Minneapolis, MN
Stuck in Minneapolis for spring break? Try this on for fun
Mall of America
What: If my 9-year-old were in charge of our family’s spring break trips, we’d never stray far from home. Ask her “Florida or Mall of America?” and a staycation at the goldang MOA wins her vote every time.
Offerings: The surprisingly difficult Amazing Mirror Maze (Level 3, North Garden, $9.95 a ticket) had all four of us clutching hands to make it through. Other faves: the revolving sushi at Kura Sushi (Level 3, North Garden) and cheese fries at Shake Shack (Level 3, North Garden $4.89).
Fun for: Tots, tweens and teens.
Flipflop factor: While there’s no beachy vibe, you can pick up a pair of cushy sandals at the Crocs store (Level 1, North Garden), get pedicures (L.A. Nails, Level 3, West Market) and go to Margaritaville (Level 3, East Broadway).
New additions: The trippy infinity rooms at the new Wink World, the brainchild of Blue Man Group co-founder Chris Wink (Level 3, North Garden, $20 for 13+, $15 for kids. On Tuesdays, kids are free with a paying adult) and Fly with Appa at Nickelodeon Universe.
An add-on: If you want to add an indoor pool to the mix, you can go all out and stay at the connected Radisson Blu (spring break packages that include MOA attraction tickets start around $370 for a family of four).
Photo op: Get Slimed at Nickelodeon Universe ($45 for one, $55 for two, ages 8 and up, tix.mallofamerica.com/get-slimed).
Signature drink: Uni Uni bubble tea (Level 1, East Broadway).
ERICA PEARSON
Can Can Wonderland
What: Alumni of the Soap Factory’s Haunted Basement and the Walker’s artist-designed mini-golf transformed an old can factory into an indie, indoor amusement park.
Offerings: A massive collection of arcade games from various eras, some more than 100 years old. (Unlimited play for $11-$14 admission.) There’s also an artist-designed mini-golf course (an extra $13-$15) and live entertainment, from music performances to burlesque to a robot-themed fashion show. There’s been “Tappy-Hour” dance instruction and, on the first Thursday of the month, participatory “drumeoke” (like what it sounds). Overstimulation is your only real risk.
Fun for: Anyone old enough to work a joystick.
Flipflop factor: The closest you’ll get to channeling a beach in Mexico is the unexpectedly delicious Elote Brussels Sprouts, which are fried and served street-corn style with an addictive dressing.
Best bit: Relieve your childhood at the arcade, scoring home runs on a baseball-themed 1960s pinball machine or destroying cities in the classic 1980s video game “Rampage.” I had fun introducing my kids to the joy of electronic competitions, especially the one that involves shooting hoops, whacking crocodiles and driving motorcycles. My fave was the Japanese racehorse simulator, which had us standing up in our saddles! My 6-year-old maxed out on Can Can after a couple of hours, but the 8-year-old could have stayed there for days.
An add-on: Mini-golf tee times are reserved on arrival, so come early if you want to avoid a long wait.
Photo op: You trying to defeat the animatronic arm wrestler. (Good luck! We couldn’t budge it.)
Signature drink: The Fruity Unicorn is a blend of vanilla ice cream and Fruity Pebbles that’s topped with edible glitter and a tuft of pink cotton candy that looks like a Troll doll’s hair.
755 N. Prior Av., Suite #4, St. Paul, cancanwonderland.com
RACHEL HUTTON
Watershed
What: A communal bathhouse and spa in Minneapolis with a hot soaking pool, steam room, sauna and cold plunge pools and tanks.
Offerings: The basic $54 experience gets you up to three hours, where you can cycle through the hot bath, sauna and cold plunge as many times as you like, or just chill out in a lounge chair.
Fun for: Adults of all ages. You have to be at least 18. Not recommended for people who are pregnant or have cardiovascular issues.
Flipflop factor: You have to wear a swimsuit. They provide towels and flipflops. But you may have to leave your beach novel behind. It’s a little too wet for that and the lighting is set at candlelight level.
