Plymouth, Minnesota is a charming suburb located just west of Minneapolis. With its beautiful parks, scenic trails, family-friendly attractions, and abundance of activities, Plymouth is a great place to spend time with your family.
Whether you’re looking for outdoor adventures, hands-on learning experiences, or pure entertainment, Plymouth has something for visitors of all ages to enjoy.
This article will highlight 12 of the top things to do with family in Plymouth, Minnesota. From exploring interactive museums to gliding across ice rinks, read on for an overview of activities and attractions that are sure to delight everyone.
1.Explore the Trails at Baker Park Reserve
Baker Park Reserve encompasses over 1,500 acres filled with wooded hills, wetlands, and prairie ecosystems. Meandering trails allow you to traverse various habitats as you admire panoramic views of one of the state’s largest preserved natural areas. The park features over 15 miles of trails for hiking and cross-country skiing.
Families with children will love the family-friendly Discovery Hollow Trail that includes activity stations to foster creative play and hands-on learning. The park also features a floating boardwalk that traverses the Fish Lake Marsh, allowing unique views of this fragile wetland environment. Make sure to stop by the interpretive center to learn more about the local flora and fauna before heading out to explore.
2.Sled at Eagle Lake Park
When snow blankets Plymouth, families flock to Eagle Lake Park to toboggan and sled down the park’s gentle hills. The slopes provide tamer thrills than steeper downhill sledding spots while still delivering on snowy fun. Two warming houses are located nearby to grab a hot beverage as you take breaks between runs.
If you didn’t pack the sled gear, not to worry! The park has plastic toboggans available for rental during winter months so all ages can coast down powdery slopes. Numerous hills give options for all levels of adventure seekers to zigzag through the snow.
3.Ice Skate Under the Stars
For chilly old-fashioned fun, lace up some skates at the Plymouth Creek Center outdoor ice rink. The well-maintained ice provides beginner and advanced skaters alike an ideal slippery surface for practicing figure 8’s and hockey stops or simply gliding leisurely loops as families.
When dusk settles, twinkling lights illuminate the rink, setting a picturesque winter scene for effortlessly skating under the stars. The ambient lighting allows the facility to remain open well into the evening hours for skating under the bright moonlight and crystals of frost glinting underfoot.
4.Delve into History at Pickwick Mill and Museum
Transport back in time exploring exhibits inside a century-old flour mill at Pickwick Mill and Museum. This National Register of Historic Places building housed the last water-powered mill operating commercially in Minnesota. Visitors can observe the belt-driven milling equipment to visualize machination innovation of the flour industry in years past.
Interactive exhibits and artifacts illustrate aspects of pioneer living in the late 1800s. Costumed interpreters demonstrate trades of yesteryear like blacksmithing and carpentry to highlight various facets of the sites history from the gristmill origins through modern machinery. Make sure to explore all 4-floors to soak in the ambiance of this vestige to antiquity.
5.Hands-On Learning at Playworks
At Playworks, an entire facility devoted exclusively to purposeful play, kids direct their own educational adventures. As your little ones leap, climb and explore, they strengthen gross motor skills, practice decision making abilities, and gain self-confidence through supported risk taking. Parents can take a breather knowing staff prompts through teachable moments.
Ball pits, twisting tube slides, a mini village and games galore mean interactive opportunities around every bend. Creative building corners put imaginations to work constructing forts, while water tables splash early concepts in physics and engineering principles. Take the guesswork out of how play enhances development at this children’s museum.
6.Arts and Entertainment
Treat your family to a vibrant performing arts production at Artistry, a state-of-the-art theater housed in a converted church sanctuary. Musicals, plays and concert performances grace the stage weekly, including productions featuring youth actors for kid-appeal shows the whole family can appreciate.
Before the show, stretch your legs in the building’s visual arts gallery displaying works by local artists. The innovative arts complex seamlessly integrates visual and theatrical creative mediums into one venue. Support the arts while enjoying an inspiring family night out.
7.Roll Strikes at Parkway Bowl
For carefree family fun, take aim at the pins duckpin bowling at Parkway Bowl. This unique bowling alley uses smaller balls without finger holes that are gently lobbed down miniature lanes toward diminutive pins. The setup helps little tikes have success getting strikes and spares.
Video games, vending machines and a separate room of billiards tables mean no shortage of amusement at this entertainment zone. The bowling alley hosts teen nights and rock n’ bowl events to get the whole gang cheering and dancing.
8.Find Handcrafted Gifts on 7th Street
Meandering along 7th Street in downtown Plymouth reveals a stretch of hip boutiques flanked by dining patios perfect for pedestrian family strolls. Locally owned shops proffer an eclectic mix of original art, pottery pieces, handmade jewelry and fresh floral arrangements.
Grab lunch on-the-go from a deli before exploring colorful galleries and nuanced gift stores. Grab a scoop from Little Joe’s Family Ice Cream to continue window browsing as you nibble waffle cones piled high with rich flavors. From personalized souvenirs to trendy threads, a visit to 7th Street shopping promises distinctive finds for all interests.
9.Explore Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store
Satisfy your sweet tooth at Minnesota’s largest candy emporium, Candyland. This hugely popular candy shop stocks overflowing bins of every retro sweet imaginable from salt water taffy to spicy cinnamon Red Hots. Visit the glass enclosed viewing area to witness taffy stretched and twisted by machinery.
Beyond browsing bulk bins of sugary confections, Candyland creates inventive gift ideas like themed candy bouquets, chocolate covered strawberries and giant lollipops. Load up bags with family favorites for snacking at home or select prepackaged gift sets and novelty baskets brimming with goodies guaranteed to delight candy fans.
10.Taste the Local Harvest at Terzo Vino Bar
at Terzo Vino Bar. The cozy atmosphere and stellar wine list cater to parents while children delight in customized meals like cheese raviolis and grilled chicken breast. Extensive options accommodate various dietary needs and restrictions.
Attentive staff ensure glasses stay full while providing top-notch service. Share small plates like seared scallops with pork belly or meat and cheese boards to sample the chef’s savory creations. This neighborhood gem balances sophisticated cuisine with a relaxed vibe for memorable family meals.
11.Get Messy at New Bohemia
Embrace digging into ooey gooey comfort food at New Bohemia where the motto encourages diners to “make a mess.” House specialties like Wookiee Poutine smother fries with beef gravy, cheese curds and braised beef while World Famous Juicy Lucy Burgers ooze hot molten cheese with each mouthwatering bite.
The family-friendly brewpub pairs hearty scratch made pub grub with dozens of regional craft brews on tap. After the meal, challenge your crew to a game of bags on the patio or gather around a flickering fire pit telling stories as little ones munch warm cookies for dessert. Expect big flavor, zero pretense and making memories to last.
Conclusion
From snow-covered sledding hills to imaginative hands-on children’s museums, Plymouth brims with family-oriented recreational pursuits guaranteed to entertain all ages. Outdoorsy families will delight in nature adventures through wooded park trails while indoor attractions like theaters and bowling beckon on cold winter days.
Combined with kid-approved dining and one-of-a-kind shopping, visitors can craft memorable experiences embracing local culture.
When seeking activities to delight everyone in your crew, consider adding these top things to do with family in Plymouth, Minnesota to your seasonal itinerary. The charming suburb holds hidden gems waiting to be uncovered during your next family outing.