This has got to be one of the most fun parks I have taken my boys to in awhile!…read more There is free street parking and a small parking lot down the street. This park has all kinds of things to climb, swing and explore but it also has... TOYS!! What kind of a park has toys!? The best kind of course!! As far as what is surround the playground, it's wood chips and the vast majority of the playground it wood. The entire playground is fenced in with only one way in and out, truly a parents dream haha!! There is a big sand pit to the left and alllll kinda of trucks, push toys and things to ride! There are several benches and picnic tables as well! This was a clean and well maintained park! If you are in the area, it's definitely worth the stop!

I know this place as "Wood Park". As in "Can we go to Wood Park, please please please ...". After…read moreall, its made mostly of wood. But to the city of Rochester and the kind people that made it happen, its know as the Field of Fun. Its located just a hop and a skip from the Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial. This park is small, but is a great place to take younger children. The play area is enclosed so they cant stray to far. There is a separate area for the toddler set with toddler sized play gear. For the 4-8 crowd there are more advanced slides, poles, and other climbing do-dads (even a climbing wall). There are even some picnic tables up front. if you were 4, wood it get any better than this?

Although this place is amazing, very beautiful, but this place is so shady and so insecure for…read morepeople last night when we went there with the family the moment we parted, there was a huge bunch of people who came in different cars mostly African-American. People are not US based Somalians or somewhere from that side of the country Because I could not hear them talk properly. They were dealing with illegal drugs and the park was so dirty and nasty that you could see used condoms all over the place. If you're going with the family I strongly recommend you avoid this side of the park because it's not very safe. We feel really insecure and left that place although the park is very pretty we could have stayed longer, but we didn't feel safe with the amount of people coming in there with the law-enforcement can make rounds in this area. They can have a good check on what's going on in there

Here's a weird fact. When I lived in Rochester, I never dropped by Silver Lake Park. I always drove…read morearound it to get to and from my home to the downtown area and beyond. The only explanation that I can muster is that I had a park within walking distance from my home. I visited that park often that I didn't think of visiting others. After having a decent lunch on Saturday afternoon, I decided to drop by the park to finally check it out. There are a number of parking spots. I backed my car into an available spot and walked around. Rochester is unique in that it's the only city in Minnesota that has manmade lakes. I believe that the number of lakes in Rochester is in the double digits these days, but the lakes were designed for cooling. Specifically, Silver Lake cools the Rochester Public Utilities power plant. The park surrounds Silver Lake. You can get quite the workout walking around it. I walked maybe a quarter of it. I had spotted a swing that had enough space to comfortably seat two adults. There were indeed two people on it, so I decided to walk somewhere else. When I noticed that they were walking towards me, I headed over to the swing. I like a good swing. This one faces the lake and it was enjoyable taking in downtown Rochester and the view while swinging on it. There are geese in the area. They are known as Canadian honkers. They have longer necks than your traditional Canada goose, which I didn't know about until I learned that Canadian Honker, the restaurant in town, was named after it. Cool! If you do see these birds, you can feed them. There isn't a bylaw that says that you'll get fined for feeding them. During the Fourth of July, fireworks happen in this area. It's definitely a smaller version of the Victoria Day fireworks at Ashbridges Bay in the Beaches in Toronto, but it's pretty decent. I never watched it from the park, but admired the display from afar. This park has a memorial dedicated to fallen firefighters. I also like that each tree has a sign that identifies what you are looking at. It's a cool place to walk around, and learn and discover on your own. It was great getting to know this park instead of driving around its perimeter! I look forward to returning and checking out the rest of it. (140)

The kids love this place. Its an indoor playground with lots to see and do…read more Colorful murals add a jungle feel to a spacious sunny well maintained area. The hit seems to be the kiddie roller coaster carts. Up to three kids can race these at a time. The climb and slide room was also a big hit. $1 a kid. Adults are free. Its tied to a Lutheran Church but all are welcome. No heavy handed proselytizing, just a fun place to play.

