Eden Prairie is a suburb located just southwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This vibrant community offers families plenty of options for fun activities and quality time together.
With a mix of outdoor pursuits, kid-friendly destinations, shopping districts, and cultural attractions, Eden Prairie has something to delight visitors of all ages. Read on for 12 of the best things to do with your family in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
1.Stay Active at Riley Lake Park
Riley Lake Park is an excellent place for families to connect with nature while staying active. The park features over 5 miles of trails that wind through prairie, woodlands and wetlands surrounding Riley Lake.
Walk, run or bike along the scenic paths, keeping an eye out for wildlife like herons, turtles and foxes that call the park home. Play a game of disc golf on the park’s challenging 9-hole course. Or try your hand at fishing—the lake is stocked with sunfish, bass and crappies eager to bite.
With playground equipment, a skate park and athletic fields, Riley Lake Park has something to keep everyone entertained.
2.Test Your Nerves at Acme Comedy
For families with teens, Acme Comedy Company offers a night of big laughs. This comedy club attracts nationally-known standup comics to its intimate theater, where the front rows are so close you could get called up on stage!
The comics’ salty jokes are all in good fun, but the venue recommends its shows for ages 18 and up. Acme Comedy presents both early and late performances most nights, but sells out regularly—so book tickets for this Eden Prairie hotspot in advance.
Grab some drinks and a platter of Acme’s giant pretzels to make a hilarious night for parents and older teens.
3.Build at Mad Science of Minnesota
Kids of all ages are fascinated by the hands-on experiments and science magic of Mad Science of Minnesota. Located right in Eden Prairie, this educational center offers science-themed workshops, summer camps, after school programs and birthday parties designed to spark kids’ interest in STEAM subjects.
Budding scientists can explore topics like space, chemistry and coding while enjoying cool demonstrations and activities. Parents can participate too or even relax in the parents’ lounge equipped with free Wi-Fi while kids play scientist. An outing to Mad Science of Minnesota promises learning, curiosity and amazement for the whole family.
4.Bounce at Sky Zone
For high-flying family fun, Sky Zone offers wall-to-wall trampolines perfect for bouncing, climbing and sledding into a pit filled with foam cubes. Little jumpers will enjoy the freestyle trampoline area and foam pit with its angled platforms and ledges for leaping into the sea of foam blocks.
Bigger kids can play trampoline dodgeball or try big air tricks into the pit while parents look on. This massive indoor playground even has a trampoline basketball court for friendly games of dunking.
Sky Zone provides grip socks to ensure safe bouncing across all its interconnected trampolines. Burn off energy while making family memories at this ultimate trampoline play center.
5.Get Interactive at MN Children’s Museum
Rainy weather or winter snows are no obstacle for family adventures when you head indoors to the Minnesota Children’s Museum. This playful museum provides kids 10 and under with opportunities for discovery, creativity and role playing through its interactive exhibits focused on literacy, health, science and world cultures.
Visitors can explore a giant anthill, use real tools in the construction zone, conduct music with water, learn about sampling and hip hop production in the music studio, and express themselves through art. The museum also hosts story times, art activities and live performer shows. Parents will appreciate the nursing suite and family rest areas while kids delight in hours of imaginative fun.
6.Munch and Share at Pinstripes
For dining with a side of friendly competition, Pinstripes is just the ticket. This upscale bistro adjoins a stunning bowling and bocce courtyard that families can enjoy together. While kids munch chicken tenders, cheese pizza or buttered noodles from the children’s menu, parents will love the Italian classics created from scratch using fresh ingredients.
After your meal, head out to the bowling lanes or bocce courts and start a little friendly rivalry as you play. The venue also hosts private birthday parties in its event suites. With great food and contests for all skill levels, Pinstripes offers a full roster of activities for a fun family night.
