Went today and had a great time. My 12 year old son had a blast, as did I!…read more Check in was simple: scan QR to sign the waiver, buy ticket and socks, grab a mat and start sliding! Will you get bumped and knocked around on the slides?, a little. Did it dampen our experience?, nope! There are maybe 14-15 slides, a kiddie area, 2 basketball courts, a dodgeball court and a zipline/swing area. Plenty to keep us occupied for a couple of hours. It was very busy, but we didn't wait more than a minute or two for our turn. Lots of seating options, a decent concession stand and an area for parties. We will definitely return!

We had a fun time here! I brought my 4yo nephew, my brother in law, and my 1.5yo niece here as a…read moregift to my nephew. Things to know: Doorbusting worked great for us! We got some time there before all the crowds arrived: after our first hour there, it started to get busy. I will say: this is borderline for 4yos. He was quite scared of how big the slides were so we didn't ride them until the second half of our time. You know your child best: if you think they might be scared, this probably isn't a good fit! The slides are REALLY tall - lots of stairs so be prepared! You have to buy the grippy socks they sell, you have to slide down face first on your stomach alone. Important to note that you won't be able to slide *with* your child if they're scared. I learned that if you as the adult aren't riding the slides, you don't have to buy a pass. That would make a huge difference and we'll skip the adult ticket next time! They have some stuff for kids under 4: a play area mainly. But again, better for older kids. Besides slides, they also have an arcade, bouncy ball courts, a zipline, and a swing into a foam pit. But definitely the highlight is the slides - they are quite a thrill! Best for adventurous and thrill-seeking kids!

Thanks for such an amazing time valleyfair!! We loved these memories as a family, it was the first…read moretime bringing our kiddos (6 & 8 years) and they loved it so much!! Plenty of rides in the kids area that kept them busy for hours. Loved that this day the lines were very minimal so we did not have to wait long to get on the rides. Rides were age appropriate but as an adult I don't remember them being so scary! I liked the option of being able to go on some of the kid rides with them. The big thrill rides had much longer lines so we were not able to ride a ton of those but we did get to take our 8 year old on some and she loved it. The picnic area was great, the food was filling and we loved the drink options! Very clean and plenty of seating. The newly remodeled waterpark was amazing. So many new things available for all ages. Lots of seating but a lot of people had their stuff on the seats even though they weren't sitting there so that was a bit frustrating. Lockers are very expensive! Season pass is definitely worth it if you plan on coming a few times, for me the waterpark would be worth it since I can't do a lot of rides anymore.

I hadn't been to Valleyfair for about 20 years and now that my kids are old enough to enjoy, I…read morefinally went again!it is my understanding that the same company that owns Six Flags purchased Valleyfair a couple of years ago and the new company has made a lot of changes. Logistically, everything is so expensive! The tickets to enter, parking, lockers at the water park, the food/drinks are unreasonably priced (in my opinion). However, it's a fun place to visit and there is lots to do. I recommend arriving as soon as they open so you can have a couple of hours of little to no lines for the rides. The standout ride for me is the Corkskrew, while it looks terrifying with its twists and upside down turns, it's not too tall (compared to other coasters) and it's really fun. We really enjoyed the waterpark, they have a wave pool, a really nice lazy river, many slides and areas to lounge. The food is mediocre, my favorite thing was the Mac and cheese which was surprisingly flavorful!

The conservatory is such a magical place! It's amazing that the whole place is completely free. It…read morecan get busy on the weekends, but we went on a rainy Friday afternoon and had the place to ourselves. We love the bonsai exhibit and the Japanese garden. The garden is so beautiful in the springtime! There's plenty of space to walk around both in the conservatory and at the zoo. Even the grounds outside of the conservatory is beautiful!

