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    Imagination City

    4.6 (159 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Updated 1 week ago

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    Cake
    Christine M.

    10 stars! Imagination City made my granddaughter's 3rd birthday unforgettable. The owner was wonderful, incredibly attentive, helped set up and clean up, and made sure everything was perfect from start to finish. The space was spotless, the kids were engaged and happy, and the parents were well taken care of too. Our family highly recommends Imagination City for birthday parties or just a fun day out with the kids. We will definitely be back!

    Minerva L.

    My kids loved their birthday party here. Janine was amazing and was a great communicator. She made sure I didn't have to do anything the day of the party. The kids had a blast and I highly recommend it here. Everything went smoothly and would come back for day play!

    Brittany C.

    Had a play date here with my two kids a few of my friend's kids. They all had a blast! We tried our best to keep all the toys in their correct areas but of course, kids will be kids. There was one worker that night and they got us in quickly. There is a lot for the kids to do here. One down part is not being able to have a bathroom easily accessible but Cheesecake Factory is not far. You can have a private party here. We always love seeing the beautiful balloon setups at the window. My girls love this place!

    Our birthday setup
    Kimberly L.

    Absolutely love Imagination City! I've taken my kids here on a rainy day or day off from school and they never want to leave this year I decided to host a joint birthday for my children and each little guest had a blast. There are a ton of different playhouse areas for pretend play, slides, cars, even an area to get some jumping energy out. My kids were 3&5 so I think at a perfect age. Everything was super easy and I felt like I could stress less about setup and cleanup. Highly recommend this wonderful place! Janine was amazing.

    Niro D.

    I hosted my daughter's 4th birthday here and it was the best birthday party ever! I highly recommend this venue to anyone who is looking for a safe, fun, and memorable birthday party venue for their child. I actually hosted my older daughter's party at their old tanforan location and even she still says that was her favorite and most memorable birthday to date. The owner Janine was on site and she is a party pro! I opted to bring my own balloon display and as soon as we arrived, she quickly helped me put it together in a blink of an eye. She also timed everything perfectly from play and lunch to photo ops and before I knew it, had everything packed up and consolidated so that we could load up the car. Truly seamless and magical! The venue is spotless and beautifully maintained, which allowed for my daughter and all her friends to play together...they had the best time! Thank you so much Janine and imagination city! Your space is such a valuable addition to the community and we are so grateful you're here!

    Anita T.

    Cute little play place inside Hillsdale mall, probably best suited for under 5 set. Pros: Appeared very clean Check in was fast and they have QR codes while you wait in line so you don't have to do all the forms at the counter. Looks to have a cute, modern party area, spacious and open. A lot of make believe setups, make believe toys and costumes Cons: Pretty small and not the most to do imo... if you already own a lot of Melissa and Doug players for make believe, this place just has a lot of them. Not a lot of space for the scooting toys they have, as mentioned it's really for kids under 5. My daughter is 6 and I felt like she was way overgrown for the setup even though there were older kids there. There's not a lot of active play structures, it is more like a children's museum in format. Pricey for the value, maybe because my child was done 1 hour into a 2 hour session we paid for.

    Angie C.

    Thankfully I called earlier to ask about availability and heard about online booking for my toddler to play at Imagination City! The adorable storefronts paired with toys and lots of ride-on vehicles made this a delight for both kid and parent. Everything was clean and staff were friendly. Totally would come back, someone invite us to their toddler birthday party at Imagination City!

    Chelsea R.

    Made the trek to San Mateo on a Wednesday to check this place out and it was so much fun! It's a smaller place than I expected but I kind of liked that aspect after a while of chasing my toddler around haha. Admission is $18 for walkers & $16 for crawlers. One free adult per admission & there's an additional cost for more adults. They request that kids wear socks with grips for good reason, it's pretty slippery for the kiddos without it. If you don't have any on hand they have it available for $3. My son had so much fun going to each little play place. They had a diner, auto shop, construction site, ice cream truck, theater area, boat, firehouse, vet hospital, grocery store, a couple slides, and a pizzeria. Each area has fun, interactive toys for the kids to play with. And not to mention, this place is super picturesque and IG worthy! My only "gripes" - the area to keep bags & shoes is outside the play area closer to the front entrance where anyone can come in and out easily, which makes me a little apprehensive lol. May be personal preference but would've liked it closer to the cash register/employees. - if you are potty training or have a potty trained kiddo: be aware that they do not have a restroom in the store itself. You'd have to go down the escalator, to the left, and down the stairs/elevator to get to the restrooms. It's a short walk but for a small toddler holding their bladders, I'm not sure how ideal it is.

    Natsumi M.

    Cute place to play for toddlers but not providing a bathroom or a space to use personal potties is pretty disappointing for a play place made for toddlers. A potty training toddler is definitely not making it to the mall bathroom every time.

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    7 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Fantastic place for toddlers and young kids! Highly recommended for special play time.

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Imagination City

    Do they have a bathroom inside, or do we have to go to Cheesecake Factory?

    The last two times we've went, the hours say it's opened but it is very obviously closed. When is this place open?

    Follow their Instagram page or call before planning a trip , I know they close for maintenance at times . I think most days during the week they are open from 11-6 .

    Is this place open again?!?

    Yes was there yesterday

    What kinds of things are there for a 9 month old? He can crawl/scoot and starting to pull up to stand on things.

    I would suggest for kids closer to walking age. There is space to crawl, but when it's busy older kids are running around. No designated space for babies to crawl.

    Are you open this Sunday?

    Weekends are for private events only.

    Is there a designated space for crawlers or pre-crawlers?

    No it's all one area.

    View All 8 Questions

    Review Highlights - Imagination City

    From the moment we walked through the doors, the owner, Janine, was there for us in every way possible.

