Adults and kids - even babies! - can explore and make art in innovative programs for all levels of experience. Create with drawing and painting materials, metal, fabric, clay, and more. ArtiCulture's new site also features retail space, with a store selling art supplies and the work of local artists.

Classes: ArtiCulture offers a wide array of classes for all ages, including the unique parent/child Art Sprouts program for tots as young as 12 months, themed family workshops throughout the year, and special school release day offerings that even cover that hard-to-fill remainder of the week after the last day of school in June!

Summer Camps: Themed half-day and full-day offerings for kids ages four and up, some of which incorporate drama, movement, or foreign culture and history. Camps priced about $100/half-day; $225/full-day.
Extended-day care is available for an additional fee.

Parties: Customized offerings for birthdays, scout and youth group meetings, and other events. Call for more information.

Membership: $40/Household. Benefits include a 15% discount on class and camp fees.

Donations: As a non-profit, ArtiCulture welcomes donations of time, skills, money, and materials. Check out the wish list to see if you can help.

ArtScraps - the reuse store and gallery run by ArtStart - turns one man's garbage into another man's treasure. ArtScraps works with businesses to keep remnants, overstock materials, and factory rejects out of landfills, then it sells the salvaged materials to schools, parents, and daycare centers.

The helpful, creative staff offers ideas for using the inexpensive goodies, which might, at any given time, include adhesive backed colored paper, plastic bottles, and feathers. The selection changes often. The store offers themed art-making workshops on Saturdays for kids and families throughout the year. Many of the materials are also used also by ArtStart's summer campers.

Parties: Birthdays at ArtScraps (best for ages five and up; maximum of 10 guests) cost $120 for a two-hour party which includes scrap materials for invitations, an artist-led themed art project, and treat bags from the store's wares for each guest. Parties are held at a long table on one side of the store and can be scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays; book three weeks in advance. A fridge is available for cake and treats. Sample themes include bookmaking, outer space, treasure boxes, and masks.

Camps: ArtStart offers themed, reasonably-priced summer and school release day camps that spotlight the art and culture of individual countries and regions. Visit the website for details.

Give a dull day a jolt with a visit to the electrifying Bakken Museum & Library, located in an intriguing Tudor mansion just like the ones in spooky old Vincent Price films. Home to thousands of rare books and scientific instruments relating to the role of electricity and magnetism in life and medicine, The Bakken was founded by Earl E. Bakken, inventor of the first transistorized cardiac pacemaker.

The Bakken is an independent, nonprofit educational institution and hosts many hands-on learning events and exhibitions throughout the year, including weekly Family Science Saturdays and multi-session Saturday classes for budding inventors.

Its small museum store carries a bright and shiny array of unique toys and games. Mini-scientists are sure gravitate toward the wide selection of home experiment kits.

Parties: Available during Family Science Saturdays for $100, which includes use of kitchen space and a 2.5-hour room rental (10am-1pm or 2pm-5pm). Call 612.926.3878, ext. 200, well in advance to book.

Summer Camps: Offered weekly from late-June through August for ages seven through 14, with the largest selection of programming for kids entering grades four to six. Co-ed and girls-only options are sometimes offered as well. Expect to pay about $150/week (half-day) to $275/week (full-day); scholarships are available for those who qualify.

Braemar - rated among the top 75 public golf courses by Golf Digest magazine - hosts state and national amateur competitions for men, women, and youth, as well as PGA events.

Two nine-hole executive courses, a pro shop, club house, driving range, and putting green are offered at Braemar, along with 27 regulation holes. Kids ages 10 and up are welcome on the executive courses; players must be 12 or older for the regulation course. Braemar also has an enormous indoor golf dome (7420 Braemar Boulevard; 952.826.6744) open November to April, which boasts 46 tee areas on two levels.

Golf lessons: Offered for ages 10 and up, from beginner to competition-level. In addition to seasonal lessons outdoors, Braemar offers winter break classes in the golf dome. Kids can also join junior leagues to compete.

Every parent should know about Club Kid ... just in case. It provides hourly childcare - backup, last-minute, during the summer, and on school release days - whenever it's needed, 12 or more hours a day (with reduced hours on Sundays) for kids ages 16 months to 10 years. There's no reservation required, just show up and drop off. It gives parents a chance to shop, handle urgencies, or just be a little spontaneous.

Kids play in a supervised, stimulating environment. They can enjoy free video games or watch movies on their own, or join new friends in craft projects, aerobics, storytime, or one of the other scheduled activities on the packed calendar.

