In a bit of a sketchy neighborhood however, this is a great place for family fun! My son, loves to play here and the reward gifts are funny and appropriate. Age limit on the games, I would say 13-14 due to video games. Wednesdays they have a special of 60 tokens for $10 which is a steal as 100 tokens are like $20-25 regularly. If you are hungry there is Sonic right across the street. In addition to the arcade, they have go-kart track , and four 18- hole mini. I love to golf so this is a PLUS! I am a frequent visitor here. Sorry nothing to rave about regarding the food. read more

This place needs to be shut down! Don't waste your time money or gas!!! Dilapidated, rude, rude owner!

This review is only for the Kings mini golf course. They had two options, the Queen, which was in full sun, and the Kings. The Kings course looked fun and had a lot of obstacles that the kids loved. However, we had to go around a lot of torn up carpet and put the tees back together. There was someone coming behind us to blow the leaves off the course, so that was a good sign. It wasn't a bad price and it's more nostalgic for me, so I'm sure we will be back. The arcade did look nice and most things looked like they were working. read more

Cool Crest Family Fun Center - Amusement Parks Near Me - Independence, Missouri

TLDR: it's not great. It USED to be, but not anymore. Not sure why it saved as a 3 star review. It was definitely not more than 2 stars, and that is pushing it. We WERE able to play, and the staff was aware enough of the issues with the course that they didn't argue about giving the new balls to us and gave us the earned free game coupon that the machine didn't spit out when it should have, so that is why I left it at 2. See full review below. We used to come here all the time when I was a kid. They have a game room inside and 4 mini-golf courses outside. I recently went here on a girl's day outing with some friends and, while we had fun, the place is really run down. Many of the holes are damaged. Examples: the "starting pad" on several was completely detached, water not on in the fountains, outdoor carpeting making up the "green" was wrinkled or sliced, various themed elements on the holes were rusty, many elements in the holes were blocked forcing us to go all the way back to the front desk inside the building and ask for new balls, the hole in one machine at the end of the course (where you hit the ball once and if it goes in the hole the machine gives you a ticket for a free game) didn't work, etc. Inside, the game roomed smelled of marijuana and several machines (including the one that turns your cash into coins) were not working. I was very disappointed with the condition of the place, both inside and out. read more

The passage of time has been harsh to Cool Crest. I remember this place being pretty fun as a kid, especially with the raging family battles taking place on the mini-golf course. The last time I was here, it looked the same as decades past but more in a dilapidated, run-down way than in a charming, nostalgic way. We were here midday and it was eerily calm, fallen leaves all over the course, and no energy whatsoever. The post-apocalyptic landscape wasn't doing it for me, and it felt like we were trespassing on an abandoned lot as dodged all the debris and sped through our game. I know mini-golf doesn't have the same cache it had in the 90's, but there have got to be better ones in the KC area around. Like literally any other one is going to be more well-kept and fun, so I'd recommend you keep on searching. read more

$10 for two games. Cheap and fun. Good music. 4 stars for repairs that could be made to green turf, and little things. Overall a good place. read more

Cool Crest Family Fun Center - Amusement Parks Near Me - Independence, Missouri

This place is so bad anymore... overpriced activities, safety hazards at multiple holes, $3.50 for a 16oz soda half of which was ice and no refill option... 0/10, do not recommend.... read more

multiple times during the week we tried to call and get information about batting cages. We could never get a human being. we drove almost an hour on Saturday during open business hours with 2 boys all ready to use the cages...nope. it's 51° and sunny but they're closed because it's "too cold". worst of all, the 2 employees repeatedly just blamed us because we "should have called". (We tried to get info via website and calling more than once). unfortunate since I remember this place from my childhood. read more

Dirty. Grimy. A lot of the arcade games were out of order. We left feeling like everyone needed to use hand sanitizer immediately.

The family that bought cool rest has completely changed the environment! Love driving past it and seeing all the love they have poured into it. It brings back nostalgia. We take our family at least 6 times each summer. If not more. We'll continue this tradition for a long time! read more

Cool Crest is a special place for my dad and I to go for father-daughter time and spend an afternoon playing air hockey in the air conditioned arcade or to find the best strategic way to hit a ball through a broken wind mill or crocodile. Those "Hole-in-1, Win a Free Game" things at the end of the courses? I own those. I can win a free game almost every time. Sure, Cool Crest needs some fixing up. But the workers are always willing to give you free tokens if a game eats your coins and the mini golf course can provide a few hours of entertainment on a lazy afternoon. read more

This place has gone downhill. Went on a Sunday. One person running register, line out the door. Employees seem young, unprofessional, place is gross.. needs a deep clean. Finally, after 30 minutes, got to the cashier and was told the batting cages were closed, for repair- she didn't know When they would reopen. Bought tokens for the games, half didn't work. Waste of an afternoon. Rough crowd, I would never visit in the evening, lots of issues at this place! read more

