Permanently Closed as of January 2024
Alara + Zane is a brand new boutique and play space in North Hills. It’s adjacent to the Midtown Park lawn behind Chuy’s, so it’s the perfect place to visit after you grab dinner! Play for a bit and then relax on the lawn, and maybe even catch a concert once they start back up! North Hills is one of our favorite spots to visit, so I’m excited there’s an indoor play option there now too!
Alara + Zane is ran by a local husband and wife team who named the business after their two young children. The play space is designed for children 0-6, and caregivers have the added benefit of shopping in the boutique while the kids play!
The Boutique
As soon as you enter, you are greeted by the cute and colorful children’s boutique. Here you will find some of the cutest clothes and shoes, with sizes running from newborn to 6T. They also sell a few birthday party decorations that you aren’t able to find anywhere else. We saw unicorns and pirates when we were there, and it was all stinkin’ adorable!
Indoor Play Space
If you thought the boutique was amazing, just wait until you see the play space! After you register and pay at the front desk you will be led through a secret bookshelf door to your child’s very own wonderland! On the wall is an interactive lightboard that will react to your movement, similar to what you see at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham.
Inside you are greeted by a loft area with a large slide, a small snack café, a separate soft baby play area, arts and crafts room, upstairs classroom, and lots of toys to play with! The space is just so well designed, I felt like I was at the Gregg Museum of Art and Design where we aren’t supposed to touch anything. I actually felt a little bad about my kids dirty, stinky shoes somehow ruining the place, even though we left them in the cubbies at the door! 😂
My uncertainty was ridiculous, because everything in this space is designed to be played with! The toys are mainly wooden, open-ended creative toys like this wooden mechanic toy car that my son LOVED! You can also purchase most of the toys from the play area in the boutique, so if the kids love it enough you can bring it home with you!
Arts & Crafts Room
The neatest thing in the whole space was the interactive dinosaur exhibit in the arts and crafts room. Color your own dinosaur, enter it into the scanning box, and watch it come alive on the screen in front of you! All three of my kids pretty much just did this activity the whole time we were here. It was so fun to see your 3D dinosaur creation look just like your artwork! Plus, seeing their name in their own handwriting up on the screen was just the highlight of my preschooler’s day.
In addition to the coloring sheets, there are also lots of other arts and crafts supplies available so you can let your imagination go wild. We ended up making paper puppets before we left, using construction paper, stickers, and popsicle sticks.
Upstairs Classroom
Don’t miss the “secret” upstairs classroom while you are there! I say “secret” just because we didn’t know it was more play space until towards the end of our visit. A music class was about to begin in the room, so we didn’t get to play up there very long. The owner explained that this room is a bit more like a school classroom and is designed for the preschoolers. They are instructed to get out one activity at a time, which includes Montessori-like trays of activities. I think my kindergartener would have spent more time up here if she had the opportunity, so don’t miss out!
Thoughtfully designed
Seriously though, this place has though of everything. Not only is the space beautiful, but there are so many fun features to explore and they have included everything a parent could possibly need. Their unique design includes these fun circle windows that the kids can actually sit in, and there’s one that is a secret door to the boutique! Luckily it’s right by the front desk so no escaping kids!
The cubbies for your shoes actually have a door on them and can be locked if requested. There’s a nursing alcove and stocked baby changing table in the play space. Even in the bathroom you’ll find a handy seat to contain baby while you do your business. Genius!
Birthday Parties and Classes
Alara+Zane offers customizable birthday party packages that can include everything from an instructor-led story time to a fajita bar. You pick the date and time and they will handle setup, cleanup, and entertainment.
They also offer classes, workshops, and discussion groups to assist the adults through their parenting journey. Classes include everything from infant feeding, expecting multiples, and home organization.
Admission and Pricing
Alara + Zane is designed for kids 6 and under, but children up to age 8 are welcome during special hours in the afternoon after 3pm. Due to the pandemic, they are currently only allowing up to 15 guests in the space at a time, so you must reserve your play time in advance.
A little tip: after you book your play time, go on the website and sign your waiver before you arrive. It will save you some time at check in! Also, don’t forget socks. Everyone, including the adults, must wear them to enter the play space, or you can purchase them if you forget.
Overall Impressions
The only downside of Alara+Zane for me was the pricing. It’s one of the more expensive indoor play spaces in the Raleigh area. They are currently running a promotion where the first child is $15 and siblings are $10, but after that it looks like it will be $20 per child. With three kids in tow, this is a little out of our budget to become a regular play spot. But if you only have one child it’s more manageable, plus they also offer annual memberships like at Marbles Kids Museum. The A+Z Family Circle membership looks interesting, but as of this writing the pricing was not posted on the website.
Another drawback for some may be the no outside food or drink policy. There is a snack café onsite where you can purchase healthy snacks and drinks so you don’t have to go without. Luckily my kids were so busy they didn’t ask for anything until it was time to go!
So what do you think? Will you be visiting Alara+Zane soon?