Every parent should know about Club Kid ... just in case. It provides hourly childcare - backup, last-minute, during the summer, and on school release days - whenever it's needed, 12 or more hours a day (with reduced hours on Sundays) for kids ages 16 months to 10 years. There's no reservation required, just show up and drop off. It gives parents a chance to shop, handle urgencies, or just be a little spontaneous.

Kids play in a supervised, stimulating environment. They can enjoy free video games or watch movies on their own, or join new friends in craft projects, aerobics, storytime, or one of the other scheduled activities on the packed calendar.

It's thoroughly enjoyable to make a day out of a visit to Como Zoo in the summer. With the McNeely Conservatory, historic Cafesjian's Carousel, and the new Como Town seasonal amusement park located right in the same area of lovely Como Park, it's a no-brainer. But a winter visit is special too - even though many of the animals remain indoors - especially if combined with one of the zoo's many parent/child classes.

The zoo is compact, though a leisurely circuit can still take several hours. Primates, large cats, birds, and African hoofed animals can be viewed inside buildings and out - but the polar bears are away while their new environment is under construction! The new Leonard Wilkening Children's Gallery (open April 19, 2008) helps kids learn about nature and the circle of life through five stations of interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, and imaginative play.

Como is more than 100 years old, founded in 1897 with just three deer in a fenced pasture! Its age shows in some of the exhibits, which harken back to the days when cement cells were the norm, but it's a mistake to dismiss Como as the poorer sister of the Minnesota Zoo (which was built after a committee deemed Como couldn't be expanded). Free admission is just one of the simple pleasures it has to offer.

Sparky the Sea Lion - or rather, her latest incarnation - has been performing in the amphitheater for 50 years now, with two shows daily (Tue-Sun) in the summer. She's still popular - be sure to nab a spot on the benches early for weekend shows! - but the zoo's Halloween ZooBoo fundraiser each October is an even bigger draw.

In winter months, the coffee, salads, and sandwiches at Zobota Cafe are the only options for on-site food. Concession stands serving popcorn, ice cream, pizza, and other treats open for the summer ... but be warned that bees seem to be some of the best customers at the main stand, especially late in the season!

Rent single or double strollers ($4/day; $6.50/day) year-round at the refurbished Visitor Center. That's also where you'll find the gift shop and restrooms; additional restrooms open at Seal Island in the summer months.

Birthday parties: Basic package includes 90 minutes in a private classroom, with 45 minutes of interactive programming tied to a chosen theme; $150/15 guests, including adults. Add pizza, drinks, and cake for $50 more. Themes include primates, cats, reptiles, and plants. Gift bags are available for $5/child. Due to safety concerns, no balloons, pinatas, or pets are allowed! For do-it-yourself parties, obtain a city rental permit (651.632.5111) for the picnic space near Seal Island.

Classes: Extensive offerings include parent/child programs for ages three to five, family classes for ages four and up, camps during school release days, and special homeschooler programming for ages five to fifteen. Classes typically feature visits from live animals and/or tours. Art and gardening classes for adults, and teacher workshops are also offered.

Summer camps: Como offers themed weeklong programs for ages four and up. Full-day and half-day options are available; before or after care offered for an additional fee.

Membership: $75/family, includes gift shop and class discounts, invitations to member-only events, reciprocity privileges at over 120 zoos nationwide, a quarterly newsletter, and four ZooBoo tickets.

Volunteering: Como offers a special summer volunteer program for teens ages 13 to 17. Beyond that, volunteers must be 16 years old, unless accompanied by an adult.

The bees in the apiary aren't the only ones busy at Dodge Nature Center. This may well be the hardest working facility around!

There's the barn and its farm animals, including sheep, goats, cows, and a horse; the windmill, which pumps water; the maple trees, which produce sap in season; the museum, which informs, and houses a reptile/amphibian lab; raptors make the rounds to off-site programming; an amphitheater behind the main office serves as an outdoor classroom; and the schoolhouse, the only building left from the area's original farm days, provides more classrooms. Dodge has three campuses, for a total of 320 acres, and hiking trails wind through woodland, prairie, and pond. Its most unique feature, though, is sited on a portion of the main campus.

At Dodge Nature Preschool, the classroom includes 110 acres of outdoor wonders. Children interact regularly with the farm animals, and explore the trails. By bringing the outdoor world in, and taking the class out, the preschool provides a stimulating environment for learning and growth, and tremendous appreciation for the natural world. 1715 Charlton Avenue; 651.455.4555; $285-$485/month, lunch and registration additional. Preschool summer camp also offered.

