Look beyond the casinos that dot Shreveport, Louisiana’s bustling waterfront and you’ll find a city that provides plenty of attractions for teenagers. Dubbed “Sportsman’s Paradise” due to its vast lakes, winding rivers and lush bayous, the region has scores of recreational activities for adventurous teens, as well as an assortment of educational facilities for studious types.
Teens can cool off at Splash Kingdom Family Waterpark, an outdoor venue open between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend. Enjoy high-speed twists and turns on an inner tube slide, test your surfing skills against 6-foot swells in the wave pool and drop 40 feet down an enclosed chute into a 12-foot-deep pool. Host a birthday party at the park and you’ll get your own private party tent complete with water balloons and food. Querbes Park and Community Center includes a swimming pool and is open to the public from early June through late July. The pool has a water slide and a splash pad with geysers and fountains. The park also has tennis courts and a community center that hosts karate and dance lessons.
Sci-Port: Louisiana's Science Center is a 92,000-square-foot complex with nearly 300 interactive exhibits on math, science, space and technology. The museum also has a planetarium that hosts laser shows and evening star-watching parties. Teenagers can enjoy short films on such varied subjects as sharks and the Grand Canyon on the IMAX theater’s 60-foot-tall screen. Shreveport is home to eight libraries, including its large main branch. All of the branches stage a variety of events throughout the year geared specifically toward teens, including Teen Connection, an afternoon of games, arts and craft workshops and computer classes, and a teen book club.
Kids can enjoy a night of roller skating at Hot Wheels Skating Palace where a DJ plays music and colorful lights flash from above. The venue is open to the public six nights a week and on some evenings hosts themed events, such as Christian music and dance contests on wheels. The facility also includes private party rooms and a snack bar. Head to Cross Lake, just five minutes from downtown Shreveport, and embark on an adventure with Ark-La-Tex Flyboard. The company rents flyboards, or hovercrafts that float over the water with the aid of high-powered hoses and jet nozzles connected to boots. Riders float as high as 40 feet over the lake. Participants must be at least 12 years old and a minimum of 90 pounds.
Make your way to Bossier City, just five minutes across the Red River from Shreveport. Party Central provides a host of activities, including bumper cars, bumper boats, a water slide, an 18-hole miniature golf course, a quarter-mile go-kart track and five batting cages with pitch speeds between 45 and 75 miles per hour. The entertainment zone also includes an arcade with video and midway carnival games. Also in Bossier City, the massive Holiday Lanes is home to 44 bowling lanes, a casual cafe and arcade. On Friday and Saturday nights, the venue has glow in the dark bowling parties. The facility also has bowling leagues comprised of teens.
