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5 Fun Things to Do in Fargo With Kids (That My Family Actually Keeps Going Back To)

I tested Fargo's best kid-friendly spots with real prices, hours, and honest notes on ages, crowds, and which ones survive a North Dakota winter.

By Rachel Kim
5 Fun Things to Do in Fargo With Kids (That My Family Actually Keeps Going Back To)

I have spent more Saturday mornings than I care to admit scrolling through "things to do in Fargo with kids" lists that were clearly written by someone who has never set foot in the Red River Valley. They recommend outdoor parks in February. They quote prices from 2019. They forget that a five year old and a twelve year old want completely different things out of a weekend.

So we made our own list. Everything below is a place my family and friends have actually been, with details pulled straight from each venue's current pages so you are not showing up to a locked door. I have kept the order loose rather than ranked, because the "best" pick depends entirely on the weather and how much energy your kids woke up with.

One thing worth naming before we start. There is real research behind why this matters more than just filling a Saturday. In the American Academy of Pediatrics clinical report The Power of Play, lead author Dr. Michael Yogman put it bluntly: "Play is really brain-building", and the report was significant enough that pediatricians were encouraged to literally write prescriptions for it (AAP News). So when I drag everyone out the door on a cold morning, I try to remember we are not just killing time.

 

 

1. Red River Zoo: The Only Zoo I Know That Gets Better When It Is Freezing

Where: 4255 23rd Ave S, Fargo, ND 58104 Hours: Open daily, 10am to 5pm Admission: $14.95 adults, $13.95 seniors 60+, $12.95 kids ages 2 to 14, free under 2 Best for: Ages 2 to 10, and anyone who has ever wanted to see a red panda up close Website: redriverzoo.org

Most zoos in cold states have a sad winter. Half the animals disappear indoors and you walk past a lot of empty enclosures. The Red River Zoo built its entire collection plan around the opposite idea, focusing on species that come from climates like ours in North America, Northern Asia, and Northern Europe.

Sally Mulvena, the zoo's President and CEO, described the approach to Valley News Live this way: "We're specialized in caring and breeding cold adaptive species." That specialization has paid off in a way I did not expect from a zoo this size. More than 25% of the Chinese red pandas living in zoos across the country were born right here at the Red River Zoo. Zookeeper Brittney Muske told the same station, "It's amazing that we can actually make an impact."

For kids specifically, here is what wins:

  • The carousel. A 1928 antique, restored in 1995 and donated by the Diederich family. It has been part of the zoo since the beginning, and my kids ride it twice every single visit.

  • The wolf exhibit. You watch a family of grey wolves from inside a "trapper's cabin" with two large viewing windows. Warm, indoors, and genuinely thrilling for a seven year old.

  • The otters. The North American River Otter exhibit opened in 2013 with indoor and underwater viewing.

  • The Children's Zoo Farm, which focuses on heritage breeds and teaching kids where food comes from.

The whole zoo runs about an hour to visit plus the carousel ride, which is honestly perfect for the attention span of a preschooler. It is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, so the animal care standards are not something you have to wonder about.

My honest note: Go in the morning. The animals are more active, and you will beat the birthday party groups.

 

 

2. Thunder Road Family Fun Park: The One My Older Kids Ask For By Name

Where: 2902 Thunder Rd S, Fargo, ND 58104 Hours: Monday through Friday 5pm to 9pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am to 9pm Pricing: Pay per attraction, roughly $6 to $9 each Best for: Ages 6 and up, with a rookie option for smaller drivers Website: thunderroadfargo.com

Thunder Road has been doing this since 2001, and the tagline on their site is "Where the Action Never Stops." That is not marketing fluff. There are seven separate things to do, and my kids have never once gotten through all of them in a single visit.

The current lineup and pricing:

Attraction

Price

Height or age rule

Go-Karts

$7.50, buy 5 get 1 free

56" to drive alone, 36" to ride as passenger

Rookie Karts

$7.50, buy 5 get 1 free

Drivers between 44" and 56"

Bumper Cars

$6.50

Must be at least 44" tall

Laser Tag

$8.50 per 10-minute round

None listed

Mini Golf

$9 for 18 holes, $16 for 36, $6 kids

Children's price is ages 5 and under

Batting Cages

$3 per token (25 balls), 5 for $10

Helmets and bats provided

Arcade

50¢ to $1 per credit

None

The go-kart track runs 1,100 feet with 36 karts and 9 turns, and the Rookie Karts are the thing that saved us when my younger one was too short for the main track and too proud to sit and watch. The laser tag arena is 5,000 square feet, multi-level, and themed as a post-apocalyptic world. The mini golf is two 18-hole courses that both play around a volcano, with ponds, rivers, and waterfalls.

My honest note: The buy-five-get-one-free structure is the real deal here. If you have three or more kids, buy in bulk at the counter rather than one ride at a time. And check hours before you drive over, because weekday openings start at 5pm.

 

 

3. Sky Zone Fargo: Where We Send The Energy When It Is 10 Below

Where: 940 40th St S, Fargo, ND 58103 Typical hours: Weekday afternoons, with longer Friday, Saturday, and Sunday hours Best for: Toddlers through teens, thanks to a dedicated SoftPlay area Website: skyzone.com/fargo

Here is the data point that explains why indoor trampoline parks exist in this city. According to a Fargo climate summary published by the Minnesota DNR, the normal high temperature in Fargo drops to 32 degrees by November 20 and stays at or below freezing through March 9 (full climate report, PDF). That is roughly three and a half months where "go run around outside" is not a plan.

