Sky Zone opens trampoline park in Joliet

JOLIET – Joliet is jumping now that Sky Zone has opened.

The trampoline park held a grand opening Wednesday, showing its SkySlam court, Foam Zone pit and other spring-loaded jumping spots to city officials and other visitors.

Sky Zone is a California-based chain of about 150 trampoline parks designed to attract youths and adults with the lure of enhanced jumping.

The Joliet grand opening came at a good time for Kathy Kuttler of Lemont, who brought her 7-year-old son, Karel, and one of his friends to Sky Zone.

“I was looking for something for them to do today,” Kuttler said.

If not for the outing to Sky Zone, she said, the two of them probably would have spent hours looking at a computer screen.

“Recently on play dates, it’s like iPad, iPad, iPad,” Kuttler said. “I want them to play and have exercise.”

Keeping kids fit is part of the Sky Zone experience, said Barbara Glazer, franchise owner of the Joliet location at 2318 Essington Road.

“The kids just think they’re having fun, but really they’re building their physical fitness,” she said.

Glazer and her husband, Mark, own the Joliet location and two other Sky Zones – one in Aurora and the other in New Jersey.

Youth sports teams have used their other Sky Zones for fitness outings. Sky Zone also holds exercise classes for adults.

Sky Zone is a brightly colored place. Fast-tempo music adds to the energy level. On Wednesday afternoon, teenagers and small children were bouncing at assorted courts, dunking basketballs with spring-powered leaps at the SkySlam court, playing dodgeball at another court, or just jumping and flipping.

Glazer said court monitors watch the jumpers to make sure larger kids aren’t bouncing dangerously close to smaller kids. Certain jumping rules apply for safety’s sake.

But the courts are available for all ages. In addition to kids birthday parties, Sky Zone hosts corporate team-building sessions and other events. Adults have birthday parties there, too.

“It’s just a fun place to be,” said Christian Alvarez, 17. “It’s a nice, sociable place, and there’s competition.”

Alvarez was headed to the dodgeball court with two friends.

Justin Miller of Minooka had arrived with his daughter, Jaylyn Miller, 5, for a little jumping.

“It’s different because it’s indoors,” Justin said. “We go to parks. We go to movies occasionally. But this is something active she can do.”

Jaylyn especially liked the foam pits, which offer soft landings from the trampolines.

Mark Glazer said the reception in Joliet has been very good since Sky Zone opened Oct. 3. It was a soft opening, but the place has been busy. There were 15 birthday parties there last weekend.

“I think people were looking forward to nonalcohol, fun-filled entertainment,” Mark Glazer said.

Sky Zone has a cafeteria with pizza, ice cream and other snacks. But there is no beer or alcohol, which Glazer said keeps it more of a kid-friendly place. He called it a Disney approach to an entertainment venue.

“You can have fun as an adult, but it’s really for the kids,” Glazer said.

The core market is probably between 5 and 18 years old, he said.

Still, there are no age limits.

General Manager Marion Wadkins said she was working at the Aurora Sky Zone on a Friday Glow Zone Night, which includes glow lighting, a disc jockey and dancing. A woman celebrated her 34th birthday there, and her friends were initially disappointed there would be no drinking, Wadkins said. After a while, they changed their minds.

“They finished the birthday party, and they stayed after,” Wadkins said. “They closed the place down that night.”