Fritz’s Adventure—a brand-new climbing park spanning more than 100,000 square feet—opens at the Grandscape entertainment complex in The Colony on April 2. The original Fritz’s is in Branson, Missouri, so for this second-ever location, the family-owned company went even bigger to build this “year-round base camp” for explorers of all ages.
Fritz’s has got ziplines, ropes courses, slides and tunnels, and a “fall-proof” space for your littlest kids, too. And at a time when climbing parks and jump places abound in Dallas-Fort Worth, this new destination feels altogether unique.
The high-octane attraction takes its name from the 1812 book written by Johann David Wyss. Fritz is the oldest—and most gallant and industrious—son of the Swiss Family Robinson, shipwrecked on a tropical island. They learn to survive and even build a tree house for themselves. And here, while you won’t find beaches or wild animals, you will find several themed areas that will take your kids on a journey to new lands.
The first one you’ll first notice before even stepping inside. The treetop zipline course extends outside the building, connecting to more than a dozen crow’s nests high off the ground and within view of passersby driving along the 121 Tollway.
Inside Fritz’s Adventure, it’s choose your own adventure: a three-level ropes course (go higher for greater levels of difficulty), an industrial-style brick climbing wall stretching toward the rafters (this is also great for beginners), and even dueling zip lines. We know those will be a hit for some friendly competition between siblings and friends. Of course, everyone is set up with safety harnesses and guided by trained staff throughout, and you’ll go through a quick grounds course first to learn how to maneuver.
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Kids must be at least 42 inches tall to climb, but your youngest kids under that threshold, they can crawl to their heart’s desire through a labyrinth of play spaces: treehouses, caves, tunnels and slides. A pit with an American Ninja Warrior-style warped wall connects to laser mazes and underground tunnels.
And the spaces to explore just keep going. Climb inside a giant oil tanker and through the top hatch over to the catwalk that leads up to a suspended, decommissioned plane where you can sit in the pilot’s seat.
Crawl up and around aerial cages (aka, the “slinky spirals”) that connect stacks of shipping containers, and for the tightest squeeze, check out the X-Speleo spelunking box. And, designed for your youngest kids, Fritz’s Forest is a fall-proof area with padding.
Here’s a heads-up for parents following along with your kids: all the crawl spaces will require quite a bit of scooting on your bottom, though as much as the park creators thought about kids’ play, they kept parents’ comfort in mind, too. When you’re able to take a moment to rest, the massage chairs are a godsend.
When the kids need a bathroom break, you’ll find them (equipped with changing tables) on every level, and will find the larger, family restrooms by the full-service Fritz’s Café, which serves everything from pizza and chicken tenders to smoothies and coffees. Later on, they’ll offer beer and wine too.
The string lights over the mezzanine and large glass windows give the space an outdoor feel. If you’ve fallen in love and want to book a birthday party here, they’ve got plenty of reserved spots that allow parents to keep watch while the kids play. (Note that if you do climb, no keys, phones, etc. are allowed in your pockets. You’ll need to keep those packed away or in the lockers. They’re digital, so no worries about hanging onto another keyfob.)
Any visit here will be a grand day to remember, so on your way out, don’t forget to stop by the selfie stations. You’ll want to capture a pic of your exhilarated kids to help them recall this particularly cool adventure.
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Photos courtesy of Fritz’s Adventure
