The Twin Cities are strong for little kids: two zoos, a children’s museum, the Bell Museum, free nature centers and a library system that treats storytime like a core service.
Not this week’s events, just the reliable stuff. Where to eat with a toddler, where to burn off energy when it rains, where to splash, what’s worth the admission, and where to spend a night without going far.
Places where a dropped fork is no big deal and nobody minds a little noise.
A Minneapolis barbecue spot.
Sushi with a real kids menu, so even a picky eater gets something warm.
Jungle-themed dining at Mall of America, with animatronic animals and indoor storms.
A Minneapolis bar known for the Jucy Lucy. The cheese inside is very hot.
For rainy mornings, cold afternoons and anyone who needs to run in circles for an hour.
Several floors of play for young kids in downtown St. Paul.
Online price; $24.95 at the door
An indoor theme park inside Mall of America.
Point passes from $4.25 · Walking in is free; wristband $41.99 on Deal Days
Indoor bouncing for snowy months.
GLOW $33.99
A warm glasshouse at Como Park for a cold Minnesota morning.
Suggested donation $8 adults, $5 kids
Pools, fountains, zoos and theme parks: the big all-day outings.
A big amusement park in Shakopee.
Online price; $64.99 at the gate
A free zoo in St. Paul, next door to the seasonal Como Town amusement park.
Suggested donation $8 adults, $5 kids
“the fact that they're at least there and providing that public service and making it for free is a nice thing. And it's great for families”
A big zoo in Apple Valley.
Parking $10
Free city beaches on Lake Nokomis for summer swimming.
Museums, animals and farm days that hold a little one’s attention.
Hands-on science on the Mississippi in St. Paul.
Includes one Omnitheater show
Natural history and a planetarium on the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus.
Planetarium extra
An educational farm in a regional park west of the cities.
A free art museum. Check hours before you go.
A night away without a long drive. New bed, same bedtime.
Connected to Mall of America, so winter weekends stay indoors.
A resort on a lake in Alexandria.
Campsites and hiking trails near the St. Croix River.
Riverside camping on the St. Croix. Lake Alice and its swim beach are closed for repairs until about fall 2027.
These don’t change week to week. Last checked . Hours and prices change, so check the place’s own site before you go. Know a spot we missed? Tell us at hello@littlesweekly.com.
Where a family can go in Twin Cities without paying for admission. For free days, free events and this week’s free outings, see every free thing to do in Twin Cities.
Como ParkMarjorie McNeely ConservatoryA warm glasshouse at Como Park for a cold Minnesota morning.FreeIndoor
St. PaulComo Park ZooA free zoo in St.Free
South MinneapolisLake Nokomis beachesFree city beaches on Lake Nokomis for summer swimming.Free
Minnetrista (about 40 min)Gale Woods FarmAn educational farm in a regional park west of the cities.Free
WhittierMinneapolis Institute of ArtA free art museum.Free
Downtown MinneapolisHennepin County Library, Minneapolis Central LibraryFree, with books, a children’s area and no ticket to buy.FreeIndoorDaytonEastman Nature CenterFree, with exhibits and short trails.FreeBloomingtonRichardson Nature CenterFree, with exhibits and short trails.FreeFree or cheap for babies and toddlers, and easy with a stroller.
Downtown St. PaulMinnesota Children’s MuseumPlay areas made for young kids.Kids $17.95–$19.95Under 1 freeIndoor
St. Paul campusBell MuseumAnimal dioramas that toddlers love to point at.Kids $12Adults $152 and under freeIndoorDowntown MinneapolisHennepin County Library, Minneapolis Central LibraryBoard books, floor space and storytimes for the littlest.FreeIndoorSt. PaulComo Park Zoo & ConservatoryEasy and compact, with the conservatory for cold days.Free
Apple ValleyMinnesota ZooAges 0–2 were free on our listing.Kids $19.95Adults $25.95DaytonEastman Nature CenterSmall and calm, with nature at toddler pace.FreeBloomingtonRichardson Nature CenterSmall and calm, with nature at toddler pace.FreeBaby storytimes, places where babies get in free, and where to change and feed. For rainy days, see indoor play places; for zero-cost ideas, see free things to do.
Wednesdays at 9:30am · Brookdale branchBirth to 24 months. For children from birth to 24 months and their caregivers.
Storytime calendar ↗Saturdays at 9:30am and 10:15am · Eden Prairie branchBirth to 24 months. For children from birth to 24 months and their caregivers.
Storytime calendar ↗Thursdays at 10:30am · Maplewood branchBabies and toddlers. Share stories, songs, rhymes, and engage in play with your baby at this storytime designed for the youngest learner.
