The 5 Best Indoor Things to Do in Minnesota

Are you tired of sitting around the same four walls, watching Netflix and not doing much else? There are so many fun activities that can be done from home, especially if you’re a resident of one of America’s most beautiful states – Minnesota! From cozy dinners at unique eateries to exploring the outdoors with winter gear on your feet, here are 10 engaging indoor activities in Minnesota for days when you just don’t feel like leaving.

The 10 Best Indoor Activities in Minnesota

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory

Address: 1225 Estabrook Dr, St Paul, MN 55103, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.6 (14320)
Phone: +1 651-487-8201
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Thursday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Friday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Sunday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Reviews:

Free and amazing! Small enough to enjoy in a few hours, yet big enough to take your time and enjoy the whole day. Plenty to do and enjoy in that area. Great for the whole family. Wonderful exhibits that provide nice views of the animals. Chances are excellent that you will see all of the animals there.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Brenda Francis (4 months ago)

Como zoo is really an incredible family destination for those living in, or visiting the Twin Cities. Somehow the zoo remains free (although they do have donation boxes around and I highly encourage dropping something in). They have a wonderful range of animals and even some shows and encounters. I cannot say enough great things about this magnificent place – my parents brought me here as a child numerous times, I’ve taken my children here multiple times, and I can’t wait to show my grandchildren someday.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Joshua Jay (3 months ago)

There are quite a few empty exhibits right now, which is a little sad. But the zoo is free, so you certainly can’t complain. The animals we did see were fun! They have a big cat spot, a primate house, and a seal/arctic area. The animals were feisty, especially that dang ostrich who kept biting the giraffe’s tail. Definitely a quick walk zoo. (We went in an hour and a half before closing and still had time to see everything.) Lots of fun!

✭✭✭ By Laura Bruns (5 months ago)

Genuinely loved that this zoo and conservatory is FREE. We needed to kill some time on our visit and were shocked that this location was free.
The park is a decent size, pretty small zoo portion but great size plant conservatory that’s very well maintained.
Because COVID is still very much alive, I would’ve been happier to see more staff wearing masks or some sort of mask regulations on indoor portions of the park as it does get really crowded.
Book a reservation online in advance or you will have to wait.

✭✭✭✭ By Katie G (4 months ago)

Worth the the visit for the conservatory alone. The gardens were well laid out and the signs identifying the plants were actually helpful and very well done. The seasonal flower garden was incredibly beautiful and a special feast for the eyes after quite a long winter.
Make sur enough reserve your spot in advance by a few hours or you won’t be able to access the zoo or conservatory when you want. Parking near is limited so arrive early or plan to walk.
The zoo itself is well laid out and there is a good sizes picnic area if you bring your own lunch.

✭✭✭✭✭ By C Wettern (8 months ago)

Minnesota Zoo

Address: 13000 Zoo Blvd, Apple Valley, MN 55124, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.6 (12088)
Phone: +1 800-366-7811
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Thursday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Friday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Sunday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Reviews:

Very nice zoo. The animals appear well cared for. Lots of places for children to play. Decent options for lunch or a snack. Some nice touches, like the Llama trail, where you can walk around with the animals. My favorite was probably the Tropics trail with a number of beautiful birds. Can’t wait to go back later in July when the tiger cubs are old enough for their debut!

✭✭✭✭ By Kimberlyn Bauhs (5 months ago)

Minnesota Zoo is a wonderful experience for adults and youngsters.

We enjoyed the scenic walk by the lakes and all the wildlife along with the exotic animals from around the world.

It was fun to see the baby animals especially the prairie dogs, goats, chicks and little bison.

A carousel ride costs only $2 per person. You do need to purchase it on a machine next to the ride. You will get a coin to use for the ride. The carousel is gorgeous and ornate with beautiful artwork of nature and animals. What a lovely memory!

The aquariums were amazing! The shark tank was really cool. The smaller tanks were neat as well. There was a large variety of sea creatures including sea otters, a seal, sharks, a spot fin porcupine fish, a sting ray, sea horses, clown fish, leafy sea dragon, sea turtle, eels and many more. There are two areas you are able to touch the creatures if you like. In one pool there are small sharks.
In the other area there are anemones and star fish.

All the exhibits give you the opportunity to read about the creatures and the habitats they come from.

The restrooms are family friendly with baby changing stations and step stools for the little ones. Thank you for being prepared for families!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Tina Xinastle (6 months ago)

Such an awesome zoo. It’s obvious that the animals are well taken care of. It would be nicer if there were more maps along the way (we got pretty lost) or even an app with the map. But still a fun time. The tropical exhibit is AMAZING! The primate house is a little underwhelming. It’s really awesome that they have an exhibit dedicated to Minnesota plants and animals. Definitely a great place to learn!

