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Minnesota

Minneapolis with Kids

Minneapolis is the one city in the northern plains that a family can visit in any season, and the reason is structural rather than scenic. Downtown is stitched together by an enclosed second-floor skyway network that links offices, shops, food halls and many hotels without going outside, and the region's biggest attraction — an indoor theme park inside a shopping mall in neighbouring Bloomington — is connected to the airport and to downtown by a single light-rail line. In summer the proposition changes completely: a chain of lakes sits inside the city limits with a continuous paved path around them, and a waterfall in a public park a short ride from the centre. The trade-off is the climate at both ends. January and February routinely sit well below freezing for weeks at a time, which is workable but has to be planned for, and July and August are humid with mosquitoes near the water. March, April and November are the months to avoid: grey, slushy and with the lakes neither frozen nor swimmable.

Best for ages
2+
Suggested stay
3–5 days
Best months
Jan–Feb, May–Oct
Daily budget
€290

Mid-range, family of four

Why Minneapolis works with children

  • One light-rail line does most of the work

    The Blue Line connects both airport terminals with downtown Minneapolis in one direction and the Mall of America in the other, which removes the car from the two hardest journeys of the trip.

  • A downtown that works in bad weather

    Miles of enclosed, heated skyway bridges link most of the central blocks at first-floor level, so a cold or wet day downtown is spent indoors without planning for it.

  • Lakes inside the city

    Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet and Lake of the Isles sit within the city limits, ringed by a flat paved path with separate lanes for walking and cycling, plus swimming beaches with summer lifeguards.

  • Indoor attractions that suit a wide age spread

    An indoor theme park, an aquarium, a mill museum built inside a ruin and a free sculpture garden cover toddlers to teenagers without long drives between them.

Where to stay

Best areas in Minneapolis for families

4 areas cover most trips here; the difference is mainly winter visits and car-free stays versus cheaper rooms and a quieter centre.

  • Downtown & the Mill District

    Best for winter visits and car-free stays

    Most skyway-connected hotels are here, along with the riverfront, the Stone Arch Bridge and the Mill District's restaurants. The centre empties in the evening outside event nights, which is quiet rather than unsafe, and a few blocks around the bus interchange feel rougher after dark.

  • Uptown & the Chain of Lakes

    Best for summer stays with older children

    Low-rise residential streets between the lakes, with apartment rentals, cafés and the lake path on the doorstep. It is the right base from May to September and a fairly isolated one in January, when the walk to anything is cold and the transport is bus rather than rail.

  • Bloomington & the Mall of America

    Best for families whose trip centres on the mall or a tight flight connection

    Hotels here are mostly modern all-suite blocks aimed at families, many with a shuttle to the mall and a station on the same light-rail line as the airport. The area itself is a landscape of car parks and slip roads with nothing to walk to.

  • Saint Paul

    Best for cheaper rooms and a quieter centre

    The twin city across the river has its own capitol, a children's museum and a zoo and conservatory in Como Park. It is around 20 minutes by light rail on the Green Line, which is a real journey rather than a hop.

Family hotel picks in Minneapolis

  • Skyway-connected hotel in downtown Minneapolis
    Downtown / Mill DistrictMid-range

    Skyway-connected hotel in downtown Minneapolis

    A room with a direct enclosed link into the skyway network turns a January stay from an endurance test into an ordinary city break: breakfast, lunch, shops and a light-rail station are all reachable without going outside with a pushchair.

    • Direct or near-direct skyway access at first-floor level
    • Blue Line light rail to the airport and the Mall of America nearby
    • Indoor pool in most of the larger properties
    • Walking distance to the riverfront and the Stone Arch Bridge

    Fitting a family in

    Rooms with two double beds sleeping four are the standard product downtown; suites with a separate living area and a sofa bed cover five, and connecting rooms are widely available on request.

    Watch out. Not every hotel described as downtown is actually on the skyway — some are a block or two of open pavement away, which is a very different thing in deep winter. Parking is garage-based and charged nightly on top of the room, and the centre is quiet on evenings without an event.

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  • Apartment rental near the Chain of Lakes
    Uptown / Lake of the IslesMid-range

    Apartment rental near the Chain of Lakes

    A kitchen, a washing machine and a residential street with the lake path at the end of it suits a summer stay far better than a downtown hotel room, and gives children somewhere to run without a drive.

    • Kitchen and laundry for longer stays
    • Flat paved lake path for walking, cycling and scooters
    • Swimming beaches with summer lifeguards a short walk away
    • Off-street parking with many units

    Fitting a family in

    Two- and three-bedroom apartments and duplex floors of houses sleep four to six comfortably, which is usually cheaper than two hotel rooms.

    Watch out. The connection to downtown here is bus rather than rail, and it thins out in the evening. The area is at its best from May to September; in January it is a cold, dark walk to anything, and mosquitoes near the water are heavy from June to August.

    Check hotel prices — opens Klook in a new tab (affiliate link)Live availability for your dates
  • All-suite hotel near the Mall of America in Bloomington
    BloomingtonMid-range

    All-suite hotel near the Mall of America in Bloomington

    Purpose-built for families passing through, with separate sleeping areas, breakfast included, an indoor pool and a light-rail station that reaches both the airport and downtown without a car.

    • Separate bedroom and living area in most units
    • Breakfast included and an indoor pool
    • Free parking and a mall shuttle at many properties
    • Blue Line station for the airport and downtown

    Fitting a family in

    One-bedroom suites with a sofa bed sleep four to five; two-bedroom units exist and are the easier option for a family of five or more.

    Watch out. The surroundings are car parks, slip roads and the mall itself — there is nothing to walk to, and the area has no evening life of its own beyond the shopping centre. It is also under an approach path, so aircraft noise is constant at some properties.

