Chicago, Illinois is in many ways a traditional Midwestern city. As anybody familiar with Midwestern sensibilities will tell you, the locals tend to want to enjoy the tried and true. This extends to sports as well, usually. Chicago is a great sports town, with the Cubs, White Sox, Bears, Bulls and Blackhawks enjoying massive and loyal followings
One might therefore assume that extreme sports, such as paintball, wouldn’t be easily accepted in a city such as Chicago. The fact is, though, that paintball is increasingly moving into the mainstream. It is not a spectator sport, obviously, but its popularity and acceptance grows each year and one wonders when paintball might be on the same level as golf and bowling.
One sign of paintball’s widespread popularity in Chicago is the number of good paintball fields. The following is a list and review of the four best paintball fields in the Chicago area.
The Grindhouse Paintball Field
1401 Huntington Drive
Calumet City, Illinois
The Grindhouse Paintball Field right outside of Chicago is an indoor facility. It is a relatively small field, but in good condition and well run. The staff is friendly and helpful and the rental equipment is in good shape.
For outdoor enthusiasts, obviously this might not be the best selection. But for newbies, or those who appreciate the speed of indoor paintball, the Grindhouse Paintball Field is very reasonably priced and accommodating.
Odyssey Fun Paintball Field
3440 Odyssey Court
Naperville, Illinois
Odyssey Fun is an entertainment complex, which includes paintball. Other attractions here include Laser Tag, indoor amusement park type rides and an exploration adventure for kids.
The paintball facility itself is relatively new and very well maintained. As it is a bit out of the way, this makes for a great destination place for a group as reservations for larger groups are a bit easier than might be expected given the good conditions and reasonable prices. As with most Chicago area paintball fields, Odyssey Fun Paintball does not allow outside paint to be used, but the overall pricing here is quite good. Packages can cost anywhere form $20 to $30, which will include the paint and use of the facility. Nobody under the age of 10 is allowed and for those under the age of 18, a parental waiver, signed by a parent on the premises, is required.
Chicagoland Paintball Field
537 West 195th Street
Glenwood, Illinois
This might be the most amenity rich and professional paintball facility in all of Chicago. The facilities include wireless internet access for laptops, showers, and even quiet areas for those wishing to get away from the noise of the game. Chicagoland Paintball Field even has great viewing areas for those wishing to watch their friends or future rivals compete.
Chicagoland Paintball clearly markets and caters to groups for corporate outings, bachelor parties and paintball birthday celebrations. They offer good pizza, a wide variety of energy drinks and a kitchen.
Funtime Square Paintball Field
11901 South Cicero Avenue
Alsip, Illinois
Chicago’s Funtime Square Paintball Field is just one of the attractions at this entertainment and action themed park. While Funtime Square also offers mini golf, go karts, bumper boats, batting cages, an arcade and amusement rides, the paintball field takes a backseat to none of these; in fact, it might be Funtime Square’s most popular attraction.
While Funtime Square Paintball Field is not really the first choice necessarily for paintball purists or hardcore paintball enthusiasts, it is a good place to get exposed to the game, or bring a group of varying levels without spending too much money.
One of the most interesting aspects of this Chicago favorite is the liberal use of ‘manmade’ types of objects on the field. It features abandoned ‘houses’, cars, barrels and wreckage, all which add an interesting dynamic and spirit of fun to the game.
As Chicago increasingly welcomes ‘extreme sports’ into its consciousness, these paintball fields will continue to draw new players and repeats alike. If you live in Chicago or are visiting, make sure to check one of them out if you are in the mood for paintball.
