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Neptune's Kingdom
Category: Arts & Entertainment Arcades Arcades [Edit]
400 Beach StSanta Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 426-7433
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
43 reviews for Neptune's Kingdom
43 reviews in English
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Review from Tina W.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/10/2012
Hooray for pool and bud light!!! And maybe even some nachos and a pretzel. :)
Eh, and maybe some video games and mini golf... but really, we come for the pool. And the beer. -
Review from Tanja F.
San Jose, CA
12/30/2011
This is a good place to take kids (probably 6 and up) and family members for wholesome fun.
Mini-golf was good but I'm not sure if I like the black lit room with the weird dry air that made me feel like I was developing a respiratory illness. Thankfully it's only for about 3 holes. It's kind of cool though, to see all the lint on your shirt and see how weird your fingernails look in that light. The pirate theme is definitely fun. The only down side is if there is a back up, you can't go skipping holes easily and come back like you can at Golfland.
Air hockey and pinball was a blast. Maybe I'm getting old but the lower arcade area smelled like teen-aged boy's feet. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. -
Review from Richard F.
San Jose, CA
11/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Any miniature golf place is already an A in my book, especially one that makes it 2-stories!
PLUS:
Unique 2-story golf course which includes glow-in-the-dark area as well as some interestingly creative course play
CONS:
No crowd control at all. At times there were 3-4 groups waiting ahead of us and a couple behind us. No water or sand traps either. If you are going to have some pirate-themed golf. you need water!
Overall it is still a great place to play and would recommend it at least once for everyone! -
Review from Yoni D.
San Francisco, CA
11/16/2011 1 photo
This place is great if you're looking to have a good time playing Mini Golf, Arcade Games or having a few beers in the ambiance of it all. The building is beautiful and there's information about it's past all around.
The only real downside of this place is that the token operated arcade games don't work half the time and end up steal your money in the process. They should really fix the coin mechanisms. Don't let it ruin your day though. -
Review from Heather K.
Half Moon Bay, CA
11/28/2011 2 Check-ins Here
A huge building filled with arcade games, mini golf, and blaring kids. I can't remember the last time I saw so many arcade games in one spot, actually! We thought about playing mini golf (indoor course) but it looked kinda lame so we passed. Upstairs there's s small bar with neon nachos and (way overpriced) beer; pool tables, more arcade games (a 4-player Pac Man game!) and somewhat quieter (but not much) seating.
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Review from Pauline P.
El Monte, CA
10/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Felt like a kid again with a pocket full of tokens. One of the best arcades I've been to in a long time.
Play games for tickets to trade in for useless items such as happy face erasers and stickers. The lame prizes are part of the arcade charm though!
// LOCATION // On the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.
// GAMES //
+ Bubble bee game: Catch ping pong balls painted as bees and try to move them into the honey pot. Its in children's section. Don't judge.
+ Deal or No Deal: BEST GAME EVER. So fun! Its a long game and worth the zillions of tokens it costs to play. If you pick the right briefcase, you could win 200 tickets!
+ Fruit Ninja game: First time I've ever seen a phone app turned into an arcade game. So lame yet so cool
+ Retro video game section: Old school favorites like Pac Man
Great for being a kid again! -
Review from Julie N.
9/19/2011
BLING BLING for only two tickets!
You too can be flossin'! ;)
*They have short Asian girl sized golf clubs* -
Review from Britney L.
Corte Madera, CA
7/17/2011
This is a great place to come for simple fun! An old friend got me addicted to going to this arcade because of its Price Is Right token game. It is literally addicting and now whenever I'm sad or just looking for something to do with a friend, I come here for entertainment.
I came here a few weeks ago with my bf because I wanted to prove that the Boardwalk arcade was actually a lot of fun! He didn't understand the excitement of winning arcade tickets when the prizes aren't that great and probably worth less than the amount you spend on the tokens to get the tickets. Needless to say we both had a lot of fun. There are a lot of different games that are geared towards all different audiences and it's 25 cents per token.
