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.
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.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona
- Former name: Golf N’ Stuff (opened 1976)
- Renamed: December 1991
- Size: About 14 acres
- Roller coasters: 2 (Desert Storm, Patriot)
- Mini golf courses: Four 18-hole courses
- Featured coaster: Desert Storm — steel looper by Hopkins Rides, opened 1992
The Ride Experience
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 Ride Park includes the Splashdown log flume, a Skydiver drop tower, the Magic Carpet carousel, bumper boats, bumper cars, and the Li’l Indy go-kart track, all wrapped around an indoor video arcade.
From Mini Golf to Thrill Rides
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.
The 1991 rebrand to Castles N’ Coasters reflected that 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.
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Castles N’ Coasters 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 about 14 acres in Phoenix, Arizona, and includes four 18-hole miniature golf courses alongside its rides and arcade.
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Photo: Mene Tekel from flag / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.