Pickleball at Lucky Shots and Minneapolis Cider Co.

The Pickleball craze is sweeping the country, and we’ve got a growing pickleball community in Minneapolis that is ready for you to pick up a paddle and join the fun. Pop over to Lucky Shots Pickleball for drop-in open play on one of their twelve cushioned indoor courts (temperature controlled all winter long) or head to Minneapolis Cider Company’s Marcy Holmes Neighborhood Cidery to reserve a court for up to 8 people inside the cider taproom! Minneapolis Park and Recreation also offers several dedicated indoor pickleball courts available for open play at recreation centers throughout the city.

Indoor Climbing at Vertical Endeavors and Minneapolis Bouldering Project

The big daddy of Minneapolis indoor rock climbing, Vertical Endeavors is one of the largest indoor climbing gyms in the nation. With four locations throughout the Twin Cities area—each offering orientations for new climbers, routes for all skill levels and abilities, climbing gear rentals, bouldering areas, and even daily yoga and fitness classes—Vertical Endeavors will help you gain strength, skills, and maybe even the confidence to tackle some of Minnesota’s outdoor rock climbing opportunities come summer.

Do some freestyle climbing at Minneapolis Bouldering Project. The high ceilings, open layout and nature light from floor-to-ceiling windows all set up the perfect scene for your climbing adventures. Their boulders suit all levels of climbers, from beginners to the experienced and stand as high as seventeen feet tall. There's even a designed area just for family and kids. Day passes can be purchased at the front desk for any day of the week. Forgot your climbing shoes? They have rentals for $4.

Spin Classes at Surge Cycling

While nationally recognized spin chains are coming to the Twin Cities, we’ve got a soft spot for locally owned fitness studios and Surge Cycling certainly stands out. Part workout, part dance party, Surge Cycling offers traditional spin classes, athletic interval classes, hip-hop and Throwback Thursday rides, and classes centered on choreographed drills to keep your wheels spinning and heart pumping.

Inferno Hot Pilates and Hot Yoga at Minneapolis Yoga

Hot yoga is an obvious choice for warming up in a chilly Minneapolis’s winter, and locally owned Minneapolis Yoga has been offering hot yoga classes in Minneapolis’s Uptown neighborhood for over two decades. From traditional Bikram-inspired hot yoga to Inferno Hot Pilates (a high intensity, low impact workout based on pilates principles), the studio is a welcoming place to warm up your yoga practice and invites beginners and seasoned students alike.

Explore the Fun of VR at REM5 Virtual Reality Laboratory

Like an arcade for the whole body, virtual reality experiences at St. Louis Park’s REM5 VR Lab are a totally modern way to stay active this winter. Rent a semi-private pod with a group of 2-5 friends and let the adventure begin—each pod includes comfortable seating, a VR headset, a curated list of games, a food and drink menu, and a concierge to help you make the most of the process. You pay per time, not per game, so you can explore as many VR experiences as you like, from painting in a virtual world with the Google Tilt Brush to immersing yourself in first-person shooters to playing VR football.

Mall of America Power Walking or Wheeling (with Live Music Events)

If you’re looking to log some miles in the midst of a Minneapolis winter, the Mall of America is a local favorite—since each level is just over a mile around, you can rack up some serious steps simply by enjoying window shopping. Mall doors open three hours prior to retail hours to allow for crowd-free mall walking or wheelchair strolling, new signage points you towards designated one mile, 5k, and 10k walking paths, and frequent live music in the heart of the mall can add some pep to your step.

Old-School Bowling at Bryant-Lake Bowl, Town Hall Lanes, Memory Lanes, and More

Maybe it’s because many of us want to hang out inside for months, or maybe it’s because we’re retro-cool—whatever the reason, Minneapolis has a LOT of great locally owned bowling alleys! From Town Hall Lanes in Nokomis (with house-brewed beer and pub fare), to Bryant-Lake Bowl in Lyn-Lake (with a 90-seat cabaret theater, regular live events, and a great date night special), to Memory Lanes (with a truly great bar food menu and Cosmic Bowling daily), you’re sure to find a favorite lane to hang out and bowl a while.

Winter Hiking at Minneapolis-Area Parks

While skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, and even ice skating require certain snowfall and temperature conditions, it’s always a good time to try some winter hiking! There’s nothing quite like a bundled-up stroll through freshly fallen snow when the skies are blue, and trekking around a park during a snow flurry is a recipe for lifelong memories. Many of the urban walking paths around Minneapolis’s lakes are plowed/maintained through the winter and are relatively free of ice and snow, but slippery surfaces are always a consideration in colder months. Locals recommend a pair of traction cleats that can slip over your boots for extra stability. Outside of Minneapolis, popular winter hiking destinations include Afton State Park, Fort Snelling State Park, and Lebanon Hills Regional Park.

