Please note: This post was written in 2017, and while it should still give you a good idea of the overall experience, it may also contain some outdated information. For the most up-to-date information, please visit their website.
Some new pics from our 2023 visit! Most of the facility looked very much the same, but there were a few changes here and there Before you visit, be sure to check out their list of attractions to see what activities are currently available.
They’ve upgraded the payment system quite a bit since our last visit.
This axe throwing activity is new since the last time we visited. I think it may have replaced the bounce house room…
2017 Post:
Thank you to Nomads Adventure Quest for providing our families with complimentary access to their facility for the purpose of writing this post. All opinions are 100% my own.
Cut to the chase. Take me to the Momsense.
Back in March, we were lucky enough to be invited to check out Nomads Adventure Quest in South Windsor, CT. This family-owned facility boasts the largest family entertainment complex in New England (according to their website), with over 65,000 square feet of games, adventures, food and fun!
Along with my little crew, Audrey, her husband and Bug were able to join us that day, so it was a true Out and About Mom adventure!
Finding Nomads might have been a little tricky if I hadn’t driven by it many times before (and every time I reminded myself that I needed to go visit!).
Source: Google Maps
Although it’s situated just off a main road (turn on Bidwell Road), it is set back from that street quite a bit so you need to be looking for the signs.
Source: Google Maps
There’s plenty of parking.
A couple important things to notice as you enter. 1: No outside food allowed. 2: Closed-toed shoes are required for all of the “adventures” (mini golf, laser tag, bowling, climbing wall, etc.).
Once inside, you’ll immediately see the front desk where you can purchase the Quest Card.
This card is your ticket to just about everything in the facility.
Photo courtesy of Nomads Adventure Quest
One of the great features of Nomads, is that there is no admission fee. You only pay for what you want to play. So you load this card with points ($2 to purchase the card and then it’s just 25 cents per point; you can purchase as many points as you like), and then the card readers at each arcade game or adventure station automatically deduct the point value from your card. For reference, here’s a list of adventures and their associated costs (as of March 2017):
This system makes it really easy to visit with your family because everyone can get their own card and do their own thing! Cards are reloadable and points never expire.
Additionally, when you win tickets for playing arcade games, they are automatically loaded onto your card! So at the end of your visit, you just take the card to the prize counter and find out how many tickets you have to spend on prizes. This makes the whole system super kid-friendly. All they need to hold onto is one card!
Since there isn’t a coat or cubby room, you will have to haul all your stuff around with you (makes me miss the days when I needed a stroller– they make great carts for gear too!). So you may want to plan accordingly when considering what you want to bring into the facility, or at least make sure that the bag you are carrying is roomy enough to stuff the kids’ coats into, etc.
If it’s your first visit, you should pick up one of these handy brochures. In addition to helpful information, the brochure also contains a map of the facility.
The complex is basically a big circle, with arcade games all around the middle, and adventures located in rooms off the main concourse.
For our first stop, we turned right into the facility and continued straight back into the Kids Zone arcade.
This area has around a dozen toddler and preschooler-friendly arcade games.
After the boys had their fill of the kiddie arcade, we attempted to make our way over to the mini golf adventure. I say “attempted” because I think we had to stop every 30 seconds when the kids spotted a new arcade game they wanted to try first 🙂
Finally, we arrived at the blacklight mini golf course.
This activity is self-service. There is a ball dispenser that accepts your card, and then you select your club from the variety of sizes available.
This was all of the kids first time ever playing mini golf, so we were excited to see how it would go. They picked it up pretty fast!
After our mini golf adventure, it was time to check out the bounce houses. This room is reserved for ages 12 and under. Kids must wear socks in the bounce houses. There are three giant bounce houses in this room, and the kids loved running around from one bounce house to the next. And we enjoyed having a few moments to sit down on the chairs lining the back wall (reserved for weary parents who have been chasing their kiddos around Nomads for hours 🙂 ).
There is no time limit on how long you can be in the bounce house room, but once you exit, you’ll have to “pay” the point value again to re-enter.
This room was a hit, of course, especially with the two little guys. So while I hung out with Audrey and family here for a bit, hubby took my big guy to check out the laser tag (note: be sure to make reservations for the laser tag when you arrive if it’s something you are interested in as the time slots fill up fast; laser tag is recommended for kids ages 5+).