Great indoor play center for the little ones....infant-6ish…read more Open during the cold MN winter months. Gives the kids a place to run and play with other little ones and a place for parents/caregivers to meet and chat. Clean, well kept, coffee, restrooms, indoor playground. Inside Life Lutheran Church, Pastor Meyer is welcoming and very personable. Great guy! $1 per child is well worth the cost.

Such a lovely beach a few minutes out of Rochester!! Visited this area before but didn't realize…read morethey had a whole beach (only saw the areas where boats would go in) The water was pretty clear considering there was plenty of people there. Also saw some small fish. The sand does have rocks in it, so just be aware. They have showers, restrooms and a place where you can rent gear. The campground seemed clean (just drove by it), and they had a playground for the kiddos. There are trails nearby too but didn't explore them. So happy to revisit this place and will definitely be visiting again!

Watercraft (canoe, paddle board, kayak) rentals are affordably priced and in good condition. The…read moreriver was beautiful to paddle on and the birdwatching is excellent. I only wish they were open later than 6 during the summer!

This is one of our favorite parks here in rochester. Very clean and well taken care of. Very close…read moreby to downtown too ( maybe about 5-10 min drive). It has two play grounds, one for little kids and another for bigger toddlers and adolescents. What we also really love is the volleyball sand court! We've had so many good games there. There's also a shelter for groups to eat and sit around. We used it several times with friends for birthday parties and potlucks. Have I mentioned the lake yet? Really nive Lake with a little sand beach. You can swim there too. They do hold several sport events there for swimming during the year. People also bring fishing poles and go fishing there. During the winter, the lake is frozen and people come here to do ice fishing. I just love coming there and reading or chilling around sunset time.

Good beach. Big sandy area, volleyball net, playground nearby, beach house with showers, and a even…read morea security guard was on duty (it was a weekend). The lake is pretty small, but gets really deep within the swimming area. (There is a rope marking off a shallow area for the kiddos.). I'm pretty tall, and easily couldn't touch about half way into the swimming area--good distance between me and all the kids. Will definitely be returning!

Parking, cleanliness, presentation was 5 stars. However, the condition of some of the animals had…read moreme a little concerned. The bear we saw was pacing and panting back and forth. I'm not a zookeeper by any means, but considering the heat and kids screaming, maybe stress and hot! The same was for the mountain lion. He actually was pawing at his enclosure door to get out of the sun, but seemed unable to do so. Other animals were even seen pawing at empty bowls, which again, assuming this to be for water. I grew up on a farm, not a zookeeper, but the animals looked very uncomfortable.

This was unexpected. Like, really unexpected. We drove here after camping at a state park nearby,…read moreand the roads made us think we were headed towards someone's backyard and we might be the only ones there. We could not have been more wrong! Buses full of field trip kids! So many granny nannies! Plenty of older kids, including a few groups of teenagers! This is a legit nature center, quality playground, and perfectly nice little zoo. I don't know what it's like to live down here, but apparently the locals love this place. That said, it wasn't too crowded at all, and the bathrooms were clean. Parking was easy. We stayed for about an hour, but plenty of people looked like they had packed lunches and intended to stay all day.

It's nice to see a more robust tribute to the military in a place called Soldiers Field than what…read morewas here years ago. The track is nice, the golf course is okay, but this makes a fitting remembrance. Rochester really did a nice job in creating a memorial wall honoring veterans and the military. Made of etched granite, the wall briefly depicts in pictures and words major military actions since the Revolutionary war. It has the names of deceased veterans from SE Minnesota beginning with the Civil War. The pictures of the major conflicts etched into the granite are striking. Visually it's almost too much to process in a short visit. As you walk in, there are paving stones with names of veterans and allies. Around the memorial are trees, one representing each state, or benches dedicated to specific families or people. There's a book from the dedication listing the names on the wall or stones, and giving directions to locate it. It's nicely done. Unique among most memorials, this was built by donations instead of tax revenues. While the names are focused on SE Minnesota, this site really honors all veterans. It's an easy walk from the Mayo Clinic and on a nice day is a quiet respite from the nearby traffic.

