Ruben Arroyo and his wife, Keileen, wanted to find a suitable place for their toddler niece to play and roam freely.
Oftentimes, that meant going out of town to either Fresno or Bakersfield for family-friendly attractions. indoor softplay playground
Enter Paradise Playland — Visalia’s newest indoor playground. Daily entry fees start at $11 with a monthly membership available for purchase.
“We really just wanted to make a nice, safe place for parents to be able to bring their kids to relax," Ruben said. "Whether it's the middle of summer, the middle of winter, we'll always be right here with a nice, safe place for them."
The Arroyos are the mastermind behind the new venture.
The husband-and-wife duo hatched the plan for Paradise Playland about two years ago after realizing that Tulare County families didn’t have a nearby option to take their kids out to a full-scale indoor playground geared toward younger children.
Last September, Keileen had a trial run at Vossler Farms Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze, introducing a small 25x30 feet pop-up soft play area for children during the Halloween season.
She received positive feedback from parents and they officially went forward with their business plan.
Eight months later, that dream has been realized.
Paradise Playland had its grand opening on June 15 at its 6,500-square-foot location at 3448 S. Mooney Blvd. in Visalia.
"It's been amazing, honestly," Ruben said. "Just being able to see everyone come in and actually enjoy it, it's just been a great time. It's just been very rewarding to see that people are really coming and actually enjoying what we put together."
The indoor attraction is loaded with a soft play gym, slides, a mini trampoline, a merry-go-round, a musical piano play mat, a pretend city, a ball pit and swings amongst other features.
Ruben, a Tulare native, credited his wife as the brains behind the operation.
Keileen, who has a background in business, did most of the market research and even visited several indoor playgrounds across the Central San Joaquin Valley. She helped design the layout and structure of Paradise Playland.
"It's so fulfilling," Keileen said.
Open play, which includes an all-day pass with re-entry, starts at $11 for children 2 and under and $13 for children 3 to 12.
Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
"We hope to keep expanding," Ruben said. "We hope to be able to keep it open 24/7 all-year round. Hopefully, it will become a staple of the community where everyone knows that if they want to come here and have a good time and be safe — this is the place to do it."
Open play: All-day pass with re-entry
Memberships: Unlimited visits for the month with exclusive perks
Punch cards: Pre-pay with no expiration date
Field trips: Special discounts for groups and classes
Sensory-friendly Sunday: Opens two hours early every second Sunday of the month to cater to kids with autism and special needs
New monthly features: Introductions of new toys and activities
playground equipment for children For more information, visit the Paradise Playland Facebook page.