Visiting the Minnesota State Fair with Little Kids
It’s the Great Minnesota Get Together and whether it’s an annual tradition or you’re visiting the Minnesota State Fair for the first time, keep reading for everything you need to know to make great memories with your little ones!
Bring From Home
- Collapsible stroller or wagon with a canopy/sun shade (even when the kiddos are old enough to walk, this is so handy to stow your snacks and all the swag you pick up – and yes, you can take strollers on the free park and ride buses)
- Snacks
- Hand sanitizer
- Sunscreen
- Refillable water bottle
- Glow sticks (from the Dollar Store or Amazon – an alternative to the fair glow-stick vendors!)
- Phone Charger
Parking
Plan on parking at one of the many free park and ride lots, take paid Metro Transit (kids 5 and under ride free), or pay $17 to park at the Fairgrounds.
Admission
If you didn’t get a chance to purchase advance tickets, be sure to visit on a discount day! Discount days for kids ages 5-12 include Opening Day and Kids Day (Wednesday, August 31 and Monday, September 5 – discounted admission and ride/attraction tickets). Discount tickets are only available at the gate (no online purchases permitted).
Kids age 4 and under are always free!
Purchase regular admission tickets online in advance for $17 for adults and $15 for kids (ages 5-12).
Must-See Free Exhibits for Kids
Miracle of Birth Center is located on Judson & Clough St and is open 9am-9pm.
See all kinds of baby farm animals and stop by the adjacent FFA Chapter House and Leadership Center for hands on activities (closes 3pm Labor Day).
Livestock Complex. Visit the cattle, horse, sheep and poultry barns for up close encounters with prize winning animals, including cattle, horses, swine, poultry, goats, sheep, llamas, alpacas and rabbits. Check out the Baa Booth (hands on activities), Oink Booth (free pig ear headband) and Goat Booth (hands on activities)!
Kemps Little Farm Hands is located between Underwood and Cooper St north of Randall Avenue and is open 8am-7pm.
Children and their families don their work aprons and fire up their imaginations to help with farm chores, collect goods to sell at the farmers market, and then spend their “earnings” on real products made from the farm at the grocery store.
EquiMania is located in the Horse Barn and has hands on activities, puzzles, and games that cover horse anatomy, care, behaviors, nutrition, etc. Be sure to check out the “Aisle of Breeds” as well, where you can meet horses and their owners and pet a horse!
DNR Fish Pond is located on Judson and Nelson and is open 9am-9pm.
Visit the 50,000 gallon outdoor pond, watch a raptor demonstration and climb the 65 foot fire tower!
Education Building is located on Cosgrove south of Wright Ave and is open 9am-9pm.
Look at art, creative writing, woodworking, craft and school projects for Minnesota K-12 students! Robotics demonstrations and more. Lots of freebies/treats to fill your kiddo’s pockets!
Pet Pavilion is located on Hoyt and Underwood and is open 8am-8pm.
Be sure to check the pavilion schedule for encounters with favorite furry four-legged friends!
4-H Building is on Cosgrove south of Randall St and is open 9am-9pm.
Stop by to look at displays from students from across our great state and interact with fun hands on activities!
Home Depot Building is located on Underwood, south of Hoyt.
Free kids crafts on Saturday mornings during the fair.
Eco Experience
Lots of hands on activities. Button making machine, crafts, model tiny houses, air hockey and foosball games, cooking demonstrations and samples. Check out the cardboard moose and “Virginia” the 20-foot floating loon! Pick up a Bingo card from the info desk, get a bingo by visiting activity stations and get a prize!
Nature Adventure Play is located at the Eco Experience.
Play in the sand kitchen or bright colored tepees and create forts in the construction zone.
Alphabet Forest is located on Wright Avenue between Cooper and Cosgrove St and is open 9am-8pm.
Take a break and get hands on with alphabet activities!
