When most people think about Minnesota, they think of snow, hotdish, and nice folks, don’t ya know? Though I believe we are nice and I love my own Top Secret Cheesy Wild Rice Hotdish, I am proud to report that there are also many fun things to do in Minnesota with kids!
Minnesota is full of pristine lakes, full-service resorts, historically significant people and places, and lots of wild space. Here are 40+ things to do on your Minnesota family vacation.
Things to do in Minnesota with Kids on a Family Vacation
Have a Ball (or a Puck) Watching Minnesota Sports
You can have a ball or also chuck a puck —‘cuz we love our hockey! Minnesota is home to some professional greats.
The Twins (call ‘em “Twinkies” if you want to sound like a local) play at Target Field in Minneapolis and attending a home game for this Major League Baseball Team is a great family outing.
Every Sunday is Kids Day and they offer half-priced kids meals at several food stands which include a choice of entrée (hot dog, chicken tenders, or pizza), a side (applesauce or chips), and a beverage (milk, juice box, or small soda), all packaged in an activity bag with crayons.
Before the game there is often free face painting and games for the kids at the Target Field Plaza and after the game, children 12 and under can run the bases on the field after the game.
Trekaroo tip: Kids 30 inches and under are free as long as they sit on a lap.
The Minnesota Wild are Minnesota’s professional hockey team. They play at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul. There are often game day promotions that offer special discounted tickets for families. On those days there are often activities set up for the kiddos.
Children12 and under can join the Minnesota Wild Kids Club for free which includes access to special content, activities, and virtual events.
The Timberwolves are the state’s NBA team and they play in Minneapolis at the Target Center. Crunch is the Timberwolves’s mascot and on certain days, the team offers “Crunch’s Family Deal,” which includes game tickets along with a meal package—chicken strips, fries, and a drink—for a bundled price starting at $49.
The Minnesota Vikings, the state’s NFL team, is perhaps the most beloved team in the state. They play at US Bank Stadium which is a newer faciliy in Minneapolis. Before the game, be sure to stop by Vikings Tailgate Garden in Commons Park just outside of the stadium. There are local trucks, games like corn hole and football barrel toss, and inflatables for the kids.
Super fans can take a 90-minute stadium tour when games aren’t being played. You will get access to special areas like the Vikings locker room, VIP clubs, suites, and the stadium floor.
Are you a LaCrosse fan? The Minnesota Swarm dominate Treasure Island Field in the Xcel Energy Center and will please those young fans in the family! You can even let your kiddos run the bases at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins.
Our collegiate teams in Minnesota rival the rest of the country — watch the Golden Gophers or the Bulldogs as they take on foes!
Participate in a Polar Plunge or Freezing 5K
If you want to partake in some extreme or obscure sports, participate in either the Freeze Ur Gizzard Blizzard Run or a Polar Plunge—both are popular winter events here in Paul Bunyan’s backyard.
The Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard Run is a winter race held annually in late January in International Falls, Minnesota aka: the “Icebox of the Nation”. There are 5K and 10K race options you can sign up for and you will receive a commemorative medal for all your chilly efforts.
There are dozens of family-friendly Polar Plunges held across the state. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Minneapolis Polar Plunge at Lake Nokomis (early March)- there will be live music, food trucks, S’mores, and a 5K Dash and Splash option for those who want to do both.
- Polar Fest Plunge at Little Detroit Lake (late Feb)- lots of activities for the kids and the proceeds support the local Boys & Girls Club.
- You can find dozens more Polar Plunges around the state. All of these benefit the Special Olympics.
Explore Lake Superior’s Northern Shore
The “North Shore” of Lake Superior is a destination of its own. But, don’t forget the rest of Highway 61, which winds its way through some great Minnesota towns along the Mississippi River. This stretch of road is packed with family fun.
Grand Portage National Monument preserves the historic legacy of the North West Company as well as the Anishinaabeg Ojibwe tribe. At the Heritage Center there are some nice exhibits on the fur trade era as well as exhibits on Ojibwe culture.
The Historic Depot Area has several reconstructed buildings from the early settlement years, such as a canoe warehouse, as well as costumed interpreters (my favorite!) during the summer.
There is no shortage of Minnesota waterfalls, including the infamous Gooseberry Falls and High Falls of Grand Portage State Park. If you are looking for a fun, active hike, take the 3.5-mile trail to Middle Falls, another beautiful waterfall inside the park.
To truly appreciate the vastness of Lake Superior, you need to drive its shoreline! This epic road trip was made famous by Bob Dylan and is the namesake of its own summer festival outside of Duluth–it’s that good!
Duluth is one of our favorite cool weather summer vacation destinations.
Stop along the way to hike on some of the best trails Minnesota has to offer, including several State Park “hiker’s club” routes and the Superior Hiking Trail.