Obviously, we couldn’t get any photos of the laser tag adventure while it was going on, but Nomads was nice enough to provide me with one of their images so that you can get a sneak peek 🙂
Photo courtesy of Nomads Adventure Quest
We were finally able to lure the little guys away from the bounce houses with the promise of a spinning ride.
For this ride, kids under 48 inches tall must ride with an adult. Audrey’s husband gets major points for being the designated ride chaperone 🙂
This area also houses the bumper cars, but state regulations require that all riders be at least 48 inches tall, so unfortunately, we are going to have to wait a little while before we meet that height requirement (won’t be long though; these kids are growing like weeds!).
At this point, we were all getting a little hungry. There are two options for food at Nomads Adventure Quest. There is a snack bar for quick meals.
Extensive menu with lots of choices.
Mmmmmm…one yummy looking option.
Seating area for the snack bar.
We had been invited to check out the family-friendly Red’s Tavern restaurant that’s located right inside Nomads, so we took advantage of this opportunity to have a relaxing early dinner.
So many things on the menu looked delicious. It was hard to choose! We tried a couple of appetizers–spinach artichoke dip and a tower of onion rings. They did not disappoint.
Then it was burgers and pizza all around.
The kids’ menu had all the popular items as well.
No problem finding options for my picky eaters 🙂
While everyone was eating, I snapped a few quick pics of the adventures that we weren’t able to make it to that day.
There’s bowling.
And also a rock wall. This adventure is restricted to kids over 50 pounds. It’s important that they weigh enough so that the pully system works correctly and they can be lowered back down again (although, there were times when my 3-year-old was running around like a lunatic and I thought it might be nice to have him stuck up there for a few minutes. Ha!).
I also located the restrooms, which are behind the Tavern.
We were plotting ways to convince the kids to actually listen to us when we told them it was time to leave Nomads, when we remembered that we still had one important stop to make–the prize counter! What a perfect diversion! The kids enjoyed picking out a few little souvenirs from their visit and seemed content to head home with their new treasures in hand.
Note the unofficial uniform of Out and About Dads: jeans and black jackets 🙂
Bug shows off his loot.
After 3+ hours of fun and food, I think it took all of 5 minutes before both of my kids were konked out in their car seats as we drove home. The hallmark of all great adventures, right? 🙂
Admittedly, I wasn’t really sure what we were in for with two 3-year-olds and a 6-year-old when we arrived that day. But I was pleasantly surprised by how many things our young kids were able to do there. From toddlers to teens, at Nomads Adventure Quest there’s truly something fun for everyone in your family.
Have you been to Nomads Adventure Quest? Tell us about your visit in the comments section below!
Nomads Adventure Quest
100 Bidwell Road, South Windsor, Connecticut
PHONE: (860) 290-1177
E-MAIL: INFO@NOMADSADVENTUREQUEST.COM
Hours:
Hours vary seasonally. Please visit their website for the most up-to-date hours.
Pricing:
There is no admission price to enter, pay for what you play. Almost everything at Nomads operates off of their Quest Card with points. The cost of the Quest Card is $2.00 and can be loaded with any amount of points. Points are $0.25 each and never expire.
All adventures and games require a Quest Card for play. Food, drink, billiards, basketball, and merchandise merchandise cannot be paid for with Quest Cards.
Details:
Stroller Friendly: YES
Coffee Mug Friendly: NO
Restroom: YES
Baby Changing Station: YES
Parking: YES
Food for Sale: YES, there is a snack bar with seating and a full service sit down restaurant.
Outside Food Allowed: NO
Cash Required: NO; credit cards are accepted for all activities.
Dress Code: Closed-toe shoes are required for all the adventures. Socks are required for the bounce houses.
Age Recommendations: There are a variety of activities for children of many ages. I would say that you may want to wait until your child is closer to 3 years old before your first visit. You definitely want him or her to be a solid walker in order to explore kid-friendly areas like the Kid Zone in the arcade, bowling, mini golf and the bounce houses. The good news is that you only pay for what you play, so feel free to bring your younger children along with your older children even if the little ones are limited in what they can do. If they only want to hang out in the bounce house room, that’s all you’ll have to pay for!
Evening/Weekend Hours: YES
Discounts: There is a bonus cost structure when you buy $20+ in points. You can also check out their “Food and Fun” packages that include select meals at Red’s Tavern plus a $10 game card.
Birthday Party Venue: YES. Get more info here.
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