The Fun House Aviemore

The Fun House in Aviemore is a place we have been visiting for many years with our young family. We first discovered it around ten years ago while staying at Scandinavian Village in Aviemore, and we took our two young daughters there to tire themselves out on the soft play climbing frame.

The Fun House is part of the facilities attached to the Coylumbridge Hotel, a short distance southeast of Aviemore, and includes:

• A soft play centre

• Arcades

• Bowling

• Adventure/Crazy Golf

• An American diner/Cafe

• A quiet zone

• Toddler zone

• A small animatronic dinosaur park

It's a brilliant facility, and although it could be done with a little TLC, it's still a must-visit for us with the kids in the Aviemore area.

Soft play centre

The soft play climbing frame is the biggest draw to the Fun House, and it's fantastic. With multiple levels, slides, ball pits, basketball hoops and pully swings, this soft play centre has everything you would expect. The walls also look like they are hand-painted with cartoonesque scenes; it really adds to the theming.

There are two zones on the main climbing frame, one for younger kids and the larger one for older kids. The younger area has a ball pit and a slide; the older section has all the other things mentioned above. Just to the right of the younger zone is an air pump where the kids can take balls from the ball pit and put them into tubing, which shoots the balls back to the ball pit... my kids have loved this over the years.

The older kid's area sometimes has a slide open in the central area; it has a sheer drop and is actually quite scary. This is only opened by staff at certain times; I've only ever seen it open once in all my visits to the Fun House though. My nephew wisely decided not to go down it and turned around; it was quite a drop.

It's possible to walk around the entire climbing frame via a stair at the back if you lose sight of your kids.

Toddlers aren't left out at the Fun House with a zone dedicated to them. This area has chunky soft shapes and quite timid slides, but the perfect size for babies and toddlers.

 

If you want to let the kids run riot and want a quiet place to sit, a separate room is available, but it still has glass so that you can keep an eye on them.

 

 

 

Games Arcade/Bowling

Accessible from the reception area, the Fun House also has an arcade section with driving simulators, air hockey, change machines etc. It's not the most amazing arcade area, but I've been a sucker for them since childhood. There is a huge Pacman arcade which I will admit is pretty cool.

The bowling lanes are attached to the arcade area, but it doesn't look that great. It's not full-size bowls, maybe half the size of a standard 10-pin bowling ball. When we looked, all the pins were splayed out everywhere; it didn't look appealing enough to part with £2.

 

 

Crazy Golf/Mini Golf

I haven't had the pleasure of trying the crazy golf at the Fun House, but it does look like it might be good from the small parts of the course I have seen. I think we will definitely try it out on a future visit. The 18 holes include indoor and outdoor areas.

Cafe/American diner

We haven't had the pleasure of trying the American diner, but we have sampled the food from the adjoining cafe at the soft play side. The diner decor is quite nice and looks the part.

On earlier visits when Hilton Coylumbridge owned the centre, there seemed to be more staff available and much more food options drawn on the blackboard above the cafe. On our last visit, this had been scrubbed clean, and no staff were manning the cafe for food or drinks.

 

 

The food at the Fun House has been OK in the past, it's not going to win any awards, but it has been edible. Here is the menu from our last visit at the end of November; it is significantly more expensive than it used to be; I'm not sure if the food quality has increased with the prices as we didn't try it on this visit.

Dinosaurs!

Some animatronic dinosaurs are new additions to the Fun House/Coylumbridge grounds. They move a little and growl; it's a fun addition and worth the short walk over from the Fun House entrance.

 

Fun House FAQs

Here are a few frequently asked questions on the Fun House Aviemore.

How to get to the Fun House in Aviemore?

The Fun House is situated directly next to the Coylumbridge Hotel but not physically attached to it. When pulling into the Coylumbridge entrance road, you will see the Fun House on your right and must go round the roundabout and exit to access the Fun House car park.

From Aviemore:

1. Head south along Grampian Road.

2. When you reach the roundabout, take the first exit along B970.

3. Continue some distance along this road until you see a left turn for Coylumbridge Hotel.

4. At the Coylumbridge roundabout, take the third exit to the Fun House.

Google maps links: Fun House
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What is the maximum age for the Fun House in Aviemore?

Twelve years old is the maximum age for the large play frame.

Is there are toddler play area at the Fun House in Aviemore?

Yes, the toddler zone is separate from the main play frame and is perfect for babies and toddlers. The zone is covered in soft blocks with shallow slides and lumpy stairs to climb.

Is parking free at the Fun House in Aviemore?

Yes, there is a large car park directly next to the Fun House, and it is free to use.

Is there free wifi at the Fun House?

Yes, there is free wifi you can sign into at the Fun House, provided by the Coylumbridge Hotel.

Is the Fun House clean?

To be honest, it's a mixed bag. There is a slight smell about the place and stains on the carpet, and I dread to think how clean areas like the ball pit actually are. The entire place could be doing with some TLC to clean it up; it does feel like it's being run on a shoestring budget.

At least my kids will develop a strong immune system from using it! All the seated tables did have hand sanitisers provided which was nice.

Fun House opening hours

10 am to 6 pm, seven days a week, are the official opening times, but to be honest, it can be very erratic to when it is actually open. You have a bigger chance of it being open during peak times like school holidays. Sometimes their Facebook page can be updated with the current timetable, but it can be weeks or months with no update. Try calling 01479 813081 to check opening times too.

Fun House admission prices

Under two years: £2.50
Five years and over: £5.50
2 - 4 years: £4.50
Adults: £1 (But can get a discount in the cafe).

£3.50 for crazy golf.
£2 for bowling.

Fun House Aviemore videos

A few quick videos of our visit to the Fun House at Coylumbridge.

 

Is there anything else to do in the area near the Fun House?

There is so much to do in the Aviemore area; please see my dedicated article on the best things to do in Aviemore. Here are a few top picks near the Fun House:

• Cairngorm Reindeer Centre

• Loch Morlich

• Loch An Eilein

• Treezone

• Quad Biking

• Hiking and cycling trails/outdoor activities

• Go karting

• Cairngorm National Park

Conclusion

Although a bit rough around the edges and in need of a deep clean, the Fun House is worthy of an afternoon with the kids while visiting the Aviemore area. Try to find out if it is open before arrival to save disappointing the kids!