Two afterschool programs serve older kids: Young Explorers, for K-1; and Junior Naturalists, for grades 5-8. Kids can sign up for school break programming too. Parent/child classes for ages three to five offer daytime fun. On weekends, the center offers family programs.

Summer camps for grades 1-8 include half-day, full day, and Friday only options; grades 6-8 can go for an overnight.

Birthday parties: Two-hour parties (the first hour with a naturalist, the second for gifts and cake) are tailored for different ages and seasons, with plenty of hands-on activities. Bring your own refreshments; $90 for up to 15 guests; $50 members.

Enthusiastic, encouraging, well-qualified teachers and a spectacular array of offerings - including family classes, and comprehensive afterschool and summer programming - make instruction here a terrific choice for children as well as parents.

Kids can explore pottery, sculpture, drawing, painting, jewelry-making, multimedia, photography, fabric arts, knitting, and more during children's classes; teens ages 15 and older are welcome in adult classes. Some offerings combine visual with performing arts. Parent/child classes are offered for newborns and up as part of the center's Art for All Ages program, and family workshops are offered year-round, many with holiday themes. Homeschoolers can arrange custom classes; call 612.915.6600 to schedule.

The long waiting list for the unique Art Academy, for kids ages seven and up who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual arts, attests to its quality.

Parents can book time in the Peggy Kelly Media Studios to shoot portraits, transfer videos to DVD, and create electronic scrapbooks. If they don't know how, they can sign up for a class to learn. Handcrafted gifts, wearable art, and art supplies are sold in the Clark Gift Shop, and baked goods and coffee are available in a cafe area.

Elm Creek, part of the Three Rivers Park District, provides four seasons full of recreational opportunities.

The large park - comprising 4,900 acres straddling Maple Grove, Champlin, and Dayton - offers more than 20 miles of paved trails for hiking and biking, a chlorinated swimming pond and large creative play area, a 30-acre archery range, picnic pavilions that can be rented for private use, and a winter recreation area featuring a lighted snow-tubing hill, about 10 miles of cross-country ski trails (including some miles that are lit and/or served by snowmaking machines), and a downhill ski and snowboard area with chalet.

Classes & Camps: Nature programs are offered year-round at the park's Eastman Nature Center. Ski and snowboard lessons are offered in season at the winter recreation area, with both weekly and school release day lesson sessions.

KidsPark is a licensed, professionally-staffed parent cooperative drop-in childcare service, providing safe, stimulating hourly care for children ages six weeks to five years while parents keep an appointment, have lunch with a friend, exercise, or spend one-on-one time with another child.

Once the initial registration process is completed, parents can utilize the service. Each family pays a $50 annual membership fee, as well as a $60 co-op fee, which is refundable upon completion of nine volunteer hours. Usage is not restricted to Macalester-Groveland area families.

Leonardo's Basement provides programs for girls and boys who want to design and build art, science, and technology projects. The 4,800-square-foot workshop is stuffed with tools and building materials, providing formal and informal creative and learning opportunities. The organization's Studio Bricolage program offers events and classes that give adults a chance to play, too!

Classes: Offerings include afternoon programming during the school year for kids ages six and up, morning classes for children ages four and five, special school release day workshops, and Saturday classes for youth and families. Computer animation and music-making classes for teens are also available. Check the website for a current schedule.

Summer Camps: Weeklong themed half-day camps are offered mornings and afternoons during select weeks over the summer. The camps combine art, science, math, and building experiences. Check the website for a complete schedule. Fees: $140/session; add $5/session for morning or afternoon aftercare. Camps can be combined for a full-day experience.

Birthday parties: On-site parties are usually scheduled on Saturday or Sunday afternoons for kids ages six to 16. Parties generally last 90 minutes, and include building a take-home project selected by the birthday child. Themes include inventions, painting, jewelry-making, electricity, and more. Refreshments can be brought in; space is provided, but not food. Cost: $20/child, including supplies, with a minimum charge of $75; additional fees may apply for particularly complex projects. Leonardo's will also bring the party to you; call for details.

Maplewood Nature Center boasts an interactive indoor pond and forest exhibit, a children's puppet area, and a touch-and-see corner in its refurbished Visitor Center, as well as 1.5 miles of scenic trails outdoors - including a floating boardwalk and observation decks - offering visitors plenty of chances to observe waterfowl, birds, wildflowers, and more.