The National Eagle Center in Wabasha offers kids a glimpse of the American bald eagle (more likely a glimpse of several) along the banks of the river. From the bluff country and Winona to the shores of a Great Lake, this is more of a quest than a vacation. What will your family find when you embark upon the tarred trail?
Spend the Day in Duluth
Duluth is always a fun stop. The maritime influence shines at the William A. Irvin, a lake freighter that you can tour.
Admire the beauty of Splitrock Lighthouse, watch ships pass under the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge, and Discover fun ways to learn and play at Lake Superior Maritime Visitors Center.
Animal lovers will want to head to the Great Lakes Aquarium on the Duluth Waterfront where you can see fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals, many of which call the region home.
The train lover in your group will definitely want to stop in the Lake Superior Railroad Museum and perhaps hop on a ride on the North Shore Scenic Railroad to enjoy views of Lake Superior.
Read about the best places to enjoy Duluth fall colors.
Visit a Little House on a Big Prairie
Who doesn’t have a soft spot for Laura, Mary, Pa and the rest of the Ingalls? I grew up reading the books and watching the adventures of Laura and Nellie when Little House on the Prairie became a TV series.
At the Ingalls Dugout site, visitors can walk along Plum Creek and imagine themselves living in the frontier days.
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum includes Ingalls family artifacts, items from the television series, and getting into character with hands-on opportunities.
In July, the town of Walnut Grove has a Family Festival with pioneer demonstrations, hand crafts, and an outdoor drama based on Laura Ingalls Wilder. If you want to see some sod houses, similar to what families like the Ingalls would have lived in, head to Sod House on the Prairie in Sanborn, MN.
Attend an Outhouse Race
Minnesota culture is a unique blend of food, the quirky, and history. We love our potlucks, lefse, and some of us even love Lutefisk. Our family loves to grab pizza at Sven & Oles. While it is not particularly culturally significant it IS very tasty and it’s an interesting place paying homage to the famed duo!
If the off-color is more your style (and this one is sure to make kids laugh), be a spectator at an Outhouse Race! There are several races that take place across the state including:
- Isanti Outhouse Races (mid July) which take place in downtown Isanti and as part of the Isanti Rodeo and Jubilee Days. The Outhouse Race day also happens to be Kids Day where they will have games, a craft fair, bounce houses, and food trucks.
- Sandstone Quarry Days Outhouse Races (August) take place as part of the larger Quarry Days which include a parade, kids’ activities, and a street dance.
- St. Paul Heritage Days Outhouse Races are back after over a decade of hiatus. They take place the 3rd weekend in August. There will be a carnival, ninja obstacle course, mud volleyball, parade, music, and more!
Embrace Lumberjack Culture at the Forest History Center
The legendary Paul Bunyan is from Minnesota and forestry is a big part of the history of the northern half of the state. Head to the Forest History Center in Grand Rapids to experience what it is like to be a part of a logging camp from the early 1900s.
There are costumed interpreters dressed as cooks, lumberjacks, and blacksmiths to help everyone get into the spirit of things. There are hands-on forestry exhibits, such as a spot where kids can help saw logs, and a bunkhouse to showcase what logging life looked like.
You can also take a horse-drawn trolley ride around the Center, go kayaking on the Mississippi, or climb a 100-foot fire tower for great views of the area.
Visit Two Different Paul Bunyan Attractions
Paul Bunyan Land in Brainerd is a fun place to spend a couple hours with the little ones. A talking Paul Bunyan statue greets kids by name as they enter this amusement park filled with vintage rides. There is also a Pioneer Village with several vintage buildings.
In Bemidiji, there is a famous statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox on the shore of Lake Bemidji, which is a very popular stop for photos.
Visit the Minnesota History Center
Operated by the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul, the Minnesota History Center is a great place for families to get hands-on while learning about the state’s history.
At the Then Now Wow exhibit kids can climb into a replica iron ore mine, barter at a fur trading post, ride a vintage streetcar, look inside a replicated bison, and experience a prairie storm inside a sod house. Little ones will especially love Grainland where they can climb, slide, and crawl through a replica grain elevator.
Learn About Minnesota’s Scandinavian Roots
Minnesota has a large population of people with Scandinavian ancestry (myself included!). There are several places to learn about the region’s Scandinavian heritage (and eat!).
The American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis is located in the famed Turnblad Mansion. It is part museum and part cultural education center. There are often crafts for the kids to enjoy and workshops showcasing different aspects of Swedish and Nordic culture. It is especially fun to visit during Julmarknad (Swedish Christmas Market) or Midsommar for music, the maypole, dancing, and traditional Swedish food.
Hjemkomst Center
If you are interested in Viking and Norwegian history, head to the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead, right on the border with Fargo, North Dakota.