Horticulture Building
Be sure to check out prize winning fruits and vegetables including giant pumpkins and the Minnesota apple exhibits; bee and honey displays, floral arrangements and crop art!
Survival: the Exhibition is located at the North End Event Center, north of Murphy Avenue and is open 9am-9pm.
“From rainforests to high mountains to rolling oceans, from extreme cold to the temperate forest to our own locales, Survival: The Exhibition invites you to investigate, collaborate, problem-solve, play, build and collect your way to becoming the ultimate survival expert!“
Math on a Stick is located at Baldwin Park and is open 9am-8pm.
Free exploration of fun math concepts; play with geometric and reptile shaped tiles, sorting, counting and more.
Giant Sandbox is located in Baldwin Park is open 8am-9pm.
Inflatable Archery Range is located on Wright Ave between Cooper & Cosgrove.
Horse Shows are ongoing, so check the schedule for more information!
If there is time, you can also stop by Rainbow Play Systems for some fun on their swing sets or climb on a John Deere tractor at the John Deere vendor booth!
Favorite Free Demonstrations & Shows for Kids
Milking Demonstration – Daily at 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm at the Moo Booth Stage outside the Cattle Barn. You can also give hand milking a try at 11:30am and 1:30pm daily.
Timberworks Lumberjack Show – 12pm, 3pm, 5:30pm and 7pm at the North Woods stage. World-class forest sports athletes compete in a decathlon of timber events designed to challenge even the hardiest lumberjacks.
Harvesting Honey – Agriculture horticulture building at 1pm, 2pm, 4pm and 5pm. See how honey makes its way from beehive to bottle in this honey extraction demonstration.
All-Star Stunt Dogs Splash – North Woods Stage
Daily at 11am, 2pm and 4:30pmdog tricks, high jumping water challenges and more
Parade – 2pm daily that goes north on Cosgrove St, west on Randall Avenue, and south on Underwood St (ending just south of the Haunted House).
Amateur Talent Contest – Leinie Lodge Bandshell. Features top talent from open, teen and preteen categories. Winners chosen nightly at 6pm August 25-September 3. The finals will be held at the grandstand on Sunday, September 4th at 7:30pm (no ticket required)
Kids Day Fun Fest Grandstand – 9/5 at 4pm at the Grandstand (no ticket required). Join us for a lively show featuring special kids’ performances by high-energy musicians B2wins, yo-yo master and juggler Mark Hayward and the singing sisters The Dollipops!
Family Fair Stage at Baldwin Park – be sure check the performance schedule for free family friendly performances!
Thank a Farmer Magic Show – Christensen Farms Stage outside the Miracle of Birth Center at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. Children of all ages will enjoy have fun while learning the important role of agriculture, farmers and ranchers.
Fun Paid Attractions for Kids
Kidway and Mighty Midway are filled with fun carnival type rides and attractions, but consider hitting up these fun stops:
Butterfly House ($3.50/person)
Giant Slide ($3.00/person)
SkyRide ($8/person/round trip)
Space Tower ($5/person)
Reptile Show ($3/pp)
At the Fair: Important Information
FREE ID Wristband & Child Safety
Stop at the Care & Assistance center OR any Information Booth to get a free identification wristband for your child. This wristband will help reunite a child to their family should they ever be separated at the state fair.
Take a photo of your child when you arrive at the state fair – this will help you be aware of what they are wearing, should they ever be separated from you.
Designate a meeting point for older children, and remind children who to go to should they ever be separated. (A security/police officer, state fair staff, a mom with children, for example.)
Hand Sanitizer
Information Booths have free hand sanitizer available!
Sensory Building
Do you or a family member get overwhelmed with the sights and sounds? Take a break at the Fraser Sensory Building.
