Sky Zone in Bethel to Shutter After Labor Day

BETHEL, CT — Sky Zone will be closing after Labor Day weekend.

The indoor park opened in the Francis J. Clarke Industrial Park in 2014, offering an eclectic slate of activities year-round that made use of the facility's foam ball pits, basketball nets, obstacle courses, and sea of trampolines.

"It's an underperforming park," said owner Ed Kim, who operates Sky Zones in Norwalk and on Long Island. "It's not making the money it should be."

Sky Zone in Bethel was among the very first such facilities in the area, and Kim counts that towards much of the park's initial success. But as competition grew, it became a less attractive destination. He calls Bethel "a tough location, especially if you are coming from the interstate."

In May 2018, Sky Zone Bethel was sued by a man who claimed he was injured on-site in the park. A Danbury Superior Court judge scheduled a status conference for next week for the suit next week, but Kim said the suit nor the timing had any bearing on his decision to shutter the Bethel location.

"Anyone in the business more than five years, gets twenty of these (suits) a year," Kim told Patch. "That's why there are insurance companies."

Sky Zone has employed and trained over 300 local workers during its time in Bethel, according to a posting on Facebook bidding farewell to the community.

Kim plans to show his appreciation to that community by offering a "free jump" for all Bethel residents on Wednesday, Aug. 28, alongside a fundraiser with all of the donations to be given to the Bethel Education Foundation.