It is home to the replica Hjemkomst Viking ship, built by a Minnesotan and sailed from Duluth to Oslo, Norway! There is also a full-size replica of Hopperstad Stave Church which is modeled after one in Vik, Norway.
Gammelgården Museum
The first Swedish settlement in Minnesota was in the town of Scandia. Today, the town embraces that history with the Gammelgården Museum, an open-air museum devoted to Swedish-American history.
You can enter buildings from the 1800s like a log cabin, welcome house, barn, and old Lutheran church. There are often family activities taking place where you can learn pioneer games, Swedish songs, and butter churning.
Have Double the Fun in the Twin Cities
The Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul) are two very different experiences, offering a family days and days of entertainment and adventure.
Museums
Both cities offer great museums for families including the Minnesota Children’s Museum which is one of the top children’s museums in the country. Highlights include the multi-story “Scramble”,the art studio, and the pretend town on the fourth floor which has a post office, fire station, farmers market and more.
The Science Museum of Minnesota is in St. Paul. It is a place to participate in hands-on science, learn about dinosaurs and the human body, and watch a movie on the giant dome of the Omnitheater. Be sure to stop by Collections Corner where you can swap a favorite rock or natural object for one in their collection.
Zoos
The region is home to some great zoos as well. Como Park Zoo is a free zoo with animals such as polar bears, gorillas, and sea lions. They have zookeeper talks daily and special programs at various animal enclosures which include special enrichment activities for the critters.
There is a conservatory that is part of this zoo which has a sunken garden and a special Tropical Encounters exhibit that has rainforest plants and animals. Just outside of the zoo you will find a carousel and an old-time amusement park.
The Minnesota Zoo in nearby Apple Valley is another great option. The zoo is split up into a variety of trails which take visitors to different themed areas of the park. The Tropics Trail includes Komodo dragons, gibbons, and sloths; the Northern Trail has moose, bison, and Amur tigers; and the Minnesota Trail has native wildlife like gray wolves, beavers, and lynx.
They also have an aquatic exhibit with tide pools, sea turtles, and sharks as well as a section that features animals from Russia’s east coast like grizzly bears. Want to see the zoo from above? Check out the Treetop Trail which is the world’s longest elevated pedestrian loop at 1.25 miles in length.
Outdoorsy Fun
If you want to get outside in the Twin Cities check out 53-foot Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis. There are also playgrounds, a disc golf course, surrey rentals, a wading pool at this park. Chain of Lakes is another great spot offering bike rentals, paddle boats, kayaks, and even ice skating in the winter.
If you love to ride bikes check out the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway which is a 50-mile loop that connects parks, lakes, and the Mississippi River around Minneapolis.
Can Can Wonderland
Mini Golf meets art installation at Can Can Wonderland in St. Paul. Teens and tweens will love access to over 150 arcade and pinball games which are included with the price of admission. Each hole at this 18-hole indoor mini golf course was designed by a local artist.
There is live entertainment on two different stages including music, circus acts, and karaoke. Food here is a bit elevated than the average indoor fun park and includes elote nachos, shrimp tacos, hot chicken sandwiches, and flatbreads. They have a variety of specialty cocktails and boozy shakes for mom and dad.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) is an epic adventure. It’s not for the faint of heart, so get tough!
If paddling and portaging, camping under the stars, and outsmarting the bears, without showers (or cell phones in most areas), is your kind of fun, welcome to our playground for the outdoorsy family!
There are a few fun towns that serve as jumping off points: Grand Marais is on the shore of Lake Superior while Ely is inland. My suggestion? Take in both of them!
The towns in and around the wilderness grant you access to Minnesota’s crown jewel (the lake) and have some pretty great adventures of their own! Check out the “Rootbeer Lady” and then be on the lookout for bears, wolves, and wild things.
Voyageurs National Park
Maybe the deep wilderness isn’t your thing, but you still want to be one with nature? Try Voyageurs National Park. Located in Northern Minnesota, this is a park that is 40% water and built for recreation.
You can rent kayaks and boats from local outfitters or book a guided boat tour. Houseboating is a popular way to enjoy the park as well. Fishing is big here, with plenty of walleye, pike, and bass in the park’s lakes.
Hiking is another big attraction, with some trails accessible by boat while others are on the mainland. Sullivan Bay Trail is a great spot for berry picking in the summer and has a nice view of Sullivan Bay at the end of the easy, 1.5-mile trail. Oberholtzer Trail is an easy, 1.6-mile round trip trail near the Rainy Lake Visitor Center which will take you through forests and marshland.
Pipestone National Monument
At the opposite end of the state you will find Pipestone National Monument, a site that has been used by indigenous people for over 3,000 years to quarry stone for ceremonial pipes. In addition to protecting the quarries (which are still in use), the park also protects tallgrass prairie which once covered much of the Midwest but is now very rare.