We love mini-golf. We play when we go on vacation and love to try new courses. Found a Groupon for this place and it advertised 4 courses! Sounded awesome! We played Camelot & King courses today and found them to be overall pretty boring. There were many holes that had no hazards. Nothing. Not even a metal bar, or a curve. Just a long straight put with a little rise here or there. Lots of holes had a hole-in-one option that was pretty easy to ace. (If you can hit the ball somewhere into this 12" long gutter... hole in one!) Um... it was fun the first time, but by the fifth time I saw that on the course I really wondered if my score for the course would break 25! Give me a challenge please! Loop-de-loops? Bridges? Tunnels? None were found. Hardly any obstacles at all! Seems like when the courses were designed the landscaping took up all the time and imagination. Place needs a big time remodel not just a fresh coat of paint I'm afraid. read more

I LOVE COOL CREST! Cool Crest is one of the highlights of Kansas City and has been around for over 50 years. It is charming and old school, and you have to wonder if some of the mechanical dragons and windmills have been around since it opened. What I really like about Cool Crest is that in the first two courses, there are a bunch of trees around to provide shade and it feels like you're playing in a forest. The back two have no trees at all, so the people that want to get a tan can go back there. There are so many other miniature golf places in KC that try to make it look like a regular golf course, and Cool Crest sticks with the wacky holes and the silly characters. It is worth the drive to Independence to play REAL miniature golf in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. read more

Cool Crest Family Fun Center - Queens Castle - Amusement Parks Near Me - Independence, Missouri

See all

This course was created in 1950 and owned by King and Inez Patterson who started Cool Crest and it was always immaculate, and fair family priced..but something happened, they passed away and this place fell into something that would have made the perfectionist in King Patterson roll over in his grave It's not a "ok family kind of place" notice I have left out the word nice....sure it's still busy with mini golfers and kids in the arcade but it's not as clean, the fountains are growing green the greens have all manner of leaves and sticks and acorns , and other than 1 person the teenagers act like they really don't care. King had a term when I worked here when I was 13 "be nice, be pleasant or be gone". I don't know what conglomerate his kids sold this place too, but it needs an injection of about 10 employees on the courses and 10 more in the arcade hall...they can afford it at the prices they charge...and every employee minus 2 need a course on customer service, yeah they are teenagers. ..so what? Here are some pointers if the owners happen to be reading this 1. Bleach in the fountains to kill the algae 2. Personnel to keep greens nicely swept and clean 3. Weed killer and then grass seed 4. Light bulbs working and all fixtures working at night is extremely helpful People don't expect the days of old though it would be nice, but for what people are paying they should expect better Will I come back...well yeah...it's fun read more

Cool Crest Family Fun Center - The old windmill on Camelot - Amusement Parks Near Me - Independence, Missouri

At least one third of the games were broke down. See attached photos for out of service machines. On top of that the employees couldn't care less anymore. Btw im trying to share photos of 13 brokedown games but only 5 are posting. read more

See all

No matter how far from KC I go...I have Mini Golf by KISS of all things here in Vegas, but as great as that is Cool Crest is still the best mini golf experience I've had. I've been coming to Cool Crest for decades. Literally....since I was a kid. And even though I can't get back to KC very often, Cool Crest is still on my list of things to do when I come into town that I can always count on to be fun. The go-carts if in season are a blast. And I've spent a lot of time and money having a blast in the arcade which I love. But the 4 mini-golf courses are so much fun. From first dates to something to do after catching a daytime Royals game or even after a nighttime game, Cool Crest always delivers a fun experience. I can honestly write that in all the years I've been going to Cool Crest, I've NEVER had a bad experience. EVER. It's always fun, and for the price it's still a bargain. Star rating? 5 Stars for this Kansas City classic is perfect! If you read this review on the mobile app and are wondering if you should check Cool Crest out: DO IT! You won't regret it. Even if you suck at mini golf, you'll still have fun here! (Psst, nobody checks your score card. And as long as you don't hold up anyone behind you only the people you're with will notice your mulligans and do-overs.) read more

There is a real shortage of mini golf in Johnson County so we made the trek over to Independence for Father's Day. Dad's golfed free so only $24 for our family of 4. 3 of the 4 courses were open, one was being cleaned up after the storm. Some of the holes have seen better days but we had fun. We played 27 holes and it moved pretty quickly. The slow down was due to people not following the rules (no more than 4 people per group, 5 stroke limit.) By checking in we got 15 free tokens so we played a few arcade games as well. All but one ticket machine was broken and that is kind of ridiculous but we weren't in a hurry. read more