Best bit: The opposite of a loud, boozy hotel hot tub, Watershed prohibits public displays of affection while soaking and asks that customers leave their phones in the lockers and keep their voices low. (Staff members will hit a gong if the noise level creeps up.) Plan on a phone-free couple of hours to contemplate the tonal soundtrack and the serene images projected on the walls while you’re soaking and sweating.
An add-on: There’s a menu of spa experiences you can add to your bathing, including salt scrubs, facials, massages and cupping.
Photo op: Because you have to leave your phone in the locker, it’s a no-selfie space.
Signature drink: Water. You probably will want to rehydrate after all that schvitzing. There’s also some dried fruit you can nibble on in the lounge area.
514 SE. 2nd St., Mpls, watershedspa.com.
RICHARD CHIN
Smash Park
What: A suburban restaurant/bar, sports and entertainment hub. If Punch Bowl Social or the Burrow added pickleball, you’d end up with a Smash Park.
Offerings: Reserve a pickleball court for $25 to $40 an hour, depending on day and time. (Courts fill up fast, but you can book them up to two weeks in advance.) You can also sign up for ax-throwing (14+), karaoke in a private “sing suite” (21+ except Sundays), darts (21+) and duckpin bowling.
Fun for: Pickleballers, of course, but dinking is far from necessary. I saw birthday gatherings, families with kids, large groups, and young and middle-aged people alike who were seeking activities with their Saturday night libations. An abundance of TVs makes it a fine place to watch sports, as well.
Flipflop factor: It’s not hard to find an island vibe if you want one. Skip the urge to order the “pickleballs” (fried cream cheese balls loaded with pickles and bacon bits) and try the tasty bang bang shrimp appetizer ($15) or the Caribbean shrimp bowl ($16), which comes with coconut-infused quinoa.
Best bit: If you’re here mostly for pickleball and a bite to eat with friends, consider dining in the pickleball hall while you wait for your court. There’s good energy, but it’s not as noisy. If you’re on a budget, free activities include cornhole, giant Connect 4 and foosball, as well as all-ages bingo on Sundays from 10 a.m.-noon. (Sundays are best for families, since some of the age restrictions do not apply.) Sign up for the rewards program and you’ll get a $15 game card for the arcade.
An add-on: New to pickleball? No problem. Paddles and balls are available to rent.
Photo op: If the Instagram-able rooftop patio is open by the time your spring break commences, you’re in luck. Just know it’s 21 and over on most days.
Signature drink: The Sociabowls are tropical-themed cocktails that arrive in fishbowl-like, 46-ounce mugs. Ask for a few straws and share with friends.
1721 W. County Road C, Roseville. https://smashpark.com/location/roseville/
LAURA YUEN
Minneapolis has seen a significant decrease in shooting victims in the 4th Precinct, marking the lowest numbers since 2008.
Police data from 2025 shows a notable reduction in violent crime, including a drop in homicides by more than half compared to 2024 and The number of people shot decreased from 132 to 91.
The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) confirming the lowest number of shooting victims in North Minneapolis since 2008.
Elham Elzhgby from Hook Fish & Chicken on West Broadway said, “Any problem is gone, I see that,” Elzhgby added, “No trouble, no problem this last year. Year before, [there] was a lot of [problems].”
In a news conference in March, Mayor Jacob Frey and police chief Brian O’Hara touted a decade-low rate of gun violence to start the year.
https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/north-minneapolis-seeing-decade-low-rate-of-gun-violence-community-playing-big-role/
He and Police Chief Brian O’Hara highlighted the importance of community partnerships in reducing gun violence. “This is a direct result of the pride on the Northside that the residents have – stepping up, stepping in, and supporting the police officers that are there,” O’Hara said in March.
Citywide, both shootings and homicides have seen significant declines. In his inauguration speech, Mayor Frey credited the increase in police officers and reform efforts for these improvements.
A Minneapolis woman is being recognized with a national lifesaving award after rescuing a toddler who slipped into Bde Maka Ska last Mother’s Day.
