WonderWorks Destiny in Syracuse
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Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York, US
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Crowd
Site: http://www.wonderworksonline.com...
- Monday:11AM–9PM
- Tuesday:11AM–9PM
- Wednesday:11AM–9PM
- Thursday:11AM–9PM
- Friday:10AM–10PM
- Saturday:10AM–10PM
- Sunday:11AM–6PM
We went to WonderWorks for the first time and inside the exhibit there was like 8 of the things weren’t running or on. My oldest enjoyed the rollercoaster simulation and the lady was so nice and asking if my son was comfortable and ok with the ride. Then I sent my two sons who are 9 & 7 to walk on canyon climb. They were initially excited and my oldest was great on the rollercoaster so I thought he would be ok. They walked over the bridge and my younger son broke down upset he didn’t want to go further and he was scared. I told him to turn around and get off as he was turning around my other son had a panic attack and didn’t want to continue without his brother. As they were coming back my younger sons rope got caught and he was in tears trying to get off the climb. We waved at the staff member to get my son unstuck and he looked at us and walked in the other direction. My husband processed to go inside to ask the staff for help to help get them unstuck. The staffed laughed and said “they are just playing and they aren’t stuck.” My husband asked again to get them unstuck because they were crying upset and scared. My sons were panicking more because they could not get the rope lose. My kids stood there crying for five minutes as my husband asked them and then yelled at them to help them. They continued to laugh and did nothing to help. My older son finally wiggled the rope loose to get them off the climb. It would of taken them a minute to walk over and help the kids get unloose there were four sitting at the entrance doing nothing. And one staff ignored us on the climb. It was not a good or pleasant situation. I will NOT be going back to canyon climb if that is how they treat the kids and laughing at customers asking for help.
Usually I give only positive reviews but I recently went here with someone and I was throughly disappointed. When you first go into it. off the bat you see the first machine in service. and then another...and another. almost 20% of the exhibits are broken and not working. and 70% of those are the most popular ones. Just alot of walking past attractions you paid good money for.
Complete waste of money and time you willneverget back. My kids where both bored, including myself during first visit 30 APR 2022. Great catchy marketing that draws you in and have you thinking the experience is about to be out of this world. But instead, you find out that the joke is really on you.
This place is awesome. Great entertainment for adults, children, and adult children. So many fun things to play with and experience. There were a couple exhibits closed but it didnt detract from the overall experience at all. The staff was friendly and attentive. Lots of patrons but theres enough to do that you can circle back if something is occupied. I LOVED THE BUBBLES. as a grown man in his 30s I could have played in the Buble area for at least an hour. My 9 year old loved it and played here for hours. We signed him up for the VIP pass which allowed him the canyon climb, wonderworks, and Lazer tag. Id say the only detractor was the country music playing in the Lazer tag lobby. Gross.
We went and half the exhibits don’t work throughout the whole place and still got charged full price for 9 people!! Then they have the nerve to mandate people to wear masks and charge them for masks instead of supplying them we would never come back the whole experience sucked!!! Then in the arcade at the end half the machines are our money and the Dasani drink machine for 4$ a drink and we told them about our coins getting eaten and there response was oh and I e talked to Jon the manager and he didn’t do anything but apologize no discounts no nothing!!!!! Plus the fact they made all the adults pay 20$ to watch our children inside??? The adults had nothing to participate in
PLUS:kids 3 and under are free. The staff was nice and friendly and very helpful.I was thinking of doing a birthday party here and went to check it out with my kids.There is very little for a young child to do here if under 5. Most of the exhibits are broken or shutdown. The jet Sims were setup incorrectly and the virtual air hockey table didnt seem to work.I was very disappointed and remember this place being better. It like no money is put in for maintenance or bringing in differentOnly things the kids liked was the Connect 4 and bubbles. The Connect 4 button didnt always and there was not a bubble wand at each station.Laser tag was ok but very small space.I did not do the ropes course
Visited on a weekday during these crazy times with COVID. It is a small place with 2 level full of activities, place was filled with people. Barely anyone could follow any COVID restrictions expect to put on a mask, everyone one was touching everything without any staff to sanitize any where. My daughter wore an open toe shoe for the ropeway activity it was mandatory to wear sneakers, thankfully I had got her sneaker in my car, they allowed my partner to go and get them (reenter) , but he was expected to stand in the ticket queue to re-enter. It didnt make any sense as the ticket queue was at least half an hour long and he was just occupying the spot for no purpose. It is good for a maximum of 4 -5 hours for the first time visitors.