If you don't want to play arcade games there is also miniature golf and laser tag. I have played laser tag there a couple times but in my opinion it's not as fun as playing the different arcade games. Laser tag only lasts for about ten minutes and the wait is usually super long.
Minus two stars for being really dirty and a little outdated! -
Review from Ashlee J.
6/16/2011
Was on the boardwalk after all the rides closed & only the arcade & Neptune's Kingdom were open. The mini golf is run down, but fun none the less. The price $5 per person is a pretty good deal. I like the pirate climbing the pole. Clever!
This place used to be an indoor swimming pool. My how the place has changed!
Upstairs is air hockey & pool tables. Bonus: they have beers on draft! Better yet order a plain, salted pretzel. They make it fresh & it melts in your mouth. Best pretzel anywhere hands down! -
Review from Christine A.
Cerritos, CA
Updated - 2/22/2011 1 photo
I'm not sure if Neptune's accounts for the arcade next door. Maybe?
Anyway, they carry many vintage games - Sea Wolf, Tron, Frogger, Kung Fu Master, Battlezone, Space Duel to name a few - along with the more contemporary titles.
I tried playing in the Gold Rush Shooting Gallery, but found the rifles shot either to the left or right, and I wasn't able to compensate easily to hit the target I wanted.
HOWEVER, we did make the accidental discovery that taking flash pictures sets off ALL of the targets at the same time. Didn't feel so cheated by a crooked shooting flashlight rifle after taking a few photos.Listed in: Roadside California
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/8/2010
Came down for the day to find the Laffing Sal. After walking up and down an under-construction… Read more »
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Review from M C.
San Francisco, CA
9/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
A bunch of old arcade games crammed together. I was here playing games from the 80's.
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Review from Vikki K.
Minus 2 stars for changing the claw machine on my housemate and I!
A couple weeks ago, my housie and I visited the Boardwalk to see the SF Giants World Series trophy and decided to stop by to play a couple of games. We are both addicts to claw machines so we decided to try our luck at the Pokemon crane game. To our surprise, with only $10 dollars, we got 7 Pokemon stuffed toys. I had so many in my arms that I felt like Ash Ketchum for a moment!
....We returned last night only to discover that they rebooted the claw and now it's weak as hell and can't pick anything up.
Other than that, this is a fun place to go relive your childhood games. They have the classic Smoke 'em Tokens, Wheel of Fortune and new games like the Price is Right.
Careful though, the floor is a bit sandy so I almost slipped. It also smells weird in there but I suppose it's cause the location is right next to the beach. Oh, and their prizes are staring to suck. They used to have softer and cuter quality stuffed toys.
I'll miss this place when I graduate. -
Review from Kari S.
3/7/2011
Pirates and thunder storms!
Come in the winter, avoid the summer (too many tourists). Fun mini golf, ping pong, beer, and pool! Keep in mind that this is an arcade connected to an amusement park so the amenities are exactly what you would expect. Although, much cleaner in the winter months. A lot of the arcade games are OLD and not in the best condition, but still fun. Don't forget to pay a visit to Laughing Sal and hit up one of the photo booths.
Side note: We hung out here for a while after taking the Holiday Lights train and they were offering pictures with Santa. $15 got us three sheets of photos and a CD with all the pictures they took. Good campy fun! -
Review from MAC Dre m.
Aptos, CA
7/1/2011
Locals kick it schpot... don't stay there too late they'll close all the games down at the same time & the game your on wont let you finish that last life you just earned & spending your tickets at the prize desk than (FORGET ABOUT IT)...DARN IT!
THE kids CASINO is AWESOME! They have a very wide range of games, from air hockey to skee ball... its definitely a tourist spot but if you go during the week it isn't so bad. My favorite thing is the photo booths they have... Two different kinds-one that you can sketch your picture in a little metal piece and one that is an actual four-photo strip like old times. Their dog tag maker is cool to-hard to find within the walls-but cool-if i remember right-its by one of the entrance/exit's!
I love the employees here, some of them dont give a f**k, and some of them power trip the shit outta there jobs. -
Review from Tom L.
