So, you and your family are looking for free activities in the Twin Cities metro area? And today, with finances being what they are, it would be nice if it were free. Well, in Minneapolis and St. Paul Minnesota, there are a lot of activities available for both families and individuals. We will list a large number of activities, along with contact information.
One of the most fun family activities is a trip to the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul. Admission and parking are free, although they do ask for a voluntary contribution of two dollars per adult and one dollar per child. The Como Zoo has a large variety of animals, from Lions and Tigers, snakes, puffins, sea lions, seals, various birds and of course, a primate house. There is also the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory associated with the zoo, which features both indoor and outdoor gardens. While it isn’t free, there is also Como Town, which offers a wide variety of rides to children from two to twelve. For more information on the Como Zoo and Conservatory visit their website at www.comozooconservatory.org/como_zoo/visitor.shtml.
The twin cities are also home to a large number of museums, many of which offer free admission. One of the most famous is the outdoor sculpture garden at the Walker Art Center. Many cities have that one district image. St. Louis has the Gateway Arch. Chicago has the Sears Tower. New York has the Empire State Building. The Twin cities have a cherry on a spoon. That isn’t the only sculpture that you will see at the Sculpture garden, but it is the most famous. For more information, visit the Walker Art Center website www.walkerart.org.
Other museums of interest are the Bell Museum of Natural History, which has exhibits on Minnesota’s habitats, traveling galleries, a rain forest exhibit and a touch and see room for the kids. Admission is free to everyone on Sundays from noon to 5PM. During other hours, the museum is free for students and faculty of the University of Minnesota and to members. www.bellmuseum.org. Some other museums which offer free admission are the Minneapolis institute of Arts, www.artsmia.org, the Minnesota Museum of American Art, www.mmaa.org, and the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum www.weisman.mnu.edu. The Minnesota Children’s Museum offers free admission on the third Sunday of every month. Their website is www.mcm.org. These are just a few of the many museums available in the Twin Cities.
However, maybe museum hopping isn’t your forte? For the adults, there are other activities to take part in. You could tour a local brewery at Summit Brewery, a local brewer of ales, porters and stouts. More information is available www.summitbrewing.com. Maybe a little meditation? There is the Dharma Field Zen Center on west 49th St. in Minneapolis. A little political science? There are free tours of the state capital, including the Golden Horses. Maybe some music? There is Minnesota Sinfonia, which offers a wide variety of free concerts around the Twin Cities. To see the schedule, visit www.mnsinfonia.org.
One free activity that Minnesota really prides itself on is cycling. Minnesota has more miles of paved, rail to trail bike paths than any other state. Just in the twin cities, there are a wide variety of trails which are administered by city, county, state and other government offices. Some of these are Elm Creek Park Reserve/North Hennepin Trail Corridor, Gateway State Trail, Grand Rounds Bike Trails, Luce Line State Trail, Minnesota Valley State Trail and Sunrise Prairie Trail/Hardwood Creek Trail. See the website www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/Travel-Leisure/Traveler-Resources/Minnesota-Biking-2007-2008/Bike-Trails/Twin-Cities-Area-Bike-Trails/index.php for more trail information.
These are just some of the activities available, please see the sources area for more activities.
Sources:
http://twincitiesmom.com/freestuff.html#freeplaces
http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/Search/index.php?search=&mod;=CoreSearch&query;=free+activities&urlprefix;=%2Fmedia%2FMinnesota-Monthly%2F&Search;=Search
