*We were provided a complimentary room stay at Paragon Casino Resort for the purpose of facilitating this review and social media coverage.
This summer was full of great times and fun adventures for our family, but it feels like it went by much too fast. While some families were taking to the beaches for their end of summer escape before the rush of the school season, we chose to stay a little bit closer to home.
So we stayed at Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, LA.
 |
At first thought, you might not believe there is much to do for families with younger children at a casino resort, but Paragon offers many family-friendly attractions! You can plan an entire getaway escape with all that there is to do AND still be close enough to home to do it all in one weekend.
Our staycation getaway started off with a visit to the Tunica-Biloxi Tribal Museum inside the Cultural & Educational Resource Center located on the Tunica-Biloxi Reservation on LA-1 in Marksville, LA.
 |  |
The museum is open for tours Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm (closes for lunch from noon-12:30pm and closed on Federal Holidays). You can take a self-guided tour and walk through to see the paintings, stories, life-size dioramas and artifiacts or plan a scheduled tour which also takes you inside the Rose Pierite White Preservation Laboratory for an up-close look at some of the artifacts they've recently uncovered. This was a wonderful learning experience to understand the culture, history and heritage of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe that definitely gives you a deeper understanding behind some of the features the resort incorporates like the live alligator habitat and the symbolism behind the eagle.
There is also a Tunica-Biloxi Nature Trail from the museum that is adjacent to the casino you might enjoy.
The Alligators
 |
Paragon Casino Resort is the only one of its kind that has a live alligator habitat. When you walk into the hotel lobby it's one of the first attributes you will notice in the bayou-themed atrium. The habitat houses over 20 live alligators and reptiles, including their newest addition - two albino alligator sisters, Sneaux and Winter!
On the last Saturday of the month you can get an up close experience during their live alligator show, which starts at 4pm in the hotel atrium with a professional tribal member. Guests will hear traditional songs and stories of South Louisiana's flora and fauna and kids are welcome to take a photo opp with a baby alligator and a ball python after the feeding show.
The Cinema
 |
Paragon Casino Resort features a Premier Casino Theater that shows the latest movies on a three-screen digital theater. Enjoy a family movie night during your stay with fresh movie theater-style popcorn and snacks or beverages from the concession! You can also get discount pricing on matinee showings. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or at Paragon, based on availability.
Childcare and Arcades
 |  |
Paragon features two options for families in entertainment for the kids- Kids Quest and Cyber Quest. Kids Quest offers hourly drop-in childcare for children ages 30 months to 12 years for supervised fun activities that are age-appropriate. During the month of August, Kids Quest is featuring Luau Lagoon, a fun-themed event with tropical activities and snacks. This is a childcare option for adults that want to spend a little alone time and offered on a first-come, first-serve basis and an hourly drop-off rate.
Cyber Quest (where we went to) is a professionally supervised arcade that offers over 50 non-violent games kids can can enjoy amd earn tickets to redeem prizes. There was a great variety of games and almost all of them were in working order whenever we went.
Dining
Paragon offers several dining options you can choose from to eat with your family during your stay from Roxy's Diner, which is open 24/7 and offers a kids menu, a buffet with discounted rates for kids or plan a dinner for two at Legends Steakhouse. The Draft Room offers a Top Golf Swing Suite which we booked during our stay for dinner.
 |  |
The Draft Room, although located inside the casino floor, can be accessed with the kids by following a designated path and accompanied by an adult. The Top Golf Swing Suite offers several different game options you can choose from aside from golf such as baseball and kickball just to name a few. You can order appetizers and pub-style foods from the menu as you play.
They even have a coffee shop for your morning pick-me up after all that late night fun!
The Pools
 |
I think this was my favorite spot out of the resort. Paragon offers two swimming pool options for hotel guests - an outdoor pool for those who want to soak up the sun, and an indoor pool that also offers a swim-up bar. After 8pm the indoor pool is open for adults only until 10pm. The pools are only offered for casino guests and you must have your room key card in order to access it. There is also a pool and splash pad area for RV park guests to enjoy as well.
Promotional Events and Deals
Sounds like a fun way to spend with the family? Plan ahead and book your next stay around one of these current promotions and save!
 |
Enjoy a family fun day on the last Sunday of the month with fun games and activities for the kids, buffet discounts, and discounts on the arcades!
Plan a weeknight getaway stay with their current Summer Getaway Promotion and while you're there book a spa service during their special rates (valid through August 31st)
 |  |
FTC Disclosure: No other compensation was received for this review, and all thoughts, opinions and expressions in this article reflect our genuine experience.
