Field Trip Finder Minneapolis

Cold-smart outings in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area

Indoor play, heated attractions and winter fun for when it is freezing outside.

Age
Key
  • Free (per source) The organizer’s page says it’s free.
  • Price not listed The cost is on the card, or the source doesn’t say.
  • Next: Sat, Oct 24 The soonest date we found. More dates are under “More details.”
  • Preschool Kids Teens The ages the venue states. “All ages welcome” fits everyone.
  • Good for little kids (2–4) The venue’s own page lists something for toddlers or preschoolers, like a storytime, a tot lot or free entry for under-5s.

Tags are our planning notes, not the venue’s. Always check with the venue before you go.

How we check. Hours, dates and prices come from each operator's or government's own page, read on 2026-10-24. Anything we could not read there is marked Not fully confirmed with a note. Please confirm before you go.

Indoor play, skating & sledding

Winter ice and snow depend on the weather; those cards say so.

Minnesota Children’s Museum

Minnesota Children’s Museum · St. Paul (10 W 7th St, St. Paul, MN 55102)
Open year-roundGood for little kids (2–4)Preschool · Kids · Teens

Three floors of indoor hands-on play, including a toddler gallery (Sprouts, ages 3 and under), a four-story climbing space and a pretend town.

More detailsLess (includes a notice)
  • When: Tue–Sun (closed Mon)
  • Time: Tue–Thu 9 am–4 pm · Fri 9 am–8 pm · Sat 9 am–6 pm · Sun 9 am–5 pm
  • Price: $24.95 at the door; $17.95–$19.95 online in advance; All Play (income-based) $5. Ages under 1 free.
  • Ages: Ages 1 and up (all children with an adult 18+)

Days with rain or cold tend to be busy.

Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Science Museum of Minnesota

Science Museum of Minnesota · St. Paul (120 W Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55102)
Open year-roundAll ages welcome

Indoor exhibits and an Omnitheater show included with admission.

More detailsLess (includes a notice)
  • When: Daily except Mon
  • Time: Sun, Tue–Thu 10 am–5 pm · Fri–Sat 10 am–8 pm
  • Price: Adults $34.95; youth 4–17 $24.95; under 4 free; Great Tix (income-based) $3. Parking $15.
  • Ages: All ages welcome

Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory · St. Paul (1225 Estabrook Dr, St. Paul, MN 55103)
FreeOpen year-roundAll ages welcome

A heated indoor conservatory with gardens and the Sunken Garden, plus the zoo. Admission is free; a voluntary donation is suggested ($8 adult, $5 child).

More detailsLess (includes a notice)
  • When: Zoo daily; Conservatory Tue–Sun
  • Time: Zoo 10 am–4 pm daily · Conservatory 10 am–4 pm Tue–Sun, plus some Mondays until 6 pm
  • Price: Free (voluntary donation suggested)
  • Ages: All ages welcome

The Conservatory closes at 4 pm on Nov 9, Dec 21 and Feb 22.

Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Parade Ice Garden open skate

Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board · Minneapolis (600 Kenwood Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55403)
Open year-roundAll ages welcome

Indoor open skating on refrigerated ice; skating aids are available.

More detailsLess (includes a notice)
  • When: Open skate sessions; see the posted schedule
  • Time: See the Open Skate Schedule on the park page
  • Price: Adults and youth $5; seniors $3; under 5 free; skate rental $3
  • Ages: All ages welcome

Session times are posted on the park’s Open Skate Schedule page.

Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Minneapolis outdoor ice rinks (20+ parks)

Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board · Minneapolis
FreeOpens when ice is readyNot fully confirmedAll ages welcome

Free natural-ice rinks with warming rooms at neighborhood parks, including 40th Street, Armatage, Bryant Square, Lake Hiawatha, Linden Hills, Logan, Longfellow, McRae, Pearl, Powderhorn and Webber. Rinks are lit daily 4:30–9 pm.

More detailsLess (includes a notice)
  • When: Season depends on freezing weather; last year closed Feb 15
  • Time: Warming rooms (last winter): Mon–Fri 5–9 pm, Sat 12–9 pm, Sun 1–5 pm
  • Price: Free
  • Ages: All ages welcome

⚠️ Not fully confirmed: the park board has not posted 2026–27 opening dates or warming-room hours (the hours shown were last winter's). Rinks are natural ice, so use the daily Rink Locations and Status Map on that page before you go.

Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Sledding hills: Wirth Park, Columbia, Sunset Hill

Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board · Minneapolis (1325 Theodore Wirth Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55422)
FreeNeeds snowNot fully confirmedAll ages welcome

Three designated sledding hills: Theodore Wirth Park (free, just north of the chalet), Columbia Golf Club in Northeast (one of the steepest in the area) and Sunset Hill at Valley View Park in Golden Valley. Bring your own sled, tube or toboggan.

More detailsLess (includes a notice)
  • When: Whenever there is enough snow
  • Time: Wirth hill 7 am–9 pm daily
  • Price: Free (Wirth); Wirth’s separate snow-tubing hill is run by the Loppet Foundation
  • Ages: All ages welcome

⚠️ Not fully confirmed: the park page already says the hills are "open for the season" in October, which looks left over from last winter. The hill locations and Wirth's hours are confirmed; whether there is snow is not. Sledding is not allowed on the Wirth tubing hill.

Source:Last checked 2026-10-24.

Winter ice and sledding depend on the weather. Check the park board’s rink map before you go.