A monster-themed family entertainment destination is getting ready to bring its unique brand of fun to the northern suburbs of Boston this winter.
Monster Mini Golf is preparing to open its third Massachusetts location at 96 General Way in Reading, inside the Market Basket plaza. First-time local franchisee Sean Hurley told What Now Boston that construction began a couple of weeks ago, with the roughly 15,000-square-foot venue targeting an opening around mid-December, pending permitting and construction.
Originally from Medford, Hurley and his wife visited a Monster Mini Golf location in Washington, D.C. a couple of years ago and immediately became enamored with the concept. “We really loved it,” Hurley said. “Came back and I said, ‘Oh, that’s weird. I haven’t been to one in the Boston area before.’”
After discovering a Monster Mini Golf location in Norwood, Hurley began looking into bringing the concept closer to home. That investigation eventually turned into a franchise, and about a year and a half later, he’s getting ready to open his first Monster Mini Golf location in Reading.
Founded in Danielson, Connecticut in 2004, Monster Mini Golf has grown into an indoor family entertainment chain with more than 50 locations across the United States and Canada. The brand’s signature experience combines an 18-hole, blacklight-lit mini golf course with monsters, animatronics, music, games, contests, disco balls, and other special effects.
“Every Monster Mini Golf location reflects the personality of the community it serves while staying true to the experience families have come to expect from our brand,” said Chris King, President and CEO at Monster Entertainment. “We are so excited to bring our concept to Reading, Massachusetts, as this is a state where we started expanding our brand nearly 20 years ago. We look forward to seeing this new center become a vibrant part of the local community.”
The Reading location will have plenty of its own larger-than-life surprises. The mini golf course will feature animatronics, holograms, themed monsters, witches, spells, smoke effects, and other interactive elements. One particularly hard-to-miss feature will be a roughly seven-foot-tall animatronic King Kong, complete with an arm reaching out toward the course.
There will also be a DJ booth overlooking several holes, where a live DJ will play music, host games, and keep the atmosphere lively as guests make their way through the course.
Beyond mini golf, the venue will feature a Monster Mini Golf-themed laser tag arena, which Hurley counts among his favorite attractions. “You kind of have different monsters jumping out from behind you in different places,” he explained. “You have teams and you compete against each other.”
Guests can also take on a laser maze, where they’ll have to navigate an enclosed space filled with lasers without getting hit, along with an arcade and party rooms.
Then there’s duckpin bowling, a smaller-scale variation on traditional bowling that uses smaller pins and lighter balls. Hurley said the game is particularly well suited to children because of its fast pace.
The variety of activities is part of what Hurley finds appealing about the concept, particularly in New England, where outdoor entertainment options are limited for much of the year.
“You know New England, you really only have three or four months a year where you can do all this stuff outdoors,” he said. “This is twelve months a year, and we’re excited about it.”
The venue will also have a little something for visitors who need to refuel, although there won’t be a full kitchen on site. The team is hoping to partner with a local pizza company to offer pizza, along with basic concessions such as drinks, popcorn, ice cream, and other snacks.
Given the activity already happening around the plaza, Reading felt like a natural fit for the entertainment concept. The area is home to Stop & Shop, Simply Fit & Fun, and Spirit Halloween, with a golf simulator venue and Trader Joe’s also expected nearby, plus convenient access to Jordan’s Furniture, Home Depot, and Interstate 95.
With so much already happening around the area, Hurley hopes Monster Mini Golf will become a welcome addition to the Reading community. He’s already joined the Chamber of Commerce and plans to make the venue a place where families and friends can gather for birthday parties, date nights, and corporate events, while also providing opportunities for local nonprofits to host fundraisers.
That community focus will extend to the design of the Reading location, too. Rather than creating a cookie-cutter entertainment venue, Hurley wants the space to feel fun, whimsical, and unique. To help give it a local touch, roughly 10 to 15 people with ties to the area will be “monsterified” and incorporated into the venue as monster artwork.
As he gets ready to open his first location, Hurley is focused on creating an experience that stays fresh and gives people a reason to return. He hopes to eventually open one or two more locations in the area, but for now, he’s excited to see the concept take root in Reading.
“We want to be somewhere that people really enjoy going to, that’s novel and changes over time,” he said. “We want to get better and better and better, and continue to innovate.”
And ultimately, he said, it comes back to his connection to the state he calls home: “I love Massachusetts. And I think Reading is going to be a fantastic spot for Monster Mini Golf.”
