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.With a number of top-notch museums for the whole family, children will be learning something as well as having fun. With the likes of the Science Museum with an Omnimax theatre and interactive exhibits; or the Mill City Museum, which showcases local history in a restored flour mill on the Mississippi River, children will love what the Twin Cities have to offer. 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, with hundreds of animal specimens and an interactive 'touch and feel' room.A visit to the Minnesota Zoo, with thousands of animals on display along with a monorail and IMAX theatre, is always a good way to keep children occupied and gives them an opportunity to learn along the way. For some pure unadulterated fun the Valleyfair amusement park is always cause for excitement, giving 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. There is lots to see and do, and there is lots of fun to be had at any one of its wonderful attractions.
Children in the Twin Cities will love the Minnesota Children's Museum, aimed at kids six months to ten 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.
Address : 10 7th Street West, St Paul
Website : www.mcm.org
Telephone : (651) 225-6000
Opening times : Tuesday to Thursday 9am-4pm, Friday and Saturday 9am-8pm, Sunday 9am-5pm. Closed Mondays.
Admission : $9.95 ages 1 and up
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 theater 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.
Address : 120 West Kellogg Boulevard, St Paul
Website : www.smm.org
Telephone : (651) 221-9444
Opening times : Sunday to Wednesday 9.30am-5pm, Thursday to Saturday 9.30am-9pm. Closed Mondays.
Admission : Museum only: $13 adults, $10 children 4-12. Omnitheater: $8 adults, $7 children 4-12. Combination tickets available. Special exhibitions charge separate fees.
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, and when the weather is uncooperative the IMAX Theatre is a place to escape. 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, featuring 56 hand-carved animals representing zoo inhabitants.
Address : 13000 Zoo Boulevard, Apple Valley
Website : www.mnzoo.com
Telephone : (952) 431-9200
Opening times : Hours vary according to season. See the website for current times.
Admission : $18 adults, $12 children 3-12. IMAX combo tickets available. Parking: $7.
Valleyfair is the largest amusement park in Minnesota, with 125 acres of rides and attractions ranging from high-speed roller coasters to midway games and an IMAX theater. Valleyfair also has the Soak City Waterpark with a range 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 is also a Berenstein Bears children's play area and a variety of restaurants and food court areas. Open from spring to autumn, Valleyfair hosts ValleySCARE Halloween-themed attractions every October.
Address : 1 Valleyfair Drive, Shakopee
Website : www.valleyfair.com
Telephone : (952) 445-7600
Opening times : Daily June-August, selected days in May, September and October with varying hours. Check the website for specific dates.
Admission : Valleyfair: $52 adults. $19.99 kids less than 48 inches tall; other concessions available. Discounted tickets available from the website.
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