Before riding Kentucky Flyer at Kentucky Kingdom’s media day, Coaster101 writers Nick and Kyle visited Malibu Jack’s, self pro-claimed “indoor theme parks” located in Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky. Read on to find out what attractions can be found at both Malibu Jack’s locations.
Malibu Jack’s Lexington
Nick: What are some of the main attractions found at Malibu Jack’s Lexington location?
Kyle: The location in Lexington has a SBF Spinner coaster, “Twist-N-Shout,” a music express ride, 3-D theater, mini golf, electric go-karts, a huge arcade, kids play area, a VR interactive game, and more.
Nick: I was surprised by how much there is to do there. What was your first impression of the Malibu Jack’s location in Lexington?
Kyle: When I first walked into the Lexington location, I was initially blown away with how massive the facility was. After a quick look around it was obvious that they kept everything very clean and of the highest quality. There was nothing worn out, it was all fresh and exciting to look at. We found out later from our friends at The Weber Group that this Malibu Jack’s recently relocated to this building (a former grocery store or K-mart by the look of the outside) and that they had a large part in all of the new signage at the park.
Nick: Of course, the main reason for checking out Malibu Jack’s Lexington was for the Twist-N-Shout credit. Whoever invited these SBF spinners is a genius. These things are popping up all over the place. I really want to know how much one of them cost. While we were sans-kids during this trip, I can totally see myself bringing my toddlers here. The massive indoor play area looks like a great place to expend some energy, especially in the middle of a big road trip, like on the way to or from the Smoky Mountains.
Malibu Jack’s Louisville
Kyle: What was your first impression of the Malibu Jack’s location in Louisville?
Nick: I found it a little odd that the opening time for Lexington was 11:00am and by 11:30 it looked to be very busy with a number of school buses in the parking lot. Conversely, the Louisville location didn’t open until 3pm and we were the only ones there at that time (not complaining about having the whole place to ourselves, just stating facts).
Kyle: This location was still maintained very well and was very clean, but you could tell had been there longer. It is smaller than the Lexington location, probably about 2/3 the size. The go-kart track seemed to have a more interesting layout, but there is no coaster credit here. We had the chance to play a round of mini golf and I really enjoyed the layout of the course. It was the only course I have ever played that had multiple cups on every hole. There was the traditional white cup that you are trying to make it to and a large red cup that if you fall victim to, you will lose 2 shots. There was also one hole with a tiny orange cup that you could opt to go for and if successful will grant you 2 shots off of your score. I’ve played a lot of mini golf, and this was definitely a fun twist on it!
Nick: Mini-golf was a lot of fun! Really, one of the best courses I’ve played in a long time. Sadly, no credits at this location but they did have a unique looking stand-up swing ride, though we didn’t have enough time to try it before needing to head to Kentucky Kingdom. Overall, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of these “indoor theme parks” pop-up as replacements for failed department stores, especially in the Northern states where we need something inside to do during the winter.
Kyle: Lexington or Louisville?
Nick: If I had to choose one over the other I’d take Lexington due to the coaster and the added size allows for even more attractions.
Have you ever been to either Malibu Jack’s locations? Tell us what you thought of it in the comments below.
Learn more about Malibu Jack’s by visiting their website.
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