Bouncing around in Lynnfield

From one playground to another.

Well, different kinds of playgrounds, I suppose. One was a playground for adults who love to shop, love Christmas, and love a good deal. The other is an actual indoor playground for all ages. Two completely different ideas, but with the same taste of adventure.

Nova Adventure Park is a recreation center and indoor adventure park that now lives inside the home of the former, and beloved, Christmas Tree Shops on Route 1 in Lynnfield. It was a huge loss for the North Shore community when that iconic shop closed down in 2023, along with every other chain location across Massachusetts. They had been a staple in New England since the 1950s.

But, the adventure is far from over at 34 Broadway in Lynnfield. There are even traces of the old shop that made their way into the new business.

“All the wooden framing on the exterior and the structure, we kept that the same [as Christmas Tree Shops]. Everything else was renovated,” Nova Adventure Park General Manager Danny Chen said. “We are super fortunate because I feel like we are able to be in a landmark that everyone knows. Customers call and ask where we are located and we just say “The old Christmas Tree Shops.”

The all-ages indoor park experience opened last October and is part of a franchise. Chen said there is actually another location in Plymouth and that is where he worked before being asked to help open the Lynnfield spot.

When asked why he loves coming to work every day, he explained that every day is different and every day is full of happiness.

“When you’re walking around all you hear is kids giggling and having fun,” he explained. “I worked a corporate job before and this is definitely much more lively.”

Nova Adventure Park is over 50,000 square feet of pure fun. There are trampolines everywhere – with some even connected to video game systems where you can become the character while you jump, foam pits and ball pits galore, and even a mini-version of a zip line that looks so much fun I almost went down it myself.

There’s also a full-blown arcade, a ropes course, various obstacle courses, basketball hoops, a dodgeball court, soccer nets where games get a little crazy, according to Chen, and a whole rock wall area where guests can race each other.

“The amount of times parents just sign their kids up and come back and sign themselves up,” Chen said. “They come in here and make memories together. Then they go home and they’re all tired out and it’s a relaxing, quiet drive home for everyone.”

Every crevice is filled with spaces suited for parents to relax. Movie theater couches cover the walls throughout and there is even a row of massage chairs right in the center of the adventure park. Picnic tables by the front provide the perfect space for parents to work and for families to snack.

Chen said it’s important to note they do provide some snacks,
as outside food and drinks are not allowed in an effort to keep everything clean and safe.

There’s even a backroom with a playground for kids under the age of 12, and it’s surrounded by nine rooms they use for special birthday parties. Yep, that’s right! They have birthday packages that give you a private room for a party and a whole lot of pizza for your guests.

The back room is actually where Christmas Tree Shops held all their storage, according to Chen. Safe to say, Nova Adventure Park got a real bargain when moving into this space. And for those that don’t recall, that was a reference to the old Christmas Tree Shops jingle “Don’t you just love a bargain.”

The adventure park can fit 500 people at a time, with general pricing starting at $23 an hour for bigger kids and adults and $17 an hour for toddlers. Chen says he is excited for more people to learn about Nova and check it out. He’s also excited to start working on offering sensory rooms and sensory hours, so everyone can come and truly enjoy the park in their own, safe way.

“It’s a spot for everyone to hang out,” Chen said. “Kids can be in a place where they let loose and release their energy and parents can plan with other parents to come here together.”