For those traveling through MSP / Minneapolis St Paul Airport with kids, I have good news. The Minneapolis St Paul Airport is overall a pretty kid friendly airport!
**For the most part, the features that I am referring to relate to Terminal 1 (the main airport terminal) and not to Terminal 2 (the Hubert Humphrey Terminal) except for where noted.***
RESOURCE BOX BLOOMINGTON MN
When you are done reading, come back here for important resources to help you plan your trip!
Embassy Suites MSP Airport (Tripadvisor or Booking.com)
Radisson Blu Mall Of America (Tripadvisor or Booking.com)
Home2Suites Bloomington – (Tripadvisor or Booking.com)
Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau
Explore Minnesota
MSP Airport Website
Family Fun Twin Cities
Play Areas
There is a great kids play areas located in Terminal 1 near gate C12. For those flying out of the Hubert Humphrey Airport (terminal 2) there is a similar play area there. These are great places to wear the kids out before putting them on the airplane (hopefully for a long nap!)
The play area in Terminal 1 is a great place for exhausted parents. There is a food court nearby with a Chick Fil A and a Smashburger, and most importantly, there is one one entrance to the area, keeping your kids contained so you can have a little “downtime”.
Observation Tower
At the beginning of the D concourse, there is an observation tower from which your little airplane enthusiasts can get a sweeping view of the gates and runways and see planes taking off and landing. It CAN be a little hard to get to as it is up a flight of stairs, but once you are up there, it is a relatively contained, quiet area with seating.
Nursing rooms
Over the years, the MSP airport has invested in many new nursing/lactation rooms throughout the airport.
- There is a lactation room at the beginning of the F concourse (the volunteer at the information desk at the beginning of the F concourse can let you in). It has a small counter to set your pump and supplies and a sink. There is another one near gate F4.
- There is a “secret” nursing room on the G concourse between gates G4 and G9. This one has a comfy chair and a sink.
- There is a nursing room located near gate C12, on the mezzanine level up above gate.
- There is another lactation room near the beginning of the “E” concourse.
- There is another nursing room on the G concourse, near the new Delta Skyclub near gate G18.
Family Center at the Minneapolis St Paul Airport
There is a family quiet area located at the beginning of the E concourse at the MSP Airport. It is a contained area with a couple of comfy chairs, a diaper changing station and a family restroom nearby.
Companion Care Restrooms
These are great for families with kids, and they are conveniently located all over the airport. These are large, private restrooms with diaper changing stations that make bathroom stops with children more convenient (and this way you won’t need to share your family bathroom drama with strangers!)
Moving Walkways
Never thought of a moving walkway as a feature in a kid friendly airport? Think again. Children can find endless amounts of amusement on the moving walkways (trust me, I see the gleam of delight caused by the moving walkways in some child eye almost every day that I work)
IMPORTANT! Please watch your kids on the moving walkways at the Minneapolis St Paul Airport and make sure that they are not endangering their own safety or blocking the smooth flow of traffic for other passengers.
Kids with Special Needs, Autism, etc?
The MSP Airport offers a unique program for children with special needs and their parents. The Navigating MSP Program offers the opportunity to visit the airport before you fly, go through security, board an airplane and meet a pilot and prepare for takeoff as a practice run for real travel.
Best Family Friendly Restaurants in the Minneapolis St Paul Airport
Of course, just like in any major airport, there are oodles of restaurants and food courts to find kid friendly fare. These suggestions skew towards offering suggestions for healthy, wholesome food that is a good value for a family:
Click for more information from the MSP Airport Website about Family friendly options at the Minneapolis St Paul Airport
Traveling to Minnesota? Here are some other useful bits to help inspire your trip!
- My Favorite Places on the Lake Superior North Shore
- Minneapolis and St Paul: 8 Surprising Things that you Might Not Know
- The Best Blomington MN Hotels for Families
Nice article – we haven’t been through the airport for a number of years now – do you know if the play are is still there in the main terminal?
Yes, the play area is still here near gate C12.
Pingback: MSP Airport Tips and Secrets for those passing through for TBEX - There and Back Again
Pingback: Traveling with Children: The Airport with Toddlers - There and Back Again
Pingback: The Best Bloomington MN Hotels for Families - There and Back Again - Family Trip Planning
Is the play area still there with COVID? I am going to be passing through and we are stuck there for 4 hours.