Professor Hacker’s Lost Treasure Golf

We discovered this place by accident when the kids spotted the mining train from the Parkway, and honestly, it's become our go-to when we want mini-golf that's actually different. The train ride up the mountain isn't just a gimmick — it sets the whole treasure hunting vibe and gives you this cool overview of what you're about to play through.

The two courses have completely different feels, with one focused on gold mines and the other on diamonds, but here's what nobody mentions: that second course costs an extra $7. We learned that the hard way when the kids wanted to play both. The gold course is usually less crowded in the afternoon, so we always start there and decide if we want to add on the diamond course based on how busy it gets.

What makes this place special is how everything connects to Professor Hacker's backstory — even the train is supposedly some German WWI relic he discovered. The kids eat up all the themed details, from the pirate ship you putt through to the bubbling volcano. It takes about an hour per course, but add extra time if you're here on a weekend because the train gets backed up.

One thing though — if you're playing both courses, you don't need to ride the train twice. We just walk down after the first round to skip the line, which most people don't realize you can do. Buy tickets online to save a dollar each, and get there right at 10am if you want that first train ride without the wait.