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, whether your kids meet the height cutoffs for Desert Storm and Patriot, or what a birthday party there includes, this guide covers the practical details — hours, pricing structure, parking, ride restrictions, and party info — alongside the park’s history and full ride lineup.
Quick Answer
Castles N’ Coasters is a roughly 14-acre family amusement park at 9445 N. Metro Parkway East in Phoenix, 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. Mini golf, the arcade, go-karts, and bumper boats run all day starting at 10 a.m., while the Thrill Park rides open later in the afternoon on weekdays and around midday on weekends; 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 open at 10 a.m. daily and run until 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with golf ticket sales cutting off about an hour before closing so groups have time to finish a round.
The Thrill Park — Desert Storm, Patriot, the Splashdown log flume, and the drop towers — runs on a shorter window: roughly 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 9 p.m. on weekends, since it’s the section most affected by staffing and Phoenix’s summer heat. The seasonal Sky Wire zip line and ropes course close for a break during the hottest stretch of summer and typically reopen in September. Hours shift around holidays and special events, so check the live schedule on the official Castles N’ Coasters website before you head out, especially if you’re arriving right at opening or hoping to 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 and includes a round of mini golf on any of the four courses. A Mini Golf Only pass covers a single round of putt-putt, and arcade play is sold separately as timed or card-based credit. An Elite Pass bundles unlimited thrill rides, an hour of unlimited arcade play, and a round of mini golf for about $5 more than the Thrill Rides Pass alone — worth it if your group wants to mix and match rather than buy everything individually.
Exact prices change with the season and with promotions, so treat any number you see on a third-party site 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 set back from the highway with clear signage from Metro Parkway, so 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, so it’s worth checking before you buy passes for younger kids. Desert Storm and the Free Fall drop tower require riders to be at least 42 inches, and the Sky Diver swing ride requires 48 inches. The Patriot coaster allows riders as short as 36 inches if accompanied by someone 42 inches or taller, and the Splashdown log flume starts at 36 inches with a 48-inch or taller companion. The Sea Dragon swing ride needs riders to be at least 40 inches, or accompanied by someone 48 inches or taller.
Family and kiddie rides are more forgiving: the Carousel requires 42 inches to ride solo but welcomes any height with an adult, and the Flying Bugs N’ Spinning Tops and Junior Dixie Wheel kiddie rides are built for the 32–52 inch range. Go-karts and bumper boats have their own rider-versus-driver cutoffs — Li’l Indy go-kart riders need to be 40 inches (drivers 56 inches or taller), and bumper boat riders need to be 40 inches (drivers 44 inches or taller). The seasonal ropes course and zip line require their own minimums, which the park posts when the attraction reopens for the season. 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, a carousel, bumper boats, the Ram Rods bumper cars, and the Li’l Indy go-kart track. A seasonal ropes course and Sky Wire zip line add an extra activity when they’re running (they typically go on hiatus during the peak summer heat and reopen in September). All of that surrounds an indoor arcade with well over a hundred games.
Mini Golf Courses
Long before the coasters arrived, the site was purely a putt-putt destination, and the four 18-hole courses still anchor the park today. Each carries 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 pass, and a round is also bundled into both the Thrill Rides Pass and the Elite Pass.
Birthday Parties & Group Events
Castles N’ Coasters runs a dedicated party program built around an Unlimited Thrill Pass for every guest, a private party room booked for one hour with a host, personal pizzas, and unlimited soft drinks; the birthday child also gets a stack of arcade prize tickets. Groups can add on extra arcade credit, mini golf rounds, or additional pizzas for a per-person fee.
Parties require a minimum of 15 paid guests, a deposit at booking, and at least 24 hours’ notice; outside food isn’t allowed, though you’re welcome to bring your own cake or cupcakes. Book directly through the park by phone or through the official birthday parties page, which also covers current package pricing.
Castles N’ Coasters Phoenix FAQs
What are Castles N’ Coasters’ hours?
Mini golf, the arcade, go-karts, and bumper boats open at 10 a.m. daily. The Thrill Park rides (coasters, log flume, drop towers) open later — around 5 p.m. on weekdays and noon on weekends — and hours shift seasonally, so check the official site’s live calendar before you go.
Is parking free at Castles N’ Coasters?
Yes. Parking in the park’s own lot at 9445 N. Metro Parkway East is free, with no separate fee added on top of ticket prices.
How much are Castles N’ Coasters tickets?
There’s no single gate price — tickets are sold as a Mini Golf Only pass, a Thrill Rides Pass (which includes a round of golf), or an Elite Pass bundling unlimited rides, arcade time, and golf. Exact prices change seasonally, so check the official Passes N’ Prices page for current rates.
How tall do you have to be to ride Desert Storm and Patriot?
Desert Storm requires riders to be at least 42 inches. Patriot allows riders as short as 36 inches if accompanied by someone 42 inches or taller.
Is Castles N’ Coasters indoor or outdoor?
It’s a mix: the rides, coasters, go-karts, and mini golf courses are outdoors, while the multi-level arcade is fully indoor and air-conditioned, making it a good heat-of-the-day option in summer.
Do I need to buy a mini golf ticket separately from a ride ticket?
Yes, mini golf is sold on its own ticket, but a round is already bundled into both the Thrill Rides Pass and the Elite Pass, so you don’t need to buy it twice if you get either of those.
What’s included in a Castles N’ Coasters birthday party?
Standard packages include an Unlimited Thrill Pass for each guest, an hour in a private party room with a host, pizza and unlimited soft drinks, and prize tickets for the birthday child, with a 15-guest minimum and advance booking required.
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