Please check ahead before heading to Twin Cities Parks in 2020. Many amenities are temporarily closed to support social distancing.
Lyndale Farmstead Park has family friendly amenities that include a playground and tot lot, paths for walking and biking (plus a bike pump), and sports courts and fields. This park also has restroom facilities. In the winter MPRB maintains an outdoor ice rink. Located on a scenic hillside, Lyndale Farmstead Park was once the headquarters of a farm that covered most of Lake Harriet it also was the home of former park superintendent, Theodore Wirth, and his family. During this rehabilitation period, MPRB recommends these nearby rec centers: The park, including the playground and sports fields, will remain open during the rec center construction. Restrooms will either be accessible through the exterior access or MPRB will provide portable facilities during the project. During the winter months, the park maintains an outdoor ice rink with warming house at this location. Rinks are dependent on the weather, but usually open from mid-December to mid-February. MPRB does not expect the ice rink or warming house to be affected by the 2019/2020 rec center closure. According to the Minneapolis parks department, the Theodore Wirth house was built for the Wirth family as an incentive for Theodore to accept the job as park superintendent in 1906. He remained in the position until 1935 (but his family remained in the house until 1946), making him the longest-tenured superintendent in Minneapolis park history. The house was not completed until 1910, at which time the upper level was used as the family's home and the lower level was used for office and design space. 2002 because of Wirth's impact on Minneapolis parks and its influence in planning for municipal, state and national parks across the country Image courtesy of MPRB. Tucked into a hillside in Lyndale Farmstead Park, The Wirth Home and Administration Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is furnished with period artifacts, including some that were owned by the Wirth family. The house is not generally open to the public, but is on occasion for special events. To find more historic homes, check out our Museums & Historic Sites page.Lyndale Farmstead Park, Minneapolis
Lyndale Farmstead Recreation Center - Closed until Spring of 2020
The small rec center houses a community kitchen, a craft room and a multi-purpose room. The building closed in August of 2019 and is expected to remain closed until Spring of 2020. During the period while it is closed, MPRB will add air-conditioning and a new furnace, update the accessibility of the restrooms, add a new meeting room and building addition and update the lobby and reception area.
Birthday Parties at Lyndale Farmstead Park - On hold until Rec Center Reopens.
Winter at Lyndale Farmstead
The Theodore Wirth House at Lyndale Farmstead
Discover a new outdoor play space! We can help you find some of the best playgrounds Minneapolis, St. Paul and greater Minnesota. Looking for specifics like a playground, swimming spot or bike trail? Want to find the perfect place to a pitch a tent or your city's best sledding hill? Search by all of these amenities and more in our Twin Cities Parks & Playgrounds Search by selecting a category from the drop down menu or typing in the keyword of your choice in the search box. You can even enter an address and select a radius to search by city or region of the Metro.
Plus, find park hours, fees, directions, pictures and other extras.
For more outdoor play ideas:
- 10 of the Best Twin Cities Playgrounds
- 20 Twin Cities Beaches, Parks & Playgrounds to Try This Summer
- Nature Playgrounds in the Twin Cities - Get Back to Green
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Check out our Parks and Playgrounds Pinterest Board.
The Family Fun Twin Cities Parks & Playgrounds Search directory is your one stop for the best Twin Cities Park Guide! We share some of the best playgrounds in the Twin Cities in this directory. We are so passionate about how awesome are parks are, that we don't want you to stop with 10 parks or even 150 parks! There are so many parks in the metro area, you could visit a new one every day for some free Twin Cities family fun and still not have seen them all in 5 years.
We've currently reviewed over 400 parks in this directory, but we would love to hear from you! What do YOU think are the best parks in the Twin Cities? How about the best parks in Minnesota? What parks did we completely miss? What is your favorite little unknown gem? We really want to share all your favorite indoor playgrounds and outdoor parks! Let us know and we'll add a review here.
Twin Cities parks are great for hiking, biking, rollerblading, kayaking, canoeing and other fun physical games. But, they are also just great for hanging out in a hammock and picnicking while the kids explore and enjoy some of the best playgrounds in Minnesota.
Let's enjoy our parks:
The best nature park experiences for kids and families in Minneapolis and beyond.
Inside Parks and Indoor Waterparks
In Minnesota indoor playgrounds are a necessity! I know we think of outdoors when we think of parks, but with our long, dark and cold winters, some indoor active games are a must. You can even have indoor picnics at these parks. This such a great way to stretch the summer feeling into the winter! Check out some of the best indoor playgrounds in the Twin Cities this winter.
Outside Parks and Outdoor Waterparks
Minnesota has these, too! And during our short summer, we want to take advantage of them as much as possible! best In fact, the Minneapolis and St. Paul Parks are some of the best outdoor playgrounds twin cities - actually in the country. They win awards - every year! Look and See. Every. Single. Year. So get out to our area parks, make up some fun games to play.
Beaches
Some of the best beaches in the Twin Cities are hidden little gems. Anne has her favorite 20 Twin Cities Beaches, Parks & Playgrounds to Try This Summer. She revises the list every year to keep us in the know.
Shakespeare in the Park at Twin Cities Parks
One of my favorite ways to enjoy our parks is with a play or musical in a park. It doesn't really have to be Shakespeare, it can be the latest Disney princess musical or even a puppet wagon. In fact, sometimes Open Eye Figure Theatre's driveway tour has some park stops. Watch our Performing Arts page each summer to find these fun, free park events.
Music in the Parks - Minneapolis, St. Paul, Suburbs
Nothing says easy summertime fun like music in the parks! The best thing is, there is seriously a concert every night of the week from Memorial Day until Labor Day. Obviously, some get cancelled due to weather, but pick any nice night, take a look at the Family Fun Twin Cities calendar and you can find music in a park. No sign up, no tickets, no money, no commitment. Show up, bring a picnic, play at some of the best playgrounds in Minnesota and relax to great music.
Movies in the Parks at Twin Cities Parks
One thing I love about Movies in the Park is that they tend to screen at some of the best playgrounds in Minneapolis and the greater Twin Cities. I love to make it a full evening with a picnic and some fun outdoor kid games and Park Games for Kids. This is a good time to see newer kids movies that you didn't catch in the theater or to introduce your kids to your own childhood favorites without having to gamble on library DVD quality.
Tot Times
Active indoor games for preschoolers are something we are always on the search for when the weather is uncooperative. The parks have a lot to offer with their tot times and open gym slots. For instance, they often offer riding toys, hula hoops, games to play with preschoolers, balls of all kinds, climbing structures, fun games for toddlers, etc.
Looking for the Best Playgrounds and Parks Beyond the Twin Cities?
If you are traveling outside the metro, you'll want to check out some of our favorite day-trip parks. If you are going further than that, we have a list of great family-owned websites to direct you to the best parks around the country so you don't have to depend on national websites or random internet searches.