It will be making its U.S. debut with an 85,000-square-foot space at Stonebriar Centre, in Frisco, Texas, near Dallas. Dubbed “indoor cities for kids,” children aged 4 to 14 play at being firefighters, reporters, doctors and airline pilots among the 100 professions that are offered. The fuselage of a retired Boing 737-500 protrudes through the wall of the KidZania space, and there are 55 buildings accommodating stores, a TV station, a bank, a university and a fire station, among other facilities. The area is staffed by a 500-person workforce.

Mexico-based KidZania is at 28 locations in 21 countries. More will follow, in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, for a total of 18 U.S. openings in the coming decade, according to the company. Among the malls lined up to host KidZania are Oakbrook Center, near Chicago; American Dream, in East Rutherford, N.J., and Main Place Mall, in Santa Ana, Calif.

All these will be opened and operated by KidZania USA, a Frisco-based franchise owned by E2W LLC that has the rights to develop the concept in the U.S. and Canada.  

Entrance costs $39.95 for children, and $19.95 for adults and toddlers. Money is also raised through company sponsorships. At the Frisco location, for instance, a local TV station will have its name on the KidZania TV station, and Southern Methodist University is sponsoring its university. Similarly, the restaurants employing children in the play area will be run by local restaurant companies.