Just-for-Fun Things to Do at Christmas in Minneapolis-St. Paul

This makes a lot of sense if you consider that some lucky people will be receiving new snow sports gear for Christmas, and they'll want to try it out right away.

Check the following websites or call for the most up-to-date hours and snow conditions.

• Afton Alps 
• Buck Hill
• Wild Mountain 
• And in Wisconsin, try Trollhaugen 

Welch Village and Hyland Ski and Snowboard Area are reliable treats on other days during Christmas week.

This facility is open 365 days every year, and Christmas Day is no exception. The zoo and conservatory will be open on Christmas Day during regular hours. Wouldn't it be fun to visit penguins and polar bears on Christmas Day?

Depending on how much it snows, you could be either hiking or cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. You could visit places like Minnehaha Park and the fantastical frozen Minnehaha Falls, go snowshoeing at Fort Snelling State Park or watch for winter birds and other wildlife at the Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area.

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is open daily from 6 a.m. until midnight. Its centerpiece, the colossal "Spoonbridge and Cherry" sculpture, is one of the icons of Minneapolis and a great place for photos with out-of-town visitors. The giant spoon keeps company with some 40 other works. If you are interested in photography, then the shapely sculptures, many with stark lines or bold colors, take on new meaning against the white snow.

Movie theaters are traditionally busy on Christmas Day. See a long-anticipated special feature and make you and your family happy.

Some movie theaters may just be screening the blockbusters at Christmastime; some screen classic Christmas movies. For instance, the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis usually shows Christmas movies in the run-up to Christmas day, and prices are bargain-basement.

Many bars are open on Christmas day, and several metro area restaurants are open for Christmas lunch and dinner. Treat yourself to a fancy meal for the holiday.

Most outdoor rinks in local parks are open for skating every day. And for indoor skating, the ice rink at the Depot in downtown Minneapolis is open on Christmas Day.

As with restaurants, some bars and clubs are open, some are closed on Christmas Day. O'Gara's Garage in St. Paul always has a Christmas party with live music from The Outside and several other bands.

Give something to the community and help out with one of the many organizations and nonprofits that help the needy in the Twin Cities. There's lots to help out with, including serving Christmas dinner to the homeless.

Every holiday season, Phalen Park in St. Paul is decked out in thousands of holiday lights. You can drive through to see the displays any evening, Christmas included, until January 1. Or you could drive through the center of Minneapolis to see the store lights.

Charities Challenge organizes an annual Christmas Day 5K race at Lake Como in St. Paul that normally begins at 10 a.m. Participants are invited to run or walk, and families are welcome. It's a great way to preemptively run or walk off those Christmas calories.