The trails are mostly stroller-friendly, surfaced with limerock and flat, and the boardwalk is also stroller accessible. Programs for all ages throughout the year provide opportunities for fun and learning. Rent wooden or aluminum snowshoes in season for $3/pair.

Parties: Two-hour parties include a naturalist-led program, hike, and games, and party favors, a visit with a live animal, and an hour in a private room for treats and gift opening; $75/up to ten children. Call 651.249.2170 for more information.

Despite the pain inflicted by ongoing budget cuts, the city's Park Board offerings are a key component of the generally high quality of life in Minneapolis.

The Park Board administers over 150 picnic areas, beaches, and parks, including some four dozen neighborhood Recreation Centers which offer free and low-cost enrichment programming, sports leagues, community events, and Rec Plus year-round childcare for ages five to 12. Phat Summer keeps kids ages 12 to 18 busy with specialized and evening offerings when school's out. Daily live entertainment is offered throughout the summer at several locations, including Minnehaha Park and Lake Harriet.

It also grooms skating rinks in the winter, and maintains the Parade Ice Garden, pastoral Nicollet Island, the Stone Arch Bridge, and other historical sites, and - in partnership with the Walker Art Center - the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, with its signature Spoonbridge and Cherry. Permits to reserve picnic pavillions for private parties at select sites start at $35/half-day.

The Park Board website is easy to navigate and full of useful information. The Park Finder lets users specify which facilities they're looking for, and parking info breaks down the combination of free, meter, pass, and pay-station parking offered in the parks. A page of suggested itineraries offers something for every age and activity level.

Minnesota Baseball Instructional School (U of M Gopher Baseball Camps) provides a complete line-up of summer programs, from half- and full-day camps for rookies to weeklong overnight programs for elite players. Shorter programs are offered over winter break.

Participants get videotaped analysis of their defensive play and hitting. Overnight campers stay in U of M student housing.

The Sabes JCC is a full-service community center, offering family events and entertainment, a fitness facility, infantcare and preschool programming, afterschool and school release daycare, enrichment and arts classes, and summer camps for kids in grades K-10 at its extensive and well-equipped campus. Participants are welcome from all religions.

The St. Paul JCC offers fitness classes and gym facilities (including a pool) with programming for all ages, as well as a technology center and library, sports leagues, summer camps, school release day trips and workshops, parent/child classes, and afterschool care. The center also hosts family events and special workshops, including babysitter training, and martial arts and scuba lessons for teens.

Childcare is available most mornings for kids ages six weeks to six years (with advance reservations) while parents are on-site to work out or attend classes. ($2/hour; Call 651.255.4757 to book.)

The JCC's offerings for teens are particularly notable. The Teen Lounge (open to members in grades seven to 12) features a stereo and big-screen TV with VCR and DVD player; pool, foosball, and ping pong tables; and internet access and a DVD/CD burner. Teen-only events and programs include a support group for GLBT teens, sports and leaderships organizations, and a Performing Arts School that mounts productions throughout the year. Van service is available to transport kids to the JCC from area schools.

The JCC also offers training for the JCC Maccabi Games, a Jewish Olympics-style competition. Kids in grades eight and nine can apply to be counselors-in-training at the JCC's Camp Butwin near Lebanon Hills County Park in Eagan, an ACA-accredited facility for kindergarteners and up offering summer camps with boating, climbing, crafts, nature, and theatre components.

Teens can also earn money as Party Peppers, helping out during birthday parties for kids ages five to 10 which are offered to member children (guests need not be members) at the center on Sundays. Parties include activity leaders, a decorated party room, set-up and clean-up, and use of the pool and gym. Call 651.255.4740 for more information.

The Works Hands-On Museum (formerly known as The Works Technology Discovery Center) is an interactive museum that makes science and engineering fun for kids ages five to 15. More than 40 exhibits and unique family activities engage visitors, demystify technology, and inspire interest in the way things work.

Classes: Offered during school release days, with special monthly programs for homeschoolers. Custom programs can be scheduled for groups of eight or more.

Camps: Summer programs are offered for boys and girls ages five to 14.

Parties: Packages for ages five to 12 include time in a private party room and the exhibit gallery, a host and activities, a "face warp" portrait of each guest, and set-up and clean-up. Cake and beverages can be brought in from outside. Rates start at $135 for a 90-minute party for up to 10 children and four adults (additional guests $6 each). Add-ons include additional time and private workshops.