Sky Zone Fargo covers that gap. The park includes Freestyle Jump, Ultimate Dodgeball, SkyJoust, The Wall, Drop Zone, Warped Wall, Challenge Zone, Air Court, and a SoftPlay area. That SoftPlay zone is the reason we can bring a three year old and a ten year old to the same place without one of them getting trampled.

They also run GLOW and Little Leapers programs alongside their memberships. One of the testimonials on their own site sums up the case for a membership better than I could: "It gets us off the couch and jumping together multiple times every month."

Two practical things I want you to know before you go:

  1. The waiver policy changed. As of Monday, September 8, all guests including observers must complete a waiver and wear a wristband inside the park. Fill it out online first or you will be standing at the front desk with a coat on while your kids vibrate.

  2. Watch for promos. They have run a Buy 2 Tickets, Get 2 Free deal at $44, which cuts the per-kid cost substantially for a family of four.

A parent review on Tripadvisor described a birthday party there as "Great staff and very clean", and mentioned something worth repeating: coupons are sometimes available through the local convention and visitors bureau site.

My honest note: Weekend afternoons get genuinely packed. Friday morning during a school break is the sweet spot.

 

 

4. Fargo Air Museum: The Quiet One That Surprises Everybody

Where: 1609 19th Avenue North, Fargo, ND 58102 Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Closed Sunday and Monday Admission: $15 adults 12+, $12 military, veterans, students, and seniors 65+, $10 kids ages 5 to 11, free for ages 4 and under Best for: Ages 4 and up, especially kids who ask a lot of questions Website: fargoairmuseum.org

I will be honest, I expected this to be a forty-minute stop and instead we stayed two hours. The museum's mission is "Promoting aviation through education, preservation and restoration", and it fills two hangars with a rotating selection of aircraft ranging from a Wright Brothers' flyer to the MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft.

The detail that turns this from a museum into an experience: the majority of their planes can still fly, so you may catch one rumbling on the ramp. Watching a seventy-year-old aircraft actually start up is not something you can replicate on a screen.

For families, the programming is where the real value sits. They run:

  • Story Time for Tiny Aviators, an interactive program for flight enthusiasts ages 2 to 6

  • Youth Aviation Camp for campers ages 6 to 8, split into two parts across two Saturdays a month

  • STEAM Camp for ages 8 to 18, with hands-on robotics programming, SparkFun inventor kits, and a monthly team challenge

They also house one of the midwest's largest aviation libraries, and 2026 marks the museum's 25th anniversary. Proceeds go back into youth camps, veterans programs, and the collections.

My honest note: Check the calendar before you go. The museum closes for private events and galas, and there is a standing note that if 19th Ave is closed due to construction or a weather alert, the museum closes too. Call 701-293-8043 if you are driving in from out of town.

 

 

5. Bounce House Party Fargo: When You Want The Whole Place To Yourselves

Where: 910 Page Dr, Fargo, ND 58103 Price: $250 for a 2-hour private booking, $125 per additional hour Capacity: Up to 25 active bouncers and 40 total guests Best for: Birthdays, group playdates, and kids who get overwhelmed in crowds Website: bouncehousepartyfargo.com

This one solves a problem the other four cannot. Every venue above is shared with strangers. Bounce House Party Fargo is a private, climate-controlled indoor venue where your group gets exclusive access to the entire facility.

What the two hours includes:

  • Three inflatables: a giant slide, an obstacle course, and a bounce house

  • A quiet sensory room with LEGOs, coloring books, a cozy reading nook, and nursery seating with a changing table

  • Upper mezzanine seating, a kitchenette, and a refrigerator

That sensory room is the part I want to underline. If you have a kid who loves the idea of a party but hits a wall after ninety minutes of noise, having a designated quiet space inside the same building changes the entire calculation.

The other thing that genuinely saves money: they are one of the few party venues in Fargo that allow outside food and drinks, so you can bring your own pizza and cake instead of paying catering markup. Run the math against a per-child package elsewhere and $250 for a private two-hour rental starts looking very reasonable for a group of fifteen.

My honest note: Book early for winter weekends. Indoor private venues in a city with a four-month cold season fill up fast.

 

 

How I Would Actually Plan The Weekend

If you only have one day and you want my quick logic:

  • Warm day, young kids: Red River Zoo in the morning, carousel twice, home for naps.

  • Cold day, high-energy kids: Sky Zone, with waivers done online in advance.

  • Mixed ages, ages 6 to 14: Thunder Road, and buy ride tickets in bundles.

  • Rainy day, curious kid: Fargo Air Museum, and time it around a Story Time or camp session.

  • Birthday or group of friends: Bounce House Party Fargo, bring your own cake.

Prices and hours shift, especially seasonally, so I always tap the venue's own site or call before we load everyone into the car. All five links are above.

The AAP report I mentioned at the top argued that play enhances brain structure and function and promotes executive function. I think about that on the mornings when getting three kids into boots feels like a losing battle. Fargo has more good options than most cities its size. The hard part was never finding something to do. It was picking one.

 

 

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