7.Get Outdoors at Anderson Lakes Park
Just minutes from central Eden Prairie lies Anderson Lakes Park, over 240 acres of forests, fields and wetlands interwoven with walking paths. Families can stretch their legs hiking or snowshoeing through peaceful natural scenery that feels worlds away from suburbia.
Yet the park provides modern amenities too, like a creative playground, fishing pier and boat launch accessing Anderson Lake. Wildlife abounds here; keep watch for trumpeter swans, herons, beavers and even fox kits playing.
Have a picnic under the gazebo before the kids expend some energy at the playground. Providing natural respite within an urban community, Anderson Lakes Park promises refreshing outdoor times for families.
8.Shop ‘til You Drop
From major malls to the quaint shops of Eden Prairie Center, this town offers fantastic opportunities for families seeking retail therapy. Southdale Center houses luxury department stores, like Nordstrom and Macy’s alongside specialty retailers such as Apple and Lego.
Just ten minutes down the road lies Eden Prairie Center—an outdoor mall with kids’ favorites like Abercrombie Kids, Justice and Build-A-Bear Workshop. Parents can pick up fashionable apparel at Banana Republic and Anthropologie while kids play safely at the mall’s central playground.
Town Center provides another retail avenue—an indoor mixed-use center filled with brand name stores and homegrown boutiques worth exploring for one-of-a-kind fashions, gifts and décor.
9.Catch a Show at Illusion Theater
Treat older kids and teens to an evening of culture at the Illusion Theater and its New Century Theatre space. This local theater company mounts innovative dramas, comedies, musicals and experimental works.
Their professional shows aim to provoke conversation while entertaining, with recent productions focused on tough topics like racial profiling and gun violence. Sophisticated high schoolers will appreciate the opportunity for thought-provoking entertainment.
Parents can engage kids in discussion about the themes and messages in Illusion Theater’s shows, which frequently incorporate social relevance. Supporting local arts while enjoying a shared theater experience makes for a memorable family night out.
10.Learn Together at MN Landscape Arboretum
Just 15 minutes from Eden Prairie lies the premier Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Spanning 1,200 acres, these renowned gardens provide learning experiences focused on conservation, Minnesota habitats and cold-hardy plants from around the world. Families can explore formal gardens showcasing roses, iris and lilacs along with woodlands, prairie and wetland ecosystems.
An interactive children’s area allows kids to get hands dirty planting flowers or dressed up as a butterfly or bird. Hop on the open-air tram for a guided tour through apple orchards, communities of bamboo and four-season landscapes. After hiking the Three Mile Drive lovely any season, recharge at one of the on-site cafes. Discover this horticultural haven offering natural beauty and sanctuary to renew the whole family.
11.Step Back in Time at Pioneer Park
Immerse your crew in living history with a visit to Eden Prairie’s own Pioneer Park, located within Riley Lake Park Preserve. Kids gain insight into 1800s frontier life as they explore the authentic log homes, barns, schoolhouse and village shops preserved or recreated here.
Friendly interpreters demonstrate pioneer tasks like farming, cooking, raising livestock and making crafts over a fire. Special events like Pioneer Days, Kids Camp and Fall Festival highlight seasonal activities through hands-on fun and 19th century games.
The park offers both guided tours and self-guided options along its paved walking paths, allowing families to tailor their experience. Pioneer Park provides families a window into our regional history through engaging, interactive settings kids adore.
Conclusion
With its vibrant community spaces, wealth of entertainment and dining options, and abundance of outdoor recreation, Eden Prairie makes an ideal destination for family fun.
From the laughter and excitement of Sky Zone trampolines to quiet natural splendor at Anderson Lakes Park, families can connect through shared experiences across this dynamic Minneapolis suburb. Theater performances, major shopping outlets, miniature golf, pioneer life enactments and hands-on children’s museums all add to the mix of family activities available close to home.
When you’re seeking quality time and new adventures with your crew, consider all that Eden Prairie, Minnesota has to offer.