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St. Paul Attractions & ActivitiesFamily Vacations
When school winds down, whether it's for summer, winter, or spring break, we yearn for an escape from the daily grind. We need to relax, yet we also want to create lasting family memories – let's face it, our lives are busier than ever and when we finally take time to get away, we want to make the most of it. Finding the perfect family vacation is a challenge. But our suggestions have appeal for both children and their parents, from amusement parks and historic sites to fine dining restaurants and upscale shopping neighborhoods. Cities do attract their fair share of the tourist trade, but you can still find less crowded spots and create family- and budget-friendly vacations.
Category: Family Vacations - St. Paul Attractions & Activities
Address: 1360 N Lexington Pkwy, St. Paul, MN 55103
Orangutans, giraffes and gorillas, oh my! While on your St. Paul vacation or trip, experience the call of the wild as you check out animals from all over the word in re-creations of their natural habitats. At the Conservatory, experience the beauty of nature among the flowers, and have a picnic on the grounds of this gorgeous public park. You can...
Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakotah Life
Category: Family Vacations - St. Paul Attractions & Activities
Address: 2097 W Larpenteur Ave, Falcon Heights, St. Paul, MN 55113
At this St. Paul museum, discover the life of Jane Gibbs. As a child she became friends with the Dakotah people, learning their language and customs. She assumed the life of a pioneer woman when she married Herman Gibbs and helped him build up their farm. She continued to foster a close relationship with the Dakotah who camped on their land. At...
Category: Family Vacations - St. Paul Attractions & Activities
Address: 1 Post Rd, Junction of Hwys 5 & 55, one mile east, St. Paul, MN 55111
This Minnesota fort has witnessed many years of history and served countless roles throughout its term of service. Now a St. Paul museum, Fort Snelling was built in the 1820s to protect the American fur trade and keep the peace between Native American tribes and pioneers. It eventually became an entry point for Army recruits during WWII, housing...
Category: Family Vacations - St. Paul Attractions & Activities
Address: 240 Summit Ave, St. Paul, MN 55102
On your family’s St. Paul vacation, travel back in time to the Gilded Age, when society was dictated by the comings and goings of the wealthy few. James J. Hill amassed his financial empire off railroads, mining, agriculture and finance, and invested part of his $63 million personal fortune into this magnificent home. Today’s visitors can explore...
Category: Family Vacations - St. Paul Attractions & Activities
Address: 10 W 7th St, St. Paul, MN 55102-1104
Kids are free to roam and touch whatever they like at this downtown St. Paul museum. The Minnesota Children’s Museum offers plenty of exhibits for all ages, and kids are encouraged to crawl through the giant anthill, have fun in the muskrat lodge, or balance on the bouldering wall. Babies and toddlers can crawl or teeter around Habitot, a safe...
Category: Family Vacations - St. Paul Attractions & Activities
Address: 13000 Zoo Blvd, Apple Valley, MN 55124
No St. Paul vacation is complete without a trip to the Minnesota Zoo. More than 2,400 animals inhabit 500 acres, and visitors can explore the trails and discover animals like Amur tigers, Mexican gray wolves, gibbons, dolphins and Asian wild horses. A walk along the Minnesota Trail presents species native to the state, like gray wolves, otters,...
Category: Family Vacations - St. Paul Attractions & Activities
Address: Harriet Island, St. Paul, MN 55107
If trudging through museums and historic sites is not your idea of a great St. Paul vacation, hop aboard one of the riverboats of the Padelford Packet Boat Company. These beautiful boats offer sightseeing tours, sunset dinner and picnic lunch cruises, and educational river trips. Take in summer fireworks, fall foliage, city skylines, and the...
Category: Family Vacations - St. Paul Attractions & Activities
Address: 120 W Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55102-1200
The mission of this St. Paul museum is to “turn on the science” of the world. The Science Museum of Minnesota offers a multitude of fun permanent exhibits, such as the Dinosaurs and Fossil Gallery (featuring real and reproduced dinosaur fossils) and the Human Body Gallery (where you can play with DNA strands). There are always special exhibits...
Twin City Model Railroad Museum
Category: Family Vacations - St. Paul Attractions & Activities
Address: 1021 Bandana Blvd E, Bandana Square, St. Paul, MN 55108
Adults will feel like big kids at this St. Paul museum. Twin City Model Railroad Museum is full of lifelike, to-scale models that recreate the history of Twin Cities’ railroads. Freight trains, passenger trains, steamboats and busy lines come to life here and tell the story of a time when the rail industry was top dog. This St. Paul model train...
Wabasha Street Caves – Down in History Tours
Category: Family Vacations - St. Paul Attractions & Activities
Address: 215 Wabasha St, St. Paul, MN 55107
Visiting the Wabasha Street Caves can provide an interesting twist to your family’s St. Paul vacation. Tour the caves along the banks of the Mississippi River, where gangsters and bootleggers operated their speakeasies and still during the Prohibition Era. If you’re looking for seasonal St. Paul tours, “Ghost and Graves” takes place in October....