Storytime calendar ↗Fridays at 10:30am · Mounds View branchBabies and toddlers. Share stories, songs, rhymes, and engage in play with your baby at this storytime designed for the youngest learner.
Storytime calendar ↗Thursdays at 10:30am · George Latimer Central LibraryBabies and toddlers. Literacy begins at birth!
Storytime calendar ↗Tuesdays at 6pm; Saturdays at 10:30am · Hamline Midway branchFamilies with babies, toddlers and preschoolers
Storytime calendar ↗Thursdays at 9:30am · Farmington LibraryBabies. Read, play and sing along with your young child in this interactive storytime designed for newborns, babies, and toddlers.
Storytime calendar ↗Tuesdays at 9:30am · Heritage LibraryBabies. Read, play and sing along with your young child in this interactive storytime designed for newborns and babies.
Storytime calendar ↗Thursdays at 11am · Bayport Public LibraryLet's sing, play and read with babies!
Storytime calendar ↗Mondays at 10:30am · R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)
Under 1 free
Admission page ↗2 and under free
Admission page ↗2 and under free
Admission page ↗
Changing stations are in every restroom except the single-stall ones on the first floor.
Official site ↗A full-size changing table in the First Aid Office, plus family restrooms.
Official site ↗
Strollers are allowed, but some galleries ask you to leave them at the door.
Official site ↗No stroller rentals, so bring your own.
Official site ↗Strollers rent for $12 single or $18 double.
Official site ↗Farms, lights and rinks that only run part of the year. Dates change every year, so check before you go.
A few more places we like that aren’t in the lists above.
Recurring and free. Times change by branch, so check the calendar.
Weekly; days and times vary by branchBaby, toddler and family storytimes at branches across Hennepin County and St. Paul.
Schedule ↗Weekly at 5 locations; Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, mostly mornings, plus an evening sessionFree baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Baby & Me Storytime (Thursdays 10:30am, Maplewood) and Family Storytime (Mondays 6:30pm, Roseville), with more at Mounds View, New Brighton and White Bear Lake.
Schedule ↗Weekly at 8 locations; Tuesday–Friday, mostly morningsFree baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Storytime for Babies (Tuesdays 9:30am, Heritage Library) and Storytime for Babies and Toddlers (Wednesdays 10am, Wescott Library), with more at Farmington Library, Inver Glen Library, Kaposia Library and Pleasant Hill Library and other branches.
Schedule ↗Weekly at 8 locations; Monday–Friday, mostly morningsFree baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Baby Storytime (Mondays 10:30am, R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)) and Sing and Play: Baby Storytime (Mondays 11:15am, Wildwood Library (Mahtomedi)), with more at Bayport Public Library, Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake), Lake Elmo Library and Oakdale Library and other branches.
Schedule ↗
The guide is the evergreen list. Here’s what’s happening in Minneapolis–St. Paul right now.
Yes, as a morning outing. It’s built around play areas for young kids, so you can follow your toddler instead of a plan. Leave before nap.
Nature centers like Eastman and Richardson, library storytimes and the Minnesota History Center’s free Thursday evenings cost nothing. Check each listing above.
The Children’s Museum, the Bell Museum, the History Center and Minneapolis Central Library are all indoors, and branch libraries run storytimes on weekdays.
Yes. Sever’s Fall Festival, Fall Harvest Orchard and Aamodt’s Apple Farm are marked as fall spots above, with pricing from this week’s listings.
Minnesota Children’s Museum: Play areas made for young kids. Bell Museum: Animal dioramas that toddlers love to point at. Hennepin County Library, Minneapolis Central Library, Como Park Zoo & Conservatory and Minnesota Zoo are also easy with a baby or toddler. Free for the littlest: Valleyfair (2 and under free) and Science Museum of Minnesota (Under 4 free). See best for under 3s.
Hennepin County Library and Saint Paul Public Library: Weekly; days and times vary by branch. Ramsey County Library: Weekly at 5 locations; Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, mostly mornings, plus an evening session. Dakota County Library: Weekly at 8 locations; Tuesday–Friday, mostly mornings. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See library storytimes, and this week’s dated sessions are on the Twin Cities weekly list.
Every one of the 20 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 14 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 18, 2026. How we choose and check.
Yes. Admission is free (suggested donation $8 adults, $5 kids). We checked this on its official site on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.
Under 1 free; everyone 1 and up: $17.95–$19.95 (online price; $24.95 at the door). We checked this on its official site on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.
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