Aptly, the behemoth Mall of America also houses the world's largest underground aquarium - though one can't help but feel like the place is not nearly as big as its creative routing and artful displays make it seem.

After paying the hefty admission fee (Adults (13+) $18.95; Children (3-12) $11.95; Boatload (5 people) $79.95. Some attractions additional), visitors can look through a window into the aquarium's laboratory, then descend down to the tank tunnel via a zig-zagging path through a recreation of a northern Minnesota forest, filled with turtles, trout, toads, and other native animals. On busy days, when the path is crowded, visitors should plan on going with the flow; families lingering for longer observations can cause bottlenecks.

The path leads to the underwater exhibits, which wind through recreations of lake, river, and reef habitats. Visitors glimpse sharks from every angle on the curving 300-foot walkway propelling them through Shark Cove and a new Amazon exhibit, and, sometimes, see divers on paid swim-with-the-sharks tours. The SeaCrits Gallery, a semi-cheesy hall of exhibits and movie memorabilia, connects to Starfish Beach, with its children's play area and touch pools and hatchery. A gift shop on that level features toys, games, and kits, with prices that aren't too extreme.

Time short visits to coincide with a scheduled feeding or Creature Feature program. Go on behind-the-scenes tours or simulated submarine rides on any day for an additional fee; a free tsunami presentation is held weekends at 4pm. Other additional-fee activities include making shark-tooth necklaces and riding a miniature carousel.

Print this coupon for discounts on admission fees. Visitors can also get discounts when ordering online and printing out their tickets at home.

Family Overnights for ages five and up are offered on dates throughout the year, as well as special events for homeschoolers. Educational programming for K-8 students includes summer camps and school release day sessions.

Birthday Parties: Best for ages four to 13, the basic package includes a day-pass for each guest, 30-minute guided tour, an hour of activities in a decorated party room, cake and beverages, a commemorative birthday photo, gift shop discount, balloons, favors, and invitations. Priced at $295 for 10 guests, including adults; $265 for members. Optional party add-ons include additional guests, a craft project, behind-the-scenes tour, Plunge Ride, or a visit from Sharky, the aquarium's mascot. Slumber parties require a 25-guest minimum. Call 952.853.0612 to book.

Membership: For just $5 more than a one-day family admission, families can get discounts and unlimited entry for a year. A premium option, priced at $119.95, includes a gift, members-only events, and guest passes.

This 150-acre natural area is located right off a busy, commercial intersection, but just steps inside the swinging gate, you leave all that behind.

Three miles of trails and boardwalks wind through the park; most are stroller-friendly, but no pets, bikes or skates are allowed. Here, environmentalists study and preserve lowland forest, cattail marsh, restored prairie ... and the creatures who inhabit them. In weekly family programs, classes for preschool ages and up, and summer camps, they share what they know. Wood Lake also offers an independent learning program for homeschoolers.

Inside the 4,000-square-foot interpretive center, children can observe turtles, explore interactive exhibits, or warm themselves by the fireplace. The center also offers creative holiday-themed events, culminating in Candlelight & Ice, when hundreds of candles are set out to illuminate the snow-covered nighttime trail, providing a serene setting for families to ring in the new year. Most programs require pre-registration.

Snowshoe hikes and cross-country ski rental and lessons are offered (weather-permitting). The center's marsh and woodland trails are suitable for beginnners and advanced skiers. Rates & hours for rentals for the 2007-08 season: Mon-Sat 9am-3:30pm; Sun 12:30pm-3:30pm; $3-$6/person (free for members). Weather-permitting, rentals are also offered during Friday Night Lantern-Lit Skiing events.

Kids ages 12 and up are welcome to volunteer during the summer and for special limited-time projects.

Membership ($50/family) not only lets you register for classes and camps before the general public at a discounted price, it also grants you free admission to the fabulous weekly programs on Saturdays and Sundays.

Parties: Age-appropriate themed birthday parties at Wood Lake - best suited to ages four to 12 - include indoor and outdoor activities. Cake and treats can be enjoyed during 45 minutes in the large party room, after 45 minutes on the trails with a center naturalist. Call 612.861.9365 to book. (Richfield residents $75; Non-residents $85. Includes up to 10 children and treat bags; $3.50 each additional child.)

The Midway YMCA offers all the great stuff families would expect, including programming for kids and teens, youth sport leagues, swimming lessons, childcare and extended day care for kids ages 16 months and up, parent-child yoga classes, and much more.

