Where families once strolled down grocery aisles is now a place for families to find unique entertainment activities.

Existing where the Kroger used to be in is Galaxy Fun Park, housing a trampoline park, indoor go-karts, bumper cars, laser
tag, a ropes course and a four-story play structure.

Owner Meredith Brookhart said the transition from abandoned grocery store to fun park spanned over nine months and included ripping out old flooring, plumbing, lighting and walls and replacing them, in addition to designing the layout and theme of the park.

“It was a rollercoaster at times, but we did it and couldn’t be happier with how Galaxy Fun Park turned out,” Brookhart said.

The fun park, which costs $30 for an all-attraction pass excluding the jump zone or $8 per premium attraction and $5 per standard attraction, saw its inception through the eyes of a parent.

“As a mom to five kids, I recognized a need in this area for an entertainment center for kids and adults of all ages,” Brookhart said.  “I wanted it to be clean, indoors (so that we wouldn’t be inconvenienced with weather issues), safe and fun.”

The business sees an influx of customers of all ages, and among their 100 employees, around 75 percent are high school students.

Senior Riley Hall is one of them. Working as a birthday party hostess, Hall has gained a specific appreciation.

Hall’s favorite part of her job is seeing all the kids laughing and smiling with each other and seeing their smiles when they are at different attractions. She added, when the parents smile, too, because that’s when you know their kids are having fun.

Smiles are an aspiration for the owners of Galaxy Fun Park.

“Our goal for our first year of business is to bring a lot of happiness and fun to families all across the Triangle,” Brookhart said. “We want to be recognized as the best fun park in the area.”

For sophomore Casey Knight, a customer of Galaxy Fun Park, the attractions exceeded expectations.

“They were definitely very safe. It was really a happy feeling,” Knight said.

Among the diverse attractions, Hall said one stands out to her.

“My favorite is the laser tag. They’re all really fun,” Hall said. “The laser tag is just really intense, and the way they have it set up, all the lights and stuff in there… You feel like you’re in a real laser tag.”

In addition to the exciting activities that Hall and other employees gain access to, Galaxy Fun Park offers much more to high school students.

“We like to think that Galaxy Fun Park is not only a cool place to work, but a great place for teenagers to come spend some time with their friends, have a party, do a group bonding event, share an end of the year sporting event or explore as part of a school trip or fundraiser,” Brookhart said.

Hall’s advice for customers is to indulge in all of the attractions, for they are all different and enjoyable. However, her advice for students who are considering applying for a job at Galaxy Fun Park is even more enthusiastic.

Hall said, “Go for it because when I go to work, it doesn’t feel like work because I’m having fun the whole time. It’s very professional.”