By Lori Kahn
If you’re looking for an adrenaline-filled day during your visit to Miami, skip the beach and hit one of the city’s heart pounding action parks.
These parks and entertainment centers offer more than just standard trampolines and laser tag. Find all kinds of unforgettable experiences like virtual reality escape rooms, extreme rock climbing, ninja training and even bungee jumping with the Miami skyline as your backdrop – talk about an Instagrammable moment.
Here is a look at some of the most exciting and action packed entertainment centers Miami has to offer. You may need to book a later flight to cram in as many as your itinerary can handle.
Jungle Island
Jungle Island has long been a staple of Miami’s nature attractions scene and is currently undergoing an intense transformation into a true adventure and action park. The park’s transformation will start rolling out in late spring 2018 and continue throughout the year. Get ready for a bigger and better Jungle Island for kids and adults alike, with an indoor-state-of-the-art trampoline park, the Tree Walk Village – an aerial play and rope course like no other, an outdoor skydiving wind tunnel, escape rooms, and even a beachside restaurant when you are ready for some downtime.
Jungle Island will be all grown up with the third phase of the transformation scheduled to be completed in 2019. This part of the renovations will include a five zip-line experience where you will be able to overlook PortMiami and beautiful Downtown and the beaches, a Crystal Lagoon, and a lazy river.
The two-acre Crystal Lagoon is perhaps the most dramatic new feature of the park and will be designed not only for swimming and leisurely recreation, but also for sailing, paddleboarding, kayaking and other water sports. There’s even talk of adding a bungee jump over the lagoon for serious adrenaline junkies.
You can also look forward to a private beach club, new waterfront restaurants and a renovated banquet hall for corporate and private events.
Planet Air Sports
Planet Air Sports is an extreme sports fan’s fantasy come true. With a trampoline park, ski slope, and ninja warrior courses, you can’t help but get your body moving and blood pumping in this indoor entertainment center.
Trampoline Park
Their 8,000-square-foot Indoor Trampoline Park will bring out the kid in anyone. With three different height basketball hoops, a 2,000-square-foot dodgeball trampoline, and even a trampoline cageball, you and your crew can test the limits of your mad jumping skills.
Ski Slope
We know it’s Miami, but you may just forget where you are with this huge Indoor Ski Slope where you can ski and snowboard like you were Shaun White. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro, this simulator provides you with the same feel as on-hill riding, but within a controlled and safe environment. We won’t judge you for being extreme in safety.
Zip Lining
Get your thrill on with zip lines that tower over 20-feet high and 100-feet long. At Planet Air Sports, you can get your fill with a recurrent zip line the whole length of the park, and back again. You will never look at heights the same way again.
Ninja Course
Ninjas of all shapes and sizes can test their mettle maneuvering through this challenging Ninja Course. Jump from platforms to swinging stages to balancing and strength obstacles and become the ninja warrior you know is inside of you. Not only is this a thrilling workout, but it’s also a great way to hone your skills and see if you have what it takes to become a true ninja warrior.
360-Degree Rides
If you find flipping upside down a treat and love the idea of spinning like a wheel in motion, then don’t miss out on the 360-degree rides at Planet Air Sports. Start off with the X-Board, where you can spin 360-degrees on a snowboard. Follow that up with the X-Bike, where you must pedal 360 degrees on a bike that is inside a gigantic circle. Not extreme enough for you? Try their wildest ride yet, The Spin Board. Not only does this ride go upside down, but it goes every which way imaginable. All you need to do to feel the rush is hop on in.
This entertainment complex also has a strength building ropes course, a parkour course to keep you jumping, bowling for the whole family, a toddlers course so the younger kids are not left out of the fun, batting cages, a trapeze, and climbing walls. No matter your preference, Planet Air Sports has you covered.
Ninja Lounge / Dezerland Park
Soon to be renamed Dezerland Park, this action-packed park is soon to be the biggest in Miami. Dezerland Park will feature over 250,000 square feet of family entertainment for all ages including go-kart racing, virtual reality games, a zip line, a trampoline park with rock climbing, a parkour course, a ninja course, arcades and more.
Trampoline Court
An incredible 10,000 square feet of jumping fun for all ages, you’ll be able to bounce from trampoline to trampoline or even off the walls. Yes, the walls are also trampolines. Show off your jumping skills and get into the competition with trampoline dodgeball and basketball to up your game.
