The story below is from our January/February 2025 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Explore thrilling virtual worlds, from epic golf games to zombie survival, at The VR Center—a high-tech playground for all ages.
At Salem’s VR Center, you’ll experience much that you seldom can in the Roanoke Valley, from riding roller coasters to playing at exclusive golf courses to (attempting to) survive a zombie attack and much more.
The 5,500-square-foot building on Apperson is home to some of the most sophisticated and immersive virtual reality equipment available: golf simulators, Omni directional treadmills that, combined with goggles, allow you to explore an environment and pod vehicles that add in the elements of motion and air.
The VRC’s clients include off-season club-toting practicing golfers, corporate team-building events and children having birthday parties or hanging out after school.
Young Christian Fletcher was there on an October afternoon celebrating his brother Harrison’s birthday in a golf simulator (with VRC’s house clubs).
“It’s his (Harrison’s) birthday, and this is what he wanted to do,” their mother Erica says, smiling as Christian happily swings.
Giving youth a safe place to go was always part of the mission of owner Todd Flood. The VRC has something for the whole family, including a putting green, pool, tables, traditional video game systems and fast food like sandwiches, Hunt Brothers Pizza and Good Humor ice cream.
With your goggles off, you’ll see Flood in constant motion – teaching kids gameplay, adjusting a display to correct a user’s POV, managing employees or fixing equipment.
Fixing is what brought Flood into the VR space. “I enjoy that part of the job. Being able to find out what’s wrong and fixing it.”
A tinkerer since childhood, his parents once came home to his transistor radio in pieces. While that was an unpleasant shock, once the young Flood fixed the equipment, they encouraged him to lean into his curiosity, and he spent his last two years of high school learning electronics.
Flood continued his education through eight years as a dragon gunner in the army. The GI Bill paid for further courses at ECPI, leading to 13 years at Metalsa as a control engineer before becoming an entrepreneur.
Flood holds several degrees and certifications through the military, ECPI, Virginia Western and more in fields from electronics to solar panels. “I’m always learning.”
Flood is a “strong believer” that young people can learn a lot from service, either through the military like him, AmeriCorps, Peace Corps or something similar.
He continues to give back to the community through the Small Business Development Administration, where he was awarded Small Business Veteran Business Owner of the Year. He also supports the Roanoke Ronald McDonald House and Roanoke Diversity Center.
You can experience the VR Center during walk-in hours Monday to Saturday 11-9, Sunday 11-8 or by booking an event through their website at thevrcenter.net.
The story above is from our January/February 2025 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
