Marjorie McNeely Conservatory — Attraction in Saint Paul

It's great. That doesn't need to be said anymore. Here's my tips for a parent bringing two kids on their own in the winter, which is the majority of my visits.

As of March '22 they're still doing ticketed timed entry, but have removed the one way flow. So you can do the conservatory first and then the outdoor zoo if you want. But honestly, after the indoor zoo part and the conservatory, my two littles and I are done. I'm also just not a fan of the enclosures in the main zoo (the indoor tropical part has some sad ones too like the anaconda's tiny tank and the spider in a bucket).

Bringing a stroller is really nice to unload coats and hats onto. It is WARM in there. I'd think spring/fall type clothing under the shedable winter gear. I wore a sweater and my daughter wore a sundress and she was much more comfortable. The stroller can be a pain though if you have a runner, unless of course they'll tolerate being strapped into it. You'll also want water.

BYO hand sanitizer. There's a small kid play area with lots of things to touch and also a long sink for playing in water (which is sometimes going, sometimes not). They have sanitizer stations, but I find it to feel really weak like other places' and no one wants norovirus.

My favorite tip is to give your kid your camera phone. My toddler has taken the best pictures over the years and of lots of things I wouldn't have thought to. These were all taken by...

I like this place a lot. There's a lot of stuff to see in various sections. They have different environments. The big attraction is their Sunken Gardens. The flower show changes by season so it is worth going multiple times a year. Also best of all, the admission is free. They take donations though and will be happy if you can offer their suggested donation. I think is $4 for adults and $2 for children. This is not mentioning how this is tied with the zoo, so if you have a full day you can see both. You can also pay admission for the Como Town and go on a few amusement park rides. A great place for children and adults.

The main downside is it can be busy, so plan on there being people. You may think weekdays kids are at school, wrong there are plenty of field trips to this location. If all the people becomes overwhelming, you can take a walk around the park which is typically less populated.

Full disclosure, I volunteer at this location, so I get to see some of the behind the scenes stuff and help in...

One of the best botanic gardens and conservatories in the northern half of the country. The winters come very early here, with snow already in October when I visited. The gardens are arranged by like plants and families, unlike other places such as the US Botanic Garden or Fairchild Tropical which organises by like biome or habitat. There is the famous sunken garden, the palm house which is the largest, economically important, the primeval or fern and cycad house, and bonsai, among others. There is a nice Japanese-style garden, but unfortunately the climate there is too cold, so many of the plants are not actually from Japan, but the garden is pleasant nevertheless. It’s free of charge/donation based, so it’s certainly worth a stop by if you’re around in the...