Minnesota winters can be brutal, with bitterly cold temperatures that freeze your nose hairs and lungs every time you take a breath. But they can also be beautiful and a whole lot of fun—you just need to take the time to crawl out from under your cozy blankets to experience it. From kid-friendly outdoor adventures to indoor activities, from city escapes to remote retreats, Minnesota has it all, no matter what your family is into. So, put on your mittens and a scarf as we break down the top Minnesota winter getaways for families.
8 Epic Family-Friendly Winter Getaways in Minnesota
Don’t let life pass you by this winter! Instead, grab your family and embrace the chill at one of Minnesota’s coolest winter vacation destinations. Whether wintry fun like dog sledding and snow tubing is what you’re looking for or indoor mini-golf and waterparks, there’s a cold-weather activity for everyone in the North Star State. If you’re ready to plan your clan’s next vacation, read on to discover the best family-friendly winter getaways Minnesota has to offer.
Rochester
Winter staycation with the fam, anyone? You don’t need to drive far to enjoy a flurry of fun. Rochester has no shortage of cold-weather activities the whole family will enjoy. If the cold never bothers you anyway, why not let it go at one of Rochester’s outdoor ice-skating rinks? There are plenty to choose from, many of which are lit up with lights and have a warming house to heat up in. However, the best spot is the running track-turned-ice rink at Soldiers Field Park, offering skate rentals on the weekends. (For full details, check out our Rochester ice skating guide.)
Winter is also the perfect time to explore the trails of Quarry Hill Nature Center, which offers ski and snowshoe rentals, or to take to the snow at Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch. Located in nearby Stewartville, winter at the ranch brings snow tubing, a snowball shooting range, games like broomball and corn hole, and a warming chalet. When your family has had enough of the outdoors, warm up with indoor activities at SPARK Children’s Museum of Rochester or Air Insanity Trampoline Park.
Where to Stay
- Home in Rochester, MN – Five-bedroom house with arcade games and a Harry Potter-themed bedroom
- Farm stay in Wykoff, MN – One-of-a-kind home in a former grain bin with a fire pit and board games
- Modern treehouse in Pepin, WI – With a private hot tub, fire pit and board games
Twin Cities
If it’s indoor fun and urban winter adventures you’re after, look no further than the Twin Cities. Sure, you’ll find quintessential cold-weather activities like sledding, ice skating and snow tubing in the Twin Cities. However, inside is where St. Paul, Minneapolis, and the surrounding suburbs really shine, whether mini-golf and museums or zoos and aquariums. The Mall of America is basically your one-stop shop if you want to stay warm during a Minnesota winter, with the Nickelodeon Universe theme park, the Crayola Experience, and the SEA LIFE aquarium.
Winter is also the ideal time to visit the Minnesota Zoo and Como Park Zoo, as the cool temperatures keep the crowds away, and you get to see the cold-weather creatures in their element. The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park Zoo is also an oasis of warmth with flowers in full bloom. Want your kiddos to learn a thing or two? Don’t miss St. Paul’s Minnesota Children’s Museum, take in a planetarium show or get hands-on at the Touch & See Lab at the Bell Museum, or ride the rails in a heated caboose (Saturdays only) at the Minnesota Transportation Museum. Or, for a little friendly competition, challenge your family to mini-golf, arcade games and vintage pinball at Can Can Wonderland. Visiting at the end of January? Brave the cold to check out the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, the country’s oldest winter festival, which debuted in 1886. Before you head back home, snap a family photo in front of the “World’s Largest Snowman”—a 44-foot-tall, top-hatted structure in North St. Paul—for the perfect souvenir from your winter vacation.
Where to Stay
- Great Wolf Lodge – Bloomington resort with a 75,000-square-foot indoor water park, climbing wall, bowling alley, ropes course, gemstone mining, arcade, and more
- Best Western Plus The Normandy Inn & Suites – Minneapolis hotel with an indoor pool and complimentary milk and cookies starting at 10 PM
- Home in Minneapolis, MN – Five-bedroom house with an arcade and movie room, as well as an outdoor hot tub
Brainerd Lakes and Cuyuna Lakes Region
While the Brainerd Lakes area may be a popular pick during the summertime, it’s just as worth a trip for a winter Minnesota getaway with the kids. Located an easy three-and-a-half-hour drive from Rochester, Brainerd and nearby communities like Nisswa, Breezy Point, and Crosby become a family-friendly winter wonderland, offering plentiful activities in the great outdoors. Thrill-seekers will love hanging out at Mount Ski Gull—with downhill skiing, snowboarding, and five snow-tubing lanes stretching 700 feet long—or putting the pedal to the metal on the area’s 1,200 miles of groomed snowmobiling trails.
