I am visiting the Twin Cities weekend of October 8th. I have 2 teenage kids coming along and would like some ideas for activities that are not costly, prefer no shopping. Anybody have any suggestions. I am not from the area (near Canadian Border), so links to web pages are good and directions too. Thanks!
Every State, has a "tourism" website.
Google it and check out that State's website.
Much information on it.
If you're outdoorsy, one of my favorite places growing up in Minneapolis (including the teen years!) was Minnehaha Falls. If it's nice out, it's a great place to hike. You can start by the base of the falls and follow Minnehaha creek to where it meets the Mississippi River.
Also, the Star Tribune website has a searchable event calendar in their Entertainment section. You could search on those dates for special activities. Good luck!
http://www.exploreminnesota.com/index.aspx
Water Park of America: http://www.waterparkofamerica.com/
Rent bikes and see the city: https://www.niceridemn.org/
Several recommended tours are found under the "Explore by Bike" tab.
Guided bike tours: http://www.minneapolisbybike.com/
Rent a canoe or kayak at one of our urban lakes: http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=797
The Science Museum of MN, located in St. Paul: http://www.smm.org/
The Mall of America has more to do than just shopping. It is actually just a really great place to walk around, people-watch, eat, play, an aquarium www.mallofamerica.com
What are their interests?
History? Summit Ave is a must-see / James J. Hill House / MN History Center (all in St. Paul)
Art? Walker Art Center (Minneapolis)
Music? Orchestra Hall (Minneapolis)
Sports? The U of M might have some games that weekend--volleyball, football
Science Museum of MN (St. Paul)
Active? Bike/run around the Minneapolis Lakes (Calhoun, Harriet, Nokomis)
OOOHH!!! Take them to the Walker Art Center. SOO much fun, mostly modern art/sculpture, not a boring museum at all. The science museum is also a lot of fun. Go explore downtown, walk around, etc...
and if you change your mind about shopping, the MOA is fun (lots more than shopping to do there, but some really neat shops) and I really like the Burnsville Mall, which isn't far away from there.
The area around St. Paul's basilica is very nice for walking, too.