MEA (now called Education Minnesota) is October 15-16 which means NO SCHOOL for Minnesota students, and there’s a ton of fun you can find here in the Twin Cities and beyond. Here are my guides to local fun and road trips near and far! Plus I have DISCOUNTS for several activities:
- Minnesota Children’s Museum
- The Great Pumpkin Trail
- North Star Pumpkin Town
- Titanic: Immersive Experience
Highlights for MEA in the Twin Cities:
Monsters on Vacation! – now through January 10th at the Minnesota Children’s Museum, St. Paul.
EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT – Save the MOST on Minnesota Children’s Museum tickets with my exclusive code. Just go to mcm.org and use my code TCFM to save $3 per admission on tickets! You can also use that code to save $20 on a membership as well.
See my above guide for all the ways to save money on admission at the Minnesota Children’s Museum!
Titanic: An Immersive Voyage in Minneapolis – A Must-See Experience (+ 10% Off)!
This cool walk-through experience is in Minneapolis for a limited time. We went and loved it. Great photo opps, interesting history and a VR experience. NOTE: I would recommend this for older kids and up.
Enjoy a Pumpkin Trail! (Plus I have 2 exclusive discounts!)
Enjoy The Great Pumpkin Trail in Wyoming, MN! It’s about 30 minutes north of the Twin Cities and it’s a trail you walk decorated with lighted pumpkins! Save 10% on admission with my code.
Go to the Jack o Lantern Spectacular at the Minnesota Zoo! We went both this year and last year and it is amazing.
North Star Pumpkin Town is a new and unique experience! It’s a pumpkin trail but it’s a town! It’s located next to Scream Town in Chaska. Save 25% with my code! Info here.
Fall Harvest Orchard in Delano has a new pumpkin trail called Sunny’s Pumpkin Walk! Check out my reel.
Valleyfair Tricks and Treats is back!
ValleySCARE is back again too!
Scarecrows, Pumpkins & Harvest Fun! Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska. Daily Sept. 18-Nov. 1, 2026. Check out artful displays, including a Pumpkin Tree.
Free Things
Explore a new playground! I have a variety of Twin Cities playgrounds listed here!
These include:
- Central Park in Maple Grove
- Bossen Field Park in Minneapolis
- Assembly Union Park in St. Paul (pictured above)
- Madison’s Place Inclusive Playground in Woodbury
- Keewaydin Park in Minneapolis
- Cedar Park in Forest Lake
- Shoreview Commons Destination Playground in Shoreview
- French Park in Plymouth
- Teddy Bear Park in Stillwater
Como Zoo – Always free, though donations appreciated. In St. Paul.
Visit a library! Libraries are full of books and movies, but also story times and other special events!
Scheels – Located in Eden Prairie, this store is like an amusement park. It has a ferris wheel, aquarium, candy store – lots of fun!
Enjoy FREE and discounted fun at the Mall of America!
See my guide: 15 Free Things to Do with Kids at the Mall of America (& FREE Printable Scavenger Hunt)
Indoor Playgrounds
Looking for indoor fun? Check out my guide: The Ultimate Guide to Twin Cities Indoor Playgrounds!
It’s sponsored by the Minnesota Children’s Museum! Save $20 off a membership or $3 off tickets with my code TCFM.
See my Ultimate Guide to Twin Cities Fall Family Fun for more ideas:
Use this FREE printable “Frugal Fall Activities for the Whole Family”
For events happening this month and ongoing:
View my NEW Twin Cities Events Calendar!
You can even submit an event.
Also, my classic calendar is still up:
Twin Cities Deals & Events Calendar
This calendar includes local events (& deals!) for the current month, and is updated regularly.
Staycation & Short Trip Ideas in Minnesota
Austin, MN – We had a perfect weekend getaway here! Only 2 hours south of the Twin Cities and with a FREE SPAM Museum, nature center and more.
Duluth, MN – I grew up here, but visit here often with my kids. I’ve written many recaps of our visits including Spirit Mountain, Glensheen Mansion, the Vista Fleet, North Shore Railroad and Great Lakes Aquarium.
Lanesboro, Minnesota is a beautiful destination with cute shops, biking and a community theatre. It’s just a couple hours south of the Twin Cities. We went there last fall and enjoyed a fall festival and sightseeing. And we stayed at a nice, quaint hotel. It’s lovely in the springtime too. Read about our stay here.
Big Springs Farm in Lanesboro, Minnesota – We went there a couple years ago and loved it.
Niagara Cave in Harmony, MN – Such a cool place! Lots of steps though – about 500 total.
Great Wolf Lodge in Bloomington – We stayed here twice and love how there’s so much to do on-site!
Radisson Blu Hotel at the Mall of America – We also stayed here twice and love how it’s so nice and connected to the Mall of America for unlimited fun.
Stillwater, MN – Just east of the Twin Cities, it makes a great day trip or weekend getaway. We go here all the time and here’s what to do with kids.
