Revive Entertainment Complex opens in Fairfield

FAIRFIELD – A new entertainment complex has opened in Fairfield with things to do for kids and adults alike.

Revive Entertainment Complex opened in January in the building previously occupied by Midwest Ambulance at 111 S. 17th St. The business’s owner, Ashley Worley, said she wanted to create a place where families could make memories doing fun things together. Last year, she began looking for places where she could set up the activities she had in mind, and the former ambulance barn ticked all the boxes. It was large enough to accommodate the large room for children to play in, and already had a laundry room.

Worley spent the summer and fall renovating the building, and opened it to the public on Jan. 6. The children’s play area includes retro arcade games, a playhouse, a toddler rollercoaster and an interactive projector where kids can play games that are projected onto a wall. Worley said one of the most popular items in the play area is an air blower that sucks up items and spits them out its top.

Another corner of the building is dedicated to a “rage room,” where adults can don a protective jump suit and face shield while they get their frustrations out by smashing bottles, windows and old television sets. Worley said she first saw such a thing on TikTok, and talked to people who went to one and learned how much fun they had.

“The rage room brings that unique factor,” she said. “Everyone has said how much of a stress-reliever it is. It’s like therapy. They say they feel 100 pounds lighter when they come out, and one lady said she wanted a standing appointment here every Friday after work.”

Worley said another reason she liked moving into the former ambulance barn is that it has three overhead doors, which makes it easy for her to clean the debris from the rage room.

On the east half of the building is a concession stand where Worley sells finger foods, soda, beer and wine. Worley got the bar she uses for the concession stand from a Richland restaurant that closed last year called Loriann’s. The concession area has several tables and chairs, plus a shuffle board table. Two rooms off the concession area contain video games, and can each be rented. One has a Playstation 5 and a virtual reality headset, and the other room has a Nintendo Switch. The rooms also come with a “mystery kit” that presents a mystery and a host of clues suggesting how to solve it.

Worley and her husband Scott both graduated from Fairfield High School, with Scott graduating in 2003 and Ashley graduating three years later. They have three sons and now reside in Birmingham. Worley works fulltime as a virtual CFO for LPL Financial, so for the moment, she’s only able to open Revive Entertainment three days a week, on Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and evening, and Sunday afternoon. She’s the only employee, too, though she hopes she can hire workers, and expand the business’s hours, with enough community support.

“I would love for this to become fulltime, because my passion is entertainment, party planning and relationships,” Worley said. “I want to see Fairfield have a revival, hence the name, and I want to see people make memories together and give children a healthy outlet. We’ve experienced a lot of trauma as a community, so I feel it’s important to bring positivity and a space for people to connect.”

Worley’s goal is to host one special event per month, and her next special event is a Mom’s Night Out on Feb. 10. After that, she’ll host an Adult Prom on March 11, for couples who wish to relive the thrill of prom from their youth. In April, she’ll host Easter Flower Design, where guests will make a floral display to take home.

Worley said she’s already hosted a couple of birthday parties at her new business, plus a company Christmas party. Reservations of the business’s various rooms can be made online at its website revivefairfield.com.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com