Monkey Joe's - University

N and I discovered Monkey Joe's in the University area shortly after the birth of J in June. July and August were hot, hot months, and with a 2 year old and new baby in tow, we were looking for good, clean, uncrowded, and airconditioned activities. A friend suggested Monkey Joe's, and it fit the bill perfectly.

Monkey Joe's - University is located in an older strip mall a few hundred yards off of 485 at the University City Blvd. exit. This puts MJ's at around 10 minutes past Concord Mills Mall if you are coming down the back way from Lake Norman. There is plenty of parking right in front of the building. Here is the exact address and contact number:

Monkey Joe's

10215 University City Blvd # C
Charlotte, NC 28213-1801
(704) 549-1588

The day we went we arrived right at the opening time of 10am. We had the place mostly to ourselves for the duration of our visit (we stayed around an hour and a half). 

The price is $5.99 for those 2 and under, $9.99 for 3 and up, and adults are free. While we were there we noticed advertisements for 1/2 price Wednesdays.

Monkey Joe's features many large inflatable bounce houses, slides, obstacle courses, etc. The inflatables are arranged in a (mostly) linear fashion in the building, which I found to be quite nice. Less cross traffic and confusion! MJ's features two smaller bouncing / climbing areas for the little bitty kids, as well as a modest non bouncing toy area for toddlers. There is also a small arcade area (not separated from the inflatables), party rooms, and a some sitting chairs for adults. N had lots of fun on all of the inflatables with the exception of the HUGE slide...I had to climb up and rescue him on that one! N particularly liked the inflatable at the very back of the building that featured a bridge / tunnel that looked down on Mom!

Fun for Preschoolers - Lots of fun! Most 2's and older seem to be able to navigate most of the inflatables on their own.

Fun for Babies / Toddlers - Limited things to do, but lots of things to look at! Plenty of chairs / benches for moms to sit with little ones while keeping an eye on the bouncing kids!

Food - Limited snacks, drinks, pizza available at the ticket counter. There is a Wendy's in the parking lot.

Bathrooms - Spacious and clean. Centrally located.

Safety - Seems quite safe and clean. Only one entrance / exit so it would be hard for little kiddos to escape!

Best Time to Visit - Weekday mornings seem to be the least crowded. I have heard of large crowds on the weekends and school holidays. Also, this is the kind of place where little ones could get inadvertently trounced by even the best mannered big kids, so I would think it best to visit during regular school hours.

Notes - Be sure to bring socks. All kids / adults must have socks to play.