Prefer something a little more laidback? Crow Wing State Park in Brainerd is home to the historic Red River Ox Cart Trail, which winds its way through the ghost town of Old Crow Wing, with interpretive signs narrating the journey, and is perfect for hiking and snowshoeing. In the nearby town of Crosby, the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area, a former mining site, offers some of Northern Minnesota’s finest fat tire biking. Groomed trails for both beginners and intermediates, famed the world over for mountain biking, are available, and fat bikes can be rented from local shops Red Raven and Cykle.
Where to Stay
- Cragun’s Resort – Brainerd resort offering snowmobile rentals (including Kitty Cat children’s snowmobiles), a lakeside skating rink, ice fishing, cross-country skiing, horse-drawn trolley and dog sled rides, snowshoeing, ice bowling, broomball, and more, as well as hotel rooms, cabins, and private homes.
- Grand View Lodge, Spa and Golf Resort – Nisswa resort with an indoor pool, horse-drawn wagon rides, cross-country skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, ice skating, ice fishing and more, as well as accommodations ranging from guest rooms and suites to cottages, cabins, villas, and townhomes.
- Breezy Point Resort – Breezy Point resort offering indoor pools, a lighted outdoor rink for ice skating or broomball, snowshoe and cross-country ski rentals, horse-drawn hayrides, and fish house rentals, as well as an array of guest rooms, suites and three- to 11-bedroom homes.
- Cuyuna Cove – Cozy cabin rentals with a redwood sauna and bike trail access to Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area.
Duluth
Few Minnesota winter getaway destinations for families can match the awesomeness of Duluth. The gateway to Minnesota’s North Shore, Duluth offers a snow-tastic blend of city vibes and outside activities for kids and adults alike, as well as stunning views of Lake Superior (as if the bitter cold wasn’t already enough to take your breath away).
One outdoor adventure your littles will love is Canal Park. Between the giant ships and the aerial lift bridge, your children are sure to be entertained. For more active fun, don’t miss snow tubing and alpine skiing at Spirit Mountain. Or make tracks for the Hartley Nature Center, where you can rent gear like fat tire bikes, cross-country skis, snowshoes, kicksleds, and studded icebug boots before taking to the trails. Afterward, warm up with a visit to the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, the Great Lakes Aquarium, or the Duluth Children’s Museum. For a bit of both, the Lake Superior Zoo is also well worth a visit.
- Pier B Resort Hotel – Shoreside hotel overlooking Lake Superior with an indoor pool, an outdoor hot tub, and a lakeside fire pit with lift-bridge views and make-your-own s’mores kits
- Park Point Marina Inn – Waterfront resort just 50 feet from Lake Superior with an indoor pool, a hot tub and sauna, a ship-viewing pier, board games, and apple cider and cookies
- Cabin in Duluth, MN – Two-bedroom tiny home on Fish Lake with a firepit, a lake-view sauna, and easy access to nearby cross-country ski and snowmobile trails
Bemidji
Located in the heart of Minnesota’s Northwoods, Bemidji is great for a family getaway any time of year, but especially during winter. With two state parks nearby, as well as enough educational opportunities to keep things interesting, there’s a lot to love for both kids and adults. Start out your visit with a stop at the Headwaters Science Center to discover what makes the ecosystem tick (and look at some cool animals, too!). Then, bring what you learned to life while snowshoeing and hiking the forests and bogs of Lake Bemidji State Park or exploring the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Itasca State Park.
Round out your trip by taking a step back in time with a visit to the Beltrami County Historical Society Museum or cheering on cross-country skiers from across the globe at Finlandia, held in Bemidji in February each year. Aspiring ice fishers can even try their hand at one of winter’s most leisurely activities at the Brrrmidji Kids Can Ice Fish event on Lake Bemidji, which takes place in January during Minnesota’s Take a Kid Ice Fishing Weekend. And whatever you do, make sure you commemorate your family vacation with a photo in front of the statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox.
- Ruttger’s Birchmont Lodge – Lakefront resort with an indoor pool, hot tub, and sauna, as well as an outdoor ice-skating rink and easy access to Lake Bemidji State Park and Buena Vista Ski Area
- Home in Bemidji, MN – Three-bedroom home with bunk beds, board games, an air hockey table, and a fire pit
- Cabin in Bemidji, MN – Four-bedroom A-frame cabin on a private lake with snowshoes provided for outdoor exploration during the wintertime
Ely
Does a little one in your life have a fascination with wolves? Have you ever watched the movie Balto and thought, “Wow, that would be so cool to try”? (You know, minus the whole diphtheria thing.) Maybe you’re a family of dog lovers. If so, then a winter getaway in Ely, Minnesota, is for you. Known as the “Sled Dog Capital of the World,” Ely is also the gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and home to the International Wolf Center. In short, there are basically adventures around every corner.