✭✭✭✭ By Laura Bruns (5 months ago)

**Tickets must be purchased online, according to what we saw on website**
I’d give this zoo 3.5 stars, so I’m rounding it up to 4 stars. It’s quite large, so one can definitely spend several hours walking around, observing animals, and purchasing food and souvenirs.
This isn’t the cleanest zoo I’ve been to, and it has a somewhat limited variety of animals (if you’re looking for giraffes, elephants, pandas, etc., you won’t find them here). But the animals we did see were mesmerizing to watch.
The animals seem to be well taken care of, but it seems like some have rather small enclosures. While some, like the buffaloes and the tiger, have a lot of room to roam, others, like the puma and the tapir, don’t. Perhaps that is what they prefer; in which case, I take back my concern.
I wasn’t a big fan of the food court. The food isn’t great and costs a fair amount. So I would definitely not come back for that, but I’d definitely come back to see the animals!

✭✭✭✭ By Peter Mathys (4 months ago)

The Minnesota Zoo is a wonderful place to visit, whether or not you’re into animals. A vast collection of animals from all over the world keeps every trip interesting. The Tropics Trail and Grizzly Coast both immerse you in a different world than what we are used to, in opposite climates. There’s plenty to learn and lots to do. Also a great place for little ones! Just make sure they know how to respect the animals.?

✭✭✭✭✭ By Wesley Friberg (11 months ago)

SEA LIFE at Mall of America

Address: One, Mall of America, 120 East Broadway East Side, Level, Bloomington, MN 55425, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.5 (7477)
Phone: +1 952-883-0202
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Thursday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Friday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Saturday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Sunday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Reviews:

Nice experience for the children. The tunnel was great. No line and not much of a crowd. (We visited on Sunday). Staff was nice. 4 stars instead of 5 because there were many hand sanitizing stations that didn’t work. Nonetheless the children enjoyed the experience. Nice variety of sea life to see.

✭✭✭✭ By Lady Patrice (8 months ago)

Aquarium is located at the lower level of the mall. Good place to take little kids if they get bored and a nice place to walk around if shopping break is badly needed. The aquarium has a decent amount of sea creatures and few reptiles on display. I love the underwater tunnel it feels very tranquil and relaxing. There’s also an interactive area for kids to touch some star fishes and anemone. I recommend using the bathroom there as well as it’s less crowded and more cleaner.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Dovie (8 months ago)

It was a lot of fun. Tons of different fish to see. We loved walking through the aquarium tunnel. Having the shark swimming over our head was super awesome. The staff were very friendly and told my kids loads of Interesting facts about the fish. It is a little spendy but we enjoyed it.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Phillip Hilleshiem (8 months ago)

The experience was pretty nice but the amount of people was not ideal. We went on a weekend so it makes sense for it to be busy but it was quite uncomfortable. You had to wait a bit to get through the line, definitely no distancing if that is a concern to someone.

You start with some caged animals and insects. The big large tunnel with water overhead was our favorite part. They was a giant room of jellyfish tanks and also a nice sealife “petting” area. They also have a gift shop at the end.

✭✭✭✭ By Stefanie Fluin (8 months ago)

I love the ocean, and the Sea Life aquarium was the highlight of my trip to MoA! Great, informative exhibits, and a super-fun gift shop! Friendly, helpful staff! The jellyfish and shark exhibits were my favorite, but I enjoyed them all!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Jennifer Tirrell (4 months ago)

Can Can Wonderland

Address: 755 Prior Ave N Suite #004, St Paul, MN 55104, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.3 (4129)
Phone: +1 651-925-2261
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: Closed

Tuesday: Closed

Wednesday: 4:00 – 10:00 PM

Thursday: 4:00 – 10:00 PM

Friday: 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM

Saturday: 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM

Sunday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Reviews:

This was my first time at Can Can Wonderland; and let me say, I was not disappointed in the least!

First of all, the admission price of $10/person is quite reasonable considering I spent 6+ hours playing unlimited vintage pinball and assorted arcade games. I would say the $10 admission paid for itself in the amount of games I played.

In addition to unlimited pinball and arcade games for $10, I tried their ‘world renowned’ mini golf course for $15/person. It’s super fun and unique. I think everyone should try it at least once in their lifetime!