3/10/2011
Who doesn't love a pirate themed mini golf course?
I seriously looove mini golf, and this is the best indoor course there is. The layout is perfectly designed and goes from the ground level to the second story. The holes aren't very difficult, but still challenging enough to make it fun. There are some really cool decorations inside, especially the mural on the wall and the cannons throughout the course that fire off while you play.
The atmosphere here is always really laid back and fun. It's a great place to come on a date or with a group of friends. After you play some mini golf there are a couple of awesome candy shops a few doors down that sell amazing salt water taffy.
The arcade has tons of games and is never very crowded. My favorite is definitely the racing games you can play with 4 of your friends. They also have a number of air hockey tables.
When it rains in Santa Cruz head down to Neptune's Kingdom with your friends and your guaranteed to have a good time.Listed in: Best of the best
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Review from james d.
Sunnyvale, CA
4/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Indoor mini golf with a sea pirate theme to it, on the Boardwalk, why not? The sweetie and I wanted to have some fun since the weather wasn't really permitting us to chill out on the beach for long periods of time hence the wind. So we decided to have some fun here.
It's $10 for 2 and the course is 18 holes deep. Just note, you can save a whole frickin dollar if you remember to rip out the coupon from the brochure they give you if you park in the lot across from the Boardwalk.
Anyways we played through the course and found it to be partly easy and partly difficult. There's not a lot of skill needed to beat each course but the more difficult gimmicks included black lighting, and obscure edging. I was able to make a hole in one in one of the earlier courses.
The ambiance was pretty chill and everyone else around us seemed to be having fun, one of the only gripes I had was when you get to the hole near the top where the smoke cannons are, the legging is sticky which seems kinda nasty.
After playing mini golf, we then opted to play some arcade games in which we won nothing. Still had a few laughs about it. Another con I'd like to mention is that the bathrooms are rather nasty, stalls way to close to each other and out of date hand drying methods. Still overall, it was pretty fun for what it was. -
Review from Phil M.
Salinas, CA
6/16/2011
All things considered, pretty fun place. I haven't tried the laser tag, but the arcade is pretty good and the mini-golf is one of the best indoor courses I've played. Outdoor courses are still better, imo, but they've done a good job with this one inside.
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Review from Sabrina A.
San Jose, CA
11/15/2010
Neptune's Kingdom is awesome. I remember many a date had playing mini golf, friends shooting pool, challenges of air hockey and fun throughout.
I took a friend here to be touristy this last weekend. With it's silly/ fun pirate theme it didn't disappoint. Though it's been years I remember having a blast at mini golf and enjoying the course. It's affordable, fun and oh so piratey. Argg!
We went upstairs to play pool and while the staff has never been steller we got our balls/sticks and table. It's not a fancy or super kept up place. But with a beer, laughter and time to kill it was totally fun. We played just two games and it was under $5. Now they make you place a $20 cash desposit though. An Anchor Steam was about $6, standard for the Boardwalk.
The bathrooms aren't great but they are kept clean regularly but crowded since they are the only ones on that side of the Boardwalk. Things are clean but older. It's charm perhaps?
They have video games, photobooth machines, a food stand with all the regular stuff. It has everything just in it's own location and it's fun. Take it for what it is and you'll have a great time! -
Review from Ivy R.
8/18/2010 1 Check-in Here
I know I'm going to be a mom soon and if these are the types of places my kid will be dragging me to, I'm not looking forward to it.
My little brother was looking for laser tag but it wasn't in here it was in the next building over.
I however had to pee....again.
Just hoards of annoying sticky fingered children and parents just as annoying clambering all over the games.
Speaking of sticky fingers, when I walked up the stairs I made the mistake of touching the wooden hand rail. It made a snapping noise like your shoes do on a movie theater floor.
I couldn't handle it. Thankfully my little brother was on a mission to play laser tag and wasn't to focused on the games.
If you enjoy being disgusted and annoyed, by all means enjoy. -
Review from Maria C.
