Game On
- Jodi Brunner
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
Article and Photos by Jessica McCafferty
With all the wonderful activities in the North Country, many families are outside in the summer enjoying Mother Nature’s game room, but what do you do when the weather does not cooperate? SB talked to three local businesses that focus on indoor activities. All three, though similar, are unique in their audience.
Player 1: Champy’s Fun City
Champy’s Fun City, located in the Comfort Inn complex on Route 3 in Plattsburgh, is the largest location and the only one of the three that can truly be called a “Family Entertainment Center”. Entertainment centers are defined by arcades that have at least one main attraction. Champy’s has that a few times over.
Champy’s Fun City is run by General Manager Sarah Boncore, a former Long Island native who came to Plattsburgh in 2021 to finish her studies at SUNY, found love and stayed. As we walked through Champy’s three floors of fun, she enthusiastically described their offerings.
First, we went into the depths. The basement level is mostly black-lit and contains a nine-hole mini golf, mini bowling, 360(full turn) electric bumper cars, and three rentable party rooms. The walls are wonderfully airbrushed with various themes and there are bits of Plattsburgh history such as monuments, local wildlife and even one of Lake Champlain’s shipwrecks. Scan the QR code at the left for a short snippet of my tour with Boncore.
The main floor, which is the primary entrance for most patrons (accessible from either the hotel or an outside entrance at the back), houses the largest number of Champy’s games and its prize redemption counter. The standout feature on this level is BalloCity, a multi-level play structure with interactive elements that allow children to hover, launch or even unleash a waterfall of hundreds of foam balls on their playmates.
For the Tweens, teens and kids at heart there is a laser tag course, also black lit, with a glowing townscape for each team to defend. The room fills with mist and 2-16 players equipped with responder vests and laser guns charge forth to defend their base from opposing players.
The third floor, connected to the soon-to-be-rebranded Plattsburgh Brewing Company, offers games geared towards older children and adults. There, you’ll find axe throwing, a beverage-free version of beer pong, combat games, and a sports stimulator that includes golf, soccer, baseball, rugby, cricket, and even Zombie Dodgeball!
Champy’s Fun City offers party packages and has even worked with its sister company to offer packages that include day passes to Comfort Inn’s Splashpark which boasts two water slides reaching 105 feet and 84 feet as well as water play structures and even an open swim area. The gentle slope entry is perfect for all swimmers; even beginners.
Player 2: Champlain Kid’s Zone
Our next stop was Champlain Kid’s Zone, located at the south end of Champlain Centre Mall. Owner Hasham Ashraf took over Kid’s Zone in 2020, just before the pandemic. The main attraction here is its inflatable play structures. As a young father of two himself, Ashraf caters to a younger audience, allowing accompanied children ages 1-12 to play on the equipment. The average age of his patrons is between four and seven years old, with the Pirate Ship slide and the train being the most popular inflatables. A small toddler area offers ride-on rocking animals and other interactive toys, Playtime in these areas is purchased by the hour.
Champlain Kid’s Zone also has a birthday room with a bright rainbow-colored wall and offers birthday party packages. Ashraf additionally hosts a handful of arcade games in the back near the party room which are leased from Valley Vending, owners of our third and final stop on our indoor entertainment tour.
Player 3: Fun Zone
As traditional as they get, our final stop is the classic Fun Zone, located just off the food court at the Champlain Center Mall. Owned and operated by local vending company, Valley Vending, Fun Zone was purchased in 2000 and originally named “the Golden Dollar” after the popular re-released dollar coins of the time. As coins phased out and reloadable swipe cards became standard, the arcade received a facelift and a new name.
Valley Vending’s president, Jeff Prescott, shared insights into the location. Fun Zone caters to tweens, teens and adults. Designed to be self-sufficient, cards can be loaded, games played and some prizes won even when the redemption counter is closed.
While Fun Zone still offers traditional games that award points toward larger prizes, such as Skee ball and ball-throwing games, its most popular attractions are the Cranes, Find a Key, and Cut to Win games, which offer more desirable prizes. The extremely challenging Cut to Win game boasts several high-dollar prizes for the lucky person who manages to make the cut.
Among their non-prize games, the virtual reality experiences and other immersive gameplay options are the most popular, offering an experience simply not available with home gaming systems. “They enjoy the experience the games at the arcade have to offer, the movement and sound you just don’t get at home,” said Prescott.
Common Denominators
While basics like insurance are something all three businesses require, their coverage needs vary, Fun Zone does not need the liability coverage the other two do. In the case of Champlain Kid’s Zone there is also a waiver to be signed by the parent or guardian before the children can jump in.
Although the Kid’s Zone is faced with higher liability insurance, it’s balanced with a lower cost to maintain machines. The inflatables are designed to last eight to ten years if well maintained. Each evening, they are mopped and sanitized and then each morning before opening, they are inspected to find and address any areas of concern. Ashraf’s arcade games are leased so maintenance falls to the lessor, Valley Vending. Both the arcades, on the other hand, face much higher maintenance costs and have service technicians in two to three times a week just to keep everything in working order.
The last large-ticket item they all share, and without which none can operate, is electricity. All these businesses are in NYSEG territory and within one mile of each other. It is likely that a single outage would affect all three businesses, and like many of us, there’s no operating without power.
After an afternoon at these three businesses, it’s clear that arcades and activity centers will continue to stand the test of time, finding ways to offer experiences you simply can’t replicate at home. They keep kids (and spouses) busy while parents and partners are shopping.
Champy’s Fun City.
Comfort Inn
411 Route 3
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
(518) 563-2095
Champlain Kid’s Zone
Champlain Center
60 Smithfield Blvd
Plattsburgh, NY12901
(518) 566-4582
Fun Zone
Champlain Center
60 Smithfield Blvd
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
(518) 561-4019