Shafer, MN – You have to stop at the free Franconia Sculpture Park! Less than an hour from the Twin Cities.
Bigger Road Trips within the Midwest!
Bismarck, North Dakota – Read about my visit and 12 Must-See Attractions for Families Visiting Bismarck, North Dakota.
Highlights:
- See a real dinosaur mummy at the North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum! Admission is FREE!
- See animals at the Dakota Zoo
- Visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center
- Enjoy great food at places like Stonehome Brewing and Brick Oven Bakery
Medora, North Dakota – Read about our visit this summer! In the fall not all the attractions run (like the Medora Musical) but there are still some great things to see.
Highlights:
- Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is open
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park is beautiful! Drive up to Watford City too for more scenic adventures.
New Day Dairy Guestbarn in Clarksville, Iowa – This is truly a unique place to get away! New Day Dairy Guestbarn is a 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom vacation rental that overlooks a dairy barn!
Plus you get tours of the farm. It’s only 3-1/2 hours south of the Twin Cities in Clarksville, Iowa. Read about our fun visit.
Sac County, Iowa – This is 4 hours south of the Twin Cities and it’s a hidden gem!
Highlights:
- World’s Largest Popcorn Ball – plus historic buildings to explore around it
- Black Hawk Lake
- Unique metal art
- Rustic River Winery and Corn Maze
- Sauk Rail Bike Trail
Omaha, Nebraska – Omaha is a MUST-visit!
We went to the giant Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium during MEA weekend in 2025. Read about our visit.
Gulf Shores, Alabama! My husband and I went here for our honeymoon but it’s a great place to bring families! Enjoy the warm, white, sandy beaches and many activities.
October is the perfect time of year to go as the temperature is ideal. Read my post: 12 Unique Things to Do in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, Alabama.
Kansas – From Animals to Oz to Ziplining: Plan this Epic Family Trip to Northeast Kansas!
Highlights:
- Feed bison
- Visit the Oz Museum and Oz Winery!
- Go ziplining!
- Visit cool museums
St. Louis, Missouri – So much is free including a zoo and science center.
Read my guide: St. Louis with Kids: Our Visit and Guide to an Amazing Family Trip.
We also returned last year in the summer to see their new aquarium! It was the best! Read about our return visit:
Back to the Arch: Our Family’s Return to St. Louis with Teens
Highlights:
- St. Louis Aquarium
- City Museum
- Science Center
- Gateway Arch
Quad Cities (Iowa and Illinois) – The Quad Cities have many unique things to do! They’re about 6 hours from the Twin Cities and they include several cities on the Iowa and Illinois border.
This is where we went during MEA in 2023. We enjoyed unique fun like riding a Channel Cat Taxi on the Mississippi River. Read about our visit here!
Sheboygan, Wisconsin! Just 5-6 hours east of the Twin Cities, Sheboygan has Bookworm Gardens, free art, beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline and great eats.
Shipshewana, Indiana! We visited in the summer but fall is an awesome time to go. I wish I were there right now! It’s in Amish Country and it’s just beautiful and so welcoming.
There are many things for families to do too! Here is my blog post about our visit: 11 Must-Do Family Adventures in Shipshewana, Indiana.
Highlights:
- Feed bison and other animals
- Horse and buggy rides
- Museums and great food
Visiting a national park and have a 4th grader? Sign up for the FREE National Parks Pass and get free admission.
Guides!
The Ultimate List of Minnesota Family Fun
This lists tons of places a family can find fun in Minnesota, organized alphabetically by category! Cities/locations are included.
Originally created as a list by one of my readers, I then expanded this list and published it here. Then another reader created an interactive spreadsheet for me to include! It’s all here:
Twin Cities Discount Guide for Families
All the ways you can save money at places all around the Twin Cities, compiled here.
Free or Discounted Admission Programs for Limited Income Families in Minnesota
Do you or or a family member receive assistance such as WIC, Medical Assistance, or SNAP? You may qualify for free or discounted admission to many places in Minnesota, plus other benefits! This is a complete list of what you may be eligible for.
Hidden Gems for Families in the Twin Cities
My guide to fun, unique places around Minnesota many don’t know about!
Freebies for Kids & Families in Minnesota
After blogging for the past 17 years and posting about one freebie after another throughout that time, I realized there were so many it was worth compiling into a single list, and here it is!
100 Things for Kids to Do at Home When Bored (Written by My 12-Year-Old!)
This popular list was written by my 12-year-old when she was bored one day – I asked her to write a list of all the things she could do!
Want more?
Boredom Busters are here to save the day and keep your kids busy and off of screens!
To get these FREE printable posters (which you can print on 8-1/2 x 11 paper), just SIGN UP FOR MY FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER HERE!
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Note: If you have any issues with accessing your free printables, email me at twincitiesfrugalmom@gmail.com.
Originally published on: Oct 9, 2025.
(Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links that help support this site at no cost to you. All opinions are 100% mine.)
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