The new Scheels opened on April 6th, 2024 and generated lots of excitement from the people living in Meridian, Idaho as well as other surrounding cities. As soon as you walk in the store, you’re greeted by a 16,000-gallon saltwater aquarium that’s home to over 600 fish. Once you pass the aquarium, you then approach the 65-foot-tall ferris wheel, which is a thrilling attraction for families visiting.
Some of the many activities for kids include a play area for when their parents need some time to shop, a LEGO store with many displays to entice the collector, an arcade that comes with shooting, racing, and sports games, the ferris wheel as previously stated, is only one dollar per passenger, and rollerball, which is a smaller version of bowling. These are just some of the attractions that Scheels has to offer. Ryker Curry, a freshman at Rocky Mountain High School stated, “I forgot most of the stores, but the Lego store really stood out to me.”
Not only are there activities for the kids, but of course there’s activities for the adults. This includes Ginna’s cafe with gourmet sandwiches and tea, Fuzziwig’s candy factory that makes homemade fudge and chocolate in store. There are many photo opportunities with props such as a snowmobile, an eight foot tall bigfoot, and kayaks that you can interact with and pose with for a picture or just to have fun.
There’s tons of unique and new things about Scheels that you’re not going to see a lot at other businesses. Molly Arnold, a freshman at Rocky said “I remember there being a huge wall full of straight Stanley cups. There were tons of colors and sizes of cups being displayed.”
Whenever you’re looking for a new pair of kicks or a new hat to pair with an outfit, Scheels has got you covered. One of the first things you see when you walk into the store is the shoe wall that’s over 100 feet long filled with shoes from top to bottom. The wall is filled with shoes from many brands such as Nike, Adidas, Birkenstocks, HOKA, and Vans. Almost the entirety of the first floor is dedicated to clothes and accessories.
Scheels is typically thought of as a sports store. It has gear for almost any sport or outside activity imaginable. They have gear for pickleball, rowing, swimming, basketball, archery, horseback riding, hunting, and so much more. Scheels has a huge area dedicated to water activities. Whether you want to float the river, go kayaking, or simply go swimming, they have everything you need to be prepared.
Another thing that was relatively prominent in Scheels was their weaponry. There was a large variety of guns, knives, katanas, ammo, and gun safes. The guns and gun safes were located upstairs, separated from all the other departments. Which is a great idea because it keeps the area child-friendly.
This 240,000 square foot building is a great asset to our community not only for everything it has to offer to the consumer, but it also employs over 500 people. Scheels as a company is a great addition to our community for many years to come.