Kick off your trip with a wild canine encounter at the International Wolf Center. Along with a small museum, the Center also offers glimpses into its ambassador wolves from an observation area and fascinating programs like “What’s for Dinner?” which gives an eye-opening look at the pack’s weekly feeding rituals. Then, come face-to-snout with the wolves’ domesticated cousins during a sled dog adventure with an Ely-area outfitter like White Wilderness, Chilly Dogs, Cast Outdoor Adventures or Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge. Offering pulse-racing thrills and heart-warming dog cuddles in equal measure, these day and overnight journeys are family-friendly and an unforgettable way to experience the beautiful Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
- Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge – Rustic-yet-elegant dogsled camp recognized as one of the best adventure lodges in Minnesota and the country, offering day trips and multi-night excursions
- Timber Trail Lodge & Resort – Lakefront resort with direct access to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, as well as bird feeding, sledding, curling, stargazing, a sauna, and a polar plunge pool
- Piney Woods Retreat – Four-bedroom cabin in Ely with board games, a fire pit, and a private outdoor sauna
- Lakefront Cabin in Ely, MN – Three-bedroom cabin on Shagawa Lake with board games, sleds, snowshoes, and hot chocolate
Lutsen
Small but mighty, the tiny North Shore community of Lutsen, MN, is made for family-friendly winter getaways. Home to Lutsen Mountains, the largest and tallest ski area in the Midwest, Lutsen has no shortage of seasonal superlatives and winter activities to enjoy. Along with exploring the biggest network of groomed cross-country ski trails in North America, families can also take advantage of over 120 inches of lake-effect snow with 1,000 acres of downhill skiing, 450 miles of snowmobile trails, snowshoeing on the Superior Hiking Trail (the second-best trail in the country, according to Backpacker magazine), and more.
For the best views of this winter wonderland, climb aboard the Summit Express Gondola, which soars 1,000 feet above Lake Superior to the top of Moose Mountain, offering sweeping vistas of the coastline and the Sawtooth Mountains. Visiting in January? Watch bikers as they take to the snow in the Norpine Fat Bike Classic.
- Caribou Highlands Lodge & Residences – Lutsen resort offering professionally guided tours like Hok skiing, naturalist hikes, stargazing, and photography workshops, as well as Hok ski and cross-country ski rentals
- Bluefin Bay on Lake Superior – Waterfront resort in Tofte with an indoor pool and hot tub, lit skating rink with broomball equipment, guided hikes, bonfires on the beach, and complimentary use of ice skates, snowshoes, and cross-country ski equipment
- Surfside on Lake Superior – Contemporary coastal resort in Tofte with an indoor pool and hot tub, skating rink, complimentary ice skates and broomball equipment, campfires, complimentary snowshoes and cross-country ski equipment, guides hikes, and arts & crafts
Grand Marais
The gateway to the Gunflint Trail and one of the uppermost communities along Minnesota’s North Shore, Grand Marais is one of the state’s must-see destinations any time of the year, but it really shines during wintertime. With statuesque pines, snowy hillsides, iced-over lakes, and a blissfully remote location, this majestic expanse of wilderness is sure to awe and leave you hungry for adventure. Before setting out along the Gunflint Trail, you should first experience the quaint town of Grand Marais, whether learning the area’s history at Grand Portage National Monument, warming up during a Nordic sauna experience at Sisu + Löyly, or watching the sunset over Lake Superior from Artist’s Point and the Grand Marais Lighthouse.
Then, leave the town behind and explore all that the area has to offer by traveling the Gunflint Trail. (Pay attention to the weather and road conditions, however. The trail can be treacherous during the wintertime, but the effort is worth it.) Stretching for 57 miles, this Minnesota Scenic Byway boasts unparalleled wildlife spotting—the Moose Viewing Trail is a favorite—and endless opportunities for hiking, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. For a trek that will leave you breathless, both because of the stunning vistas and short-but-steep route, don’t miss Honeymoon Bluff. At the end of the trail, treat yourself to one of the best shows on Earth: the dazzling night sky over the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Designated as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2020, the area is the perfect place to marvel at the Northern Lights or Milky Way galaxy.
- Thomsonite Inn on Lake Superior – Grand Marais inn with complimentary snowshoes, nature programs, kids’ programming, a wood-burning sauna with lake views, and nightly lakeside bonfires with complimentary s’mores
- Gunflint Lodge & Outfitters – Waterfront Grand Marais resort on Gunflint Lake with horse-drawn sleigh rides, ice fishing, day treks into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, ATV ice tours, snowmobile rentals, cross-country skiing, interpretive naturalist programs, and complimentary ice skates
- Home in Grand Marais – Three-bedroom house with lake view and a fully furnished deck, including two fire pits, a Neapolitan-style pizza oven, a table-top telescope, and a deck dome for year-round stargazing
What’s your favorite place for a family-friendly Minnesota winter getaway? Leave a comment below!
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