Essex Family Fun & Entertainment Center

Went with my 5 year old to play mini golf. Course is pretty with all the water features, but it is in need of some repairs. Pretty standard course- nothing too crazy or tricky. Felt it was a bit pricey (or maybe I haven't played mini golf in a while! LOL)-- one adult was $13 and a 5-year old was $9. We did not check out any of the other things that they had to offer. Note: Mini golf is cash only

We went mini golfing and thought the course was nice. The trees and landscaping were great and provided a lot of shade on a hot day. The course was a little outdated and needed some maintenance on the greens for the price charged. It is a cash only place, which is a downside. But overall the experience was good and it's the only mini golf place around.

Essex Family Fun has become a total dump of a place and not worth the money ($13/person to play putt putt). They need to either renovate, sell the place to someone new who can come in with some money and energy to revitalize it or close down. Also, it's 2025 and it's still cash only. Ridiculous. They should put some revenue back into the place, but obviously they're done caring about the product and it really shows. Too bad.

Unfortunately, this is the only mini golf course around and they know it. Business always appears to be booming but the place is in shambles. The artificial pools, fountains, and rivers, which the course's builders were likely so proud of, are now eyesores of broken plumbing, chipped paint, and pools of soapy water. The holes themselves are in serious disrepair with torn, wrinkled, and stained green carpet. The stonework is broken, crumbling, and often in the wrong place. The few holes that once gave you a hole-in-one on just the right shot no longer work properly. Even in its heyday, this course didn't have much to make it special. So why go? Because mini golf is still fun and It's the only show in town. (seriously, you could make a killing if you even just converted a junk yard to compete with this place)

I enjoy this place now that I know (the hard way) that you have to bring your own cash and they WON'T accept any cards (it's 2019, what is this about). It is so close and convenient, I find myself sneaking over to hit a bucket of balls. I would rate it higher but the whole cash thing kills me and there were some cleanliness issues I believe could be cleaned up. The boys clearly enjoyed miniature golf as shown in our photos. And the batting cages are something which is hard to come by in this area.