The Peoria PlayHouse - Peoria, Illinois

Heather S.

Brought my kids today, on a Wednesday, during our spring break (different week than most schools) and everything seemed broken and out of order.

The "Motion Commotion" ball machine was broken, and air pressure was low for other tubes in that area.

The water table seemed low on water, and all tubes and most water toys were removed. My son put the smock on and instantly took it off upon realizing there wasn't anything fun to do in the water without the flow tubes.

The art/craft rooms were closed - looked like there was a meeting in one, and another room had some moms in it just chatting (I can't remember if these were normally open in the past or if I'm confusing it with Bloomington that has a nice craft room always open). The Real Tools room was closed when we arrived around 10:15... it wasn't until we were ready to leave later that we saw it was finally open - it would have been nice to know when things like that are available... I didn't see it on the website.

The Theatre exhibit only had some hand puppets in the big dress-up/props chest.

The batteries were dead for the circuit light challenge... or the circuits just didn't work. I tried all of them myself and couldn't get them to work. The battery compartments look like they could use a good cleaning or replacement.

The top of the chicken coop climb was locked - so my kids had to climb back down after climbing up. Seems like a strange thing to lock - another set of parents near us were confused on why it was locked as well.

I honestly couldn't believe they were charging people full price to come there today. This will probably be the last time we visit, seeing as my children are starting to outgrow what they have to offer at 6 and 8-years-old. Not knowing if everything (especially things for the older kids) is going to be working or open when visiting makes it quite the gamble of our time and money going forward.

ᗰคгรєlค ?.

We had the Playhouse reserved for a family event through Skip Along child development where the families could come in and enjoy some time together. I was quite impressed with the things that the playhouse had to offer and it's definitely a great place to bring your kiddos so they can explore and learn some things! I absolutely love all the different activity centers that they had were the kiddos had things that they could interact with like the piano bridge, the water table, the train track, and the ballroom. So much fun stuff to do and I highly recommend bringing your child!

ꪶꫀiꪶꪖꪀi ?.

It's advertised as 3 floors of fun but it's really only 2. The third floor simply doesn't have anything to do.
We visited on 4/27/2024 with a 1 and 2 year old. Both were entertained and seemed to have a decent time. I think it should have been cheaper for the 2 year old but overall the prices are in line with every other expensive post Covid price these days.

Michael P.

The atmosphere was very nice, the other kids were very friendly, along with the adults who were there with them. The place was very clean and organized. It was very pleasant and enjoyable to accompany my nephew there so he could have some fun.
I highly recommend this place to anyone with a little child who loves to have fun and play.

Audrey S.

Great place for kids to play, from 1 year of age on up! My kids are now almost 5, 3, and 1 year; we have gotten the membership for two years now and plan to continue. There are a lot of permanent exhibits as well as some rotation, and as the kids grow, they're able to explore more and use toys and tools in new ways.

Jordan

This is a great spot to spend several hours with a busy toddler. There are so many different play areas that appeal to different interests. My 2yo loves the kinetic sand area upstairs & the train & water play areas downstairs. It’s directly next to the Peoria zoo so if you really want to make a full day of fun, you can easily visit both.

Laura C.

I absolutely love this place. I bought a membership for my grandkids and added a caregiver so the parents can take them too. There is so much to do and learn. From farm life, and learning about agriculture, to learning how water moves. Making movies and the craft rooms are incredible. My two year old granddaughter loves the playhouse and asks to see the baby dolls that are in the play kitchen. It’s clean very well organized, the membership literally pays for itself in just a few trips. There are picnic tables nearby to go out and have a picnic. There are two playgrounds nearby and the Peoria zoo. Well worth coming for a visit!

Brent B.

Great place to visit for the kids to play for a few hours. Staff was very friendly and great to deal with. They helped by son build a project to take home. Lots of interactive displays for the kids to play with. 3 levels to the building so they can run around to different things. I would recommend checking it out and the zoo is right around the corner so can make a morning trip with it.