I have been to Wonder Works a couple years ago and it was great, so I went again and this time the experience was pretty miserable. 4/5 attractions if not EVERY attraction was broken or closed down. Despite having over 5 workers walking around inside the attraction area not one of them thought to inform us that absolutely nothing worked, and instead just watched us fail at trying to understand why they weren’t working. I’ve been on the 360 bike before, and like it says it’s supposed to go 360. Instead the ride just swung back and forth, and the pedals that are supposed to propel you upside didnt work. When my friend and I asked 3 times politely to the worker if the ride was supposed to go upside down they just blatantly ignored us and didn’t say anything. There were no bathrooms in the wonder works despite having signs that said there were. Instead it was just a restroom sign that led to the exit which takes you out of the exhibit and you aren’t allowed back in. On top of that the one toilet bathroom had literally diarrhea on the floor, so overall a great experience.
Attempted to have a Bithday Party... it was unorganized and unprofessional!No one to assist you!They said no outside foods or beverages for parties you would think they provide enough beverages!!! Which were not cold... NO WATER provided. NO ICE for warm sodas! The pizza was Luke warm because it arrived 30 min before my room time! I requested 2 pizzas got 1. My guests still had to wait in long lines and were not able to stick together! We arrived at 3 pm as scheduled and no one seemed prepared to help me get checked in... they send you off lost! I had to stand outside and greet my guests in the general admission area!And when you spoke to management they were not able to resolve anythingThis may be a fun attraction but not worth the extra money for a party venue
Terrible experience!! When I reserved a laser tag party for $216, I was told unlimited laser tag. What I was not told was that my child’s party of 14 kids was going to consist of them going into the laser tag room for 5 minutes, leaving then standing back in line to wait to return to the laser tag room. When I spoke to a manager, he said that is how they do the party. I was under the impression the kids would get their own room to play in. I was offered an alternative of ropes for an extra $145. I certainly declined! There was no staff there to guide us on where to go for the party room (or after our time in the room was over) and when we actually got to the room, it was set up, the pizza was cold and the beverages were lukewarm. This was the worst experience for such a high amount of money. We got nothing out of the party- just kids playing 2 rounds of laser tag (10mins) and walking around aimlessly trying to keep themselves entertained. I was incredibly disappointed!
Very interactive location. They have two prices. The higher gives you access to more activities. However the lower priced option had a lot of options, so you win either way. My only concern was that sone of the activities werent available/working. Other than that a very enjoyable experience.
The daily price is simply not reasonable. I bought two annual passes for 2 of my younger children, and they really enjoyed it. However, I could not justify my other kid or myself doing more than watch.3 stars for the overall experience. The 4th star for some great staff.
I visited with my 9 year old. Great hands on exhibits. Very fun and educational for children and adults. Staff was very nice and accommodating, although they speak a little too fast because they have been repeating the same things for so long. We were a little disappointed at first because several of the exhibits were down, however, they were fixed very quickly. We will definitely be visiting again.
This place was one of the bigger surprises for me in the new area of Destiny. I was chaperoning a large group of high schoolers. So while I figured they would have fun, I didnt anticipate how much this place would appeal to all ages.When we first arrived the private room was all set to go and they were ready with the wrist bands, explaining what would be available to the group. I was impressed with how effectively they communicated all the information and safety precautions to such a large group.Once everyone was set loose, I noticed that while they didnt have every exhibit staffed at all times, there was never a lack of something fun to do. It was actually a bit overwhelming. There is more in there than you would think. For sure more than can be tackled in one day.Laser tag ran smoothly without any malfunctions, like some places that I have been to. And the ropes course seemed very safe. The staff could have been a bit nicer to one or two students with fears of heights but it wasnt bad enough to dock a star. Make sure you leave yourself enough time to explore the entire thing before they close. You might want to start with that.Overall, whether you want to learn the science behind all of the exhibits, or just enjoy spinning around, this place has a lot to offer. I would for sure recommend the unlimited VIP bands so you can experience it all. Get a group together and check it out.
