Location map https://www.blackfalds.com/tourism-recreation/abbey-centre
Address: 4500 Womacks Road – Blackfalds, Alberta
Gordie’s Review (6 years old)– “the slides!”
Nicky’s Review (3 years old) – “The little slide”
Robbie’s Review (4 months old) – “Zzzzzzz”
Admission Cost: Ages 2 and under are free, Day pass for a child 3-12 years is $5-5.50. Adults who are only using the indoor play space can get a supervisor wrist band at no charge.
Age Range: 12 and under
Footwear: Socks are required, but are available for purchase at guest services if you forget.
Safety Features / Concerns: There is an unlocked door to the play space which exits into the Abbey Centre lobby.
Play Area Features: Large 4 level climber with 2 tall twisty slides, stationary pogo bouncers and tunnels. Toddler area with tree climber, climber with slide, and a few other small toys.
Food Services: No food or drinks are allowed inside the play area. There is a concession opposite the play space inside the Abbey Centre.
Overall Assessment: Our family visited the Abbey Centre’s indoor play space on a rainy Saturday afternoon while we were visiting Red Deer for the weekend. The play space was busy but there was still enough seating for the grown-ups and room to play for the kids.
The location inside a rec centre gives the play space a different feel from the ones in Calgary. The play place has a gymnasium like atmosphere and other amenities like places for eating and purchasing food are all located outside the play place in the Abbey Centre. There is bench seating around the edges of the play area.
The climber itself is 4 stories tall and dense. My 3 year old found it to be a little bit much to navigate by herself and even when she went with her older brother had to be helped down by a grown-up because she got scared.
It is generally large enough for adults to navigate throughout. The tree has winding stairs inside – I found going down that once to be more than enough but you can go through it if you need to.
There are two tall twisty slides that my 6 year old absolutely loved. He climbed up and slid down over and over again. I tried to get a picture of just how tall the orange slide is but it’s basically impossible to photograph – it is even taller than the tan slide in the picture below.
Inside the climber you’ll find different kinds of equipment to keep it fun and interesting.
Kids will also love climbing up high and then peering down on you at the bottom.
On the other side, they have a toddler area set up. My daughter really enjoyed the little slide.
The placement of the large climber and the toddler area make it fairly easy to keep an eye on your kids even if they are both playing in different areas.
My kids had a great time burning off some energy at the Abbey Centre’s play space. Neither of my kids wanted to go when it was time to leave and when I asked my son what he would like to do next time we were in Red Deer this was on the top of his list. Blackfalds has great access from the highway and is only a short drive from Red Deer making this a great stop whether you are staying in Red Deer or just passing through.
Just outside the Abbey Centre they also have a really cool dinosaur themed playground with free public access.
Have you been to the Abbey Centre? What did you think?
Disclosure: In order to facilitate these reviews, we were provided with accommodation in Red Deer, and some free admission to attractions. Thank you to Red Deer Tourism for facilitating our trip!
Thank-you for this! We have family scattered across Alberta so while Calgary has oodles of amenities, it’s so nice to find a good review of facilities that are central where we could meet family! Very appreciative of the multiples aged testers as well. And thanks Red Deer for providing the necessities to have this done – we’ll be looking at their options as well.