MILLZ HOUSE

APPLE VALLEY, MN
VISIT WEBSITE

LeBron. That’s the name of my son’s teddy bear. Westbrook. That’s his middle name. Wiggins is his last name. So I guess if the name “LeBron Westbrook Wiggins” tells you anything, it’s that he’s completely and utterly obsessed with basketball.  And as a former card-collecting, high school-playing tomboy of a point guard, I’m very happy with this obsession! This is also why we were thrilled to discover Millz House, an indoor showroom for swing sets, trampolines, ping pong tables and…you guessed it…basketball courts. Finding an open gym that suits your schedule can be tricky in the winter in Minnesota, but Millz House offers open play every day of the week (with limited hours).

Because their space also offers swing sets and trampolines, it’s a no-brainer for my family because it’s suitable for all of their ages (7, 4 and 1). Wide open spaces for baby, swings and slides for the preschooler, and various hoops for my second grader to utilize. That’s why it’s the perfect place to host a massive party for 20 of their friends…which is exactly what we did! And, holy LeBron Westbrook Wiggins, was it a GREAT TIME!

What is it?

Millz House is a massive showroom space hosting swing sets, basketball hoops, trampolines, ping pong tables, indoor and outdoor game tiles, and floor coatings. Tucked in a business area of Apple Valley, it’s a hidden gem for indoor open play and a wonderful place to take the kids during the day to run and run and run andrun andrunandrun andrunandrun. A small lobby area greets you when you walk in the front door with a small room for birthday parties directly to your right. Behind the lobby is the showroom – to your right is four different basketball court floors with plenty of hoops sitting at various heights. To your left is a couple giant trampolines and some seating, and the rest of the space is swing sets on top of swing sets on top of more swing sets. It’s a huge indoor park, and a nice spot to get the wiggles out.

Indoor play is open any time their showroom is (so all regular business hours). Birthday parties are available in 2 or 3 hour increments for up to 20 kids any day of the week, with private parties also as an option.

Fit for what ages?

While the majority of our party guests were ages four through eight, we had some older siblings tag along and they seemed to enjoy climbing and shooting as well. Open play is for ages 10 and under, and I think that’s fitting for what they offer. The play sets are small, but not all easy. My two-year old niece got frustrated a number of times trying to climb the rock walls, ropes and ladders, but she loved the swings and slides. And my one-year old had fun just clumsily walking around the basketball floors chasing rubber balls around, plus there are baby swings which he loved. I did keep a close eye on him though because I didn’t want him getting bonked in the head with a basketball or plowed over by a second grader. The big kids had a blast playing basketball and chasing each other around the play sets and shooting down tube slides then bouncing on trampolines.

For open play, I have yet to go when it was super crowded, so I wouldn’t worry about wanderers too much. There’s not really anywhere they can go and the space isn’t big enough to lose them. Just make sure you keep an eye on littler ones on the playground equipment. It IS all wood and hitting a head on these sets could really leave a mark. But for the ambitious toddler and preschoolers, they can definitely find enough to enjoy here. But for the second graders, man oh man, was this place a hit!

How much are we talkin’?

Open play at Millz House takes place during all open showroom hours and I love the price! For only $6 per child or $18 per family on weekdays ($8 an $24 on the weekend), you can play all day until your heart’s content. 18 months and younger play free. All kids must be supervised by a chaperone (age 18+) and chaperones are free as well. See? Not bad for an indoor day of fun!

As if the prices aren’t already reasonable enough, they offer some nice ways to save money:

• Purchase a Family Punch Pass for $50 (6 family visits ) or $100 (12 family visits), so you’d save either $10 or $20 and your entire family could visit regularly for cheap. *These make great gifts!
• Come for “Charitable” Open Play on Wednesday mornings from 9:00am – 1:00pm with a non-perishable food donation and get in free! Forgot the food? Donate $1/child or $2/family and that covers admission as well. Millz House donates these food items to local food shelves, which is simply awesome, so hey, let’s support the cause and save money at the same time! Love their generosity. Wednesdays are the best time to play for cheap!
• Keep an eye on their site and social media for deals and special offers! 