7/25/2011
LASER TAGGGGGG!!! the only part that sucked was no running (cuz you're playing with kids), but it was way fun and a great deal! they also have a HUGE arcade which is pretty fun. prizes are kinda lame though.
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Review from Peter C.
Campbell, CA
6/14/2011
The family and I always stop here at some point on our Santa Cruz trips. Most recently today and the weather was awesome. They have some games that everyone likes and a snack bar with the usual, corn dogs, chicken strips, burgers etc. The only reason I can't possibly give them more than 3 stars is the lack of maintenance. Who ever runs this place surely makes money I would think but the place mainly the bathrooms are always disgusting. I have yet to find them fit even one time for man or beast. The place itself could also use some upgrading. Again whom ever runs the place is a real slum lord.
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Review from Kanwal A.
San Francisco, CA
9/7/2010 1 Check-in Here
The mini-golf course is a mini-golf lover's heaven- glow-in the dark and regular mini-golf at one place. I love all the fun 18 holes, including all the pirates sneaking up to get me, ahhhh....
But those photo booths all over the place are such a rip-off and completely useless. If you are someone like me, you'll fall in to the trap and realize later after you have wasted your few bucks. Oh well!! all part of the fun at the day on the beach boardwalk, RIGHT?!?! -
Review from Sue Ellen E.
Santa Clara, CA
7/12/2010
If you love mini-golf and air hockey, this is a great place to enjoy Santa Cruz inside. Sometimes, you just wanna get out of the sun/rain and wind and shake the sand off.
The mini-golf course has a pirate theme and fits all skill sets. Each time I play, I get better. But there are some holes I can't quite fill in less than four or five tries. Ah well, it's fun trying! If you like art, take the time to observe the artistry of it. It's very well done.
Now Laffing Sal greets you...boy is she a relic. Fits in great on the Boardwalk. I think they've done a great thing putting one of these in.
NK is a great fallback option for when you're with people of any age whom you don't know very well or can't figure out what else to do. For some reason, it's easier to pass the time playing mini-golf. Seems to be universally appealing. -
Review from Robin K.
Hayward, CA
4/6/2010
Some machines didn't work, some machines didn't even give us tickets, games were sticky, but ya know what, I still had a good time.
It's always fun when you're hanging with the homies. -
Review from Brian B.
5/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Neptune's Kingdom is full of fun: a small arcade, fooseball, mini golf, air hockey, and pool. The theme is great fun and the mini golf course is one of the most fun I've ever played. Definitely worth checking out.
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Review from Denis S.
10/1/2009
The arcade games are pretty weak, but the mini golf is a lot of fun. Pirates yelling at you while you're putting, going in a glowing room for some of the holes, playing 18 holes for $5. What else can you ask for?
If you get the hole-in-one in the 18th hole you get a free game. I think it's impossible because my ball hit it, right in the center, and didn't go in. The hole must be too small. However, since I got close, I got 3 free tokens. The problem is, you need 4 tokens to play must things, and the machine only allows you to change dollar bills, not quarters. So... it's BS. -
Review from Sandy S.
Campbell, CA
9/6/2009
Warning: Be careful of the games at this arcade as I have tried two or three games here today and after putting the required four tokens in, the game still didn't play. The screen just said to put in one or two more tokens. Needless to say, I got pissed and left. I had to leave anyways since we had a train to catch. I know I put in the right amount. I swear, if I had a sticky pad and a pen with me, I would have wrote the following notes on the bogus games.......
To: All kids and patrons of this rip off joint, please don't put any tokens or bills in this game as it isn't working and you'll end up loosing all your hard earned allowance money. This is no joke. I doubt the employees would've taken it down until closing as I don't think they really do much of anything.
Now, if it weren't for the fact that this is a place that kids go to, I would've said something more graphic like: "This piece of shit game will steal your money, and forget telling the greedy assholes at this place about it since I doubt you'll get your money back, lol! Save your money for the boardwalk rides and games instead, at least you'll get something out of it! -
Review from Daddy O.