FLORA & FAUNA This…read morefabulous public zoo in Saint Paul is fun, multi-faceted, and FREE! When researching things to do in the Twin Cities, Como Park Zoo & Conservatory popped up on numerous "best of" lists, including best places to bring kids, best free attractions, and other recommended activities. The family and I came here in early June, and we had a lovely time. Parking is free but lots fill up quickly and street spots are on a first-come basis, so the longer you wait, the further you'll have to walk.  My advice is to get here early to avoid the gauntlet of busses filled with school groups, summer camps, and other families heading to the zoo. They suggest a voluntary donation of $5/kid and $8/adult; we chipped in $20 for our family of four.  By comparison, Brookfield Zoo in Illinois charges $30/adult and $21/kid....the 4 of us would have paid $100 PLUS parking.  The Shedd Aquarium in downtown Chicago is even pricier, so this was a welcome relief. We saw giraffes, a gorilla, polar bears, zebras, fishes, turtles, colorful dart frogs, a tiger, and lots more.  Within the zoo is a small amusement park with a handful of kiddie rides and a 'Galaxy' model roller coaster, as well as a splendid carousel outside the park that's $4/pp.  All rides are open seasonally from May-Sept. The sea lion show seemed mid.  They made a big deal of it (not to mention amassing a huge crowd) and all I saw were some volunteers trying to complete some goofy task faster than a sea lion would.  There was a lot of narration but very little actual activity from what I could tell.  yawn. We couldn't get anything to eat or drink outside of the visitor center cafe.  None of the snack stands were open (despite it being 11:45) and every pop machine was either unplugged, sold out, or all the plastic bottles were removed for environmental reasons.  Thank goodness we packed snacks for the kiddos. The conservatory was breathtaking: lush jungles with funky plants like the Ipecac tree, air potato, chocolate, cacti, and aloe.  We encountered a logjam of people near the fruit tree section with everyone stopping to admire fig, papaya, coffee, and sugarcane plants. The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory was home to a legendary 81" tall corpse flower named 'Frederick' in 2025.  These plants, considered some of the rarest and smelliest on earth, bloom once every few years and last for only 1-2 days.  Witnessing this in person takes incredible (lucky) timing or tremendous patience. 'Horace', their latest corpse flower, displayed his magnificent burgundy bloom from 6/7/26 to 6/9/26.  We missed it by less than a week!  These generate quite a crowd, with lines stretching for hours and people waiting outside to view (and smell) a once-in-a-lifetime botanical event. * TL;DR * A cool zoo, an even cooler conservatory, and the coolest part?  You don't even have to crack open your wallet. Spending a day at Como Park Zoo is perfect for those wishing to embark on budget-friendly adventures.  Pack a lunch, wear comfortable walking shoes, and get here around opening to take advantage of decent parking.  The animals appeared to be well taken care of, and the grounds were clean. The conservatory is stunning although the narrow pathways can get crowded during peak hours.  We loved our time spent here and would highly recommend Como Park Zoo & Conservatory for families or solo travelers seeking to kill a few hours in the Twin Cities.

I had so much fun at FlyOver America! From the moment the ride started, it really felt like I was…read moreactually on a real ride and flying through everything. The way your feet are dangling and you're lifted up in front of the big screen makes it feel so real. The visuals are beautiful and the effects make a huge difference you can feel the wind and even a little mist, which makes it even more immersive. At some points I honestly forgot I was inside the mall because it felt like I was really traveling. It's not too scary, but still exciting enough to enjoy every second of it. I was a little nervous at first, but once it started I just relaxed and had fun. The whole experience is very well done and something different from anything else in the mall. Overall, I would definitely recommend trying it. It's fun, unique, and totally worth it . I would do it again for sure!

It was great! My brother and I loved it! We're both seniors, so it's definitely a FUN experience…read morefor ALL AGES!

We had so much and left completely DRENCHED in sweat. While it is tempting to want to try some of…read morethe more "difficult" scenarios for your first visit, I would definitely encourage you to start with something a tad low-key. We had 5 of us and we did the zombie apocalypse/walking dead-type experience and while it was definitely fun, we wish we would have tried something easier for our first experience. We did end up running into each other once in a while or hitting each other in the head! It was chaos to have a billion zombies coming at you and so we were kind of just spinning in circles and shooting at everything! I was a bit nervous because I am known to get vertigo but it didn't affect me in that way at all. Expect to sweat and make sure to wear closed toed shoes!!

