The Hidden Gem in Jersey

I always like to be the first to share cool things with the laser tag community. Over the weekend I was traveling through New Jersey (OK, who had “back in NJ again” on their bingo card?) and I had asked Gordy from Laser Storm if he had any arenas he could recommend for me to check out along the way. He pointed me towards BB Grand Slam in South Plainfield, NJ, which may be the most unique hidden gem I have stumbled upon in quite some time. It is not specifically the laser tag itself that is so intriguing, but rather the fact that this has somehow gone under the radar of the tag community…up until now.

Now, this business has been operating with Laser Storm in their laser tag arena for over 20 years, so the fact that nearby laser tag enthusiasts were asking me how I found this site speaks more to their prominence as a baseball club and training site with a focus on skills improvement, batting cages, athletic courts and one of the largest baseball pro shops in state of New Jersey. They even offer baseball and softball lessons with Bobby Bonds, brother of Barry Bonds. This place has a lot going on! However, with an arcade, VR pods, adventure climb and ball pit they are a prime location for birthday parties, which is really where the laser tag factors in the most.

The owner, Gary, told me that laser tag is included in every birthday party package, which makes up the majority of their laser tag business. He says they do overnights and take the occasional walk-ins, but mostly the laser tag is offered to planned party groups. So, in this case by walking in for an individual game I was the exception, not the rule. However, they were incredibly accommodating to allow me to play some tag in the approximately 1000 square foot arena and I had a fantastic time experiencing the game!

I had a 1v1 game with Paul and that was actually perfect for the space and situation. The arena is sized well for kids parties, and has a retro vibe that I really like.

This is an undivided arena with each team’s energizer positioned in an opposite corner.

There are barrels and barrier walls at comfortable heights. Wilsoning for me just meant crouching down behind the wall.

And I liked that you could take up to three hits before energizing (as in tournaments we typically take two, so this kept me in the game significantly longer).

Gary was incredibly complimentary about his experience working with Laser Storm, telling me he feels it is effective and reliable. This business switched from another laser tag manufacturer in roughly 2003, so that speaks well for the longevity they have experienced with Storm.

I posted a couple of teaser photos from my visit online and immediately got response from other laser tag players wanting to know more. That doesn’t happen all the time, but in this case they were asking how it was possible that there is a laser tag in their backyard that they didn’t know was there. That’s why I feel this truly is a hidden gem (in plain sight) and I am delighted to be the first in my laser tag community to be able to share it.