Birthday parties are offered at their facility and are a ton of fun. Parties start at $100 (during the week) and go up to $325(weekend private party).

Want some tips?

Millz House is such a fun place for open play. It’s cheaper than most indoor play areas and it’s super spacious, plus there’s a giant poster of Michael Jordan on the wall, which the boys talked about forever. Parents can sit on the benches and see the whole place, so it’s really hard to lose a kid. But keep an eye on them if they’re little and their climbing abilities aren’t great because all the play sets are wooden and some spots can be tricky for tiny legs. Also, watch out for bigger kids and flying basketballs. But the times that I’ve been there (during the weekdays), it’s been completely quiet and my kids basically had their run of the place.

ALL kids must have a signed waiver from their parent/guardian. This includes birthday party guests, so a little prep work is required on your part if you’re hosting. Waivers can be downloaded online before you go or you can fill one out on-site. Also, make sure all kids have socks and tennis shoes for play. Socks are required for the trampolines and tennis shoes can be worn in all other areas of the showroom. No bare feet are allowed.

There are a couple of bathrooms and water fountains near the lobby and hand sanitizer throughout the space. Coat racks line the wall in the lobby, at kid’s height, which is nice. There’s plenty of seating, both in the lobby and in the showroom area. Pack a lunch and enjoy a picnic on one of the benches when the kids need a break from running.

If you want to save money and give to a good cause, visit open play on Wednesdays from 10am – 1pm and bring a non-perishable food item for a local food pantry to get FREE entry to play. If you don’t bring food that day, you’ll still get in for $1/child. However, as you can imagine, Wednesdays are busier than other days for this reason.

Party-goers get to utilize the party room, with three picnic tables and a couple smaller tables for the little-legged, plus a serving table and a special gift-opening chair for the guest of honor. There’s a fridge you can use and you bring all your own items (food, cake, decorations, etc.). Remember, every child must have a signed waiver to play. We carried in pizzas from Little Caesars for our party and used the fridge for juices and soda. We were able to keep it relatively cheap cuz, hey, kids haven’t developed pizza snobbery yet.

A couple rules during open play to obey: Only two kids are allowed on each trampoline at a time. Return all balls to their buckets or racks when done playing with them. And no bare feet at any time on any equipment. No shoes are allowed on the trampolines and all children must have a signed waiver to play.

The staff is really great here. I’m sad to see Bradyn go, as he was my biggest helper in setting up all the needs for this blog post (and was so very nice!). Staff keeps the place meticulously clean without micro-managing kids’ play. Basically, they’re a perfect blend of chill + fun + rule-abiding. I like that combo and am very happy to support their business. Of course, Millz House is a showroom for purchase first and foremost, so if you’re ever in the market for court flooring, hoops, play sets, trampolines and more, be sure to pay them a visit!

Hours and location
14645 Felton Court, Suite #104  |  Apple Valley, MN 55124

Regular showroom and open play hours:

• Monday:  9-4
• Tuesday:  9-4
• Wednesday:  9-1 (Charitable Play)*
• Thursday:  9-4
• Friday:  9-4
• Saturday:  10-4
• Sunday:  11-3

Pay-to-Play Fees:

• Week Days:  $6 per child/$18 per family maximum
• Weekends:  $8 per child/$24 per family maximum
• *CHARITABLE PLAY: On Wednesday’s from 9 AM – 1 PM, bring a non-perishable food or toiletry item OR pay $1 per child. All charitable play donations given to local area food shelves. 2017 Charitable Play Donations

Note that winter hours are longer than regular hours, so check their website to see specific times for winter play. There is a free parking lot for many cars for Suite #104, so just park and walk inside.

Be sure to follow Millz House on Facebook to see hour updates, holiday hours, punch card deals, equipment photos and sales, free play days and more!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary party at Millz House in exchange for my time sharing this post. All thoughts are my own.