We went with a group of students and families. Very accommodating to us. With the a multi activity pass we wandered through the Wonderworks activities - something for everyone from small children through adults. Then many of us did laser tag - not a huge playing field but still a lot of fun. Next many from our group went on the ropes course -- so cool! Looking down over 2 stories of the mall - but very safely harnessed. Great experience.
Did the laser tag this time around with the kiddos. They and I had a blast, we did three rounds. Good fun, staff was great. Wish the equipment was I little better maintained. The clasps that held your vests on specifically, two of the four of them were broken on most vests. All in all, a decent time and would do it again.
Wow! We traveled this time with no kids and this place was still awesome. I wanted to visit to try the Rope Challenge myself. I did, it was scary but great!But as other reviewer mentioned it, would be great if the staff could interact and encourage children and adults ( like me, over 40y ) how to handle the obstacles.
At first I figured this place was going to be for kids, with nothing much for me, a 21 year old at the time, to do. Fortunately I was wrong. My friends and I, all around the same age, had a blast! Unfortunately we had a couple heavier members who couldnt enjoy a few of the motion rides due to the weight restrictions, but aside from that small flop, this place is awesome. You can even leave and come back any time within the same day so long as you keep your ticket.
Oh my gosh...I cant tell you how much there is. This is something you just got to try before you understand. Im hoping to take my younger two there next year for their birthday. Yes I will pull them from school for it. Im not done for crowds. We go on a school day and there will be more times for fun. The staff super helpful, friendly, they are willing to talk about everything. My favorite part they are really support and feel like they are making a difference. Its awesome... Cant wait to return.
It was great! We had a family group consisting of 4 different generations and everyone had fun! There was a few things that were worn out, couple of them broken. Small things like a button on a display, or an old snowboarding game you played by standing on an actual snowboard, but overall it was very clean and well maintained. The bigger and newer attractions easily overshadowed the few outdated ones. Our families favorite was the roller coaster simulator. The staff was very friendly as well. The price is 17 dollars per person with 3yrs and under getting in free. For 2-3 hours of fun for any age, its very affordable, and Id reccomend it for anyone!
I had such a hilariously fun time at WonderWorks this past weekend. We went on the ropes course with our 11-year-old friends, but I felt like a kid myself as I walked with trepidation out over the mall shoppers. The ropes course has a series of obstacles connected to different islands and several levels where you can walk between. While scary at first, you quickly learn to trust the rope holding you to the track above everyones heads. It is really a very fun thing to do for people of all ages. I would have never gone on my own, but ended up having a great time!
My daughter had her 7th birthday party here and the girls had a blast in the 4D movie room and bubble area. There is a lot to do if your kids are remotely interested in anything other than video games and sitting around and doing nothing. Do not listen to those that say there is not a lot to do there. In fact, I would say that it takes a parent to go through there with the kids to help explain what everything is. My daughter and her friends were thoroughly interested in learning about what each station was about.
Definitely overrated. Nothing but a glorified and overpriced Chuck E. Cheese for older kids. To be fair, my expectations were probably too high going in - I was thinking it would be of similar caliber to many of the Ripleys Museums weve visited across the country. Instead, it was headache-level noisy, poorly organized, chaotic and drab. Our first experience was so blah that we didnt even bother to go back and use the free birthday pass we later received for my son via Wonderworks Professors Club marketing promotion.Many of the attractions were either out of order or unstaffed during our visit. The activities that were semi-working still looked the worse for wear. Since the most interesting activities (gyro ride, wind tunnel, bed of nails, theater) require staff operation and supervision, this was especially problematic. Stood waiting for up to 15-20 minutes at times, while the few attendants on staff wandered around aimlessly to other areas. The layout and lack of staffing discourages a natural flow from one activity to another, leading to large groups crowding into relatively tight, chaotic spaces to wait their turns at the underwhelming exhibits.Despite the fact that there are hundreds of little hands touching every surface in the place, we saw no one cleaning or sanitizing anything the entire time we were there. The bubble area is a slip and fall waiting to happen, as the bubble solution constantly covers the concrete floor in a thin coat of slime. 3 kids fell and banged their heads/arms in just the few minutes we spent in that area. The one area that didnt utterly disappoint was the lazer tag arena. I use the term arena loosely, because it was actually very small. But my younger kids (3, 7 and 8) were impressed enough by it. Again, a case of the space for the activity being too tight to offer much challenge for kids much older than that.My recommendation - skip pricey Wonderworks and visit the reasonably priced MOST museum a few miles up the road instead. Same emphasis on hands-on, science based activities for all ages, but the staff is much more attentive and the activities/facilities are in considerably better condition.