Karmen Black, a licensed social worker and Minneapolis resident, received the Heroic Act Award from the United States Lifesaving Association on Monday during a ceremony at Minneapolis Fire Station 5. The award is the highest honor the organization gives to a bystander who is not a lifeguard or first responder.
The rescue happened while Black was walking around the lake with a friend.
“I love walking the lake,” Black said. “We had went around once, and then I convinced my friend to, ‘let’s go around a second time.’”
During the second lap, Black noticed a man walking ahead with his children. One child, she said, was trailing far behind.
“There was a third child lagging behind. I would say, like 30 yards behind him,” Black said. “And I said, ‘Gosh, he’s pretty far behind his father, especially to be so close to the lake.”
Moments later, the situation escalated.
“The little boy turned,” Black said. “He literally turned and saw the water. Eyes lit up, and I said to my friend, ‘No, he’s not going to.’ And he a-lined to the lake and just threw himself.”
Black said the location made the situation especially dangerous.
“If the father would have turned and looked down the path, just because of the way of the incline going down to the lake, he would have never known his son was literally over the edge, drowning,” she said.
Black ran into the water fully clothed and pulled the child out. The boy was reunited with his father moments later and was not seriously hurt.
Minneapolis Interim Fire Chief Melanie Rucker said Black’s quick action prevented a much more serious emergency.
“With Carmen’s quick thinking and reaction, that saved a life,” Rucker said. “That saved a rescue that we didn’t even have to respond to.”
Dr. Ayanna Rakhu, founder of Sankofa Swim International, presented the award and said the rescue highlights how quickly drowning incidents can happen.
“Drowning happens quickly and it happens silently,” Rakhu said. “Awareness is a big thing.”
Rakhu said the incident underscores the importance of swim education not just for children, but for adults as well.
“It’s important for kids and adults, and parents and aunts and uncles to learn how to swim,” she said. “Because we end up in these situations.”
Black said the experience stayed with her long after the rescue.
“I was traumatized for like a month,” she said, adding that she goes to the lakes almost every day in the summer.
Despite the national recognition, Black said she does not see herself as extraordinary.
“I just feel like this should be normal,” she said. “You would hope that this is just what anybody would do.”
Minneapolis, MN
Northstar line’s farewell ride departs downtown Minneapolis after Vikings’ season-closing win
Sixteen years of commuting came to a close on Sunday afternoon.
The Northstar Commuter Rail made its final ride after the Vikings-Packers game to get fans home safely to the northern Twin Cities suburbs.
“Last time I was on it, people were so sad. So many people were sad this was not going to continue,” Patty Fernandez, a regular Northstar rider, said.
It was Meghan Gause’s first time taking the Northstar line to a Vikings game from Coon Rapids, and she’s disappointed it won’t be an option going forward.
“I think it’s kind of crazy because it’s really convenient for people to take this and not drive through the traffic along with all the other people,” Gause said.
As a Vikings season ticket holder, Fernandez captured the grand finale departure with her granddaughter.
“This is the only way I get to the games. If it’s not with my son, it’s the train,” Fernandez said.
The Northstar first launched in 2009 as a 40-mile-long rail line between Target Field in downtown Minneapolis to Big Lake with stops throughout the northern suburbs.
In 2018, annual ridership peaked at more than 780,000 passengers. There was a dramatic drop during the pandemic, with an all-time low of just over 50,000 riders in 2021. That number didn’t improve enough in 2024 (approx. 127,000 riders) and 2025 (approx. 113,400 riders) to keep operating efficiently.
“The subsidy, or what it costs us to support each one of the rides, was more recently over $100 per rider,” said Brian Funk, the chief operating officer for Metro Transit.
Funk says plans for the future of this infrastructure are still being determined, but they will work with the Minnesota Department of Transportation and BNSF Railway over the next year to figure out what parts can be repurposed.
“We’re going to hold onto this, at least for the short term,” Funk said. “It’s a great location right next to the ballpark.”
In the meantime, public transit riders are left to rely on bus routes to downtown.
“I have to. I will not drive over here, it’s ridiculous and the parking is ridiculous,” Fernandez said.
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