Just west of Valleyfair, Historic Murphy’s Village recreates 19th-century pioneer life. Each homestead among the 40 different buildings teaches kids about the European heritage of those who settled the Minnesota River valley from 1840 to 1890. A stroll down the main street passes shops, homes, a church, town hall and railroad depot where costumed interpreters demonstrate crafts, tell stories, cook, weave and do woodwork.

Frontier life is also recreated at Historic Fort Snelling, a stone fortress dating to the 1820s. Children can interact with costumed interpreters acting as soldiers, servants, the surgeon and storekeeper and others who inhabited this outpost.

At the Minnesota History Center, a state-of-the-art museum in downtown St. Paul, exhibits and activities teach kids about the family, cultural and natural history of the state. There’s a schedule of special activities geared to families.

South of the Twin Cities in Apple Valley, the 500-acre Minnesota Zoo invites families to explore the world of animals along a series of trails in environments that resemble their natural habitat. On the Ocean Trail, dolphins play in the new Discovery Bay marine exhibit, which also includes sharks and a tide pool exhibit. The Tropics Trail is a journey through an indoor oasis of lush greenery past chattering birds, gibbons, leopards and other tropical animals. Down below, floor-to-ceiling viewing windows take you into a spellbinding coral reef exhibit of brilliantly colored tropical fish. Along the Northern Trail, animals of the Northern Hemisphere--from camels to Siberian tigers--run in the wild. The World of Birds show, dolphin show and hands-on Zoolab are other highlights at the zoo. This spring and summer, the zoo will have a special exhibit featuring 350 frogs from around the world.

Another spot to visit the animal kingdom is Como Zoo in St. Paul. Smaller and more intimate, this free zoo is a nice place to visit with young children. They have different animals than the MN Zoo, so be sure to visit both.