We went with the local Boy Scout Troop, and the boys loved all three things- the ropes course, Wonder works and laser tag. I was concerned that the things in Wonder works would be for a younger age, but found it was perfect for the boys ages (12 - 16). Some of the boys flew through the ropes course, while others took their time, based on their comfort level. But the course was also designed for various age levels/comfort levels.
The S.T.E.M. learning that is produced here under the auspices of fun is amazing. Every time we go, my kids walk out describing some Physics or other Scientific related thing that shows that they picked up on something new. Places like WonderWorks engage our childrens minds and get them interested in becoming leaders in the development of our future.
This place is not worth the money. I researched ahead of time on their website to see about options for young children. They didnt state children under a certain age is free on their website where I can find. I bought 4 VIP passes from groupon.We show up as a family. Cashier asked how old the kids are to which we told her 3 and 2. Redeem the tickets with the cashier. And after we redeem the cashier says just so you know kids 3 and under are free except for the tots ropes course. I asked if we could just redeem the 2 VIP tickets. Nope they had to redeem them all.So broad brush stroke. I overpaid and couldnt get my money back. Ropes course is only $7 per kid and I paid $25 each! Extremely disappointing. Will not be returning.
2 of the major exhibits were not working and being repaired per posted signs. On a holiday when there is no school all exhibits should be operational. The Google map exhibit was very glitchy and not working properly. I did not appreciate being asked for ID especially when the cost of 2 tickets is less than what other retailers require a signature for. The titanic exhibit was cool and shuttle landing exhibit was interesting.
About 50 5 year old kids from a YMCA with no supervision running around. The little kids jumped in front of lines and took things from other kids. Should definitely let people know when a large unsupervised group of kids are inside. Besides that its not worth the money.
If i could do a No star i would!! I paid over $300 for my party of 12. It was a nightmare! The food was cold which yes it is an outside vendor but having it delivered 15-20 prior to the party time wasn’t the best idea. It was cut in 8 large slices. Party stated 2 slices per child. The hostess wasn’t there to serve it so i did it. They kicked my party out at 6:45pmSo while i was at the restroom with one of the children i return to an empty room with the hostess and we had not done gifts or cupcakes so she attempted to get everyone bs k to the room. We had to figure everything out ourselves as our host just disappeared. We did one of two events as my boys were devestated. I would’ve be better off at Chuck E. Cheese which i hate. I contacted the party sales office the next day no response after finally speaking to a wonderful manager he ensured me that I’d be taken care of but my point is i can not give that day back to my boys! It was their birthday and 30% refund which has yet to be done can never make up for it!! I’m very disappointed and i wouldn’t suggest a party there after my experience!
We had a great time with two 15 year old girls at Wonderworks. We used Groupon and were able to purchase 4 VIP passes for $55. We enjoyed wonderworks and laser tag. I was surprised that the girls enjoyed wonderworks, I was worried they’d be too old, but they had a good time. Laser tag was fun but brief and smaller than I’d prefer. Our passes also included the ropes course but we didn’t have the right shoes for that so we skipped it. We had fun and were able to spend a few hours enjoying ourselves without spending a fortune. I don’t feel it would have been worth it at full price ($27/person- $108 total) but was happy with the experience at the $55 price point.
This would have been a really nice experience but there is no interaction with the staff. They get their money and the children are left to experience the rope climb by themselves. If the child is scared and doesnt even step out on the ropes you have paid $12 and do not get it back. As soon as they step off of the rope system and go back they dont get to try again, they are done. So unless an adult plans on paying and going with the child, the child is left on their own. This can be pretty scary because they start out on the 3rd floor. If the staff was out there to advise the children and help them they may actually face their fears. The older grandchild did it for a while but the younger one never even started. I wouldnt take the rest of my grandkids here.