The crew working at Can Can Wonderland are the nicest of people and are always willing to answer any questions you may have without hesitation 🙂

I live about 2 hours away from Can Can so it’s a bit of a jaunt, but I will make the trip back here very soon!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Katherine Brown (6 months ago)

For $10 you get to come in and play as many arcade games as you want and that includes new school and old school. For $15 more you can also play mini golf. It’s a great place for a group and it’s also a great place for a date night. You can buy beer or cider by the ounce almost like you can buy gasoline at a gas station! The food was pretty good as well but we were so hungry that I would take that with a grain of salt if you don’t like the food as much as we did.

✭✭✭✭✭ By jacquie k (2 months ago)

Went with the wife and kid and everybody had a great time! We started with the mini golf which was really unique and clever. I was surprised how much fun all the retro games were for everybody, especially the pinball. The food was pretty good as well, and the self-pour beer tap wall was really cool with a good selection of local beers.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Calvin Lenz (2 months ago)

So much fun! Such cool art making up the mini golf course. Good food and tons of beer and specialty cocktails. I love all the antique pinball and other games. A great place for a birthday party or just a fun night out for kids and/or adults!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Ren Olson (11 months ago)

10/22/2022 – This is filled with a lot of arcade games and there is a mini golf course in the center. Everything is pretty much self served and card only. The water is self served and the order of the food is digital. You can just pick up the order at the counter. The only reason why it is a 4 start instead of 5 is because there were many games that were broken and it is just out of order. Also there was only one air hockey table. And the Foosball tables didn’t have the puck. So the popular games were kind of out of commission. The arcade games were pretty interesting and there were a lot of them. So around $12.50 for unlimited arcade games is not bad. The food is simple and it’s pretty good. I got the Bahn Mi styled hot dog. It’s not bad when you’re hungry.

✭✭✭✭ By Nawni Nguyen (a month ago)

Edinborough Park

Address: 7700 York Ave S, Edina, MN 55435, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.6 (1678)
Phone: +1 952-833-9540
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Thursday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Friday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Saturday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Reviews:

Edinborough Park is a fairly large indoor play space with two areas of activities for children to enjoy. I’d say it’s mostly-recommended for children ten years old…or…younger. Adults are admitted free with paid children’s admissions [which are under ten dollars apiece] so…it’s an affordable way to have fun…while getting some exercise. One area is a large open recreational room. There are many different small bikes to ride…hula hoops…basketball hoops/balls…and also…a bouncy house. The other main play area is a humongous enclosed play structure several stories high. There are activities along the bottom for very small children/toddlers too who can’t actually climb up into the structure. Edinborough is also unique in that it’s a shared-space. Besides the play structure…there is also a senior citizen residential community with indoor balconies overlooking the park area. There is a small theater…a little cafe that is open to coincide with the park hours [there are also several picnic tables in case you bring your own food]…a swimming pool which is separate from the playpark admission…and…it is also connected via indoor walkway to a hotel. Ample free parking is available too. The general atmosphere is very relaxed…with the feeling that you are outside in a park-type setting. It usually doesn’t get too crowded but…we typically go a little later in the evening as it’s more quiet than earlier hours. Make sure you bring a pair of socks along as shoes are not permitted in most areas. We have been here many times…and…always had a lot of fun. It definitely serves a purpose…and…we’ll be back!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Starlette Skye (8 months ago)

Great place to bring your kids. They are able to meet other kids in a safe manner. Not many places have the hand trikes and open gym floors to play around in. They almost have it all for kids fun. The bounce house integrated in the actual big jungle park is amazing.

✭✭✭✭ By Ryan Swan (3 months ago)

My kiddo’s party was very enjoyable. Party coordinator, Pam Das professional and kept in communication with me. The park is always busy on the weekends but everyone had a great time. Park allows you to order in your own food. Two hours (1-3pm) was plenty of time for kids to play and eat. ??

✭✭✭✭✭ By JS Bani (9 months ago)

This place is great! Very big, bounce house in the gym which has basketball hoops and a bunch of little bikes and things to ride on. Admission is $8 which is more than others we’ve been to, but worth the couple extra dollars for sure.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Randi Peterson (a year ago)

We ADORE Edinborough Park! Annual pass holders here because we can’t get enough of the indoor climbing and slides! My children and I have a great time together here after school. It’s a tremendous way for my boys to take a mental break and burn off some calories!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Robert T (2 months ago)

If you’re looking for some indoor activities to keep you busy during your stay in Minnesota, look no further. We’ve compiled a list of the 10 best indoor activities in the state, so you can make the most of your time here. Whether you’re into history, art, or science, there’s something for everyone on this list. So what are you waiting for? Start exploring!