Learn: everything about bounce houses.

Guide 02

Bounce houses were invented by accident — and refined by a family.

1. 1959

   The happy accident

   Engineer John Scurlock, a Tulane University instructor and plastics specialist who also did work for NASA, was designing inflatable covers for tennis courts. Then he noticed something: people kept jumping on them. The covers turned out to be more fun than functional.

2. Early 1960s

   The Space Pillow

   Scurlock's first product, the 'Space Pillow', was a flat inflatable mattress — no walls, no netting, nothing like today's bounce houses. But the joy was already there, and he and his family began refining the idea into structures with tops and walls.

3. Late 1950s–60s

   Space Walk is founded

   Scurlock founded Space Walk Inc. The rental idea is credited to his wife Frances, who ran the family's inflatable rental business by 1969 — turning a novelty into a business model that still defines the industry today.

4. 1968

   The Moon Walk

   In Los Angeles, Bob Regehr independently introduced his own bounce attraction under the name 'Moon Walk' — a closed inflatable trampoline with a plastic roof. The space-race era gave the whole category its most enduring nicknames: moonwalks, moon bounces, space walks.

5. 1972–73

   An invention that saved lives

   After the Rault Center fire in New Orleans, Scurlock engineered an inflatable rescue cushion so people trapped in high-rises could jump to safety. His sons tested it by leaping off the family roof. That air cushion is still used by fire brigades and stunt performers worldwide.

6. 1980s–90s

   The rental industry takes off

   Party rental companies multiplied across the country. Castle themes, character units, and combo bounce-and-slide designs appeared. Inflatables spread from backyards to church festivals, school fundraisers, corporate events, and county fairs.

7. 2000s

   Standards and scale

   The industry professionalized. Safety standards for inflatable amusement devices (ASTM F2374) were developed, operators adopted insurance requirements, and manufactures moved to heavier commercial-grade vinyl.

8. Today

   Everywhere you look

   Bounce houses anchor millions of parties a year, giant inflatable water slides headline summer festivals, indoor inflatable parks are a fixture of family entertainment, and the industry employs tens of thousands of people.