Summer camps: On-site summer care is offered with a different theme and field trip each week. For a more traditional summer camp experience the Midway YMCA feeds Camp St. Croix, a wooded site with a lake located 30 miles east of the Twin Cities. Day camp activities include archery, canoeing, cookouts, horseback riding, crafts, and teen adventures. The camp also offers two special experiences: Pioneer Village, featuring games and activities from the past; and the pirate-themed Oasis Waterplay Area. Teen Quest camps aim to impart life skills alongside traditional camp activities, and feature one camping overnight. Extended care, bag lunches, and bus transportion are available for an additional fee. Check the website for details on current offerings.

The Southdale YMCA offers free on-site childcare (for kids from six weeks to 10 years old) while parents work out, with both indoor and outdoor play areas. And like most Ys, it also provides a wide variety of programming for kids and teens, including lots of youth sports leagues and enrichment classes, before and after school care, and teen councils and leadership clubs. Enrollment is open to all for most programs, though fees will be higher for non-members.

Group and private swim lessons are offered in the six-lane Olympic-size pool, with a smaller - and quieter - warming pool available for parents to use with babies and toddlers. Men's and women's family locker rooms provide a spacious place to change and shower. Kids can also get a workout on large muscle equipment in a Kids Gym and give the facility's climbing wall a shot.

The Tri-City SkatePark behind the building is open each afternoon from mid-April throught August, weather-permitting. The innovative in-ground concrete bowl provides a safe environment for skateboarders, inline skaters, and freestyle bikers to tool around, with depths ranging from four to 12 feet, street course elements, and challenges for a variety of skill levels. Waivers and safey gear are required for all users. Call 952.897.5462 for information on lessons. Daily use rates: Members $5; Non-members $9. Punch cards and season passes are also available.

Summer camp: Full-day programming is offered on-site all summer for school age kids, but for a real day camp experience the Southdale YMCA uses Kici Yapi, a fairly primitive 80-acre wooded site with a lake located near Prior Lake. Weeklong programs for ages four to 13 include traditional lanyard-and-archery-type camps, as well as specialized offerings for horseback riding, climbing, camping, and crafts. Seventh and eighth graders can take a leaders-in-training camp and assist counselors with younger kids. Bus transportation for campers is provided to/from sites in Minneapolis and several southern suburbs; kids enrolled in extended care in addition to camp get dropped off and/or picked up at the Southdale Y.

Young Chefs Academy is a cooking school created just for young people, teaching kids about the joy of cooking in a kid-friendly and safe environment. Budding chefs learn cooking basics while preparing real recipes they get to taste at the end of each class. Students also learn safety, etiquette, and math and science principles.

Young Chefs offers weekly classes, birthday parties, weekend workshops, cooking camps on school release days, and field trips for schools and scout troops.

Young Chefs Academy is a cooking school created just for young people, teaching kids about the joy of cooking in a kid-friendly and safe environment. Budding chefs learn cooking basics while preparing real recipes they get to taste at the end of each class. Students also learn safety, etiquette, and math and science principles.

Young Chefs offers weekly classes, birthday parties, weekend workshops, cooking camps on school release days, and field trips for schools and scout troops.

In addition to fitness programming, specialized classes for kids, and swim lessons and teams (go Otters!), the Uptown Y offers before and after school childcare - including school release days - for kids ages five to 12. Babysitting is also offered for younger kids while parents work out. Hours: Mon, Wed & Fri 9am-1pm & 4:30pm-7:30pm; Tue & Thu 9am-7:30pm; Sat 8am-1pm; Sun 9am-3pm.

The facility has seen some updates in recent years, and provides locker rooms for girls and boys with their own showers and bathrooms beside the large Men's and Women's locker rooms downstairs. Couches just outside, across from vending machines stocked with snacks, give parents a place to wait for kids changing after lessons. Barefoot parents are welcome to observe swim lessons from chairs beside the pool; with shoes on, they can observe from tables beside a large window in the entry lobby overlooking the pool.

Expect to pay $0.50-$2 per visit for parking in the attached ramp; those fees are not included in monthly dues, but it's that or walking or biking over - street parking is nearly impossible in this area. Parking spaces right beside the entrance are reserved for parents picking up children from childcare; if they can get in and out within 15 minutes, there's no charge.

Birthday parties: Both the gym and the pool can be rented by the hour ($50 and up). Call 612.874.7131 for more information.