17 Fun Things to Do in Savage, Minnesota

Located on the southern outskirts of the Minneapolis metropolis you will find Savage, Minnesota, waiting for you to explore. From soccer, indoor racing, and skating, to hiking, horseback riding, and the theatre, you will discover an impressive variety of fun things to do in Savage, Minnesota, and its surrounding area. Whether you are a visitor or a resident looking for something new, let’s dive into our list of fun things to do in Savage.

1. Explore Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve 

The first of several great things to do in Savage, Minnesota takes you for a walk on the wild side. This wilderness reserve is a popular area to hike, ski, and mountain bike. It features incredible glacial ridges, lakes, ponds, marshes, and a thick forest. 

This park is largely undeveloped, meaning that it’s ideal for spotting wildlife and bird watching. Because Murphy- Hanrehan Park Reserve is so full of woodland songbirds, it has been designated as an “Important Bird Area” by the National Audubon Society. 

2. Check out the J-Michael Galleries 

The J-Michael Gallery is an art gallery featuring the work of James Roberts. The gallery is primarily composed of easel and canvas art. 

You can find the gallery at 12358 Boone, Ave, Savage, Minnesota 55378. You may also call the gallery at (952) 445-3035. 

3. Have a Blast at ProKart Indoor Racing

ProKart Indoor offers state of equipment and is suited for personal and professional use. Their race carts are unique because they are low-emission and run off of renewable methanol. ProKart Indoor Racing offers rides from 8 minutes long to annual passes. They also provide league racing and Full Throttle Racing on Thursdays. 

4. Play on the Soccer Blast Minnesota Indoor Sports Complex

This family-friendly complex has something for everybody. Soccer Blast Complex features indoor soccer and indoor golfing. They offer sport and fitness programs on a competitive and recreational level. They also allow people to rent their fields. 

5. Enjoy Venue 13

Venue 13 is a hot spot for Live Music on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This casual venue offers delicious food, cold drinks, and live entertainment. Sit inside or enjoy the day with their outdoor seating. 

6. Spend the Afternoon at Skateville

This 40-year-old rink is the premier rollerskating destination. Skateville is outfitted with rollerskate and rollerblade rental, music, special lighting, a snack bar, lessons, certified instructors, and more. The rink itself is over 14,000 square feet and is the only maple rotunda skating floor in Minnesota. You can rent the complex or visit for a few hours on a whim. 

7. Catch a Movie at Paragon Odyssey 15

Paragon Odyssey 15 is an affordable luxury theatre that features extreme theatres, iMax, Dolby Atmos, Recliner setting, Penny Lanes for Bowling, a game room, party room, reserved seating, stadium seating, digital projection, and has a delicious snack bar. 

8. Take the Family to Grand Slam Sports and Entertainment Center

The Grand Slam Sports and Entertainment Center features laser tag, x-treme trampoline, batting cages, a play zone, mini golf, crazy cars, and a video game arcade. They have an extensive snack bar as well. They can host parties, events and can also be rented. 

9. Fish the River with Muskies and More Guide Service 

Minnesota offers some of the best fishing in the country, and the Twin Cities Metro Area is no exception. The Muskies and More Guide Service provides guided lake and river fishing for people of all ages and experiences. 

Their guide, Brian Koshenina, was a Coast Guard Captain who boasts over 35 years of fishing experience, and that includes recreational fishing, tournaments, seminars, writing, and guiding. He helps his clients fish for any species they desire, from Muskie to Trout. 

Call Brian of Muskies and More Guide Service at (651) 210-0128. 

10. Enjoy the Performing Arts at Ames Center 

The Ames Center offers a 1,014 Masquerade Dance Theatre and a 150 seat black box theatre. A two-thousand square foot art gallery with multiple meeting rooms, banquet halls, reception halls, and a giant rehearsal room. It is an extravagant, stately building with an all-glass, two-story lobby that offers a gorgeous vista of the Minnesota River Valley, Nicollet Commons Park, and the Minneapolis Skyline. 

You can typically find dramas, comedies, musicals, cultural events, dances, and more at the Ames Center. 

11. Sled or Skate at the Lakefront Community Warming House 

After sledding, ice skating, and hockey playing at Lakefront Park, you’ll want to warm up or use restroom facilities. Check out the Lakefront Community Warming House to meet all those needs.

If you visit Lakefront Park during the summer months, you can forgo the warming house and instead spend your time swimming, fishing, boating, walking trails, or enjoying the summer scenery. 

