call only" cracked me up.
I liked the kitchen area (with more toys there to enterntain your child while feeding him) where you can feed your baby or toddler.
I did expected the place to be bigger and more spacious though. ALthough the size is pretty comfortable.
Couple of things that I did not like : 1. amount of light-it was a little to dark for my preferences. 2. too many older kids (I beleive 5-6yo). Even though the place is up to 6 years old, they were too big for that. They were running and almost knocking down younger kids. I think this place is more appropriate for kids 4 and under. Sorry, 5-6 year olds, I know it's tough for you, buddies to find the place where you are welcomed by parents 3. I really did not like that most of gardians dove into the magazines instead of watching their children/ playing with them. I would probably eliminate the temptation of grabbing People, Stars and all that garbage by not havind those enterntainment magazines available at all. Spend time with your child.!If you are a nanny-SPEND TIME WITH THE CHILD because this is what you paid for, damn it!
I gave only 3 stars because "yey I am a fan" does not reflect how I feel about the place. But definately will be coming back for more plays here.
I wish they were open on weekends for open play though. It's tough for most parents like myself to get there during the week -
Review from Windy C.
Chicago, IL
8/20/2009
I take my son to Fantasy Kingdom from time to time, but I never really enjoy it. It's an average-looking indoor play area that charges $12 for all day admission (I think from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm). He has an okay time, but I never get the sense that he loves being there.
Things that aren't so great about Fantasy Kingdom:
1. They often let in too many kids for the size of the space.
2. The place itself is small and cramped.
3. There are some really dark areas that make playtime difficult.
4. About half of the toys are either old or just really beat up.
5. The bathroom is not inside the facility itself.
6. No free parking, but they do have a $5 parking garage.
Things that keep me coming back to Fantasy Kingdom:
1. The owner seems really nice.
2. It's generally clean, even though it's disorganized.
3. They have a parking garage.
4. It's reasonably close to our house.
If it were more than a ten minute drive away, I don't think we would ever go. I hate to give it such a "blah" review, but it really is sort of a "blah" place.Comment from Mark A. of Fantasy Kingdom 3/9/2011
Dear Windy, Thanks for your feedback on our play area. It's… More »
