Minneapolis with Kids: Twin Cities Family Itinerary

Minneapolis-St. Paul probably isn’t at the top of most family travel bucket lists. It wasn’t at the top of ours either. But sometimes the places you visit without huge expectations end up being surprisingly fun to explore.

We spent two nights and two days in the Twin Cities on one of our quick U.S. weekend trips, exploring both Minneapolis and St. Paul along with a few stops nearby. We visited in October, stayed at Hyatt Centric Downtown Minneapolis, rented a car, and packed quite a bit into a short stay.

This particular trip was before we had kids, so I won’t pretend we personally tested Minneapolis-St. Paul with children in tow. However, we visited many of the places included below ourselves, and I’ve also added family-friendly attractions that would make sense for a trip with kids, including the Minnesota Children’s Museum, Science Museum of Minnesota, Como Park Zoo, and Mall of America.

If you’re considering Minneapolis-St. Paul with kids, the Twin Cities offer an easy mix of museums, parks, architecture, food, and classic Minnesota attractions. Here are some ideas for building a short family-friendly Minneapolis-St. Paul itinerary.

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Things To Do in Minneapolis-St. Paul with Kids

Things to do in St. Paul

Cathedral of St. Paul – a distinctive Roman Catholic cathedral (from 1915) sitting on top of Cathedral Hill overlooking downtown St. Paul
Wander along Summit Avenue – known for being the longest avenue of Victorian homes in the country, having a number of historic houses, churches, synagogues, and schools. The street starts just west of downtown Saint Paul and continues four and a half miles west to the Mississippi River where Saint Paul meets Minneapolis.
St. Paul Landmark Center – Romanesque Revival style building completed in 1902, originally a United States Post Office, Courthouse, and Custom House, now an arts and culture center
Minnesota State Capitol – home of the Minnesota Senate, Minnesota House of Representatives, the office of the Attorney General and the office of the Governor. Admire the exterior, or take a free guided tour.
Como Park Zoo & Conservatory – a zoo that’s part of the larger urban public Como Park and Lake, free admission (suggested voluntary donation)
Science Museum of Minnesota – a museum dedicated to natural science, technology, math and beyond with some interactive exhibits and a popular dinosaur display
Minnesota Children’s Museum – interactive play-based museum designed for babies through elementary-aged kids

Things to do in Minneapolis

Stone Arch Bridge – a picturesque stone bridge that crosses the Mississippi River, formerly a railroad bridge, now only pedestrians and bicycles allowed. Don’t miss Saint Anthony Falls, a hydroelectric dam, as you walk across.
Weisman Art Museum – a museum with an eccentric titanium exterior on the University of Minnesota campus designed by architect Frank Gehry (known for the equally funky and cool Ray and Maria Stata Center at MIT, Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Guggenheim in Spain and several others)
Walker Art Center – a modern contemporary art museum
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden – in connection with the Walker Art Center, a garden with various outdoor modern sculptures, don’t miss the famous Spoonbridge and Cherry
University of Minnesota – large public university established in 1851, campus buildings span across both cities, check out these unique buildings/spots: McNamara Alumni Center, Weisman Art Museum, Northrop Mall, Science Teaching and Student Services Center (Bruininks Hall))
Schmitt Music Building – a full wall mural of sheet music (94 S 10th St, Minneapolis, MN 55403)
American Swedish Institute – museum and culture center centered around Swedish history, housed in a former mansion. Minnesota is home to the most Swedish Americans in the US.

Other things to do nearby

Mall of America – the largest shopping mall in the US, much more than a mall, housing an indoor amusement park (Nickelodeon Universe), Crayola experience, mini golf, escape room, aquarium, and many more attractions in addition to 500+ stores, only a 15-minute drive (without traffic) from downtown of both cities.
Lake Calhoun (Bde Maka Ska) – one of the largest and most popular lakes only 10 minutes (without traffic) from downtown Minneapolis. Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 lakes, if you don’t head to Lake Calhou, check out some of the others.

Food Ideas for the Twin Cities

Foods to try: jucy lucy/juicy lucy, tater tot hotdish, Scandinavian cuisine, cheese curds, wild rice, walleye fish
Colossal Cafe – casual breakfast and lunch spot
Matt’s Bar – famed as the original juicy lucy (known as the “Jucy Lucy” here), simple, no-frills, dive-bar atmosphere, there’s a fierce rivalry among all the juicy lucy spots in the Twin Cities, for a full run-down and to do your own comparison check out all 4 of these spots
Smack Shack – modern, casual seafood restaurant
FIKA – traditional Swedish cafe in the American Swedish Institute
Fire Lake Restaurant – farm-to-table modern rustic Midwestern cuisine restaurant
Red Cow – handcrafted burgers and craft beer
Milkjam Creamery – modern ice cream shop with funky flavors offering ice cream flights to try several flavors

Top Tips for the Twin Cities

Minneapolis and St. Paul are two major cities right next to one another and together they’re called the Twin Cities. St. Paul is the state capitol. It is a little bit older and has maintained a more historic look and feel, and has a smaller population. Minneapolis has more high rises and a modern look, and a larger population.
Downtown Minneapolis has a Skyway System which connects various buildings so you can avoid walking outside in freezing temperatures. Even if you won’t use the system, recognize there are a lot of shops, cafes, and restaurants on the skyway level that you might miss if you’re only walking on the street level.
If you want to avoid cold weather, aim to visit between June and September.
Bring layers, for any season, it may be colder than you expect.

A Quick Trip to Minneapolis-St. Paul

Minneapolis-St. Paul worked well for the type of quick weekend trip we were taking. With two days, we were able to get a feel for both cities, eat some quintessential Minnesota food, explore a handful of neighborhoods and landmarks, and still squeeze in the Mall of America.

We visited before having kids, but looking back at the Twin Cities now as a parent, there are plenty of reasons I’d consider returning with our three. Between the Minnesota Children’s Museum, Science Museum of Minnesota, Como Park Zoo, parks and lakes, plus all the kid-friendly entertainment at Mall of America, there’s enough to build a fun family weekend without making the entire trip revolve around children’s attractions.

If Minneapolis or St. Paul brings you to Minnesota for a weekend, family visit, road trip or inexpensive flight deal, don’t overlook the chance to explore a little. Pick a few ideas from this list that fit your family and build your own Twin Cities itinerary around them.

More Family-Friendly U.S. Trip Ideas

Planning another quick U.S. getaway? Here are a few more family-friendly destinations and short-trip ideas to consider:

Still deciding where to go next? Start with my family travel bucket list for more ideas and a simple way to narrow down your next trip.

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Minneapolis with Kids: A Family-Friendly Twin Cities Itinerary