Long Beach, CA
3/4/2008 6 photos
I've lived in Santa Cruz for almost two years now, and I'd always wandered past Neptune's Kingdom, and even almost stopped in to play a few times, but it just never seemed to happen.
A couple of weekends ago, my best friend was in town. From Chicago. It's the middle of winter, so you'd think the weather here in SC would be at least -slightly- better. Well, the weather here sucked, and so we were forced to seek out indoor activities.
Neptune's Kingdom to the rescue! First of all, I had a coupon for "buy-one-get-one", thanks to the trusty Mystical Coupon Book of Fate. Mini golf wound up costing us $10 for the three of us. The course was surprisingly fun. It doesn't look like much from the outward appearance, but some of the holes were quite daunting and challenging. I especially enjoyed the dark room holes, and animatronic pirates running all over the place. Now, this is nothing quite like Malibu Castle in Sherman Oaks, where you've got mechanical squadrons of booby-traps, distractions, and deflectors to keep you from that coveted hole-in-one. Even still, the course was fun, and was a great way to spend the evening.
On the last hole, you even have a chance to win a free game. If you get close, they give you some free arcade tokens. Two of us should have nailed the hole-in-one on that, but somehow got screwed. We took our tokens and played some air hockey.
Also of note: air hockey and pool tables upstairs, and a snack bar for those who need something to munch on. I took a picture of a huge tray of leftover nacho cheese. Disgusting. The air hockey tables were in slight disrepair, but still worked okay.Listed in: Santa Cruz/Capitola Tourist…
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Review from Amy C.
Newark, CA
4/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Liked the silly mirrors cause we had fun taking pictures with them. Hehe.. My boyfriend tried to win me a skelanimal from the crane machine & the piggie cube thing from another machine. But both of those machines are sooo tricky & hard. They just eat your tokens away. Stay away from them cause it's like impossible to win with those things.
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Review from Lorrie M.
10/8/2009
For the kind of place that this is, I found it to be mildly entertaining. I do enjoy that they have a pretty good variety of games, but as always its sort of overrun with kids and under maintained so everything is just a little bit dirty/sticky/unknown ....
for the most part, I thoroughly enjoy coming here when I'm in the mood to be wacky and crazy, but otherwise you will not find this place to be extremely entertaining. I have to stress on the low maintenance part of this place because they really don't invest so much in their games to keep them working and in running order as I have also experienced the parts were tokens go in and do not get recognized and you cannot get a refund. Also, go in with the right expectations ... this place is what it is ... a slightly run-down but still fun Arcade with games from back in the days to elicit old memories! -
Review from Jocelyn B.
San Jose, CA
2/9/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Perfect place to hang and have fun when the weather is less than inviting. I love the competitive NASCAR game!
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Review from Vicky b.
3/8/2010
This review is solely for the mini-golf portion of Neptune's Kingdom.
So, I while I had a great time with friends playing mini-golf at NK, I wasn't impressed with the course at all. I feel like a douche for saying that. I mean, who comments on a mini-golf course, right? Apparently, I do. With the exception of the blacklight room, it was all pretty lame. I compare it to the Golfland out here in the South Bay which is all done up with two fancy courses. But if you're in Santa Cruz and with good people, a fun time can still be had at NK. -
Review from John K.
Seaside, CA
9/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Got the $40 worth of tokens for $20, and I have yet to spend $30 more tokens worth. Games are a bit expensive and many do not work.
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Review from Eugene N.
5/17/2008
Just to start off, this review is mainly for the miniature golf feature.
I've been here several times through the years and it seems like every other time seems to be more enjoyable. Maybe its due to being older. Cherishing the moment comes more naturally.
The outside appearance of this place is just so attracting. It just makes you want to step inside. Once inside you are presented with an overwhelming amount of arcades and other electronic games. Thanks to modern video game consoles and high definition televisions and multi channel digital surround sound SETUP THE PROPER WAY (no, just because you have an HDTV and surround sound doesn't mean you are doing it right) the video games don't seem as attracting since the Super Nintendo days. The theme is Pirates which is only fitting being by the ocean. They pulled it off very well.
