19 Indoor Activities In Minneapolis To Try Next Time It Rains (2024)
- Date: June 2, 2024
- Topic: Events
- Contributors: Written by Peerspace Staff
Source: Peerspace
Minneapolis is one of the best places in the Midwest to live! With thousands of lakes, verdant forest, and a beautiful summer climate, there’s always something fun going on. But what if the rain comes in to spoil your outdoor picnic? You’d better have a backup plan ready! That’s where this list of the best indoor activities in Minneapolis comes in!
Peerspace is all about helping people make lasting memories with one another, and we have all kinds of ideas for your next indoor event. Plus one of the largest collections of indoor party venues in Minneapolis to browse! Take a look at tell us which one is your favorite!
1. Visit the Minneapolis Institute of Art
The Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) is one of the city’s premiere creative institutions. You will find a wide range of installations to explore, from Japanese pottery to Renaissance Dutch paintings. Mia aims to both enrich the community and “inspire wonder through the power of art!” The Institute is also a free indoor activity in Minneapolis to explore, making it a budget-friendly family, friends, or first date idea in the city!
2. Host a dinner party and invite all of your friends
Get your favorite people together for a rainy day dinner party in Minneapolis! Dinners are a chance to laugh, catch up, and try new cuisines together. You can make it a potluck affair to take some of the cooking pressure off of you. Or you can impress everyone with your culinary talents!
If your kitchen and dining room aren’t big enough for a dinner party, think about renting a space for the evening instead. Peerspace has several dinner party venues in Minneapolis to explore, like this natural light studio in Near North! You’ll have table space and seating for up to 30 guests in this industrial-themed venue!
3. Splash at the Tropics Indoor Waterpark
You can head to the tropics without a single plane ticket in Minneapolis! Check out Tropics Indoor Waterpark, a themed aquatic playground with pools, slides, and more to explore! Kids and adults can play water volleyball and slide down a three-story water slide. Young kids can enjoy the zero-depth Tropics Toddler area. Adults also have a grownups-only whirlpool and patio to relax at.
4. Shop at the Mall of America
Locals and tourists alike know that the Mall of America is one of the top indoor activities in Minneapolis to explore! The Mall of America is the largest one in the country, with 520 stores and 60 restaurants spread over 4 floors and several wings. It has seen several expansions over the years, with escape rooms, theaters, and the SEA LIFE Aquarium complimenting the classic mall shopping experience!
5. Bowl at Elsie’s Restaurant Bar & Bowling Center
Rain or snow, bowling is a fun indoor sport to escape the weather. Bring some friends along for a few rounds; many bowling alleys even offer unlimited bowling for a long evening of fun! Like many of Minneapolis’s best bowling alleys, Elsie’s is so much more than a sporting venue! It is also a restaurant and bar serving up cocktails, steaks, breakfast, and seafood. Weekends are cosmic bowling time where they play music and the venue is lit up in blacklights for a unique experience!
Got a big date on the horizon? Then check out these unique first date ideas in Minneapolis to help woo your boo!
6. Hit up a video game arcade
Arcades are an awesome retro experience for video game lovers! Step back into the past and bring a handful of quarters to your favorite arcade, where you’ll find classic standup games, modern console games, and more to enjoy. Minneapolis is home to several arcade bars, including Up-Down on Lindale Ave, where you can enjoy beer and a meal with your games. Up-Down also has skeeball, pinball, life-sized Jenga, and Nintendo 64!
7. Take a walk along the Minneapolis Skyway System
Explore the Minneapolis Skyway System the next time you’re downtown and looking to escape the rain! The Minneapolis Skyway System is a 9.5-mile network of walkways spanning 80 city blocks. All of the footbridges are climate-controlled to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer. A Skyway trip can take you to hotels, restaurants, retail stores, and other businesses without a drop of water getting on you.
8. Catch a show at the Guthrie Theater
From comedy to Shakespearean performances, the Guthrie Theater is one of the top cultural institutions in Minneapolis. The Tony award-winning Guthrie Theater has been a local fixture for more than 60 years. Besides performances, you will find classes and workshops that educate and entertain visitors!
9. Explore the Spam Museum and Visitor Center
Niche museums are a fun way for locals and visitors alike to explore new dimensions of their city. And the Spam Museum and Visitor Center is one of the most interesting you’ll find in Minneapolis! Step inside and learn about how Spam has spread across the globe; admission is free and there are both guided and self-guided tours available. Spam is a household name brand the world over and you might learn some things about it that surprise you!
