By: Mackenzie Malek and Calla Fragassi

With the summer months coming up, we wanted to share with you some fun indoor and outdoor activities you can spend your summer days doing if you are bored, or you just simply want to try something new.

Outdoorutdoor activities

In the Twin Cities area, mainly Minneapolis, there are a variety of different lakes that have many different trails, parks, and beaches. Biking around the lakes is a great way to spend your day in the Cities. The lakes are all within a couple of miles of each other which allows you to get a good ride in during the warmer months. Each lake also has its own unique qualities, for example, Lake Nokomis is a very popular lake where people rent boats or paddle boards, go bridge jumping, or play volleyball on the beach. This could be compared to Lake of the Isles, which is a much smaller lake that is mainly just for walking and biking. Some of the other main lakes include: Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet, and Lake Hiawatha.

The Minnesota State Fair is one of the highlights of the year for residents in the state. It lasts 12 days every year beginning at the end of August, and ending on Labor Day. The State Fair was first held in 1859 in what is now downtown Minneapolis. The fair traveled throughout the state until the early 1880’s when they found a permanent home in Ramsey County that is currently standing at 322 acres. The fair hosts an average of 2 million visitors annually, increasing more and more every year. It attracts people from all over the nation for its different foods, rides, music, and entertainment.

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is a great way to spend some time outdoors while enjoying many iconic sculptures. The sculpture garden is free and is open all year long from 6am to 12am every day. You will find 40 different kinds of modern and contemporary arts here, and they are most known for the cherry on a spoon sculpture. The average time it takes to walk around and look at all the sculptures is about 2-3 hours, so come prepared and be ready to take lots of pictures.

Indoor activities

Since 1883 the Minneapolis Institute of Art has been sharing artwork with the community. The Minneapolis Institute of Art, often referred to as Mia, is an art museum filled with over 90,000 pieces of art. Different kinds of sculptures, paintings, artifacts, from different cultures are all found at Mia. Mia’s goal is “Inspiring wonder through the power of art.” Next time you’re looking for something to do, stop by Mia to learn a little something new.

Located in St. Paul, the Como Park Conservatory is a great way to spend a rainy summer day. The conservatory is entirely free but accepts donations from visitors. Open 365 days a year, the conservatory welcomes visitors of all ages with something for everyone. Filled with colorful plants and flowers, you will find yourself spending hours inside here. It’s a great place to study, walk around with a friend, and even a popular place to take prom pictures!

If you have younger kids or siblings and you want to bring them somewhere fun, the Minnesota Children’s Museum is the perfect place to go. The museum has three floors filled with different fun activities that kids are sure to enjoy. Some well known exhibits include:

• The Scrambler, which is a four story jungle gym
• Our World, which is a fake town with a post office, and fire station
• And the Studio which is an area for kids to do arts and crafts

The museum also always has a special limited time exhibit, depending on when you are there. They currently have an exhibit called Framed, which allows kids to look closer at famous art pieces. The Children’s Museum is a perfect option for a rainy day in the summer for kids!

All of these places and activities have a little something different for you to try. Whether you’re into biking, looking at art, or simply just spending time outside, the Twin Cities have many great places for you, always feel free to come back to this list when you find yourself bored in the summer.