Fun and Unusual Venues in NJ: WOW! World of Wings

"10,000 Stars!" was the rating my daughter gave WOW: World of Wings. A combination museum, atrium and indoor playspace, WOW is 2 levels of non-stop fun and exploration, and a one of a kind New Jersey kid funtastic experience. We have visited many indoor playspaces in New Jersey, but this is quite different than your average museum; have you ever been allowed to blow giant bubbles indoors or seen cockroaches participating in their own Olympics? If your child is an entomologist or zoologist in training, WOW is the place for you!

My girls were amazed by the giant butterfly sculpture when we first pulled into World of Wings in Teaneck, New Jersey, but even more amazed once we got inside. The designer definitely paid attention to detail because everywhere you looked, there was something visually surprising and stunning. We started out in the exhibition, home to many reptiles and bugs, then wandered through Aquaponics, Lizard Zone, Reptila Room, and Amphibian Alley. The next stop was the Butterfly Atrium. You can heck the board to see the daily times for butterfly release, but even if you miss the mass release, you can still walk through the atrium and see many beautiful butterflies. Of course, the best part was when they landed on us!

After we were creature-d out, we stopped in the bounce room, Just Bounce. for some inflatable fun, then on to iCafe where you can take family photos, manipulate them on Smartables (almost like iPad tablets), and either print or email the pics to yourself. We then visited the Bubble Room where you can use huge wands and vats of bubbles to create a soapy wonderland, and The Illusion Room, full of optical illusions (and the space for Le Petit Chef and Krafty Kids, a cooking class for kids and an arts and crafts program).

Follow the winding staircase and visit the second floor, home to private party rooms, a cafe called Grub Club, and the toddler play space, Open House. There was a dress up area as well as a child sized salon where you can get your nails painted and apply make up.The best part about the second floor is the Open House play zone for children 5 and under, basically a kid sized house with mini-recliners and couches, a snowball crawl, climb-ables and a library.

World of Wings also has a gift shop, an ice cream counter and  a restaurant, Embers, but we did not stop in as we were very busy trying to visit all of the attractions. The admission pricing is a bit complicated: you can pay individually for the exhibit, the exhibit and atrium combo, or purchase a Daily Family Pass. Prices start at $6 for kids 2-12 and $12 for adults, while a Family Day Pass for our family, two adults and two kids, was $81. This included all the attractions and was worth it, as we spent four hours having fun. Check their website for more information on admission, as there are discounts for teachers and seniors.

World of Wings is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am-6pm, closed Mondays. 201-833-4650