Lakeville Resident Opening Indoor Playground in Eagan

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Local mom Bonnie O'Meara knows firsthand how difficult it can be to find budget-friendly activities that entertain the whole family.

That challenge served as the impetus behind O'Meara's new business, "Good Times Park", which is set to open in Eagan later this spring.

Located in a 25,000-square-foot space at 3265 Northwood Cir., the business will feature an expansive indoor playground designed for children 12 years old or younger, O'Meara said.

The plans for Good Time Park include a basketball court, inflatable games, indoor playground equipment, an artificial turf area and a hologram projector that projects kid-friendly games onto the floor, among other features.

To use the facility, parents can pay a monthly membership fee that ranges from $20 to $45, depending on the number of children in the family, or simply pay $8 per child at the door for a one-time visit, O'Meara said. The business will also offer annual memberships, although fees for that option have not yet been set, O'Meara said.

Parents will be responsible for supervising their children while at the facility, and will have to sign a waiver before use, O'Meara said. Members will also have special access to classes, movie nights and other events at the facility, said O'Meara, who will be the only full-time employee of the business.

O'Meara worked for 20 years as a human resources manager and operated an independent consulting practice—but this is the first time the Lakeville resident has ever ventured into indoor recreation. 

"Being a parent and obviously being involved with other parents and kids, you spend a lot of time trying to find activities for your family without spending a lot of money," O'Meara said. "I just want to give something back to the community, and I came up with an idea."

Last week, the Eagan City Council unanimously approved a planned development amendment permitting the development of Good Times Park. O'Meara is leasing the property from Northwood Equity, which owns the property.

Although O'Meara looked at sites in Burnsville, Lakeville and other area cities, O'Meara said she settled on the site in Eagan because of its proximity to other retail businesses and the city's strong "family base".

"This whole idea came out of a dream—an aspiration, I guess—to do something fun, yet have a unique business opportunity.”