Fun things to do in Minneapolis in March w/2 9 year olds

We are going to Minneapolis in mid March with our two 9 year olds. We will definitely be exploring the Mall of America, etc. (and are staying near it), but I would also like to explore some of the surrounding area. We love parks and hiking, and would love to try snowshoeing, if it%26#39;s not to hard to pick up quickly.

Any suggestions for family fun (indoor and outdoor) would be appreciated. Also, how is the aquarium below the Mall? Is it worth the price and is it usually packed? (The one in Chicago is always packed)

We will have a car and do not mind driving.

Thanks!

Fun things to do in Minneapolis in March w/2 9 year olds

The science museum in downtown St. Paul is great. The MN zoo in Apple Valley is open year round and has both indoor and outdoor trails to explore. Both the science museum and the zoo have IMAX theatres. There%26#39;s even an IMAX festival going on at the science museum right now. If there%26#39;s any snow left, there%26#39;s all kinds of regional parks that have snowshoeing....do a google search. Lebanon Hills regional park in Eagan is a wonderful place to cross country ski. There%26#39;s a huge indoor water park ';Water Park of America'; right by MOA. It%26#39;s not open every day, so check out its website for open days ahead of time. Children%26#39;s theatre is huge here: check out the Tony Award winning Children%26#39;s Theatre. Your kids are probably too old for the Children%26#39;s Museum, which is a shame because it%26#39;s wonderful. Mill City Museum in downtown Minneapolis is very educational and has a great ';ride'; in it too. There%26#39;s one of those combo bowling alley / hi-tech arcade places in Block E on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis (I think the name is Gameworks). Good Luck.

Fun things to do in Minneapolis in March w/2 9 year olds

forgot to answer your question about the aquarium. It is NOTHING like Shedd (sp?) aquarium. I don%26#39;t remember how much it costs to get in, but don%26#39;t bother if you%26#39;re used to the real thing!

liz-

I agree with the Minnesota Zoo and the Science Museum.

I have been to the aquarium at MOA and I thought it was very cool. The best part was my boyfriends nephew and I ';petting'; the stingrays at the circle of life. We stayed just at the petting area for over an hour! It wasn%26#39;t very crowded, but I don%26#39;t remember what time of day we were there. Below is the link to Underwater world. Prices are $12 for kids under 12 and $19 for adults. There are discounts available right on the site.

http://www.underwaterworld.com/

I don%26#39;t know if you are staying by the MOA, but just north of the Mall off of HWY 77 you will find Lake Nokomis and Minnehaha Creek which leads you east to Minnehaha Falls. It is a beautiful area, check out the link:

www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp…

Also, if you haven%26#39;t booked accomodations, there%26#39;s three hotels that have waterparks attached.

The Raddisson by the Mall of America has the WaterPark of America attached.

Both Marriotts at the Depot downtown Minneapolis, have a small waterpark in between them.

Up on 694, in the north burbs, the Ramada has the Grand Rios waterpark attached.

If you do go to the Mill City Museum, also go next door to the new Guthrie Theatre along the river. You can go in for free even without anything going on. Up on top there%26#39;s a free scenic overlook ledge with panoramic view of the Mississippi River / lock %26amp; dam / Stone Arch Bridge.

There%26#39;s a good chance you%26#39;ll be out of luck on the snowshoeing. The snow we have now has been through several thaws and re-freezes, meaning it%26#39;s got an icy shell over it right now. And there are bare patches everywhere. We could get more, but I think it%26#39;s unlikely you%26#39;ll find an adequate base for shoeing.

The Science Museum is a big draw with kids. It%26#39;s in St. Paul and is attached to the Omnitheater -- a nice option for kids too.

The zoo is a pretty standard zoo -- nice but nothing above and beyond what many cities. They recently added a nice display there called Russia%26#39;s Grizzly Coast. I%26#39;ve seen a multimedia presentation on it but have not visited -- looks very nice, that part of the zoo.

The city of Minneapolis is stacked with parks. The one that would make most sense (and the one I%26#39;m partial to) is its oldest park -- Minnehaha. You can take the light rail from the mall. In fact, I%26#39;d suggest you do to avoid the parking ticket machine in the pay lots. The train drops you off right across the street at the 50th Street/Minnehaha station, less than a 15-minute ride. Cross the street at the crosswalk and enter the park through the gap in the big tan wall. Make your way to the left and follow the creek downstream to the waterfall. It%26#39;s a pretty area with limestone bluffs and a waterfall falling 50-60 feet into a nice pool below. Walking paths and stairs everywhere to allow access to other views. If the terrain isn%26#39;t too muddy you can follow the creek down to where it flows into the Mississippi.

Oh and there%26#39;s a DQ on the northwest side of the park.

Other than that, look for coupons online for the amusement park at Camp Nickelodeon at the mall. Maybe check the malls web site. The coupons provide discount bracelets for mall rides. There are a few pretty good ones. I took my niece and nephew last weekend.

Another extremely cool place to visit is the Wildlife Science Center in Forest Lake. It%26#39;s about 30 minutes north of the city. It%26#39;s a wolf refuge with dozens of wolves. A biologist takes you on a tour that is very interesting and educationsl. The website is www.wildlifesciencecenter.org I thought it was great. They have tours for the public on Saturdays at 11 and 1pm. $6 for adults, $4 for kids. It%26#39;s outdoors and takes about 2 hours. They gear the tour to the age of the group. Boy/Girl Scouts, school field trips, Univ. of Minn research and any group can arrange a private tour. It was a blast and I highly recommend it.

I would highly recommend the Science Museum in St. Paul. It is very interactive and has great views of the river. You can easily get there from the Interstate and there is parking. If the weather is nice you can also walk along the river, there are some nice run/walk/bike paths. I would also check into the State Parks, http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/index.html, there are some relatively close to the cities and they may have better conditions for hiking or snowshoeing. Afton State Park is only 20 miles away but there are several more right along the St. Croix River that will have snowshoe rental and hiking paths. It is beautiful country.

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