Experience the Mall of America
Enjoy the Mall of America (MOA), the most visited shopping mall in the world, located conveniently near the Twin Cities metro area. This isn’t a trip to the local shopping mall; this is a mall experience that will surely have something to suit everyone’s interests.
Have you ever eaten in a rainforest? Here you can without applying for a passport! The Rainforest Cafe is a big hit with the kids, and a lot of the time parents can even enjoy the meal too.
There is so much to see and hear (ambient frog choruses, bird vocalizations, and the giggles of other kids having fun), that your kiddo will give you time to eat and maybe even savor your meal for once!
MOA offers unique fun within the confines of the mall walls, including the Minnesota SEAlife Aquarium, the LEGO Store, Mirror Maze, and Nickelodeon Universe, an amusement park inside the mall!
Shops kids love include M&M’s World, Build-A-Bear Workshop, and the LEGO Store.
Enjoy Winter Sports
Minnesota is not just at a state for summer frolics! Visit Minnesota during the winter and try ice fishing, dog sledding, or winter camping. Just remember to pack your long underwear!
With over 10,000 lakes statewide, Minnesota becomes a winter angler’s paradise from December through March. River Bend Resort at Lake of the Woods has a preheated day house with pre-drilled ice holes, live bait, and fish cleaning included.
If you want to try dog sledding check out Hastings Huskies & Horses Ranch near the Twin Cities or Positive Energy Outdoors in Duluth.
Since we have snow and colder weather for many months each year, there is always a winter-themed event to partake in. You will find that we have a lot of Christmas and holiday cheer as well. We have an entire guide dedicated to all the Christmas events in the Twin Cities.
Attend a Minnesota Fair
What better way to have a blast than to just declare an all out festival or fair? Have you ever been heckled by a jester? Have you met Twig? If not, the Minnesota Renaissance Festival is where you need to go. Who doesn’t get excited when someone says “live armored jousting?” Join in by donning a period costume.
Have a hankering for foods that are deep-fried and served on a stick? The Great Minnesota Get Together, also known as the Minnesota State Fair, is a good place to start. Enjoy concerts, animals, and fair food: in my opinion, a perfect trifecta.
Take a ride on the Wild Thing at ValleyFair, a great amusement park in Shakopee. ValleyFair becomes ValleyScare around Halloween and is perfect for the tweens and older kids!
Minnesotans also devote wickedly wonderful celebrations to Bob Dylan, Ladyslippers, Lumberjacks, Blueberries, Grumpy Old Men (yes, the Grumpy Old Men), Catfish, Harvests, Hobos, and more.
Embrace Lake Life
Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 Lakes so we should have a category just for them. Lakes are wonderful places where great memories are made!
After all, you can find food in them, catch a “lunker”, thaw out during the summer months, walk on the water during the winter months, and pose for holiday photos in front of the perfect scenic backdrop. All this time on the beach is sure to send positive ripples of happiness through each member of the family!
Lake Minnetonka near Minneapolis is a popular spot because it has dining, swimming, boat cruises and rentals and a convenient location. Gull Lake in the Brainerd Lakes Area is one of the most popular lakes in the state. It is a great place in the summer for water skiing, tubing, and fishing.
Lake Itasca is the origin of the Mississippi River. I mean who doesn’t want to walk across where the Mississippi begins?
Further south, consider taking in the water skiers on a warm Thursday night in Minneapolis on the banks of the mighty Mississippi. Part of the appeal of Minnesota is that we do have a lot of wild areas that are along the water so there are ample opportunities to just sit with your kids, roast marshmallows over a beach bonfire, and watch them play.
The recipe to make family fun and fond memories unfold is simple…just add water!
Find More of the Best Things to do in Midwest States
As a stay-at-home-mom, I was itching to show my children the world and keep traveling like I had before they were born. Now, a solo parent, I continue to want to show my children the adventures and life-long learning you can chase with noa dream and a passport. I am formally trained as a wildlife biologist, so outdoor adventure is always our agenda.One of my passions is being something of an expert in outdoor gear and have collaborated with brands like Columbia, Big Agnes, THULE, Terramar Sports, and Patagonia. I find so much joy in telling other travelers what really works when it comes to gear.
I am proud to be a regular contributor to Lake Country Journal, a regional print magazine in my native Midwest. Additionally, I've been featured in Matador Travel Network, Midwest Living, Family Handyman, and many other publications over the years. I have enjoyed working with individual travel bureaus and tourism groups, including Travel Wisconsin and writing for the Tradewinds Resorts newsletter, The Getaway.
I have worked with some of the most common household names in family vacation dreams -- Disney, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Visit Florida, Travel Alaska, and SD Tourism.
I reside in northern MN with two sons. Outside of traveling, I am a baseball fan (go Padres!) and spend as much time as possible underwater, scuba diving. In fact, my family all dive, so we are often diving while on vacation, too. I also love to read and enjoy being a patron of the local taco truck.
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