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All family stays in United States

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Things to do in Minneapolis with kids

  • Mall of America & Nickelodeon Universe
    Theme park

    Mall of America & Nickelodeon Universe

    Minneapolis

    An indoor theme park occupying the central atrium of a very large shopping centre in Bloomington, with roller coasters, a drop tower and a substantial cluster of rides built for younger children, plus an aquarium with a walk-through tunnel on the lower level. Entry to the mall and the park area costs nothing; rides are paid for individually or by unlimited-ride wristband.

    Ages
    2–14
    Time
    5h
    Adult, from
    €45

    Good to know. Height minimums apply on the larger rides, so check them against the smallest child before buying an unlimited wristband. There is no natural light anywhere in the park, which tires some children faster than an outdoor day, and weekends and school holidays are extremely busy. The light rail from the airport and downtown stops at the mall's own station, so no car is needed.

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  • Minnehaha Falls
    Nature

    Minnehaha Falls

    Minneapolis

    A waterfall of around sixteen metres inside a city park a short drive or light-rail ride from downtown, with a limestone gorge below it, lawns, a playground and a paved path along the creek towards the Mississippi. The viewing platform at the top is level; the gorge floor is reached by a long staircase.

    Ages
    0–16
    Time
    1h 30m
    Adult, from
    Free

    Good to know. The flow varies enormously with rainfall and can be a trickle in a dry late summer. In deep winter the falls freeze into a column of ice, which is worth seeing but makes the stairs and the gorge path slippery and sometimes closed. The upper park and the viewpoint work with a pushchair; the stairs into the gorge do not.

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  • Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
    Culture

    Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

    Minneapolis

    An open, free sculpture park beside the Walker Art Center at the edge of downtown, laid out on flat lawns and paths with large-scale works including the spoon-and-cherry fountain that has become the city's emblem. A footbridge crosses the motorway to the chain of lakes on the other side.

    Ages
    0–16
    Time
    1h
    Adult, from
    Free

    Good to know. Entirely outdoors and entirely without shade, which makes it a short visit in high summer and a cold one in winter. The ground is flat and paved throughout and works well with a pushchair or a scooter. The adjoining art centre charges admission separately.

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  • Mill City Museum
    Museum

    Mill City Museum

    Minneapolis

    A museum built inside the burnt-out shell of a flour mill on the Mississippi riverfront, explaining how the falls powered the milling industry that built the city. It includes a lift ride through reconstructed mill floors, a baking lab and an observation deck looking over the river, the falls and the Stone Arch Bridge.

    Ages
    5–16
    Time
    2h
    Adult, from
    €12

    Good to know. The lift-based show is dark, loud and enclosed, which unsettles some younger children; the rest of the museum can be seen without it. The riverfront and the Stone Arch Bridge outside are flat and pushchair-friendly, and are exposed to wind off the river in winter.

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Getting around Minneapolis

The Blue Line light rail is the spine and covers the airport, downtown and the Mall of America on one ticket; the Green Line links downtown Minneapolis with Saint Paul. Fares are flat per ride with a transfer window, and passes are sold by the day. Buses fill the gaps, including the routes around the lakes, but they run far less often than the trains in the evening. A car is not needed for a stay based downtown or in Bloomington, and is genuinely useful only for reaching the outer suburbs or leaving the metro area; downtown parking is garage-based and charged by the hour. In deep winter, plan journeys as skyway-to-station rather than street walks, and check whether a hotel's skyway link is a bridge or a five-minute walk in the open.

Minneapolis tips for families

  • With kids

    Ask whether the hotel is actually on the skyway

    A hotel described as downtown may still be a couple of open-air blocks from the nearest skyway bridge, which is a different proposition at minus twenty with a pushchair. The distinction is worth confirming directly before booking a winter stay.

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  • Money & costs

    Price the theme park by wristband, not by entry

    Walking into the mall and the indoor park costs nothing; the rides are paid for by point or by unlimited-ride wristband. Height minimums apply on the larger rides, so check them against the smallest child before buying an unlimited band that only part of the family can use.

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  • Packing

    Winter here needs proper kit, not a heavier coat

    Temperatures below minus twenty are normal in January and February, and wind across open ground makes it worse. Insulated boots, a hat that covers the ears and mittens rather than gloves are the difference between a workable day and a short one.

  • Health & safety

    Evenings by the water need repellent

    Mosquitoes are heavy near the lakes and the river from June to August, worst at dusk, which is exactly when the lake path is most pleasant. Repellent is sold everywhere locally and is easier to buy on arrival than to pack.

Minneapolis with kids: common questions

Is Minneapolis worth visiting with kids in winter?
It is one of the few places in the region that is. The downtown skyway network, the indoor theme park and aquarium at the Mall of America, and the museums mean a cold week has plenty in it. It still needs real winter clothing, and outdoor plans should be treated as a bonus rather than the itinerary.
Do you need a car in Minneapolis?
Not for a stay based downtown or near the Mall of America. One light-rail line covers the airport, the centre and the mall, and a second reaches Saint Paul. A car becomes useful only for the outer suburbs or for driving out of the metro area.
How many days do you need in Minneapolis?
Three to five. Three covers downtown, the riverfront and the Mall of America. Five adds the lakes, Minnehaha Falls and a day in Saint Paul without rushing.
Can you swim in the Minneapolis lakes?
Yes, at the designated beaches on the city lakes from roughly June to August, with lifeguards on duty in the main season. The water is fresh, shallow near the shore and noticeably cool well into June.
Is the Mall of America suitable for young children?
The indoor theme park inside it is built around younger children, with a substantial share of gentle rides alongside a few coasters that carry height minimums. It is also extremely busy at weekends and in school holidays, and there is no natural light, which tires some children faster than a normal park day.

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