Castles N’ Coasters is a family amusement park on North Metro Parkway East in Phoenix, Arizona, built around a Middle-Eastern-themed castle motif with several other design eras woven into its four miniature golf courses. The park traces back to 1976, when it opened as a mini golf destination called Golf N’ Stuff, long before any rides shared the property.
If you’re trying to decide when to go, what a ticket actually gets you, or whether your kids meet the height cutoffs for Desert Storm and Patriot, this guide covers the practical details — hours, pricing structure, parking, ride restrictions, and party info — alongside the park’s history and ride lineup.
Quick Answer
Castles N’ Coasters is a roughly 14-acre family amusement park at 9445 N. Metro Parkway East in Phoenix, Arizona, offering two roller coasters (Desert Storm and Patriot), a log flume, drop towers, go-karts, bumper boats, an arcade, and four 18-hole mini golf courses. The Thrill Park rides generally run afternoon-to-night on weekdays and midday-to-evening on weekends, while mini golf, the arcade, and go-karts operate all day; parking is free, and rides, golf, and arcade access are sold as separate passes (with a combo option) at the gate or online.
Hours & Days Open
Castles N’ Coasters splits its hours into two zones. Mini golf, the arcade, the Li’l Indy go-kart track, and bumper boats typically open in the late morning and stay open into the evening every day, with golf ticket sales cutting off about an hour before closing. The Thrill Park — Desert Storm, Patriot, the log flume, and the drop towers — runs on a shorter window, generally starting in the late afternoon on weekdays and around midday on weekends, since it’s the section most affected by staffing and Phoenix’s summer heat.
Hours shift with the season and around holidays, and seasonal add-ons like the ropes course and zip line pause during the hottest stretch of summer. Because of that, always check the live schedule on the official Castles N’ Coasters website before you head out, especially if you’re planning to arrive right at opening or ride the coasters late in the day.
Tickets & Pricing
Instead of one all-inclusive gate price, Castles N’ Coasters sells access in pieces: a Thrill Rides pass covers unlimited rides in the Thrill Park for the day, a Mini Golf pass covers one round on any of the four courses, and arcade play is sold separately as timed or card-based credit. An Elite combo pass bundles unlimited rides, an hour of arcade play, and a round of mini golf for a modest premium over the rides-only pass — useful if your group wants to mix and match rather than buy everything individually.
Exact prices change with the season and with promotions (the park regularly runs discounted “Thrill Night” pricing on weekday evenings), so treat any number you see elsewhere as a starting point rather than gospel. The Passes N’ Prices page on the official site is the most reliable source for current rates, and tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the gate.
Parking & Getting There
The park sits at 9445 N. Metro Parkway East, Phoenix, AZ 85051, just off the I-17 corridor near the Metrocenter area in north-central Phoenix. Parking is free in the park’s own lot, so there’s no separate parking fee to budget for on top of admission.
The site is easy to combine with other errands in the area since it’s set back from the highway with clear signage from Metro Parkway; visitors coming from outside the immediate neighborhood typically use GPS navigation directly to the street address rather than searching for a shopping-center name.
Height Requirements & Ride Restrictions
Height rules vary by ride category, so it’s worth checking before you buy passes for younger kids. On the thrill side, Desert Storm and the Free Fall drop tower require riders to be at least 42 inches, the Sky Diver requires 48 inches, and the Patriot coaster allows riders as short as 36 inches if accompanied by someone 42 inches or taller.
Family and kiddie rides are more forgiving: the Carousel allows any height with an adult, the Splashdown log flume starts at 36 inches with a 48-inch companion, and the Flying Bugs and Junior Dixie Wheel kiddie rides are built for the 32–52 inch range. Go-karts and bumper boats have their own driver-versus-passenger cutoffs (drivers generally need to be 40–56 inches depending on the ride), and the seasonal ropes course and zip line both require riders to be at least 46 inches and under 300 pounds. Because these figures do get adjusted, confirm current minimums on the official ride pages before promising a specific attraction to a shorter rider.
Rides & Attractions
The park’s headline attraction is Desert Storm, a steel Hopkins Rides coaster that opened in 1992 with two inversions, a chain lift hill, and a single 28-passenger train. Its sibling, Patriot, is a milder red-white-and-blue coaster that loops riders around a giant American flag, making the pair a good one-two punch for mixed-age groups.
