Your Guide to Family Fun During MEA Weekend in St. Louis Park and Golden Valley

Family Friendly

MEA Weekend Adventure

Minnesota’s Sweet Spot is ready for a memorable MEA weekend. Families can take a staycation or enjoy a short getaway filled with laughter, discovery, and kid-friendly activities in St. Louis Park and Golden Valley—no long trip required.

August 31, 2026

1. Game Show Battle Rooms

At Game Show Battle Rooms, your family gets to take center stage as contestants. Work through puzzles, tackle trivia, and enjoy good-natured competition with a personal host guiding the experience. It’s a lively choice for ages 10+ and groups of 6 or more.

2. Backyard Indoor Playground

The Backyard offers an indoor adventure zone created for kids ages 2-12. Children can burn off energy on super slides, twisty tubes, cargo climbs, bumper balls, log rollers, and cave crawls. The setting gives families a safe place for active play and plenty of giggles.

3. Westwood Hills Nature Center

Westwood Hills Nature Center invites families outside with over 3 miles of trails and an eco-friendly, award-winning Interpretive Center. Interactive educational displays provide opportunities to learn while encountering raptors, reptiles, amphibians, and other small mammals. It’s an engaging way to encourage curiosity about nature.

4. Schaper Park Challenge Course

Put your skills to the test at Golden Valley’s Schaper Park ninja warrior-style obstacle course. Built for kids ages 13 and up, it challenges participants to move over, under, around and through obstacles while racing the clock. Tweens and teens can take on the course, while younger siblings may enjoy watching the action. A fully accessible playground is also available for littles.

5. Theodore Wirth Regional Park

Theodore Wirth Regional Park brings families into the outdoors with miles of hiking trails, the Quaking Bog, and the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden & Bird Sanctuary. For more high-energy fun, try the mountain biking trails; rental bikes are available at The Trailhead. With so many ways to explore, the park offers outdoor recreation for the entire family.

6. iSmash

Families with some built up tension can visit one of iSmash‘s Rage Rooms to safely break objects and release some energy. The Rage Rooms are perfect for ages 8+. For a more artistic activity, choose a Splatter Paint session, where participants make colorful artwork to bring home. Splatter Paint is designed for ages 3+.

7. Park Tavern

Park Tavern Bowling & Entertainment Center combines bowling, arcade games, and family dining in one destination. The full-service restaurant serves kid’s meal favorites including cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, mac & cheese, pizza, and more. It’s an easy place to pair playtime with a meal.

8. Pavek Museum

Discover the history of communication and technology at the Pavek Museum. Exhibits range from vintage radios to broadcasting equipment, creating an interactive look at how communication has evolved. Hands-on displays help visitors explore the connected world.

9. Marcus West End Cinema & Twin Cities Film Fest

Make time for a family movie at West End Cinema, with state-of-the-art technology, luxurious seating, and a lineup of blockbuster films. The Twin Cities Film Fest will also be in full swing, with family friendly independent films on its schedule. It’s a relaxed way to spend time together.

10. Ice Skating at The Rec Center & The ROC

Frozen fun is available for skaters of all ages. The Rec Center offers indoor skating on M – W – F, plus Saturdays and Sundays. For an outdoor experience, visit the ROC, the covered outdoor rink, on Friday evening or on the weekend. Rental skates are available for just $3.

11. Angel Food Bakery and Donut Bar

Angel Food Bakery is a sweet stop where families can watch bakers at work while choosing from pastries, creative confections, and other treats. Parents can recharge with the full range of coffee drinks before heading to the next activity. For an added pastry challenge, compare the selections at Bogart’s Doughnut Co. and Nelson’s Meats & Bakery in St. Louis Park with those at Funner Brothers Donut Company in Golden Valley. Decide which offerings deserve the title of sweetest in town.

12. Great Pumpkin Festival

The Shops at West End and the Twin Cities Road Crew host a free, family-friendly event with trick or treating at select retail and restaurant locations, Halloween-themed music, games, and prizes. The festivities also include a bounce house, craft area, Home Depot workshop, face painter (for a fee) and more. Costumes are encouraged! The event takes place the Saturday of MEA from 10 am – 1 pm.

Make your Minnesota’s Sweet Spot visit count, whether your family prefers friendly competition, nature exploration, outdoor adventures, movies, skating, or something delicious. St. Louis Park and Golden Valley offer plenty of ways to stay, play, and create memories together. Pretty sweet, right?!