If you and your family are new to the Austin, Minnesota area and are wondering what to do for fun, we have you covered. Our staff at Tom Kadlec Kia has come up with a list of favorite family activities in Austin, MN. Take a look at the following suggestions.
Spend Time Outdoors in Austin
Becoming more active is a fun way to contribute to your family’s health and wellbeing. Playing sports or visiting parks to get some extra steps in are both great ways to start building a good habit and lead healthier lives. Whether you and your children are natural athletes or not, getting the whole family involved can help your children understand the importance of exercise.
Walking, Running or Batting at the Packer Dome
Covering the turf of Art Hass Stadium at the Wescott Sports Complex is the Packer Dome, which has a walking and running track, batting cages, and an artificial turf field. The track is open to the public at no cost, 7 days a week. You can rent the batting cages all week for $25 an hour.
Rent a Kayak and Paddle on the Cedar River
During the summer, kayaks are a great way to enjoy Austin’s wildlife and scenery. You could rent equipment for $10 at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center Canoe and Kayak Rental and paddle on the pond. You can also paddle down Dobbins Creek to East Side Lake and back in one hour. Rentals are good for three hours.
The Jay C. Hormel Nature Center is also known for its 10 miles of hiking trails that go through forests, prairies, and wetlands. It’s a great place for kids to get to know more about the Minnesota wildlife.
Take Full Advantage of Austin Parks
If you own kayak equipment, you could launch in the Cedar River at a public launch site. Take a look at the list below of public launch sites; we’ve included alternative activities for family members who may not be interested in paddling.
- Driesner Park at 8th St. SE: Aside from the public launch site, find a ball field, playground equipment, a pavilion and picnic tables, walking and biking trails, and disc golf.
- Ramsey Dam at 3504 11th Pl NE: Some people just hang out and relax or fish here.
- Marcusen Park at 901 S. Main St.: Aside from the Marcusen Baseball Park located within the Lafayette Park, there are picnic tables, playground equipment, walking and biking trails, a pavilion with electricity, restrooms, and disc golf.
- Mill Pond at 600 N Main St.: This pond is in Horace Austin Park, where you can find a municipal pool, picnic tables, playground equipment, an 0.88-mile walking and bike trail which circles the pond, gazebo with fountain, and plaza dock and fishing.
There are more than 25 parks in Austin; you can find more information on the city’s website.
Attend Seasonal Events
Austin has an active family-friendly event calendar published on the city website that you can check for events in all four seasons. Below are some of the most popular seasonal activities to attend with your family.
Catch a Hockey Game or Go Ice Skating
The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department manages four properties where families can ice skate. Bring your own skates to the outdoor rinks at Kaufman and Galloway parks. If you don’t own skates yet, visit one of the indoor arenas. Get on the ice to skate for $4 and pay an extra $1 for skate rental.
Riverside Arena is open year-round, but it is open for public skating on specific dates, to accommodate for the hockey teams that play. We recommend you attend a NAHL Austin Bruins hockey game and try to take a family photo with the mascot. High school and other junior-level teams play at Riverside, too. Packer is the second arena open only seasonally from November to February. Call the Parks and Recreation Department at 507-433-1881 if you’d like more information about skating or hockey in Austin.
Summer Fun in Austin
Your family can join other Austin residents for baseball, softball, and disc golf, or bike races during the summer at the city parks. We also recommend you check out an additional two summer-fun favorites, listed below.
- Austin Municipal Pool: This is the biggest and only 10 lane, 50 meter outdoor pool in Austin with diving, slides, and a climbing wall. There is also a separate kid pool and splash pad.
- YMCA at Austin Community Recreation Center: A $50 joining fee and a monthly fee ranging from $12 to $58 (depending on your age) gets you year-round access to swimming, gymnastics or tumbling, tennis, indoor track, basketball, volleyball, and much more. You can also get an all-access family day pass for $50.
Stop By the SPAM Museum
Image via Flickr by peachsmack | Licensed by CC BY-SA 2.0
Did you know people sometimes call Austin “SPAM Town USA”? Hormel Foods Corporation, the company that makes SPAM tinned meat, is one of the largest employers in the city. Hormel created the SPAM Museum in 2001 and then in 2016, moved it to a newer building in downtown Austin, to support a strategy to get more tourists to visit Austin and patronize the local businesses, like restaurants and historic shops. The admission-free museum features interactive kiosk displays and exhibits in seven main galleries spanning 14,000 square feet.
The museum staff, called “SPAMbassadors,” provide sanitized styluses for the kiosk touch screens. While you’re at the museum, learn about the history of SPAM, and how the product has been used in foods in other countries. You and the family can play games, design a SPAM bus, or make a postcard. Kids may like getting free stickers and, when available, sampling different SPAM varieties. There are plenty of family photo opportunities throughout the museum, and the store has merchandise like refrigerator magnets, sweatshirts, and several varieties of the canned meat on sale.
Whether you’re new to Austin or just visiting, we hope you enjoyed our recommendations. Are there any favorites on your list that we should add to ours? Please contact us at Tom Kadlec Kia to let us know.
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