    Mentioned in 39 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    One of the cleanest indoor kid play spaces we've visited in the Bay Area. The space is on the…read moresmaller side, but they do make effective use of the space they have. There are swings, slides, a ball pit with interactive game screen, electric cars, building blocks, grocery store with checkout machine, and small areas for infants as well. The party rooms looked tidy and accommodating. The design is well thought out, and my 10 month old and 2.5 year old had a great time. We will be back. Note: We came here on a weekday so cannot speak to how crowded it gets on the weekend.

    My 6-year-old absolutely loves indoor playgrounds, and we've been to just about all of…read morethem--Peek-A-Boo Factory, Luv 2 Play, Jolly Roger, Funtropolous...you name it! We were excited to check out Kiddo Adventure and overall enjoyed trying somewhere new. The play structure itself is colorful, modern, and visually appealing. My son especially loved the bright LED-lit slides and the slides that emptied into the ball pit. It definitely has some unique features that make it fun for kids. That said, the biggest drawback for us was how crowded and cramped it felt. We visited on a weekend, and there were back-to-back birthday parties. As soon as one party ended, the staff quickly transitioned to the next one, so there never seemed to be a break in the crowds. The play structure became very busy, especially around the ball pit, where kids were constantly bumping into one another. At times, it felt a little chaotic and not as safe as I would have liked. I think the space would benefit from being a bit larger to better accommodate the number of children, particularly during birthday party hours. While we appreciated the design and attractions, the overall experience felt a little too hectic for our family's preference. I'm glad we visited and don't regret checking it out, but it's probably a one-time visit for us. I imagine weekdays might offer a much calmer experience, so if you're planning a visit, that may be the better option.

    Safari Run - Arcade

    Safari Run

    (226 reviews)

    This is a long overdue review. My 5 year old daughter had her birthday here back in 2024. Highly…read morerecommend. We did the party package where you had play time in the playground, then time in party room, then arcade. We chose last time slot on a Saturday I think. Since the play time is timed I'd recommend warning all your guests about it and have them arrive early. We sent all the parents a schedule and heads up so things could run super smooth and the kids could enjoy every minute of play time. Parking is very limited since it's a super small lot and there's a party ahead of you too. The host family has a reserved parking spot out front but our guests definitely need to just find street parking, they came early and seemed to find parking fine. Staff will collect bday gifts in a cart which is super helpful. The indoor play structure is super big and spacious and has a toddler area too. A big kids track with basketball like area with soft balls is right next to play area and had some areas for adults to sit. Adults can chill upstairs in the lounge area too. Play area is gated. You have option to have staff lead the kids in a series of games at the track area which is great way to get the entire party together at end of play time which my daughter loved. Afterwards the kids line up n wash hands n everyone is led upstairs to the party room. The party room is like jungle safari theme decorated painted on the walls. Space is a bit tight/cramped but good air flow and fine. Staff will walk around serving the kids food which is great. Everyone can eat and enjoy without the adults spending time to serve and feed the kids. Afterwards we went down to arcade room and played and you get tickets and redeem for prize. Everyone was able to walk away with a prize which is perfect. Only downside is it gets hot. "Arcade area definitely needs a remodel with AC or at minimum very good fans. I would suggest the owners to highly consider this as it's a bit run down looking compared to the rest of the facility". But even if a remodel is not done, the arcade area is good as is. Maybe buying a few portable fans to hand out to the few guests who might overheat is good enough. Guests had so much fun !! and we got a lot compliments how well run everything was !! They have a food vendor which was perfect too. We plan to have our daughter's 7th bday here again this year as we can't find a better venue that can be so spacious and run so well. Definitely 5 stars. At end of the night, the staff loaded our car with gifts, leftover food. For us, the less work the better so we can actually enjoy the party while hosting. Thank you so much to all the staff and for leading that game time too.

    We've been here for camp, open play, and birthday parties. Always a clean play place!…read more This review is specifically for the summer camp. My daughter really enjoyed it. As a parent, a few things that I really liked about this camp: 1) they provide snack 2) they make sure the kids wash their hands 3) they have a drive thru pick up/ drop off system. Very easy and convenient. You show your ID to pick up your kid - very safe. 4) the kids did so many activities throughout the day. They would play games and do crafts and it seemed like the workers were very engaged with the kids 5) they share pictures with you at the end of the week. You can also find pictures on instagram each day Great place, highly recommend!

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    We hosted my son's 3rd birthday party here and it was AWESOME! Over the years, I've tried to make…read morebirthday parties as low-stress as possible because trying to do an elaborate set-up is drama that I don't need being a mom of 2 littles. I booked the space about 6 weeks in advance online having never set foot in the place before. The venue is great and conveniently located in Tanforan Shopping Mall. The mall is completely dead, but this playspace seems VERY popular! Booking was a breeze and I emailed the coordinator the week prior to confirm details. Cindy was super responsive and easy to coordinate with! She let me come the day before to set up the party room and helped me get tablecloths and some decor in place. Being able to set up our balloon arch the day prior and they fact they provided a backdrop frame/stand was a game changer because the next day, I just had to bring in food and we were all set! We had about 50 guests at the event (adults and kids) and all the guests were SO happy to just walk in and let their kids loose. Everything is padded and super entertaining for all the kids (ages 1-8), so it was VERY easy for the parents to actually be able to hang out and chat without worrying where their kid wandered off to. Clean up was a breeze - Cindy made everything so easy for us and didn't pressure us at all to wrap up and get out. We put everything in trash bags and off we went. I definitely recommend this place for a private party and hope to be back!

    Loved coming here with my son and now they aren't opened all the time. They will only open for…read moregroup play reservations or private parties. Kind of disappointed. No warning on their website either. Be warned

    Imagination City - indoor_playcenter - Updated August 2026

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