I started seeing the billboards around town and looked up more about Crystal Cave. We decided to…read moremake a visit and were pleasantly surprised! It's about a $$$ rating on cost, but is really well organized with a variety of things to do. They have picnic areas, mini golf, trails and gift shop. Not much for concessions so bring your own food if looking to eat. We did the cave tour and gem mining. Tour was about an hour, advance reservations recommended. I had two 6 year olds and they had a blast, they got cold but not too bad. The tour guides do a great job explaining the history, what you're looking at and all kinds of cave facts. It's big inside, there are low spots but you don't really feel claustrophobic if that's something you're concerned about. Gem Mining was a good time, kids were super excited about the treasures they got to bring home. If you're looking for a different activity to do with the kids, adults or family then you should check it out "!

This side quest was time well spent. Caves are always fun to explore, especially on a hot day when…read morethe cave temperature is in the mid-50s. Lots of fun information about the history of the cave, and a very fun tour guide.

Do not go to the Caribou coffee it tastes so bad it taste like crushed up medicine. All the coffee…read moreis gross powdered milk. Instead of real milk went to go talk to the employee said that's just how it's made. NEVER AGAIN

A couple games weren't working right in the arcade, but everything else was fantastic. I'm so glad…read morewe came. The kids had a blast jumping and playing a few games. We tried the laser maze and at first had some trouble, but we pushed the call button and an employee was over to help us quickly. He was very nice and reset the game for us, it worked fine after that. Since we'd never tried this before, we went for medium, that was way too easy for us. If we tried again, I'd set it at expert for the adults. Need a bit of a challenge. My favorite thing was the go karts. They went so fast and we were going around the track for a bit which was nice. Seriously, I've never been on go karts this fast. Everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful. And everywhere was clean, including the bathrooms. Aside from the couple games not working right (blue games that are included in the play or combo pass), I think everything was up and running. I loved that they had a spot for parents to chill too, there's lots of places to sit too. Really cool place with something for everyone.

We had so much and left completely DRENCHED in sweat. While it is tempting to want to try some of…read morethe more "difficult" scenarios for your first visit, I would definitely encourage you to start with something a tad low-key. We had 5 of us and we did the zombie apocalypse/walking dead-type experience and while it was definitely fun, we wish we would have tried something easier for our first experience. We did end up running into each other once in a while or hitting each other in the head! It was chaos to have a billion zombies coming at you and so we were kind of just spinning in circles and shooting at everything! I was a bit nervous because I am known to get vertigo but it didn't affect me in that way at all. Expect to sweat and make sure to wear closed toed shoes!!

Went today to Extreme Sandbox in Hastings and had a great time. There were three of us and operated…read morethe large excavators. Wyatt was our instructor and did a fantastic job. Overall it was a fun experience and I would do it again.

The Chippewa Valley Railroad operates on a loop in Carson Park, across the street from the historic…read morebaseball stadium. Appropriate for kids of all ages, especially those of us with grey hair that remember the real thing, the railroad operates passenger trains pulled by live steam or "diesel" power. The diesel, actually a model of GM's famous F series locomotives, runs on a Wisconsin internal combustion engine. It was built by the Miniature Train Company sometime between 1948 and 1956. It is one of at least 5 such trains operating in Wisconsin. (Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Green Bay, Wausau and here.) Chippewa Valley Railroad goes the typical MTC railroad one better with live steam. You can ride the MTC train or a live steam train. The loop is about a half mile and takes you along the bluff above the Chippewa River, past a picnic shelter, over the road that takes you to the depot, past a silent observer (keep your eyes peeled!) before returning to the station. When your train arrives, the next one departs. The trains were obviously built for little people but there is an open-air gondola that's a little more comfortable for larger folks. It's pulled behind the steam engine. Rides are reasonably priced, considering ticket sales are the only source of income for this rolling museum. It is manned by volunteers who love railroads, and you can tell when you speak with any of the staff. The Chippewa Valley Railroad only operates during the summer and only on Sundays and July 4. You might think it's only for kids. In that case, borrow a couple of kids from the neighbors and go ride the train.

I had so much fun at FlyOver America! From the moment the ride started, it really felt like I was…read moreactually on a real ride and flying through everything. The way your feet are dangling and you're lifted up in front of the big screen makes it feel so real. The visuals are beautiful and the effects make a huge difference you can feel the wind and even a little mist, which makes it even more immersive. At some points I honestly forgot I was inside the mall because it felt like I was really traveling. It's not too scary, but still exciting enough to enjoy every second of it. I was a little nervous at first, but once it started I just relaxed and had fun. The whole experience is very well done and something different from anything else in the mall. Overall, I would definitely recommend trying it. It's fun, unique, and totally worth it . I would do it again for sure!

When I was visiting Minnesota, I had a fun adventure with FlyOver America inside of Mall Of…read moreAmerica. This was definitely a well put together experience. The cost is around $24.99 for a 20 to 25 for this experience. The high technology was well executed and great sound effects. Beautiful scenery as you fly across the water and feel the cool mist on your face. I highly recommended this experience.

Great experience for the Family! Our 2 year old loved it. This was a fun way to escape the cold and…read morealso who knew an indoor amusement park would work (beats all the elements!) Plus, if you go for an all-day pass, you could take breaks, go shopping, even go to Minneapolis for a meal and head back for more rides and fun. Lines are manageable, staff is extremely personable and friendly, and some of the rides are quite advanced so do not underestimate this theme park. Very fun and look forward to coming back to try more rides!

Minneapolis is our new home, and I couldn't be more excited about this place…read more If you have kids (of all ages), this is a great place to spend the day. The rides are super fun with the kids, and you can easily spend a whole day here (and more). My son is obsessed with the paw patrol playground - so cute! It can get pricey, but it's totally worth it. I love that it is indoors so I don't have to worry too much about the elements. Also, the fact that it's inside THE mall of America adds more reason to come to this place. My only downside is that we haven't really found a good place to eat inside the mall. But we will be exploring little by little, so I'm hoping we find a good go-to. Home sweet home!