Went today to Extreme Sandbox in Hastings and had a great time. There were three of us and operated…read morethe large excavators. Wyatt was our instructor and did a fantastic job. Overall it was a fun experience and I would do it again.

Saw a Facebook ad on this place and thought it would be cool to try out…read more You have to choice to play 1-4 rides. One ride was 6.99. Two rides was 11.98. Three rides was 17.99. Four rides was 20.99. The average ride is around 4-5mins. A friend and I tried the 2 rides combo. We Went with the Carnival ride and Pirates ride. Before going into the ride room, you are given brief instructions on what to do and grab a 3-D glass to put on to view the rides. The room we went into had 2 rows and about 6-8 seats per row if I can recall. We then strap ourselves into a motion seat equipped with a laser blaster to fender enemy attack in the ride/game. It lets you compete against others in the same room and ranks 1st to last place in terms of game scores and shows in screen. It was a fun experience and is for all ages. Would like to come back and try other rides.

I started seeing the billboards around town and looked up more about Crystal Cave. We decided to…read moremake a visit and were pleasantly surprised! It's about a $$$ rating on cost, but is really well organized with a variety of things to do. They have picnic areas, mini golf, trails and gift shop. Not much for concessions so bring your own food if looking to eat. We did the cave tour and gem mining. Tour was about an hour, advance reservations recommended. I had two 6 year olds and they had a blast, they got cold but not too bad. The tour guides do a great job explaining the history, what you're looking at and all kinds of cave facts. It's big inside, there are low spots but you don't really feel claustrophobic if that's something you're concerned about. Gem Mining was a good time, kids were super excited about the treasures they got to bring home. If you're looking for a different activity to do with the kids, adults or family then you should check it out "!

I went here for a second-grade field trip (don't worry, I'm not a second grader, just a chaperone…read moreLOL). The long, hot, and noisy bus ride to Spring Valley was well worth it to spend an afternoon here. Don't let the name fool you, there aren't any crystals in the cave (that I know of) but it's still a riot! I especially enjoyed the story about Charlie the caveman. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I heavily respect the management's creativity to make an intricate story out of rock formations LOL! Rock and history enthusiasts (like me) will especially enjoy the cave (just be mindful it's cold down deep) Spelunk on!

I took my son to Mouse Mountain inside the Mall of America to play some mini golf. If you are…read morejust wanting to play here, you should park in North Ramp Parking Structure. The course itself is nicely laid out. There are not many hole in one possibilities. We had an enjoyable time and the course was challenging. The entire round took about 60-90 minutes because there were a lot of people playing. We went in July and it was a bit hot. The air conditioning must not reach the top floors inside MOA. Tip: if you are also going to play the Rock of Ages mini golf inside MOA, they have a two course special.

Our 4 year old son loved it here! The course has some unique holes and was fairly challenging…read morebecause of the bump surrounding the hole. Make sure everyone pulls their ball once they make it in the hole... My ball hopped back out numerous times when someone's was in the hole. Also--- Under 5 was free to golf and our son won a free game on the last hole all 3 times that we played.

We had a crowd cut coupon for Mini Golf and had a lovely night!…read more The course is pretty basic, but with a nice waterfall and is well maintained. No windmills or loops, but a quality low key experience. Most of the holes are marked handicapped accessible which of course is great. Prices are $7 for adults and kids under five are free! Discounts available if you want to play a second round. We probably would have skipped the snack bar except for our coupon and the food was fine. Hot dogs ($2), popcorn($1), hot pretzels, all straight from the freezer to the microwave! The course is next to a pretty nice playground.

We bought a $20 Groupon for this mini-golf. Last night we took our two six year old grandchildren…read more I must say it is NOT worth what we paid. The course looks very simple but the tricks for the holes makes it impossible to enjoy. Don't bother. Just go to the park instead.