Swimming at these Twin Cities indoor waterparks and pools can be a wonderful way to squeeze in a workout during the frigid winter months in Minnesota, not to mention it’s guaranteed to wear out your most stir-crazy child! We’ve rounded up a list of indoor facilities around the Twin Cities where you can splash, slide and swim away the cold weather blues. Most of them offer swimming lessons as well.
School release day tip: School release days can be busy and sometimes pools reach capacity. It is a good idea to call ahead to find out how busy the pool is if you want to avoid disappointment.
What is the Best Indoor Waterpark in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Area?
BEST INDOOR WATERPARKS FOR THE BUDGET:
If you are looking for inexpensive indoor waterparks, these parks are your best bet. The waterparks in this section have admission fees ranging between $5-$8, with additional discounts for families of 5 or more people.
Eden Prairie Aquatics Center
16700 Valley View Rd, Eden Prairie, MN 55346
Cost: $5.75-$8/pp or $25.50/family (5 individuals)
Open Swim hours: Find all hours here, including open swim & tot times.
Details: A recent renovation of the swimming facility added a climbing wall, basketball hoops, waterslide, and a zero-depth splash pool with bubblers and buckets. For $2-$5 per kid, add on a run through the Prairie Play Zone indoor playground, also located within the Eden Prairie Community Center.
Great River Water Park at Oxford Community Center
270 Lexington Pkwy N, St Paul, MN 55104
Reopened: February 18, 2023
Cost: $7 ages 3+; under age 3 swim free. $25/group up to 5.
Extra savings: Come as a group – groups of 5 or more people get in for $5/pp. If you plan to swim more than 5 times per month, a membership is your best deal.
Open Swim hours: Find all hours here.
Details: Managed by Saint Paul’s park department, this Twin Cities indoor water park has a fun splashy activity pool for the youngest kids, two enclosed waterslides, a lap pool and diving boards — and the prices are the best in town. There’s a sauna, too, if you need to warm up (we find the water in the splash pool a bit chilly). Read about our trip to Great River Water Park here.
YMCA Memberships
Another budget-friendly option for the family who loves to swim is a YMCA Membership. Swim year-round at their indoor pools. Learn more about YMCA of the North here.
Check Nearby Hotels With Pools For Day-Swim Policies
Find More Ways to Get Fit: Family Sports & Fitness Calendar
MODERATE PRICED INDOOR WATERPARKS
These Twin Cities indoor waterparks are a little more expensive ($6-$12/pp), but include a few extras:
Grove Cove Aquatic Center
12951 Weaver Lake Rd, Maple Grove, MN 55369
Cost: $8/pp or $32/family up to 5.
Open Swim hours: Find all hours here.
Details: The enclosed features of this indoor/outdoor swimming pool complex include a zero-depth entry area with fountains and a junior slide, a 130-foot long slide for the big kids, a lap pool, a climbing wall, and a cool rope swing. Special hours apply for the water features so make sure to check the schedule before heading out. Parents of younger kids will appreciate the separate tot area and tot slide. Make a day of it by burning off what’s left of the kids’ energy with a visit to the Maple Maze Indoor Playground.
The Grove Aquatic Center
8055 Barbara Ave, Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077
Cost: $6-$9/pp
Open Swim hours: Find all hours here. Registration available, but not required.
Details: New splash ‘n spray features have been installed in the zero-depth entry area and there are still diving boards and slides to keep bigger kids happy. Kids in the 6+ range can take a swimming test to be allowed with swim without a parent in the water. Then mom and dad can take advantage of the hot tub while kids swim.
Monticello Community Center – Pool & Waterslide
505 Walnut St., Monticello, MN 55362
Cost: $7-$9/pp facility day pass.
Open Swim hours: Monthly Pool Schedule for Family Swim & Slide can be found here.
The Rookery – Slide Swim
7690 Village Drive, Lino Lakes, MN 55014
Cost: $7-$12/pp facility day pass.
Extra savings: Multi-visit passes & memberships available.
Open Swim hours: Mon-Wed 7pm-8pm; Thur-Fri 4pm-8pm; Sat 12-7pm; Sun 12-4pm.
Details: During Slide Swim, the slide and splash pool features are open and on. Kids 10 and under require adult supervision and 5 and under require touch supervision.
Safari Island Community Center
1600 Community Drive, Waconia, MN 55387
Cost: $7-$8/resident & $8-$9/non-residents, includes access to community center for daily use.
