By Stacy Brooks
Stay warm and have some fun with these family-friendly winter indoor activities in Inver Grove Heights! Whether you want to burn off some energy, visit a museum, or enjoy a relaxing staycation, Inver Grove Heights has something for kids of all ages.
Indoor Activities in Inver Grove Heights
Visit the VMCC Aquatic Center’s indoor water park, where kids can zoom down water slides, play in the splash features, and scramble across a floating log crossing. The Aquatic Center also has a pool and diving area.
Check out Drkula’s 32 Bowl for a fun new twist on bowling: HyperBowling! The game combines bowling with video game-style technology, and in addition to knocking down pins, you can take aim at colorful targets. HyperBowling makes bowling exciting for everyone, regardless of ability level. Drkula’s also offers automatic bumpers and bowling ramps for young bowlers.
Try something new with your teens at Perple Bunny’s Axe House. An axe master will teach you how to throw axes and play games—whatever your experience level or physical fitness, everyone will have a good time! Note that you have to be at least 14 years old to throw.
Watch a movie in style at AMC Inver Grove 16, which offers recliner seating and tasty snacks like flatbread pizzas, nachos, and churros. Enjoy discounted prices during matinees and all day Tuesday.
Get up close to WWII aircraft kept in flying condition at the Commemorative Air Force Minnesota Wing. In addition to aircraft, the museum is home to motor vehicles and WWII artifacts, and admission is free of charge.
Treat your family to a staycation at one of Inver Grove Heights’ hotels, and grab a pizza from a pizzeria. The AmericInn Hotel and Suites has a pool and game room, the Holiday Inn Express offers a pool, and the Microtel Inn and Suites and Coratel Inn and Suites have great rates and complimentary breakfast.
Indoor Activities in the Twin Cities
Attend a show at the Children’s Theatre Company, which stages entertaining, engaging productions that the whole family will enjoy. Current and upcoming shows include holiday classic Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (running through January 8, 2023) and Locomotion (January 24-March 5, 2023) which explores how poetry can bring you closer to others and yourself.
Visit the Minnesota Children’s Museum, a kid-centered space that utilizes the power of play to spark learning. The three floors of exhibits include a sensory space for babies and toddlers, a pretend town, and an “underwater” shipwreck. Special exhibits include the storybook-themed The Amazing Castle (through January 8, 2023) and Framed: Step into Art, where you can explore three-dimensional versions of well-known paintings (January 21-May 7, 2023).
Make learning fun at the Science Museum of Minnesota. From dinosaurs and fossils to a real Mississippi River towboat and sports-themed experiments, exhibits are an interactive way to learn about science, math, and technology. Through January 22, 2023, check out the Nature All Around Us exhibit to discover the hidden natural worlds and ecosystems in cities and towns.
Travel to the tropics without leaving Minnesota at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, where the indoor Tropical Encounters trail immerses visitors in the sights and sounds of rainforest plants and animals. Other indoor spaces include the Zoo’s large cats, African hoofed stock, primate, and aquatic buildings, plus the Convervatory’s Sunken Garden and Palm Dome.
Discover a miniature world at the Twin City Model Railroad Museum, where kids will be entranced by the detailed layout complete with trains, towns, and more. Check out the Night Trains exhibit Saturday evenings through February 25, 2023, which features low lighting, special lighted model trains, and winter decorations.
Walk through an underwater ocean tunnel and watch thousands of tropical fish, sharks, and sting rays at SEA LIFE Aquarium, located in the Mall of America. The aquarium also features a kid-friendly touchpool inspired by the Pacific Northwest, rainforest exhibit, and jellyfish.