Address: 4900 North Mississippi Drive, Minneapolis, MN, 55430
Upcoming Events: Jump to North Mississippi Regional Park Events
Website North Mississippi Regional Park
Nature Center hours Tues-Fri 9am-4:30pm
Sat 10am-4pm
North Mississippi Regional Park is hidden behind the I-94 freeway wall and offers spectacular views of the Mississippi River and the surrounding woods and prairie. The park is home to the Carl W Kroening Nature Center, a playground, beautiful wading pool, hiking and biking trails, and opportunities to spot local wildlife. The walk from the interpretive center to the play area is through a beautiful prairie. If you choose to follow it, the path winds full-circle back to the building following along the river on the way back. 
Playground & wading pool at North Mississippi Regional Park
The playground equipment is pretty standard, but the wading pool/splash pad is beautiful with a rock-shaped water fountain. The pool opens Memorial Day weekend and closes on Labor Day and includes changing rooms. The playground and pool area also offers picnic space. There is not a lot in the way of nearby restaurants, but there is room to grill if you bring your own food. The interpretive center also sells a few snacks.
Carl W Kroening Nature Center
The nature center is a welcome stop in the park whether seeing cozy warmth or an air-conditioned break while you play. Our kids have enjoyed its quality hands-on materials centering on topics such as water, native plants and pollinators, and urban wildlife. Younger (and older) children may enjoy playing with puppets, a make-believe market, dress up and blocks. The center also contains a live animal room with turtles, frogs and snakes and a Minnesota freshwater fish aquarium.
The center offers Trail Activity Books, fun ideas, binoculars and adventure packs for check out. Stop by the front desk to borrow these items. Or, even talk with a naturalist to meet and learn about the center’s education animals.
Outdoor activities in North Mississippi Regional Park
This would be a good park to bring the bikes and take a family bike ride. (Anne writes about doing just that here.) It has bike trails running through it that connect with other city trails. Whether biking or walking, watch for deer, fox, beavers, otters, muskrats, woodchucks, chipmunks and other small rodents. It is also a good place to bird watch. You may spot raptors, including bald eagles and red-tailed hawks; waterfowl; wading birds like the great blue heron and a variety of songbirds. You can check out a birding backpack from the Interpretive Center if you don’t have your own birding kit.
Nature Play Area and Adventure Trail
The nature play area just outside of the Carl Kroening Nature Center features dynamic components to entice hikers to climb, hop, run, swing, and jump their way through the park. Accessible play elements will include an ADA aggregate path connector, transfer platforms, and ADA fixed-in-place nature play pieces.
Adventure Hub​
North Mississippi Regional Park is one of MPRB’s Adventure Hub parks. Visitors can borrow equipment for outdoor exploration, such as:​
- Binoculars​
- Magnifying lens​
- Plant and animal identification guides​
- Butterfly and macroinvertebrate nets​
- Exploration Backpacks for activities like birding.
Stop by Kroening Nature Center to borrow equipment to use within the park for the day. Note that the park requires a collateral item (like your driver’s license or credit card).
Paddle Share program at North Mississippi Regional Park
The Minneapolis Parks have teamed up with the National Park Service and others in a program that allows park users to rent kayaks to explore Mississippi. These kayak stations will work much like the Nice Ride bicycle program. Users reserve their kayak online for a specific date and time, watch a safety video, sign a waiver and pay for the reservation. They will then receive a code to unlock a kayak and equipment (including life jacket) at North Mississippi.
Birthday parties at North Mississippi Regional Park
This park has three picnic shelters available to for the public. The can be typically be reserved for birthdays and other events between mid-April and mid-October. Permits are available by the half day (9-3 or 4-10) or for a full day. Reservations can be obtained by calling 612-230-6400 during business hours, online or in person. The Beaver and Turtle shelters each hold 50 people (please check online for prices – see link below). The larger shelter holds 150 people.Â
More information
- Registration link: Minneapolis Parks activities
- Event space: Reserve a picnic shelter
- Book: Paddle Share information & booking
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Share Your Experience/Tips:
We would love to hear your thoughts and parental tips. Share your experiences and any information you think other parents would find useful. Leave us a comment below.Upcoming Family-Friendly Events
- North Mississippi Family Fundays (FREE) - 05/23/2026 - 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Fun Past Events We Hope to See Again
- Winter Solstice Celebration (FREE) - 12/20/2025 - 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
- Nature Tots: Fish Frenzy (FREE) - 05/02/2026 - 10:30 am - 11:30 am
- North Mississippi Nature Art: Nature Into Art (FREE) - 05/09/2026 - 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Please Note: FamilyFunTwinCities.com is an independent website run by Twin Cities families for Twin Cities families. We attempt to include the information we find most essential as parents. We make every effort to keep up with changes. However, we are not employed by or connected to this venue, and information sometimes changes without our knowledge. We recommend calling or checking the venue’s website for up-to-date information.
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