John Kinder, TheZone program director, is pictured near an exhibit in 2025. TheZone will host its grand opening today inside the Northwest Arena after a recent soft opening.

TheZone, a long-awaited new attraction located inside the Northwest Arena, will host its grand opening today.

The attraction has offered a soft opening with tickets available as of July 1 in advance of today’s official grand opening. The Zone will offer a place for children to climb, explore and compete in a 6,200-square-foot, sports-themed interactive play space designed for children ages 2 to 13. The experience combines physical activity with technology, creating an environment that encourages movement, creativity, and learning through play.

“TheZone was created to give children a place where they can stay active, build confidence, and simply have fun,” said Tonja Rinaldo, Marketing Director for Northwest Arena. “We wanted to create more than just a playground–we wanted to build an experience that inspires kids to dream, grow, and discover new possibilities every time they visit.”

Arena officials kicked off the $4 million fundraising campaign in August 2021 with an original scheduled opening date for the summer of 2022. That timetable was delayed as fundraising took longer than anticipated, with the capital campaign coming to an end in April 2025. Once that milestone was completed, it took roughly a year to finalize construction plans and exhibit designs.

Jack Rouse Associates and Cortina Productions, who also worked on the National Comedy Center project, created the exhibits at The Zone. Among the activities listed on The Zone’s website are an a sports tunnel where children can run out at the end and have their name announced as it would be in a professional game, an open play area which features hoops, balls, nets and a massive Jumbotron, the toddler area for children ages 2 to 5 to play with soft equipment in a safe enclosure; a digital scavenger hunt climbing apparatus that is ADA accessible with slides, lookouts and obstacles and locker room area to learn about nutrition facts and STEAM concepts, create a sports uniform, and adjust the lighting of the locker room. Children will also be given an RFID chip to record each experience they have at The Zone, so they know when they’ve hit a personal best score.

TheZone is housed in the second floor of the arena’s expansion project near Second Street that was finished in 2021. TheZone will incorporate personalized interactive technology, much like the National Comedy Center. Upon arrival, each child receives an RFID wristband that creates a unique player profile. Throughout their visit, the wristband records game scores, tracks activities, measures speed, and captures exciting video moments. At the end of each visit, families can create a personalized digital highlight reel featuring their child’s adventure inside TheZone.

Tickets are $15 for children and $10 for adults ages 18 and over to use the facility for an hour. There are reduced rates for special events like Toddler Time and special times like Sensory Time, where lighting is modified and user traffic will be lighter than regular hours.