10. Race go-karts indoors at Pro Kart
Go-kart racing is not just an outdoor activity; beat the rain and check out ProKart Indoor Go-Karts! They offer private lessons and open driving year-round using gas-powered go-karts that have excellent turbo boost and handling. You can host private events like birthday parties here and join racing leagues if you’re really into go-karting!
11. Visit the American Swedish Institute
Minneapolis (and Minnesota in general) has some of the highest rates of Nordic ancestry in the country. That makes it the natural place to house the American Swedish Institute, a museum, cafe, historic mansion, and cultural institution everyone should visit. You will find exhibitions with traditional clothing, original artwork, Swedish food, and more. Not to mention seasonal events like the Midsommar celebration that happens on June 15th of each year.
12. Check out a new restaurant
As Minnesota’s largest city, Minneapolis is the place to be for a tasty meal. From pizza to pho, the city has culinary options that span the gamut. A rainy day is the perfect time to try somewhere new. Check out Broders Pasta Bar for house-made pasta paired with succulent sauces! Vegetarians and vegans have lots of options in the Twin Cities; have you been to Bole Ethiopian Cuisine yet? This East African cuisine is rich in veggie-based stews that are very vegan-friendly!
13. Grab a cup of coffee
Minneapolis has one of the best coffee shop scenes in the country! The long, cold winters mean that people are eager to get out of the house but also want to stay warm. There are many locally owned shops here, including Spyhouse Coffee, one of the city’s most famous roasteries and retailers. Dessert lovers should visit Cafe Ceres, a chain of coffee shops owned by pastry chef Shawn McKenzie. Cafe Ceres boasts Turkish coffee and a delightful selection of sweets to go along with it.
14. Learn at the Science Museum of Minnesota
From dinosaurs to the Great Lakes, the Science Museum of Minnesota has educational opportunities to interest all comers! The exhibits range from traditional displays to interactive ones, not to mention educational films that highlight the wonders of the state. The museum has 370,000 square feet to explore next to the mighty Mississippi River and has a rotating collection of permanent and temporary exhibits to enjoy, so each rainy day visit offers something new!
Check out our gorgeous indoor photoshoot locations in Minneapolis if your idea of fun involves taking pictures in beautiful settings!
15. Book a private dance lesson
One way to enjoy a rainy day indoors is to book a dance lesson with your favorite instructor! From salsa to ballet, you can find dance classes in Minneapolis for any movement art form. Do yourself a favor and make it a private dance lesson. That way, you won’t be sharing the space or instructor with dozens of other students. Peerspace has dozens of amenity-filled dance spaces available, like this downtown Minneapolis dance studio. The perks include LED lights, Malar rolling mirrors, mats, portable ballet barres, and more!
16. Take cooking classes
Improve your culinary talents by taking your date or friends out for some cooking classes! Cooks Bellecour is just one of many culinary institutions in the city. They offer lessons in baking, Italian cuisine, backyard barbecue, and more! You can even hire a private chef and have them come to your home for a romantic date night for two.
17. Enjoy a paint-and-sip class
Painting and wine are fun enough. Combining the two with a paint-and-sip class makes things even more interesting! Classes involve free painting whatever you like or working with a model. A professional painting teacher is on hand to guide you through the finer points of stroke technique and brushwork. Meanwhile, you can BYOB or select from a menu if your paint-and-sip class is at a wine bar or other establishment!
18. Laugh at a comedy club
Comedy events are some of our favorite indoor activities in Minneapolis! Comedy shows happen year-round at most performance venues and feature local and national headliners alike. Dedicated comedy clubs like The House of Comedy in the Mall of America offer the best chance to pick up a show when rain arrives at the last minute, ruining an outdoor plan.
19. Go miniature golfing
Golf is one activity that’s sure to be canceled when the forecast calls for rain. Fortunately, the Twin Cities are home to more than a few indoor miniature golf courses! Have you been to the Puttery yet? This venue has three themed courses (the Library, the Art Museum, and the Conservatory) with single and unlimited golfing available. The Puttery also has a restaurant and bar on-site with a full menu!
Indoor activities in Minneapolis: conclusion
Given the frequent rain and snow in the region, indoor activities in Minneapolis are plentiful! We have everything from miniature golf to tropical water parks to enjoy. You can even plan your own special event through Peerspace by booking a party venue in Minneapolis. There’s no way a little rain shower is going to ruin your upcoming good time with family and friends!
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