A theme park dedicated to construction opens this weekend in Grapevine. "Dig World" lets families use equipment normally dedicated to road construction.
Kids can drive front loaders known as "skid steers" and dig with excavators. They can also race mini-tractors through a construction site. Younger kids can ride with their parents on some rides.
Dig World also gives people a chance to be elevated on a boom lift and shoot basketballs into a oversized construction barrel.
"You see this stuff on the side of the road, and they get the chance to actually use it," said one dad who brought his son. "It's a big opportunity for kids to actually try it out."
Alex Carroll, a co-founder of Dig World, says kids can have fun trying equipment with their parents, but they can also learn about skilled trades.
"It's STEM. My wife and I, we have four kids. It's all about how do you get outside, get off your phone and go do something?" Carroll says. "Don't just play video games, get on Instagram. This is all about getting into STEM and actually operate equipment."
Carroll says kids can develop an interest in careers that are in demand whether they ask questions about the construction process, plumbing as they learn to lay sewer pipes or the mechanics about how equipment works.
At the same time, he says parents often bring their kids and wind up interested to try different rides, too. Dig World is open to adults and kids, but the park can also be booked for parties and corporate events.
"It's kind of misconstrued this is just for kids," Carroll says. "We've got attractions for everyone. We've got a boom lift where you go 30 feet in the air and shoot a basketball into the top of a 12 foot tall barrel cone. We've also got a putting green with a putter head on the end of the excavator that's fun for adults and kids. Really, a Cat 303 excavator is a massive machine and fun for all ages."
The first Dig World opened in Katy, west of Houston. Carroll says a business partner came up with the idea when his son would get fascinated by watching construction equipment on the side of the road.
"What Dig World brings to us is a unique attraction," says P.W. McCallum, executive director of the Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We are a family destination, and it's difficult to add something you don't already have or exists in the marketplace. This is only the second Dig World in existence, only the second construction-type attraction in North America, and it's right here in Grapevine."
McCallum says Grapevine draws visitors for wine tastings during events like GrapeFest, conventions at the Gaylord Texan and families for the North Pole Express around the holidays. He says Dig World can give visitors and families who live in Grapevine another source of entertainment or options for team-building activities.
"We're very excited about it because it appeals to all ages. You're seeing children from three years on climbing on this equipment. Look around us, we've got parents and grandparents all around us," he says. "The way this Caterpillar equipment is set up is safe for anyone of any age to operate."
Dig World Grapevine opens Saturday, July 11 and will be open daily from 9 am to 4 pm. Details are available here.
