This Twin Cities Suburb Is A Family-Friendly Midwest City With Lake Fun, Shops, And Local Eats

Minnesota's Twin Cities create a diverse and enigmatic metropolis sprawl that fans out from the Mississippi River. Minneapolis and St. Paul are like two peas in a cosmopolitan pod, with enough sport, dining, culture, shopping, nature, and art to keep travelers occupied for a very long time. All of this choice can be quite overwhelming though, especially when deciding where, exactly, you should visit. If you're looking for family fun, lake-based adventures, and quality shopping and dining, head to Plymouth — a city and suburb within this enormous Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area about 12 miles west of Downtown Minneapolis.

Plymouth has a reputation of being a great Midwest city for families. It has an A+ overall grade on Niche for its family-friendly elements such as public schools and housing. This local school-finder platform also ranked it Minnesota's 11th best suburb to raise a family in 2026. One local on the r/howislivingthere subreddit called Plymouth "Very family-friendly, cozy, and safe." All this to say you probably won't need to search long to find the right scenes and activities for you and your children.

One of Plymouth's most family-friendly attractions is its 900-acre-plus Medicine Lake, ideal for fun water-based activities at lakeside parks. Clifton E. French Regional Park, which sits on the lake's northern shore, has a beach, designated swimming area, fishing pier, and various walking trails. Kids and adults alike can embrace Plymouth's lake setting with paddling, picnics, boating, and an elaborate playground. Meanwhile, anglers can reel in bluegill, crappie, northern pike, largemouth bass, and walleye. You can also visit the park during winter for sledding and cross-country skiing. Elsewhere around the lake you'll find more sandy beaches and grassy waterfront picnic spots, as well as playgrounds and walking paths. You can also enjoy family days out at the charming Parkers Lake Park with its trails, volleyball, and beach nearby.

Plymouth doesn't have a cute downtown or main street area for shopping. The city caters more to people who enjoy shopping in centers that provide a range of options in one place. This can appeal to families wanting more of a straightforward experience with the kids in tow. Though, you probably want to avoid Shops of Plymouth Town Center — it's mostly a grocery store, parking lot, and one male fashion shop. Instead, head to Rockford Road Plaza where you can shop at national retailers like Kohl's, TJ Maxx, Target, Jewelry World, and Bath & Body Works all in one place.

Shopping centers can be a little run-of-the-mill, so it's also worthwhile scoping out independent boutiques. Abode & Co. is a homewares, gifts, and fashion store with a variety of stylish jewelry, jackets, dresses, and shirts, but you'll also find pillows, decorations, towels, handbags, and scarves. Pop into Nikkolette's Macarons to treat yourself and your kids to boxes of colorful and delicious macarons. Anyone with their heart set on a statement jewelry piece can find beautifully crafted rings, earrings, pendants, and bracelets at Artelle Designs. It has earned local recognition for being one of Plymouth's top jewelers.

Don't worry if shopping makes the kids a little restless; you can take them to Urban Air Adventure Park to use up any excess energy. The indoor park has Unlimited Play tickets giving you access to various games, including trampolines, a rope course, dodgeball, go-karts, and climbing walls. Zero Hour Escape Rooms also offers family-friendly entertainment with various themed rooms that require strategy, teamwork, and creativity to escape. "Loved the Mad Hatter game for our large group, half of which were kids 10 and under," one visitor wrote in a Google review.

Latuff's Pizzeria & Pannekoeken Huis is a local staple — comfort-food breakfast joint by day and pizzeria by night. The breakfast menu is an authentic introduction to the powdery goodness of traditional Dutch pannenkoeken (pancakes) in various styles with warm fruit, cinnamon sugar, banana cream, or cheese. They also serve omelets, Belgian waffles, and egg-based breakfast skillets. At dinner or lunch, it's time for build-your-own pizzas or specialty pies like the Latuffs Special with sausage, pepperoni, olives, onions, mushrooms, and green peppers.

If you or your children have insatiable sweet tooths, pop into Dufner's Donuts & Deli. It has over 30 years' experience taking care of sweet and hunger cravings with its selection of homemade soups, sandwiches, donuts, and various desserts. You can purchase classic donuts (sugar, pink, glazed, or sprinkled) or opt for special creations like bear claws, cinnamon rolls, or a cream-filled Bismark. With 4.7 stars from over 640 reviews on Google, this place must be doing something right. "I just ate the single best apple fritter I have ever had," one diner wrote in a Google review.

You can drive to Plymouth in about 30 minutes from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), which just opened a lounge with gaming consoles and complimentary buffet (did someone say family friendly?). Unfortunately, Minneapolis' public transport only reaches as far as Shelard Park, so you'll need a car or taxi to reach this suburb. You'll find a bunch of reasonably priced brand-name hotels in Plymouth, including a Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn, and Crowne Plaza. Families can also rest easy knowing Minneapolis ranked number one for cleanest hotels in America in a 2025 study by Maid Sailors.