Cheap Things to Do in Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis, MN's cheapest activities include 331 Club (Free), Bell Museum ($15), Can Can Wonderland ($10-15), Can Can Wonderland ($15-19), and City of Edina - Edinborough Park ($10).
Free zoo. Not a typo. Como Zoo is genuinely free and the polar bear exhibit is legit.
1225 Estabrook Dr, Saint Paul, MN 55103 · Daily 10am-4pm (winter), 10am-6pm (summer)
Four floors of hands-on everything. The Scramble climber goes up three stories. Toddlers through age 10.
10 W 7th St, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · Sun-Thu 9am-5pm, Fri-Sat 9am-8pm · Ages 0–10
Giant spoon-and-cherry sculpture. Free. Open 6am to midnight. Your kids already know it from Instagram.
725 Vineland Pl, Minneapolis, MN 55403 · Daily 6am-12am
Always free. 90,000 works of art. Family Day second Sunday of every month with free hands-on activities.
2400 3rd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404 · Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, Thu until 9pm, closed Mon
Built inside the ruins of an exploded flour mill. The Flour Tower ride takes you through eight stories of milling history.
704 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401 · Thu-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm, closed Mon-Wed · Ages 0+
Electricity and magnetism museum in a Tudor mansion on Lake Calhoun. Your kid can make their hair stand up.
3537 Zenith Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55416 · Tue-Sun 10am-4pm, closed Mon · Ages 0+
Minnesota's natural history museum with a planetarium. The dioramas are stunning and the Touch & See Lab lets kids hold real specimens.
2088 Larpenteur Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55113 · Wed-Sun 10am-4pm, closed Mon-Tue · Ages 0+
53-foot waterfall inside city limits. Free. Playground, wading pool, disc golf, and bike rentals.
4801 S Minnehaha Dr, Minneapolis, MN 55417 · Daily 6am-10pm
Five connected lakes with beaches, bike paths, canoe rentals, and free wading pools. This is what summer in Minneapolis is.
3000 E Calhoun Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55408 · Parks open 6am-10pm
Free natural swimming pool. No chlorine — uses plants to filter the water. First of its kind in North America.
4330 Webber Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55412 · Tue-Sun 1pm-7pm (summer only) · Ages 0+
24 free outdoor ice rinks across the city. Free loaner skates at most locations. This is Minnesota.
Multiple locations citywide · Daylight to 9pm, weather permitting
Indoor ice rink. $5 open skate. $3 skate rentals. When it's -15 outside but your kid still wants to skate.
600 Kenwood Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55403 · Facility open 7am-10pm, open skate hours vary
Artist-designed mini golf, 125+ free-play arcade games, and kids' karaoke. Under 5 free. 21+ only after 9pm Fri/Sat.
755 Prior Ave N, Saint Paul, MN 55104 · Tue-Thu 4-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-12am, Sun 11am-7pm · Ages 0+
One full acre of indoor playground. Also has a pool, running track, and amphitheater. All indoors. Because Minnesota.
7700 York Ave S, Edina, MN 55435 · Mon-Thu 9am-8pm, Fri-Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 10am-5pm · Ages 1+
Jungle-themed indoor playground for $6. Same building has an indoor waterpark. Ages 1-10.
4580 Victoria St N, Shoreview, MN 55126 · Check Shoreview Community Center for current schedule · Ages 1–10
Free storytime, crafts, STEM programs. 41 branches across the county. The central library is architecturally stunning.
300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401 · Mon-Thu 9am-8pm, Fri-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm
Free wading pools in parks across the city. Shallow, safe, and the entire reason toddlers survive Minneapolis summers.
Multiple locations citywide · Daily 12pm-7pm (summer only)
Free live music all summer at the bandshell. Bring a blanket. Kids run around on the lawn. Nobody cares.
4135 W Lake Harriet Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55410 · Concert schedule varies, typically 7pm-8:30pm
Free first Saturday of every month. Free Thursday evenings. WAC Open Studio has drop-in art-making for families.
725 Vineland Pl, Minneapolis, MN 55403 · Wed-Sun 10am-5pm, Thu until 9pm, closed Mon-Tue
Downtown park with a playground, wading pool, and direct walking bridge to the Sculpture Garden.
1382 Willow St, Minneapolis, MN 55403 · Daily 6am-10pm
Kiddie amusement park right next to the free zoo. Rides are $2-4 each. Perfect for the under-8 crowd.
1301 Midway Pkwy, Saint Paul, MN 55103 · Daily 10am-6pm (summer), weekends only spring/fall · Ages 1–8
11 miles of enclosed, heated, second-floor walkways connecting 80 blocks. Free to walk. January survival mode.
Downtown Minneapolis (multiple entrances) · Most sections Mon-Fri 6:30am-10pm, reduced weekend hours
Free outdoor movies and live music in parks all summer. Bring a blanket. The mosquitoes are also free.
Multiple park locations citywide · Movies at dusk, music evenings — check schedule
Giant pool with three water slides, splash pad, and 18-hole mini golf. All free.
1615 Hillside Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55411 · Daily during summer — check Park Board schedule
Beyond the zoo: paddleboats, free pool, picnic areas, a Japanese garden, disc golf, and a historic streetcar.
1199 Midway Pkwy, Saint Paul, MN 55103 · Daily 7am-10pm
Indoor market with food from 20+ countries. Take the kids on a world food tour for the price of a few small plates.
920 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55407 · Daily 10am-8pm (hours vary by vendor)
Free Thursday evenings, free first Saturdays, kids always free
725 Vineland Pl, Minneapolis, MN 55403 · Wed-Sun 10am-5pm, Thu open until 9pm, closed Mon-Tue
Spoonbridge and Cherry lives here — free, open 365 days
725 Vineland Pl, Minneapolis, MN 55403 · Daily 6am-midnight
Always free, no reservations — Rembrandt, van Gogh, Monet, 90,000 works
2400 Third Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404 · Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Thu until 9pm, Sun 10am-5pm, closed Mon
28 miles of trail connecting five lakes — free concerts at Lake Harriet
3000 E Calhoun Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55408 · Open 24 hours; rental hours vary seasonally
Art installation mini golf + self-serve beer wall in a former can factory
755 Prior Ave N, St. Paul, MN 55104 · Tue-Thu 4pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-1am, Sun 11am-7pm, closed Mon
Museum built into actual flour mill ruins — Flour Tower ride through 8 floors
704 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401 · Thu-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm, closed Mon-Wed
53-foot waterfall in the city — free year-round, frozen ice formations in winter
4801 S Minnehaha Dr, Minneapolis, MN 55417 · Daily 6am-10pm
Only stone arch bridge ever built across the Mississippi — 2,100 feet, free to walk
100 Portland Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401 · Daily 6am-midnight
Free live music every single night — no cover, ever
331 13th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413 · Daily noon-2am
Free lakeside concerts all summer — bring a blanket, sit by the water
4135 W Lake Harriet Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55409 · Summer concerts typically 7pm; schedule varies
Free Frank Gehry museum overlooking the Mississippi — the building is the art
333 E River Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55455 · Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, Wed until 8pm, closed Mon
Largest open studio tour in the country — hundreds of artists, free, third weekend of May
Various studios, 13th Ave NE corridor, Minneapolis, MN · Third weekend of May (Fri-Sun); First Thursdays year-round
A peaceful island in the Mississippi — Victorian homes, river views, free to explore
40 Power St, Minneapolis, MN 55401 · Open 24 hours
Experimental art in a former soap factory — the Haunted Basement in October is legendary
514 SE 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55414 · Thu-Sun noon-5pm, check schedule for special events