Cross Country Skiing (and Skijoring) at Theodore Wirth Park

Theodore Wirth Park features 14 miles of groomed ski trails, offering a mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced trails. Beginners can attend cross country ski clinics and/or one-on-one and group lessons to prepare for adventuring on the trails. You can also try Skijoring, cross country skiing with your furry friends! Ski passes are required for all trails in the park—you can purchase ski passes online or head to The Trailhead on Theodore Wirth Parkway for rentals, passes, information, and more, care of the Loppet Foundation.

Sledding Columbia Golf Course (and Check out the Art Sled Rally)

The Minneapolis park system has several designated sledding hills, where you can BYOS (bring your own sled) or rent a snow tube. The designated sledding hill at Columbia Golf Club is one of the steepest hills in the area. While it’s a pretty safe bet you’ll be able to find a fun sledding hill in any neighborhood in Minneapolis, this spot is a timeless go-tos for childlike winter fun. If you’re into sledding, you’ll also want to check out the Art Sled Rally on the last Saturday of January in Powderhorn Park. Dozens of neighborhood artists and residents construct elaborate sled vehicles out of cardboard and pure imagination to slide down a designated hill to the cheers of delighted crowds.

Ice Skating at Lyndale Farmstead and other Minneapolis Ice Skating Rinks

The City of Minneapolis maintains many public outdoor skating rinks at local parks around the city. Lyndale Farmstead is a local favorite, since it’s often less busy than more popular sites and offers the opportunity to stroll around nearby Lake Harriet. Check out this regularly updated map of skating rink opening information throughout the winter. Most rinks offer free skating with a minor charge for ice skate rental, and all rinks are lit daily from 4:30 to 9 pm, so the fun doesn’t stop at sundown. If you prefer practicing your Flying V at an indoor ice arena, check out the Parade Ice Garden for all-ages open skating times.

Fat Bike Nights at The Trailhead

Fat tire biking is another local favorite during the colder months. Where road bikes and typical mountain bikes would have difficulty navigating the ice and snow common in Minneapolis winters, fat tire bikes allow enthusiasts to enjoy Minneapolis mountain bike trails year round. Three singletrack trails at Theodore Wirth park are designated for fat-tire bikers, snowshoers, and winter hikers, and bikers can access the snowmaking trails with their bikes from 6-9pm on select Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings when the trails are open. Visit the Loppet Foundation for more information.

Luminary Loppet: A Celebration of Winter in Minnesota

Here’s an only-in-Minneapolis winter experience for you! Each year in February (February 4 in 2023), a path across the frozen Lake of the Isles is illuminated at night by 1,200 candle-like luminaries, beckoning you to traverse the lake in a magical new way. Along the path, you’ll find tents pouring hot chocolate, food trucks, local beer, and live music. This special event is part of the City of Lakes Loppet Winter Festival, and serves as an annual fundraiser for the Loppet Foundation, offering accessible ways for all people to explore the outdoors.

Winter at the Walker: Snowshoes and Art

Celebrate winter and the Walker’s expansive art collection by exploring the world-renowned Minneapolis Sculpture Garden on snowshoes provided by the University of Minnesota Center for Outdoor Adventure. After your snowy adventure around the sculptures—and, no doubt, plenty of selfies—head back to the Walker Art Center Library for a personal, close-up look into the treasures from the Rosemary Furtak Collection of more than 2,000 artists’ books, multiples, zines, mail art, and ephemera.

Winter Yoga with Minnesota Orchestra Musicians at Orchestra Hall (And at Home!)

Once a season, the Minnesota Orchestra invites a local yoga instructor to Downtown Minneapolis’s architecturally stunning Orchestra Hall for a yoga class in the lobby accompanied by an individual musician or duo from the orchestra playing live music selections to center the body and mind. If you’re doing yoga at home, you can even listen to curated playlists of Minnesota Orchestra tunes selected by musicians to enhance your flow.

Indoor Running and Inline Skating at U.S. Bank Stadium’s Winter Warm-Up

Love running, but don’t love running on ice and snow? (We don’t blame you.) U.S. Bank Stadium opens its doors to fitness enthusiasts of all ages with their annual Winter Warm-Up, a recreational program featuring inline skating and indoor running. From late November to late January, the stadium’s main and upper concourses transform into inline skating and indoor running tracks. From 5 – 9 pm on Tuesday and Thursday nights, a $15 ticket gets you access to some of the most unique indoor exercise opportunities in Minneapolis.