Nursing & Pumping Moms
- The State Fair’s Care & Assistance area has private and semi-private rooms (first come, first serve) and is open 8am-10pm. Masks required. Located on West Dan Patch Avenue (north of Mighty Midway)
- myTalk 107.1 has a nursing mom’s tent. It also has changing stations fully equipped with diapers and wipes and complimentary water and air conditioning! Open 8am-8pm. Located on Underwood St between Randall & Wright avenues
- TPT Nursing Nest offers a private space to nurse and change diapers. Bonus: activities for kids, yard games, chalkboard picture, character cut outs, swag and more! Open 9am-9pm. Located on Underwood St. across from Little Farm Hands & the Great Sing Along and near the Eco Experience.
Water Fill Stations
Stop at these places to get a glass of cold water. Some stations do not allow you to refill a water bottle, but you can take a glass of water and empty it into your water bottle!
Culligan Water, located at Dan Patch Ave & Cosgrove St
Kare 11 TV, located on Nelson St between Carnes and Judson avenue
Ramberg Music Café, located on Judson and Underwood
Cell Phone Charging Stations
Renewal by Anderson, located on Cosgrove Street between Wright and Dan Patch
KSTP TV, located on Chambers St between West Dan Patch and Carnes.
T-mobile, located on Cooper St outside the Agriculture Horticulture Building
Ramberg Music Café, located on Judson and Underwood
TPT Twin Cities, located at Underwood and Lee
Free Wi-Fi
Visit the west Grandstand Plaza (look for bright green umbrellas marking the spot) or the Xfinity booth (on Underwood St, south of Dan Patch avenue)
Selfie Spots!
Check out these 5 iconic photo spots! Visit the #OnlyInMN photo spot at the West End Gate, as well!
Stroller Rentals
If your forgot a stroller, stop by one of 5 rental locations by HomeTown Mobility to rent a single stroller for $20 or a double stroller for $25
Money Saving Tips
Food
Pack snacks from home or visit one of these vendors for cheap eats!
All You Can Drink Milk for $2
Minnesota Apples: applesauce and apple cider pops ($2) at the Agriculture Horticulture building
Corn Roast: roasted corn for $3
Fresh French Fries: spin the wheel for a chance to win free French fries
Blue Ribbon Bargain Book
You can purchase a Blue Ribbon Bargain Book in advance or at the info booths at the fair – the coupons include $ off of kids ride tickets!
Rides & Games
You can get discounted rides and games at Kidway and Mighty Midway all day on 8/25, 8/29, 8/31 and 9/5. You can get discounted rides and games until 1pm on 8/26, 8/30, 9/1 and 9/2.
Deals, Drawings and Giveaways
Check out the day by day guide to deals, drawings and giveaways! Some of our favorites?
Ordway Booth: 4 Pack tickets to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
KSTP TV: 4 pack airfare tickets, 3 night hotel stay and $1,000 cash
Visit Bemidji: Disney show tickets
Haferman Water Conditioning: 4 Minnesota Wild tickets
Refillable State Fair Cup
Purchase a souvenir state fair cup and get refills for a discounted price!
Beer Samples
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. has free beer samples 4-6pm daily!
Grab Some Swag
Stop by these vendor booths for some free swag, including:
Star Tribune: blueberry pancake lip balm, drawstring bags, clear tote bags, cooling towels, sunglasses
University of Minnesota: fanny packs, fans
Xcel Energy: hand fans, LED bulbs, scavenger hunts
Bethel University: Water bottles, cinch sacks
Better Business Bureau: Clear travel bag
Driven to Discover: String backpack, apron, coffee mug, toy, chip clip, color changing cup, sunglasses, fan, and more
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis: fans
Health Fair 11: sunglasses
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency: loon tattoos (temporary), lead-free tackle
Minnesota Propane Association: coloring books, crayons, fans and more
Minnesota Rusco: pizza cutters, rain ponchos and more
Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation: spatulas, lunch bags, 2D glasses
Minnesota RETAIN Program: Highlighters, writing pads, chip clips, solar phone chargers, first aid kits
Blue Flame Gas Association: child safety wristbands, hand sanitizer, chip clips, basting brushes