They have an astronaut suit for kids to pose in that has fabric on the inside of the helmet where kids stick their faces ... it is one enormous lice hazard. There should never be fabric in something that touches thousands of childrens heads.Incredibly unhygenic. Human health hazard.Ropes course gets 5 stars. Wonder works itself is a fairly boring experience. Bathrooms were not very clean.
The human ear is like a tunnel with strings stretching from the floor to the ceiling. These strings very in thicknesses to hear different kinds of sound. If the sound is too loud those strings break.When you are a child you have all or most of your strings still intact. That means you can hear better than at any point in your life. You dont need much volume.I am convinced that our childs experience todayresulted in many of those strings of their inner ear being snapped Beyond repair because of the over-loud music and competing activities.WonderWorks is the loudest place on Earth. I will never go again inspite of how cool it was.
Im going on a class trip here tomorrow and Im so excited Ive been here several times and its sooo fun Im in 6th grade and its still really fun for me so Im really excited, also Ive been on the ropes course about 10 times Its really safe nothing is going to break because it is really sturdy and very well taken care of.😊
Total reviews rating 4.3
199 Reviews for WonderWorks Destiny 2023:
Review №1
2022-02-27So I brought my kids here around 6 years ago when it was still fairly new.. we had a blast & there was a lot to do - it was awesome! Then, yesterday I brought my 2 youngest (11 & 6) and was a huge let down. The majority of the exhibits were closed down or didnt work properly & the place clearly hasnt been cared for.. sad to see this place that had so much potential, become completely run now. Not to mention cost... its not the cheapest attraction at the mall, so unfortunately I wont be visiting here anytime soon.
Review №2
2022-02-19Kids (14 & 9) had lots of fun, especially in the bubble area. They really enjoyed the simulators , except due to the staffing shortage from covid staff was rotating and line took upwards of an hour (some werent even open), line was much shorter towards closing and were able to get through 2 xs in about 20min. I would probably give it a 3.5 if I could because staff was I please (but clearly over worked) and things not open however I er all still a lot of fun. *This was included on a summer savings card purchased through wicz , otherwise I probably wouldnt have paid full price.
Review №3
2022-01-25So much fun! Me and my boyfriend went for a little date and it was great. Definitely not just for little kids loll
Review №4
2021-08-27Lots to do- all interactive and educational!Only $18 to go to museum AND play laser tag=win-win! Plus, they have simulators kids can ride again and again- they loved it!And a 4D movie that is pretty awesome:)
Review №5
2022-05-17Alot of fun for the family. Staff was very nice. So much interesting stuff there. We will definetly be back. Something to do for all ages.
Review №6
2022-01-28The ropes course was terrific for the kids. However many of the lower room exhibits were not functional (compared to last year). They appeared to be under staffed and spoke mostly to bark out masking rules.
Review №7
2022-03-29Loved it but honestly was hard for me throw. The information about them - was slightly different than I thought. The birthday party rooms my daughter got- seemed very clean and nice. Just they should cut deals- for parents of the kids. Crazy prices. But seems the kids all enjoyed it. I was not able to see anything but the party room unfortunately
Review №8
2022-06-05Brought the kids and like other reviews, the place is run down. They had fun but for $58 for me, my wife, and one kid (other was under 3 so he was free.) Alot of exhibits out of order or dont work properly. Not really worth it.
Review №9
2022-05-16Would leave a 0 if i could. All the good exhibits were broken or didnt work as they should. Would not recommend this to anyone. For the price i felt we got ripped off due to everything not working. The staff was friendly besides the young kid working the counter where you paid. He seemed as if it was a burden to have to deal with us. So i wont be returning to this wonders works ever again. Very disappointing.
Review №10
2022-06-24Went there with a group of 4. $20 per person. MANY “exhibits” were out of order or not functioning properly. Zero instruction on how to ride the “rides”.Employee approached and asked if we wanted to do laser tag. We did. And then we were locked out. Considering how slow the mall has been, you should consider lowering prices or offering a Groupon. But hey, my kiddo played in the sand thing for 20 minutes.