Minneapolis-St. Paul's Best Playgrounds

Becker Park
Crystal

This fully accessible playground is at the heart of a large gathering space that seems to always be up to something. We’ve stumbled upon dance performances, food truck fests, book fairs, giant bounce houses and even llamas here on various weekends. 

The playground itself is thoughtfully designed for folks of any mobility, including the grown-ups who often find themselves having to climb up towers to help their little ones get down. Comfortable see-saw seating is a plus.

Central Park
Roseville

Sure, there’s a modern, inclusive playground with all the bells and whistles (zip lines, four-seater see-saw and fitness pods). But don’t miss the vintage rocket slide, off in a corner on its own in Roseville’s lovely park. The rocket was renovated in 2017 but still gives 1990s sunbaked metal simplicity. Kids climb a ladder into a cage-like structure and then it’s a straight slide down.

Como Regional Park
St. Paul 

Como Park’s entire 384 acres is essentially one big all-ages playground, from the giant fire pits to the conservatory. But the play area near the West Picnic Grounds will appeal to a specific set, especially with a steep but squishy hill with built-in slides, a rope-climbing pyramid, and a tamer structure for smaller kids. 

The big-kid swings/sand pit are set a bit away from the main playground, so picnicking groups can keep an eye on their littles. 

Elm Creek Park
Maple Grove 

The dinosaur bones are just the beginning. This sprawling playground facing the rolling green of the Elm Creek Park picnic area welcomes dino-obsessed kids with a climbable fossil in a sandbox. 

For some, that would be enough to fill an afternoon. But there’s a rope-lined pyramid for climbing, a web-like structure that can spin, and two three-story towers with swirling green slides coming down on all sides. 

A sun sail-shaded picnic area gives parents a place to relax. 

French Regional Park
Plymouth 

Not for faint-of-heart parents, the tall towers on this playground at Clifton E. French Regional Park are for getting a little lost in. There are nooks and crannies to explore on each level, and lots of rope webs for kids to challenge themselves getting from one section to another. There’s an entry-level playground for smaller kids, too. 

Need a break from all that? The scenic walk to Medicine Lake isn’t far. 

Hyland Play Area
Bloomington 

This multilevel complex has earned the nickname “Chutes and Ladders” for its massive structure connected by a series of tunnels, skyways and platforms, with ropes and twisty slides coming off it in every direction. Suited toward independent climbers, be sure to dress your kids in bright colors if you want to find them. 

Smaller kids can utilize a more traditional play structure. 

Lake Rebecca Park Reserve
Rockford 

On the edge of the west metro, this Three Rivers Park District-managed playground teaches kids about Minnesota’s fire towers. One tall metal structure inspired by those real forest lookouts soars three stories (with slides on each level to get back down). The top floor has a telescope, a detailed map of the area, and even an old radio to call in a smoke sighting. 

Besides that main attraction, you’ll find a log prairie house and a play version of a hollowed-out tree trunk for climbing and exploring. A short walk away, the sparkling lake offers its own forms of fun. 

Schaper Park
Golden Valley 

One of the Twin Cities’ first modern ninja-style playgrounds, Schaper Park puts fitness first. A map guides participants through the challenges, which include a traverse wall, a balance walk, floating boards, and a 40-yard dash. A timed scoreboard is built in, so folks can race against their own records. 

The course is designed for ages 13 and up, but you’ll find younger kids testing out the obstacles. A shaded small kid play structure keeps littles entertained, too. 

Shoreview Commons Park
Shoreview 

This huge nature-themed complex outside the Shoreview Community Center still has that brand-new-car feel despite opening in 2022. There’s every flavor of playground here, from a whimsical treehouse with hidden animals carved into the faux-wood and a skatepark for older kids to a ninja course and ziplines for the thrill-seekers. 

Littles love the lily pad-hopping obstacle course, and several features are built into hills for an extra challenge; the slides down make the scurry up worth it. Parents will appreciate the Adirondack chairs scattered about. 

Tamarack Nature Center
White Bear Lake 

Not a traditional playground with slides, or even any plastic or metal structures, this nature-surrounded play area uses its environs to spark imaginative exercise. “Play is training for the unexpected” reads the welcome sign that leads to stairs carved into stacks of stones, tree stumps, and what look like grown-over artifacts of another era. 

This is the place to go for an interactive game of hide-and-seek. 

Teddy Bear Park
Stillwater 

About as iconic as a playground can be, Teddy Bear Park is built into the bluffs above Stillwater’s downtown. If the climbable rock faces weren’t striking enough, a massive teddy bear sculpture greets you at the park’s entrance. 

There’s an old-timey village square feel to the place, complete with a choo-choo train play structure and an ornate waiting-room-type seating area for adults, with a clock tower and fancy streetlamps. A treehouse connected to a replica of the Lift Bridge roots this park firmly in Stillwater. 

Woodhaven Park
Eagan 

Tucked in an Eagan neighborhood just next to the outlets, this accessible playground is useful as an enticement to get kids through a shopping trip. But it also stands on its own, thanks to an transparent slide structure/obstacle course that, from a distance, has kids looking like ants crawling through a glass ant colony. A colorful Bankshot basketball court encourages folks of all abilities to try to make a basket.

Find more family-friendly things to do and check out the metro area's best indoor playgrounds.