Ninja Course
Ninja Lounge has an adult Ninja Course for those who dream of Mount Midoriyama with 380 feet of extreme obstacles that would give any ninja warrior pause. This course presents challengers with an unstable balance beam, Monkey Bar slider, three-way incline, tilting bars, swinging bars, a 14 foot tidal wave and more. You will not leave untested.
For the younger kids in the group, there is a Mini Ninja Course with 150 feet of challenges like the up and over wall, incline ramp, balance beam, rope swing and foam pit. Don’t think this is too easy, as each course is a challenge and test of skill to keep all the warriors in your family dreaming of the prized title of Ninja Warrior.
Kids Play Area
Your little ones (ages 2-6) will enjoy this two-story play area that’s full of climbing, jumping and sliding activities. There is a ball pit, a gymnastics obstacle course and fun toys and games for them to play with while the big kids are wrestling with the ninja course.
VR Park
Also located at the Ninja Lounge, you will find VR Park with over 20 virtual reality attractions and 50 three-dimensional films and games. This VR Park contains cutting edge and never-before-seen immersive experiences that plunge guests into three-dimensional virtual worlds where your imagination will run wild. Challenge friends in a round of Space Blaster, a virtual reality simulator of intergalactic warfare where you have control of a space ship with a 360-degree view of a whole new galaxy.
There is a VR Arena where you and your crew can go buck wild in a three-dimensional virtual mutant world that you must save by protecting an antidote from getting destroyed. Unlike other video games, this VR Arena lets you use hands and feet to walk, sidestep or jump to explore the virtual world, giving you a truly lifelike experience. Battle your way through mutants and monsters in a dangerous laboratory and complete the mission with your teammates.
If 3D immersive experiences don’t get you going, how about a 5D cinema that uses a combination of 3D images and special effects to plunge you into the world of virtual reality from the comfort of your seat. There is also a Virtual Escape Room where up to four people get to solve a murder and escape the room before it’s too late. You can also experience VR car racing, skiing and other extreme sports from the safety of your VR helmet. The world has no limits here.
LaserLand Adventure
As the name Laserland Adventure implies, you can expect an exciting match of laser tag with your friends and see who lasts the longest in these fun and friendly 20-minute matches.
Laserland Adventure Maze is an exciting addition where you find yourself running a mission within 3,500 square feet of simulated planets called Laserland. This doesn’t have to be a solo mission either, so bring along all your friends or family and get ready for some pretty awesome fog and laser effects while your team saves the galaxy.
X-treme Rock
Ready for a real endurance challenge? X-treme Rock Climbing Center of Miami is South Florida’s premier full service rock climbing center offering indoor rock climbing, rock climbing instruction and a full exercise and yoga facility. Just because Florida is as flat as the notes you hit during a karaoke binge, doesn’t mean experienced climbers can’t push themselves during their visit. With over 14,000 square feet of climbing, X-treme Rock Climbing has roofs and overhangs to challenge an experienced climber and their USA Climbing Certified route setters can also create routes for beginners as well.
Fun Dimension
Fun Dimension is Wynwood’s first and only family entertainment center. So, after you wander the Walls and enjoy the art and culture of Wynwood, why not stop by and get your juices flowing with their state-of-the-art laser tag arena. This 3,500-square-foot high-tech arena is sure to get your heart rate going with music, fog, LED lighting, special effects, and let’s not forget the laser guns themselves. Players rush from level to level, hiding behind pillars, and through foreign territory to attack enemy bases.
Besides being laser tag heaven, Fun Dimension also offers Spin Zone bumper cars, which when bumped send your car into an exhilarating tailspin. There is also a 7D theater where you pop on 3D active glasses to experience the future of immersive cinema in an eight-seat 7D capsule theatre. Enhanced surround sound, environmental features such us wind and rain effects will transport you into a fantasy world.
Fun Dimension also has a multi-level indoor kid’s playground where toddlers can play for hours on the ground level. Older children will be exhilarated by three more levels that include a play wall, slides, tunnels, an arcade center and an obstacle course with interactive themes.
K-1 Speed
K1 Speed Miami offers you the thrill of indoor go-kart racing where children and adults can race wheel-to-wheel in heated battles against other racers and the clock. Get your road rage aggression out at speeds upwards of 45 mph in a controlled and safe environment. Bring your friends along to see who’s the fastest on the track.
Sky Zone
Sky Zone is the world's first indoor trampoline park and offers exciting family-friendly activities. Enjoy the Open Jump area, dive into Foam Zone, dunk like a pro on SkySlam, play Ultimate Dodgeball or join a SkyRobics fitness class. There are more trampoline activities here than you can get through in one day, but you will definitely want to try.