SALEM IS MOPO FAMILY family fun EXPLORE AND CREATE Salem and its surrounding community are a great place to be a kid, rain or shine. In the summer months, families flock to Salem’s Riverfront Park. Along with meandering pathways and plenty of green space for picnicking, you’ll find the year-round Riverfront Carousel, where kids and adults can take a whimsical ride. The park is also home to the Gilbert House Children’s Museum, an oasis for kids to discover, learn and play. Inside you’ll find 20 plus interactive exhibits from a veterinary clinic to an engineering studio. The Outdoor Discovery Area spans 20,000 square feet of fun with creative climbing structures and towering slides, plus a paleontology deck for fossil exploration. There are plenty of other worthwhile attractions just outside of town. The most famous is the Enchanted Forest, an amusement park and a classic Oregon institution. This seasonal spot merges classic carnival rides, storybook characters and elements of medieval England in one delightful theme park. Spark your imagination at the Willamette Art Center, where you’ll find a variety of art classes and workshops. Look for special events like Family Clay Sundays and workshops on stained glass and garden art. PLAY Let your kids scale to new heights at the popular Rock Boxx climbing gym. This indoor bouldering hub offers youth programs, classes and party-room rentals. The Salvation Army Kroc Center is a vibrant community spot, offering an aquatic center with a kid-friendly splash pool and a slide fashioned to look like a lighthouse. There’s also a rockclimbing wall, along with an arcade and sports courts. At The Dallas Aquatic Center, the indoor pool complex offers plenty for kids and adults alike, including a sixlane lap pool, a warm-therapy pool and a wading pool for little ones. Athletic Edge Adventure Park is a great place to play, offering nine-hole mini-golf, oversize games (massive Jenga and a giant Connect 4) and table games ranging from foosball to shuffleboard. However, the star attraction at this lively indoor park is the three-story play structure, complete with a ball pit, slides and even a zip line. Head to Salem’s Wunderland, an all-in-one entertainment center for adrenaline-pumping go-kart races, an immersive laser tag arena with dynamic lighting and sound effects, and an arcade filled with nearly 100 action-packed video and redemption games. Kelly James Salem’s Riverfront Carousel Willamette Art Center TravelSalem.com 22
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