So as far as the mini golf goes, the only other comparison I have is Golfland. Of course golfland is outdoors and cost more. Golf land has 3 courses compared to 1 here at Neptune's Kingdom. So how does it stack up? I believe it was only $4 per person to play here at Neptune's. There are coupons for buy one get one free, or some kind of discount, it makes it much better. The course here does not have as much flash as the Golfland variety with their big colorful buildings, but Neptune has enough to keep you in that spirited mood of playing miniature golf. There are some tricky holes to make it competitive. A cool part of the course that Golfland does not have is the section that what seems to be black lights and neons. Very cool and trippy indeed. The course takes you upstairs and then back downstairs. The last hole gives a player a chance to win a free game.
Overall there is really nothing bad to say about the miniature golf course or Neptune's Kingdom all together. If there was, it would be the price of the arcade games. But what do you expect being an attraction at a very popular site. The price of golf is very competitive and provides at least 30mins of good clean fun.
Just be prepared to feel rushed if it's a busy crowded day. -
Review from debbie h.
Manhattan, NY
8/3/2007
Neptune's has been around since I was a kid. I'm not a huge arcade buff, but once in a while I'm down for some shooting games and skee-ball.
+1 Star - 4 of us stretched 40 bucks to last 1.5 hours...pretty good value.
+1 Star - They have Time Crisis 4....my fave arcade game (it's the only game I'm good at it).
+1 Star - Prizes are better than average
+1 Star - Next to the ocean and the Boardwalk
-1 Star - Sketchy people roaming around...keep kids within eyesight (I had 3).
Oh yeah...a lot of the games are broken. -
Review from Jessica L.
San Francisco, CA
6/3/2008
I love mini-golf. I suck at it, but I love it. This is the funniest place--totally cheesy yet enjoyable and fun. I didn't believe there could be 18 holes in here, but the course winds around the inside of the arcade and, before you know it, you've reached the end where the pirate yells at you when you don't get a hole in one.
I love all the hilarious perks to this place--the "glow in the dark" room, the recorded pirate voices threatening you, and the projected image of a ghost pirate. -
Review from Will C.
San Francisco, CA
10/19/2007
I remember back in the day I played mini golf here with my dad when he took me to the Boardwalk one summer. It was fun.
These days though I only tend to venture into Neptune's Kingdom because they have a Drummania 10th Mix in the back, and there's hardly ever anyone else there playing it. They have a nice gaming area upstairs with pool, air hockey, and fooseball/hockey, along with a beer bar. Still, there's not a lot here that isn't already at the Casino Arcade next door. -
Review from Mike M.
San Jose, CA
8/17/2009
Theres a couple different things to do here.
Mini golf,pool,arcades or other table games.
Me,I've only done the mini golf and the pool.
The mini golf is kinda hard cuz it gets fairly dark and if you have bad eyes like me,you're screwed.The whole place has an old time feel to it like its been around since the dawn of time,but at the same time its cool and the game is inexpensive,I think $5-6 per person to play.
The building was a huge indoor pool many years ago.
The game of pool is ok.The cheapest place to play nowadays.Its actually cheaper to drive all the way there and play than it is to find a place in San Jose and play.
The two things I must have everytime I go to Neptunes Kingdom are
1.Nachos and cheese and
2.Pepsi with ice
Their nachos are hella good and their pepsi machine works magic like no other.Always fresh.Those 2 things get it one star right away. -
Review from Cassiopeia F.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
7/15/2009
We were in Monterey and decided to take a drive up to Santa Cruz on evening and heard about this place on the radio. I looked it up on Yelp and saw that it had some pretty good reviews so we decided to go and take the kids.
I have to say it was fun, reasonably priced at only $5.00 and then we had a coupon so it ended up only being $4.00! It was very cute and the kids loved the room that was lit by black light! Very creative - if you are in Santa Cruz looking to kill some time go to Neptune's Kingdom! -
Review from Stacy S.
San Mateo, CA
10/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
What a great place to play at! They have every game on earth!