Open swim hours: Find open swim schedules here. There are separate lap and recreation pools, so open swim times are plentiful.
Details: Family-friendly features include a zero depth entry, a giant water slide, and a tot water slide in the shape of an elephant. Lap swim and diving areas are available for more serious swimmers.
Shakopee Indoor Aquatic Center
1255 Fuller St. S., Shakopee, MN 55379
Cost: $5-$12/pp, includes access to community center for daily use.
Open swim hours: Find open swim times here. Tot Time swim is held Wednesdays and Fridays 9-10:30 a.m. and Sundays 9:30-11 a.m. Cost is $5/child, caregivers FREE.
Details: The indoor aquatic center includes a zero-depth-entry leisure pool with play features, a basketball hoop, and three water slides for different ages. Family changing rooms available. There’s also a four-lane lap pool. Visitors 15+ can use the sauna and whirlpool hot tub.
Tropics & Bamboo Bay Indoor Waterpark
4580 Victoria St N, Shoreview, MN 55126
Cost: $9-$12/pp or $37-$45/family. Cost includes admission to Tropics Indoor Waterpark and Tropical Adventure Indoor Playground.
Extra Savings: Coupon books are available for 10 daily passes at a discount.
Open Swim hours: Find all hours here.
Details: Lots to enjoy here from the Shipwreck Beach splashy play zone, the unique Shark Attack jukebox waterslide, water sports activities and much more. A December 2018 update introduced the large Bamboo Bay water play structure. A good deal, especially combined with a visit to the indoor playground.
Williston Fitness Center Pool & Splash Pad
14509 Minnetonka Dr, Minnetonka, MN 55345
Cost: Day-use for non-members is $7/pp ages 1-14, adults pay $12/pp. Cost includes admission to the Williston Tree House, an indoor playground with a climbing structure, slides, and rope swings. Adults and infants under one year are always admitted free to the Tree House.
Open Swim hours: Find all hours here.
Details: The indoor playground-splash pad combo makes for an excellent deal, particularly during the coldest months.
INDOOR WATERPARK SPLURGES
Sometimes it’s just fun to splurge. Check out Great Wolf Lodge for an extra fun Twin Cities water park outing. Maybe even stay the night for a little staycation!
Great Wolf Lodge
1700 American Blvd E, Bloomington, MN 55425
Cost: Prices vary by demand
Open Swim hours: The indoor water park is included in the price of a room or suite. As we noted, the admission is a splurge, but the newly renovated hotel is packed with attractions for its guests that would make for a fine family staycation.
7 Tips for Visiting Great Wolf Lodge Bloomington
Treasure Island Resort – The Lagoon
5734 Sturgeon Lake Rd, Welch, MN 55089
Cost: Swimmers $14.95/Non-swimmers: $7.49
Open Swim hours: Dump buckets and geysers, body slides, a lazy river and an activity pool with basketball hoop. There is a separate adults-only section, so you don’t need to worry about your kids splashing too much.
Wild Woods Waterpark
Wyndham Garden, 9200 Quaday Ave NE, Otsego, MN 55330
Cost: $20/swimmer; $10/non-swimmer
Open Swim hours: Fridays 4-9pm; Saturday 9am-9pm; and Sunday 9am-4pm.
Details: Only open on weekends. You do not need to book a room to use this small water park. There is a tot area ad water slides for bigger kids.
INDOOR WATERPARK ROAD TRIP
2100 Arrowwood Ln, Alexandria, MN 56308
Cost: $100+ / Room
Open Swim hours: The indoor water park is included in the price of a room or suite. There are daily rates for swimming only, but we are assuming Twin Cities residents will need to stay the night since it is an over 2-hour drive to Alexandria. The resort also has (for additional fees) a golf course, a marina, horseback riding and easy access to local attractions.
We hope this list will help you find a great pool for some indoor family recreational swim time no matter the weather. If you have tips, favorite family swim times that we didn’t mention or thoughts on any pool, please leave us a comment so we can share with the community.
Find hundreds more things to do in Minneapolis & St Paul with kids!
Find more fun indoor games for kids to play when you’re stuck inside.
Originally Published: January 4, 2017
Updated: January 2023
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Great River Waterpark is temporarily closed, with no opening date yet planned.
Thank you, Sherri. Anne had a note on that entry that it was temporarily on hold and recommended calling ahead, but I have added the temporary closure to the heading just to make it more clear. I hope you weren’t too disappointed if you just showed up. I’ve been there and done that with kids.