Fun mini golf course! We played the Kings course and had a pretty good time of it. The family fun Center seemed reasonably priced and had a fair amount of games. I really suggest visiting during the fall or spring when Kansas City weather is at its best. The round of minigolf are cheap and you're in for a great afternoon. read more

Good family fun! Could use some updates, but having 3 courses helps stead the people out. Didn't play the arcade, nice Saturday deal of mini golf and go charts for 10.99 on Saturday before noon. read more

Cool crest is a lot of fun! Definitely worth checking out. With an arcade, a go-kart track , and four 18- hole miniDefinitely worth checking out golf courses, Cool Crest offers plenty of fun. And makes a great place for kid's birthday parties, although adults can have just as much fun. The place has been around since 1950 according to a board inside the arcade, and although it does show it's age a bit the facilities were clean and everything seemed to be in working order. Our last visit was in a cool September afternoon, perfect weather for a round of mini golf. Prices seemed reasonable, $7 per person for 18 holes of mini golf. We spent 2 hours playing 18 holes in a group of 4, so you definitely get you money's worth. Some of the holes are very basic, others proved more challenging. Nicely balanced so it's neither too easy but hard. In a previous visit we checked out the go-kart track, but I wasn't too impressed. But I might be jaded, as an adult who drives on a daily basis, I wasn't to excited about driving in circles in a tiny car. But kids are sure to have a blast. The arcade offers the basic fare you'd expect, mostly kid friendly games. They also have a pizzeria where you can get food, soft drinks, snacks, etc. read more

This place is awesome! Ignore all the negative reviews. My family was on an extended trip to NYC, Boston, and Chicago with a side trip to Kansas City. Our day at Cool Crest was one of my favorite. We played all 72 holes and the kids did the go carts. Great way to slow down, put away phones and just connect in a nostalgic kind of way. Yes, the courses are old but that is what makes the place so amazing. I would be sad if they changed everything and lost the charm of this place. We have played mini golf everywhere we travel, in multiple states, and this course was definitely one of our favorites! read more

I badly want to give Cool Crest 5 stars. I just can't. It is too neglected and improperly cared for to earn 5 stars. OK...it is not in terrible shape, but doesn't meet its potential. Cool Crest could be something spectacular. As it stand right now...it is a decent series of mini-golf courses in disrepair, a go-cart track and a respectable video arcade. It's not bad, but I can't let its nostalgia, awesome location, concept overshadow its many deficits. The mini-golf needs a lot of help. It's sad. Some courses are better than others, but why have holes open that don't function how they were originally intended? The go-carts are fine, but become a bore if you're not going absolutely as fast as possible. I will say most of the employees are quality. Most all are teens, but they do a good job and remain one of the property's main redeeming factors. Cool Crest is a nostalgic way to blow an afternoon or early evening, but it could be so much more with some udates that stay true to the property. read more

Had a really nice time here. 4 different courses to choose from, 3 were in very good shape, one not so good. Holes varied in difficulty which is perfect, some were tough, others not so hard so it's great for all ages. Absolutely LOVED the music selection they were playing on the course. Really made for a great experience. Game room area had a nice selection and was clean. Staff was friendly and helpful. Definitely check this place out if you're in the area. read more

It's just like the rest of the typical Arcades across the nation that were built in the 50's. They have a nostalgic and somewhat dated feel. The little ones had a fun time. So, don't have high expectations and make the best of it. The place is affordable and the kiddos will have fun. read more

The ticket machine takes off about ten tickets every strip. If you aren't paying attention you won't notice. I have video though and would like to start a group lawsuit against the organization. When I brung it up to the young uninterested worker she said she was not aware of that but can weigh the rest of my tickets and there was nothing she could do about my concern. read more

5 Stars for having Initial D on the arcade lineup. Yeah, I know. 5 stars for just one arcade. I don't care, so get over it. Initial D was (and would still be) the only reason I go to Cool Crest. The place in general is pretty packed on weekends and everyone seems to have a jolly good o'l time. read more

This could be a 5 star place if they would just do some maintenance. They have great courses, but there is always something broken. I have lost countless balls into features that are broken. The goal is to get the ball into the crocodiles mouth, but the crocodile is broken and the ball never comes out the other end. They do put a new coat of paint on everything each year and you can see the thick layers of paint; however I do appreciate the effort to keep it looking nice. Even with the malfunctions we still make several trips a year and on nice days they are really busy. There are a total of 4 courses. Two of those are in the sun and two are in the shade so you can choose where to play based on the temperature of the day. The shaded courses are always more crowded. We will keep going here and playing mini golf because overall it's a fun day for a reasonable price. I just wish they would do more maintenance to some of the holes. read more

Cool Crest was a fun mini golf course! I loved that it has 4 different courses to choose from with varying difficulty levels. We walked through the arcade and weren't impressed with it so we decided to save our money as far as that was concerned. We also didn't ride go carts but they looked fun! I would definitely recommend this place for a mini golf outing! read more