First, I must apologize for the tardiness of this review. How could I have overlooked it?…read more A few months ago while visiting Rochester, I took a short 10 minute ride on a free Centerstone Plaza Hotel shuttle from the nearby Mayo Clinic to Soldier's Field. While Soldier's Field may not compare to some of the other National Memorial Parks and Cemetaries around the country, it was still a humbling experience nonetheless. The first and most obvious sight you'll see, is The Wall of Remembrance. The Wall of Remembrance was created to honor Veterans from Southeast Minnesota who died while fighting for our country. More than 3,000 service men and women are honored here. As you stroll along, look down at The Walk of Remembrance. It is made up of approximately 6,000 tiles honoring US Veterans and Allies for their service. Last, but not least, The Trees of Remembrance. The trees line the open grass area of the field, and each of the 50 trees represent every state in the United States of America. I was here at just about the start of Spring. It was overcast, cold, and the trees were still pretty bare. But I loved how still and serene everything was. The grounds are well maintained, and of the other pictures I've seen, it looks beautiful during different times of the year too. So if I make a return visit, perhaps it'll be when I can see The Trees of Remembrance when they are full and green. If you plan to drive over, there's plenty of free parking directly in front of the field.

Have a baby, toddler or a kid? This is the place for you. First time parents get the first 18…read moremonths free! Amazing experience for the little ones. My daughter loved all of the activities they had there. Definitely go check it out.

I didn't realize this museum was in the mall, surprised to find that out as we pulled into the…read moreparking lot. oh well, let's give it a shot. On the plus side of location, when you need a caffeine pick me up, Caribou is ready and waiting. The museum is on the smaller side. They do cram a lot in but my kids interest was held for about two hours max. I get that you are somewhat limited by space and so they do their best. In comparison to other children's museums we have done, it is tiny. My kids did enjoy themselves for those couple of hours and then we just hung out at the mall to kill a little more time. Don't expect to stay the whole day unless you really commit but if you need something for a couple of hours, this will do.

Every kid is a pipsqueak at heart…read more Here they can let out their inner pipsqueak. There are things to ride, climb, and share. Perfect for a cold rainy day.

We take our son to pipsqueaks frequently throughout the winter months. It is a life saver when you…read moreare cooped up in your house with nothing much to do. They do close in April (I believe) for the warmer months, but reopen in November. The cost is only two dollars per visit, but you can get a punch card with six visits for 10 dollars. We always go for the punch card because we visit so often and if you don't use all of the visits one season, you can use them the following. I would say the recommended ages to bring your kids would probably be from 1 and a half to 10. Older kids might have a hard time staying entertained for to long. There is a small carousel, jungle gym, small train sets, building blocks, play houses, computers, and cars to ride on. The only down side is that it must be difficult to keep clean ( some stuff is sticky) and there have been a few broken toys. My husband actually brought some tools to one of our visits to fix the lightning mcqueen car. There are plenty of places for adults to sit and watch the kids, there are also picnic tables for having snacks.

This is our go-to for cabin fever we go about once a month or so and our daughter loves it I bring…read morea book and my tablet they do have wifi

My son and his friends went to the Friday tween night. They advertise bull rides, karaoke, face…read morepainting and of course jumping. This cost $20. When I picked the kids up they said there was no games, face painting or karaoke. They did turn on the bull but only long enough for them to each ride once. (There were less then 10 kids total there that night.) I asked the employee if he could turn on the bull before my kids left(they were the last ones there) and he said no. He needed to stay by the door. How can you run a tween drop off night if your employee is not allowed to leave the desk?