Treehouse indoor playground and cafe coming to Kimball Junction this winter

The design of Treehouse Park City is meant to evoke a woodland setting rather than the brightly lit, high-stimulation feel of many indoor playgrounds. Photo: Fontaine McFadden.

PARK CITY, Utah — Fontaine McFadden has an answer to a question that’s dogged Park City parents for years: What do you do with a toddler on a snowy day? Snow aside, there are plenty of activities and sports for preschoolers and up, but what do you do with a restless toddler when you both need to get out of the house?

Her answer is Treehouse, a new indoor play space set to open this winter in the former Best Buy building in Kimball Junction. McFadden has signed a lease for roughly 7,500 square feet of the 30,000-square-foot building.

McFadden and her husband moved to Park City from Northern California in 2022. Her older son was 18 months old at the time, and she was pregnant with her second. Both boys are now enrolled in school locally, and McFadden said the family has never looked back.

“We have landed in the best place,” she said. “I feel like we have found the most amazing community.”

After the move, McFadden worked for herself in home design and remodeling, Ship Shape Homes, which let her balance motherhood with the kind of work she’d missed. But something was still missing, she said. As a self-described extrovert, working alone from a home office wasn’t enough, and she and her husband, who works at Deer Valley Resort, didn’t have space at home for their two boys to burn off energy, especially once winter closed the backyard.

The idea for an indoor playground had been on McFadden’s mind since she arrived in town, reinforced by regular drives down the hill to play spaces in Salt Lake City. The plan came together during winter break this past year, while her husband worked long hours at the resort and she was home with the boys.

McFadden began researching the business the following week. She said the process has drawn on nearly every chapter of her career: a background in user experience design from her years working in tech in San Francisco, event-planning experience that will inform three birthday party rooms, and culinary school training that will shape the space’s cafe.

It’s clear that McFadden pays attention to details. Drawing on her experience at other indoor playgrounds, she’s made intentional choices that benefit parents.

“I really want to build a community space that’s for adults as much as it is for kids,” she said.

The cafe, which McFadden described as a coffee shop parents will want to spend time in, won’t be just a snack counter. She plans to source from local vendors, serving coffee, smoothies and simple meals such as sandwiches, salads, wraps and pretzels from the Pretzel Connection.

She’s intentionally leaving out items like cake pops, candy, or claw machines that could lead to meltdowns and tantrums if the magic word “no” is used.

The play space itself is designed for children up to age 10 and will include a separate infant and toddler area next to the cafe, along with a multi-level, soft-sided climbing structure connecting a series of small treehouses. The design is meant to evoke a woodland setting rather than the brightly lit, high-stimulation feel of many indoor playgrounds.

“It’s not neon. It’s not loud. It’s not chaotic,” she said. “I want the kids to bring the energy, not the physical space.”

Three birthday party rooms of varying sizes will double as event and program space when not booked for parties, hosting things such as STEM classes, themed activity days and music or movement classes for younger kids. McFadden said she also hopes to partner with local organizations, including after-school programs and youth sports groups, to bring in kids who might not otherwise have access. Down the road, she’s considering evening programming for older kids, including laser tag.

Treehouse will offer drop-in visits, punch cards, and memberships. Founding membership sales, called Treehouse Early Birds (get it?), are set to launch sometime in September. Those memberships are year-long, paid upfront at a discount, and holders keep that discounted rate for three years. McFadden said 75 founding membership spots will be available, sold by family rather than by child.

She also pointed to an underused resource for visitors: the parking garage beneath the building, accessible near the back of the property by Hearth and Hill. She said she’s working with the landlords to add clearer signage, including painting the word “parking” on the exterior wall, so visitors know the garage, which holds hundreds of spaces, is there.

Treehouse’s website and social media accounts are still in development. More details, including membership sign-ups, are expected in the coming weeks.

Transform your space: Ship Shape Homes brings affordable home revamps to Park City