Beyond the coasters, the Thrill Park includes the Splashdown log flume, the Sky Diver and Free Fall drop rides, the Magic Carpet and Sea Dragon swing rides, the Magic Carpet-style carousel, bumper boats, the Ram Rods bumper cars, and the Li’l Indy go-kart track. A seasonal ropes course and zip line add an extra activity when they’re running (they typically go on hiatus during the peak summer heat). All of that surrounds an indoor arcade spanning multiple levels with well over a hundred games.
Mini Golf Courses
Long before the coasters arrived, the site was purely a putt-putt destination. The four 18-hole courses still anchor the park today, each carrying a distinct theme — including Wild West and Middle-Eastern motifs — with trick shots and water hazards worked into the layouts.
Mini golf runs on its own ticket separate from the Thrill Park, which makes it an easy add-on for families who just want an hour of putting without paying for ride access, or a natural pairing inside the Elite combo pass if you want both in one visit.
Birthday Parties & Group Events
Castles N’ Coasters runs a dedicated birthday party program built around a private party room with a free host for about an hour, unlimited ride access for each paid guest, pizza and soft drinks in the room, and a prize-ticket allotment for the birthday honoree. Packages carry a minimum guest count, and families can add on arcade time, an extra mini golf round, or more pizza. Outside cake or cupcakes are allowed, but other outside food and drink are not permitted in the park, and booking generally requires advance notice plus a deposit.
Beyond birthdays, the park also books larger corporate outings, school field trips, and church or youth group events, with group pricing and customizable packages available once your headcount clears the minimum. For current minimums, room times, and pricing, go through the official birthday parties page or call the park directly.
From Mini Golf to Thrill Rides: The Park’s History
The park took its current name in December 1991 after adding a dedicated Ride Park, which brought in its two signature roller coasters, a log flume, a drop tower, and a go-kart track. Today the roughly 14-acre site combines old-school putt-putt with modern thrill rides, making it one of the few standalone amusement parks left in the Phoenix metro area.
The 1991 rebrand to Castles N’ Coasters reflected the shift from a golf-only property to a full amusement park, and the name has stuck for more than three decades as the venue expanded its ride lineup around the original courses.
Castles N’ Coasters Phoenix visitor guide FAQs
What was Castles N’ Coasters originally called?
It opened in 1976 as Golf N’ Stuff, a miniature golf-only attraction, before rides were added and it was renamed Castles N’ Coasters in December 1991.
How many roller coasters does Castles N’ Coasters have?
Two: Desert Storm, a looping steel coaster by Hopkins Rides that opened in 1992, and Patriot, a milder family coaster themed around the American flag.
How big is the park?
Castles N’ Coasters covers roughly 14 acres in Phoenix, Arizona, and includes four 18-hole miniature golf courses alongside its rides and arcade.
What are Castles N’ Coasters’ hours?
Mini golf, the arcade, and go-karts typically run all day, while the Thrill Park rides operate on a shorter afternoon-to-evening window that shifts seasonally. Check the official website for the current daily schedule before visiting.
Is parking free at Castles N’ Coasters?
Yes, the park has its own free parking lot at 9445 N. Metro Parkway East in Phoenix, so there’s no separate parking charge.
How much are tickets or wristbands?
Tickets are sold as separate passes for rides, mini golf, and arcade play, plus an Elite pass that combines all three. Exact prices shift with promotions like discounted weekday evening pricing, so check the Passes N’ Prices page on the official site for current rates.
What are the height requirements for the rides?
Desert Storm and the Free Fall require 42 inches, the Sky Diver requires 48 inches, and Patriot allows riders as short as 36 inches with a 42-inch-or-taller companion. Family and kiddie rides have lower or no minimums; go-karts, the ropes course, and the zip line have their own separate driver and rider cutoffs.
Does Castles N’ Coasters host birthday parties?
Yes. Packages include a private party room, a free host, unlimited rides for paid guests, pizza and drinks, and prize tickets for the birthday child, with a minimum guest count and optional add-ons for arcade time or extra golf.
Can you buy a mini-golf-only ticket?
Yes, mini golf is sold as its own pass separate from Thrill Park ride access, so you can visit just for a round of putting on any of the four themed 18-hole courses.
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