It’s the stuff a Call of Duty video game is made of, but it’s real life, giving you an adrenaline rush like no video game can. Splatters Paintball is not your ordinary paintball field. 20 acres of gaming area is strategically scattered with a variety of impressive, life-size props including cars, buses, out-buildings, a 48-foot retired rescue helicopter, and a massive multi-story castle and fortress.
What started off as backyard fun for Evan Schroeder quickly developed into his life’s dream. According to Schroeder, typical paintball areas were usually located in the bush and for adults only.
“I wanted to have it in the open, with more obstacles to hide behind than just trees,” Schroeder says.
Kids as young as ten years old can play. Schroeder has placed much emphasis on providing a clean, safe, well-staffed and refereed game area where parents can watch from the sidelines if they choose. Splatters also caters to groups as small as four, but as many as 80 can play at one time. They are equipped with 125 sets of equipment, compressed air for the guns, and plenty of paintballs. Games last anywhere from one to three hours.
“Corporate events at golf courses are groups of four, very segregated,” says Schroeder. “But paintball is one big group together, playing in two teams but making memories with all players, which allows conversation to carry over to the supper after and back to work the next week. [Many events] have group-size and tight time restrictions. Splatters is large enough to have a laidback timeline, allowing you to play and rest in between as you please.”
In 2008, Schroeder purchased the 40-acre property near New Bothwell and developed it into a multifaceted theme park. Along with the vast paintball gaming field, Splatters also boasts a seven-acre driving range for golfers to practice their swing, a covered picnic and fire pit area, an outdoor volleyball court, and a play structure and swings for the kids. A skateboard park is in the works for the fall of 2016.
Splatters caters to birthday and stag parties, team windups, corporate and youth groups, or anyone looking to share a good time with friends. The season runs from April to November. Reservations are required from Monday to Thursday. Drop-ins are welcome on weekends.
