In Minnesota, family fun outdoors means embracing all four seasons. If you are on this page because you are looking for a new Twin Cities-area park, playground or nature center to explore, hundreds of entries can be found through our Parks & Playgrounds Search feature. Or, continue searching hundreds more ideas of things to do with kids in the Twin Cities through our Family Directory, including family outings, services, classes, camps, birthday parties and more.
Family Fun Directory of Things To Do with Kids:
Pond-Dakota Mission Park
Pond-Dakota Mission Park in Bloomington is built on the grounds of a former mission founded by brothers, Gideon and Samuel Pond. The historic 1856 Gideon and Agnes Pond House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, sits in the park. The park now is an education site where people can learn more about both the life of missionaries and the Dakota people of the mid-nineteenth century.
Image used with permission courtesy of Bloomington Parks and Recreation
Self-Guided Tours of Pond-Dakota Mission Park
Parks and Recreation, 952-563-8693,
Sunday Open House at the Pond House
The Pond House is open on Sundays from 1:30 – 4 p.m. There is a suggested donation of $2 for adults. The weekly open houses often have special themes and are very family-friendly, which you can find on our Family Fun Calendar.