Things to do with kids in Minneapolis-St Paul

The Twin Cities have lots on offer to keep the little ones enthralled and entertained. With activities both indoors and out in the open air, children are guaranteed a great time no matter the weather.

There are a number of top-notch museums for the whole family, so children will be learning something as well as having fun. The Science Museum with its Omnimax theatre and interactive exhibits, and the Mill City Museum, which showcases local history in a restored flour mill on the Mississippi River, are excellent options for entertaining the kids. The interactive Children's Museum, which offers lots of places to explore and things to do for younger children is also a popular choice, as is the Bell Museum of Natural History, which has hundreds of animal specimens and an interactive 'touch and feel' room.

A visit to the Minnesota Zoo is a good way to keep children occupied and, for some pure, unadulterated fun, the Valleyfair amusement park is always cause for excitement, as it gives both kids and their parents a good time on any one of its many rides. Families with children will not feel limited in any way when in the Twin Cities.

Valleyfair

Valleyfair is the largest amusement park in Minnesota and has 125 acres of rides and attractions ranging from high-speed roller coasters to midway games and an IMAX theater. It als…

Valleyfair

Valleyfair is the largest amusement park in Minnesota and has 125 acres of rides and attractions ranging from high-speed roller coasters to midway games and an IMAX theater. It also has the Soak City Waterpark, which a variety of waterslides and pools, and Challenge Park, which features the RipCord SkyCoaster. The amusement park's most famous ride is the Wild Thing roller coaster, which travels at 74 mph (120kph) with a drop of 196 feet (60 metres). There's also a Berenstein Bears children's play area and a variety of restaurants and food court areas.

Website www.valleyfair.com

Minnesota Zoo

A huge state-of-the-art zoo with over 40 acres of habitats housing more than 2,000 creatures of all kinds, the Minnesota Zoo is a fantastic attraction for those travelling with kid…

Minnesota Zoo

A huge state-of-the-art zoo with over 40 acres of habitats housing more than 2,000 creatures of all kinds, the Minnesota Zoo is a fantastic attraction for those travelling with kids in Minneapolis. It features animals from every continent in large habitats that mimic their natural environments, and an enormous aquarium. Popular attractions include the gorillas, tigers, meerkats, and red pandas. Kids can interact with animals in the touch pool and petting zoo; the various themed trails of the zoo are long, and one can easily spend an entire day exploring them. The zoo has a food court and gift shop, and hosts concerts in the summer. A new attraction is the enormous carousel, which features 56 hand-carved animals representing zoo inhabitants.

Website www.mnzoo.com

Minnesota Children's Museum

Children in the Twin Cities will love the Minnesota Children's Museum, which is aimed at kids who are six months to 10 years old. Fun interactive exhibits allow children to go ice …

Minnesota Children's Museum

Children in the Twin Cities will love the Minnesota Children's Museum, which is aimed at kids who are six months to 10 years old. Fun interactive exhibits allow children to go ice fishing, operate a crane, shovel coal into a locomotive engine, burrow their way through a giant anthill, or create a thunderstorm. Having entertained more than five million children since the 1980s, the award-winning Children's Museum is a must for families in Minneapolis and St Paul.

Website www.mcm.org

Minnesota Science Museum

The Minnesota Science Museum is a much-loved family tourist attraction in St Paul. Often called the most popular museum in the Midwest, the building is a state-of-the-art facility …

Minnesota Science Museum

The Minnesota Science Museum is a much-loved family tourist attraction in St Paul. Often called the most popular museum in the Midwest, the building is a state-of-the-art facility housing dozens of interactive exhibits, where children can learn about weather, biology, anthropology, paleontology, and many other branches of science. The museum is also home to a 3D laser theatre, and the Midwest's only Omnitheater, a movie theatre with reclined seats that shows stunning documentaries on its giant domed screen. Conveniently located near downtown St Paul, the Minnesota Children's Museum is an absolute must for those travelling with children in the Twin Cities.

Website www.smm.org

Minneapolis-St Paul