Families started lining up before sunrise Friday morning for the ribbon cutting at Lululand Adventure Park, a new indoor attraction that filled the long-empty Sears space at Wolfchase Galleria in Memphis. By the time the doors officially opened, the mall's old department-store anchor had been transformed into a family entertainment venue built around rides, climbing attractions, and interactive play areas.
According to WREG, the park is designed for children and families and features attractions and interactive experiences in what organizers describe as a safe, family-friendly environment. The Memphis location occupies the space once held by Sears and is reportedly one of the largest Lululand locations, with the site measuring about 75,000 square feet, per the station's report. Memphis Mayor Paul Young attended the opening and took a turn on the park's signature Air Coaster ride.
Mayor Takes a Spin on the Air Coaster
Young did not just cut the ribbon — he strapped in for the ride himself. “I had to test it out for all the young people and adults that will do it, and it was great,” the mayor said, per the same account. Lululand was scheduled to stay open until 10 p.m. that Friday night, giving families a full day to explore the new space.
Hawaii Lin, who serves as operations director for Lululand, said the long wait for the park's debut was finally over. “We've been waiting for this place to be open for over a year right now,” Lin said, according to the station's report. Star Lanier, another attendee quoted in the coverage, said the park offers many activities for children and adults alike.
Conflicting Numbers on Size and Address
Not every detail about the new park lines up across reports. While WREG described the Memphis site as roughly 75,000 square feet, CoStar reported that Lululand signed a 10-year lease for 74,124 square feet at Wolfchase Galleria, a figure close to but not identical to the station's estimate. The exact street address has also varied between outlets: La Prensa Latina lists the park at 2760 N. Germantown Parkway, while the Commercial Appeal identified the former Sears site as 2800 N. Germantown Parkway in earlier reporting on the project.
Opening-day admission, according to La Prensa Latina's report, ran $20 for 60 minutes, $25 for 90 minutes, and $28 for 120 minutes, with separate rates of $15, $18, and $21 for children five and under at those same time increments. The outlet also reported that the park's required special socks cost an additional $3.50.
Part of a Bigger Trend in Vacant Malls
Lululand's Memphis opening fits into a broader pattern reshaping shuttered department stores across the country. An April report from the Jax Daily Record noted that large vacant department stores are attracting a new use in the suburbs — indoor adventure parks — and detailed a separate Lululand project planned for a 56,400-square-foot former Burlington Stores space in Jacksonville, carrying a stated construction cost of $135,000. That same report put Lululand's footprint at two activity centers in Virginia with seven more coming to Jacksonville, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and three additional Virginia sites, while a later Commercial Appeal article described the brand as having three current U.S. locations with nine more, including Memphis, listed as coming soon.
Elsewhere, a company called Elev8 Fun has pursued a similar strategy, converting empty department stores into parks offering laser tag, arcade games, go-karts and bowling, according to ICSC. That company's first location opened at the Seminole Towne Center mall in Sanford, Florida, on Jan. 1, 2022, and it has since said it is eyeing as many as 10 more Florida locations before expanding into New York and New Jersey.
For now, Memphis families have a new indoor option inside Wolfchase Galleria, built on the bones of a department store that once anchored the mall. Whether it becomes the area's go-to spot for birthday parties and weekend outings will likely depend on word of mouth from the crowds who lined up for Friday's opening.
