On Monday, October 19, Veterans Memorial Arena on 7th Avenue East moves to winter hours. On weekdays it opens at 7 a.m. and now stays open until 9 p.m. That's an hour later than the fall schedule Monday through Thursday and two hours later on Friday. Walking that track costs nothing.
The city's newest indoor attraction opened five days ago on 13th Avenue East. It has a three-level playground and an interactive game floor that no other location in its chain has. Between those two buildings, the price gap is wide. Most indoor activity here runs through the West Fargo Park District at free or $5 prices. The paid venues are things you add on top of that.
Two Park District buildings do most of the work
Veterans Memorial Arena, 1201 7th Ave. E. has two indoor ice rinks, an indoor walking and jogging track one-eighth of a mile long, and a fitness room. The track is free and open to the public whenever the building is open. The fitness room is also free for anyone 18 or older. It has a treadmill, a recumbent bike, an elliptical, a universal weight bench, and free weights.
Winter hours at the arena run from Oct. 19, 2026, through March 7, 2027:
- Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Hours can change for holidays, rentals, and events. Track schedules are posted at the arena information center.
Rustad Recreation Center, 601 26th Ave. E. has the arena's free track plus a few more things. Its building includes three full-size basketball courts, indoor turf, an indoor playground, and a raised one-eighth-mile track. The track is free during building hours. Fall and winter hours at Rustad run from Sept. 8, 2026, to May 9, 2027. The building opens at 6 a.m. Monday through Friday and closes at 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 p.m. on Friday, and 6 p.m. on weekends, when it opens at 9 a.m.
The courts host open gym, open volleyball, and open pickleball sessions. Each session costs $5 per active participant, or $40 for a 10-session punch card. The schedule changes every week. The Park District posts the coming week's schedule by the Friday before, so plan your week on Friday.
The indoor playground has its own hours, and they're shorter at the end of the week. It opens at 9 a.m. every day and closes at 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 p.m. on Friday, 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $5 per active user and free for children under 2. A 10-visit punch card costs $40.
What $40 buys across town
The new venue makes more sense once you see it next to those base prices. Every figure below comes from the venue's own listing or from local news coverage this fall.
| Option | Address | What you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Arena track and fitness room | 1201 7th Ave. E. | Free; fitness room is 18+ |
| Arena open public skate | 1201 7th Ave. E. | Free; bring your own skates |
| Rustad track | 601 26th Ave. E. | Free |
| Rustad playground | 601 26th Ave. E. | $5 per active user; under 2 free; 10 visits for $40 |
| Rustad open gym, volleyball, pickleball | 601 26th Ave. E. | $5 per session; 10 sessions for $40 |
| Hulbert Aquatic Center open or lap swim | West Fargo | $3 standard daily admission |
| Gathered FM Play Cafe | 715 13th Ave. E., Suite 101 | $14 for one child; $12 rate listed for two or more |
| Chuck E. Cheese Adventure World | 1500 13th Ave. E., Suite E | From $19.99 per child, all day; parents free |
At the starting price, two kids spend one day at Adventure World for $39.98. That's almost exactly what a 10-visit Rustad playground card costs. One option buys a single all-day outing for two kids, and the other covers ten separate playground visits.
The newcomer on 13th Avenue East
Chuck E. Cheese Adventure World took over the side-by-side storefronts that used to hold a David's Bridal and a Maurices. InForum reported that the combined space is one open playroom of 18,000 square feet under 20-foot ceilings. It has multi-level climbing structures with slides, tubes, ball pits, obstacle courses, and a mini soccer court. The city held a grand opening with a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Valley News Live covered the public opening the next day, Oct. 7.
The design is aimed at kids ages 3 to 8. Rickie Moore, the company's director of field training operations, told InForum that market research showed parents wanted more active play and fewer arcade games. "It's designed to get kids out running around," Moore told the paper.
The West Fargo location has a few things you won't find at the others:
- It's the third Adventure World in the chain. The first was built in Arlington, Texas, in fall 2025.
- InForum reported it as the largest new Adventure World and the first with the Pixel Floor. On this lit checkerboard floor, kids follow directions on a video screen through physical games and challenges.
- A toddler zone has gentler slides and a mini ball pit, and the brand's "kid check" stamp system makes sure each child leaves with the right adult.
- A costumed Chuck E. appears in person, and shows play on a 150-foot digital screen. Pasqually's Pizza & Snack Shop now carries more grab-and-go items.
Birthday party packages start at $99 for six kids. If you'd rather run your own party, the arena also rents multi-purpose space on its dry floor for birthday parties and bouncy houses. To book, email [email protected].
Gathered FM Play Cafe is a little farther west on the same avenue, at 715 13th Ave. E., Suite 101. It takes a quieter approach to indoor play, focused on screen-free, imaginative play. Its website lists weekday hours of 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and says it's closed Sundays except for special events and parties. The page has no update date, so check hours and prices before you go.
Filling in the parts of the week the gyms don't cover
The Park District buildings leave a few gaps. Rustad's playground closes at 3 p.m. on Sundays, and court schedules change from week to week. Two other public options fill those gaps.
Hulbert Aquatic Center's school-year schedule started Aug. 17, 2026. Open swim in the lesson pool runs weekends from noon to 3 p.m. Lap swim runs weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 5:30 to 8, and weekends from noon to 3. Standard daily admission is $3, with punch cards and season passes available. Times can change, so check the live calendar.
The West Fargo Public Library at 215 Third St. E. covers weekday mornings for younger kids. Ready to Read Storytime is this Wednesday, Oct. 14, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. It's free, it's for ages 3 to 5, and you don't need to register. The library's calendar for the same week also lists Teeter Tots Storytime, Baby Boost Storytime, a Spooky Crafternoon for Kids, and a Family Movie on Thursday and Friday.
Put together, a week of public options might look like this:
- Weekday mornings: library storytime, or Rustad's playground once it opens at 9.
- Weekday evenings: laps on the arena track until 9 p.m. starting Oct. 19, or a $5 open pickleball session at Rustad if it's on that week's schedule.
- Saturday: Rustad's playground until 6 p.m.
- Sunday: open swim at Hulbert from noon to 3 p.m., then the arena track until 7.
Each step on that list is free or costs $5 or less per person.
What opens next
Two seasonal options are still to come. The Park District says free open public skate at Veterans Memorial Arena runs from November through March. Times can change, and the schedule for the 2026–27 season hasn't been posted yet. The arena doesn't rent skates, and hockey equipment isn't allowed during open skate, so bring your own skates.
The Lights Ice Rink, at 300 32nd Ave. W., moves the season outdoors. It's an NHL-size rink open from December to mid-March. No opening date or rental price for this winter has been announced yet.
When you're picking between the free arena track and a $19.99 play day, you're making a value call, and pricing a home works the same way. The team at Up North Realty Group puts the same attention into West Fargo homes, comparing each house with the actual sales around it. If you'd like to know where yours stands this winter, request a human-prepared valuation. Get Your Home's Value.
