TC Gateway Itinerary: Spring Family Getaway in the Twin Cities Gateway

Escape to the Twin Cities Gateway this spring for a memorable family adventure! This itinerary is packed with kid-friendly activities and delicious eats, perfect for a long weekend filled with fun and laughter.

Friday

Start your getaway in the Twin Cities Gateway with a stop at Hans’ Bakery in Anoka. The bakery stocks all the classic pastries, including raised and cake donuts, filled bismarks, donut holes, and apple fritters. The giant Texas donuts are big enough to share with your whole family (and make for a great photo). Another Hans’ Bakery speciality is the beesting, a personal-sized coffee cake filled with Bavarian cream and topped with candied almonds and powdered sugar.

Spend the afternoon flying high at Urban Air Adventure Park in Coon Rapids. The indoor trampoline park has activities for kids of all ages, including a tumble track, drop zone, ropes course, zip line, and climbing walls. For smaller kids, there’s a playground with slides and tunnels.

Finish your day with the GLOW Party at Cheap Skate Roller Center, also located in Coon Rapids. Held every Friday from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the family-friendly event features blackout skates, laser light effects, strobe lights, and fog. Roller skates, in-line skates, and razor scooters are available for rent, and there’s also a bounce house for kids ages 10 and under.

Saturday

Explore the outdoors and learn about local wildlife at Fridley’s Springbrook Nature Center. The interpretive center is home to live animals and hands-on exhibits about trees, animals, soil, and more, with volunteers and naturalists on hand to help you discover and connect with the environment. You can also check out the nature center’s three miles of hiking trails, including floating boardwalks through wetlands.

Laser tag, bumper cars, virtual reality, a laser maze—the trickiest part of an afternoon at The Fun Lab in Blaine is deciding what to do first! One of the most popular attractions is the XD Dark Ride, which combines special effects and 3D graphics to create a multi-sensory, interactive experience for the whole family. Kids will also love the arcade and mini bowling, a scaled-down version of the regular game. If you get hungry, there’s a full menu of freshly-made pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, and kids meals.

Looking for a delightful escape with a side of nostalgia? Look no further than Miss Iz Ice Cream & Soda Pop Shop in Ramsey, Minnesota! This charming 1950s-themed ice cream parlor is a local gem, serving up premium, rotating flavors of ice cream and classic soda pop that will transport you to a simpler time.

Whether you’re craving a classic sundae, a creamy milkshake, or a scoop of their signature flavor, Miss Iz has something for everyone. Plus, with wheelchair accessibility, free parking, and a playground nearby, it’s the perfect destination to end the day on a sweet note!

Sunday

Whatever the weather, start the day with play at Mounds View’s Inner Active indoor playground. There’s a large play structure, basketball court, turf field, jumping pillow, and giant building blocks, as well as a toddler space for smaller visitors. Pre-purchase your day pass online, since the playground is self-serve.

Spend the afternoon splashing around at Tropics Waterpark in Shoreview, which has attractions for all ages. Kids 10 and under can explore Bamboo Bay, a large play structure with slides, sprayers, and buckets. Shipwreck Beach has a zero-depth entry pool with a slide and water walk, and the main water park area features a large water slide, water basketball and volleyball, and floating creatures to climb on.

Wrap up your weekend with a friendly game of bowling at Arden Hills’ Flaherty’s Arden Bowl. The family-friendly bowling alley also has an arcade with the latest video games and classics like air hockey and pinball, and the on-site restaurant serves tasty brick oven pizza.

Conveniently located to Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the eleven communities of the Twin Cities Gateway (Anoka, Arden Hills, Blaine, Coon Rapids, Fridley, Ham Lake, Lino Lakes, Mounds View, New Brighton, Ramsey and Shoreview) offer tasty eats, trails and parks, recreational facilities, cultural attractions, and affordable hotels with free parking. Book your stay today!