This facility needs to be shut down. I'm all about giving places chances. This place wasn't worth it. The mini golf courses need so much work. Almost all the golfing holes had things broken, dry rot, or watering hose laying around. The staff were as seedy as the the look of the place. One employee kept making a gun gesture to his head every time something on the batting cages broke. The batting cages were breaking down every few seconds and when they "worked" they threw the balls too low. The token machines were all also broken. The concession stand was disgusting. Trash all over the floor, kids running around without shoes, the place smelled like pee and cotton candy. The arcade was also disgusting. The rides were sticky and children were running around everywhere spilling drinks and food on everything. The prizes were physically dirty and of low quality. Don't come here. Seriously. Save your money. read more

its so good i would go back on my dead gold fishes left nut that was fire and there food is fire and wendys is right aross the street

Really impressed with this place! Much nicer than any of the places in Johnson County. The fact that there are 4 different courses really makes it easy to find one isn't particularly busy....that means not having to wait for large groups ahead of you. The "quirky" holes are fun - we loved the alligator, dragon and the running water holes! The rocket ship hole wasn't working properly but was still fun. We will definitely remember this place for our next KC stay-cation. read more

Hey parents if you need a free babysitter just drop your kids off at the arcade and don't worry about giving them money because they can just bum off other people or if your child is older he or she can just steal the tickets from little kids. So if you are in need of a babysitter and you want your kids to just be able to run around and do whatever they want and you want this to be a free service cool crest is the place to go. Oh did I mention did this place has a miniature golf course that is overpriced and is the same as it was when I was 6 years old in 1983. Broken wind mills and an alligator that whose mouth won't open yep its a trashy place for trashy people. read more

NOTHING at Cool Crest has changed since I was a kid in the 80's. With that said; the maintenance here is horrible. The golf course is the same damn course for 30 some years but the price is triple of that. Seriously, $10 to walk around a shoddy course where you have to dig your own ball out of the pipes because you've already had maintenance do it 4 times but now they're missing? Don't get me started on the arcades. No discipline whatsoever. Unruly kids who kept butting in on my daughter's game, hell one kid came up and grabbed the tickets right off our skeeball machine. I got mad as hell and yes he surrendered them. Only half of the games worked anyway. The game prices are high too. $1.00 to play just basic games. Go-Carts? They weren't running that day because it was raining but from what I can tell; it's the same tired old circle track we've been racing on since we kids. Nothing has changed. read more

We had a good time here with our granddaughter. Mini golf was our main goal. Some of the areas where golf courses are located are shaded by big trees. The golf courses are pretty dated and could use some refreshing. Over all a good summer afternoon activity. read more

Not at all impressed. The arcade seemed to feature mostly games that were broken/out of tickets, the golf courses were badly laid out & shoddily maintained, the staff was surly & hard to find. The air conditioning was not working in the pizzeria area, and you actually have to leave the facility & walk down the street to get to the go-karts, which is just stupid. Won't be back. Check out Paradise Park in Lee's Summit, it's about the same price & a much better value. read more

Brought my family here last week to play mini golf and was extremely disappointed at the state of things. Played two courses and found them to be in a sorry state. Gone are the beautiful gardens and grounds between the holes that made it such a fantastic atmosphere back in the 90's when the Patterson's owned the business. Many of the moving obstacles were either not working at all or beat up and falling apart, glass broken, or shoddily repaired. Lots of the turf on the holes was ripped or rippled making it impossible to play the hole correctly, and some were covered in mold. Under the turf there were parts that actually prevented the ball from doing what it was supposed to or going where it was supposed to. Plastic starting squares on the beginning of each hole were either warped and unusable or missing altogether. We mostly just ignored them and started from elsewhere. The back course was completely shut down and it appeared that most of the holes' turf had turned black with mold and had not been taken care of properly. Many of the repairs needed are very simple and cheap to do and it baffles me how someone could let things get to the point that they have. What a shame with the history of this place. read more

Never will I bring my family here again. I'd say half of the games are broken in some shape, form or fashion. Staff are teenagers and they are very unprofessional. Ticket redemption prizes are a sad excuse for a prize. This place has really gone downhill. Upgrade or close. read more

My boyfriend and I visited here a few weeks ago. I had never been to Cool Crest before and was not impressed. The greens are all very worn looking and many of the contraptions on the holes were broken, run down, or otherwise not working. The landscaping looked terrible too. I heard that new owners took over the place last year or so. They obviously haven't done much to keep it up. We did enjoy the go-karts though. I'll stick with Parkville for mini golf. Much nicer and a great view to boot. read more

Do NOT go here! The courses are in terrible shape and in need of a major remodel. The staff was rude and inconsiderate. Don't waste your time or money! read more