By Mary Elizabeth Dial , Staff Correspondent
The Factory, a trampoline center and arcade, made its home in Gadsden about three years ago, but just like its patrons, it continues to reach for new heights. A “ninja course” recently opened in the trampoline center, challenging kids big and small to push their limits.
The ninja course, an obstacle course suspended over a foam pit, opened Feb. 1 after a special VIP night Jan. 30 for winners of a Facebook contest. The sneak preview included giveaways and an appearance by Jimmy Bogle, 2005 Gaston High School graduate and former American Ninja Warrior contestant, who demonstrated the course for guests.
Employees at The Factory are optimistic that the new course will bring a new set of “ninjas” to the trampolines while giving old pros a reason to come back.
“It keeps everything changing. It keeps us interesting to our customers,” said manager April Thrasher. Event coordinator Emily Gibbs added, “Of course it’s fun, you come and you jump and you play, but there’s really a lot of athletic challenges here. [The ninja course] is going to bring an older crowd because it’s a little bit more challenging.”
When it opened, The Factory consisted of the trampoline room, a few arcade games, a dance room and batting cages. It has since grown to include a laser course, where players compete against each other to shoot the most targets, and a flight simulator. With the latest addition, the ninja course, The Factory seems to have unlimited ways to keep its patrons entertained and active, and these patrons aren’t just from the after-school crowd.
“I think we book just as many adult things as we do for kids,” Thrasher said. “It’s a nice balance.”
The Factory holds regular hours Wednesday – Sunday. For more information about the ninja course and The Factory as a whole, call 256-312-8974.