12. Go Explore Buck Hill 

Buck Hill offers a lot of activities year-round, including skiing and snowboarding, snow tubing, lessons for each of the prior listed activities, music, events, concerts, the famous Buck ‘54 Bar and Grill, mountain biking, mountain biking clinics, and more. 

More notably, though, they offer the unforgettable experience: Frightmares at Buck Hill. This is a ten-night event that exhibits live music. This fall, the acts of Chili Peppers X, Free Fallin, Captain May I, Subprime, Fool Fighters, Good for Gary, and The Killer Hayseeds are set to perform. A full-service bar and grill run during this time.

The Bellharm-Lovejoy Asylum reopens for tours, Haunted Hollow is the asylum’s burial ground, and it also opens for exploration. Fright Factory, an industrial site where ghosts have been spotted, opens up, as does the Orchard Manor Dead and Breakfast- a former Bed and Breakfast turned spooky hot spot. 

13. Take a Stroll Through the Normandale Japanese Garden 

The Normandale Japanese Garden is owned, operated, and maintained by the Normandale Community College. It is a community amenity that is open so long as the campus buildings are year-round. The garden has no entry charge, and a self-guided brochure is available on site. 

Many couples choose the Normandale Community Garden to host their weddings and photography sessions. 

The garden is comprised of a variety of pines, pruned shrubs, cherry and apple blossom trees, muted flower colors, irises, hydrangeas, dogwoods, Japanese lilacs, azaleas, and more. While many traditional Japanese florae cannot survive the brutal Minnesota winters, some substitutions have been made.  Hard features of the garden include large rocks, a round shelter, a square shelter, a zig-zag bridge, a flat bridge, hand-carved granite Japanese-imported stone lanterns, a stream, a waterfall, a turtle island, a crane island, and a hexagon-shaped building called a Bentendo. 

14. Go Bowling at the Brunswick Zone XL

Brunswick Zone XL is a smoke-free establishment with over 57,000 square feet of family-friendly space. This entertainment center features bowling, billiards, arcade games, laser tag, casual dining, and more. 

15. Camp, Boat, Swim, Golf, Hike, Snowmobile, ski, or dog sled at Cleary Lake Regional Park 

Three Rivers Park District is a 27,000-acre parkland that features 43 lakes, over 30 miles of waterways, and a little more than 8,000 acres of wetlands. 

You may bike, boat, camp, cross country ski, fish, geocache, golf, hike, mountain bike, kayak, canoe, raft, picnic, play, skijor, dog sled, snowmobile, snowshoe, swim, let your dog off-leash, or walk the dog trails. 

They offer two campgrounds, Red Pine Campground and Basswood Campground. Red Pine has five sites, while Basswood has fifteen, two of which are designated for RVs. Each campsite comes with a picnic table, metal fire ring, and wheelchair-accessible pit latrines. You can find water pumps close by, and there are no showers or electricity. The Basswood campground features a shelter house. Call (763) 559-6700 to reserve a campsite. 

16. Take Your Dog to the Alimagnet Dog Park

The Alimagnet Dog Park is a seven-acre, fully fenced-in, off-leash dog park. You and your dog may use it for recreation and exercise purposes. The park offers a walking trail, grassy fields, drinking water, heated bowls for those cold Minnesota winters, and a pond.

17. Watch the Horses Run at Canterbury Park 

Canterbury Park is a horse race track featuring a one-mile-long oval racetrack. You can watch the horses race, visit the Paddock, see the Mystic Lake Winner’s Circle, listen to the Bugler’s “Call-to-Post,” or watch the race directly from the Bud Light party deck. 

Canterbury Park also has an extensive casino home to “Minnesota’s widest variety of table games and is dealing action 24/7”. The year-round card casino features several favorites, including Texas Hold’em and Blackjack. 

The Card Casino also has live betting, arcade games, Lucky’s Gift Shop, and a Chips Bar and Restaurant restaurant that serves Stir Fry, Lo Mein, Margherita Pizza, Burger, and Wings. 

You can also find the Triple Crown Restaurant, Pizza and Pasta, Sweets on Track, Canterbury Classics, and Homestretch on property. 

The List is Long

The list of great things to do in Savage, Minnesota, and its surrounding area, is long. Whether you are visiting the Savage area for the first time or looking for something new to try within or near your neighborhood, Savage, Minnesota has fun activities and excursions for all.

Did we miss one? If you know of a great activity in Savage, Minnesota that you’d like to suggest for our list, please let us know by leaving a comment in the comment section.