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Put on a headset at DreamPark and step into a new world. Photo: JiaYing Grygiel
Editor’s note: DreamPark Seattle is currently closed and moving to a new location. Check the website for updates.
What if you could enter a video game like Mario or Luigi? You’d jump over lava pits, smash bricks, grab gold coins.
Turns out you can at DreamPark, a new mixed-reality experience in Seattle. It’s a real-life video game tucked along the waterfront in North Queen Anne.
Cofounder Brent Bushnell opened DreamPark Seattle in July, and he’s grown up around the entertainment industry his whole life. He’s one of eight kids of Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese. Talk about a built-in test audience!
“I had a terrible childhood,” Bushnell said, laughing. “Just kidding. My dad’s a big kid. He’s very creative.”
Bushnell moved to Bainbridge Island in 2021 to raise his young family. He’s been building virtual reality experiences for more than a decade, including the first VR attractions for Dave and Busters in 2012. At DreamPark, Bushnell is one of three co-founders. Three locations launched this year: Santa Monica, Long Island and, lucky for us, Seattle.
What we loved at DreamPark Seattle
DreamPark is located in a cavernous, bare-bones 28,000-square-foot space. It is hilarious to watch people jumping around, clawing at empty air, but once you put on your headset, it makes sense. The space around you magically becomes an interactive video game.
The tech is so, so cool. Look down at your arm! A wristwatch appears to help you keep track of your time. When I stepped over a lava pit, I caught myself lifting my headset to peek at the concrete for reassurance.
What I really liked about DreamPark is that there is no learning curve. You literally hold the headset up to your face and you’re ready to go. Each person gets their own headset, and each person goes at their own pace. This part is important: Kids of all abilities can play and have fun.
It can even be a workout. My 10-year-old, who is super competitive, was flushed with excitement when he finished the game. Most parents want to get their kids off their devices and moving. Well, DreamPark makes both parties happy.
Stepping inside a real-life video game
The main space is dedicated to Super Adventureland, which looks something like the set of Mario Bros. You collect achievements and find magic weapons, with the ultimate goal of defeating Cannonsnout, the pirate in the sky. Or just run around collecting coins. If you get stuck, find an employee in a purple shirt and ask for a clue.
Super Adventureland takes up two enormous rooms and spills out onto the patio. Up to 50 people can play the game at a time without crowding each other.
A separate adjoining room holds a trike crash course. When you put on a headset, the room becomes a road where you try to knock down as many obstacles as possible. I was amazed at how the white walls were not scuffed; turns out there are virtual green bumpers to guide you.
On the trike course, my son raced over to tell me, “Mama, this one is even better! The other one is amazing. This one is super amazing.” (Honest opinions only here, DreamPark did not pay him for that review.)
Four trikes are allowed on the race course at a time. Have there been collisions? Just between family members, the college student on duty told me. Moments later, I watched my kids crash into each other, naturally.
DreamPark games are all built in-house. A horror experience and a kid-friendly monsters game are in the works for Halloween. A wizard adventure is coming in December. What’s genius is that everyone can be in the same space, playing different games on their own headsets.
“This is the movie theater for interactive entertainment,” Bushnell said.
VR experiences tend to make me nauseous, but DreamPark is mixed-reality, meaning you see the real walls of the space and the players around you. “When you can see, it changes everything,” Bushnell said.
Planning your visit
DreamPark is a bit of a hidden gem. Put your trust in Google Maps, drive to an industrial area on the back of Queen Anne, cross the railroad tracks and turn right. You’ll pull in at the massive lot with free parking.
The building is a restored warehouse, and DreamPark is next-door neighbors with the swanky Traver Gallery. You’d never know it (or smell it), but the building was formerly used for fish processing. Bushnell loves to tell the story of how when they shut down the old freezer, the roof fell in. Turns out that ice was structural!
DreamPark is recommended for ages 4 and older, with 7 to 14 as the sweet spot. You might think the primary audience is kids, but visitors have been mixed, 50-50 adults and kids.
Each player gets a Quest 3 headset, and younger kids might need help from parents. Ask for a handle to make the headset easier to hold. What happens if you drop that $300 piece of tech? Accidents happen, I was told. Just don’t throw it.
There are some snacks up front to purchase, and it’s fine to bring your own food. The back patio has tables and benches with a view of the Ship Canal.
If you go to DreamPark Seattle …Location: DreamPark is located at 1100 West Ewing St. in Seattle. Hours: The mixed-reality experience is open on Saturdays and Sundays, from noon to 6 p.m. Cost: General admission costs $20 for up to 30 minutes; $10 to add on a 15-minute session on the trike course. Tickets can be purchased online. Parking: There is plenty of free parking in the lot outside the warehouse. |
