Things to Do in Coon Rapids

Since 1995, the Bunker Park Stable staff and their trusty team of horses have hosted a wide array of equine-based activities including lessons, trail rides, hay rides, and day camps. The stable’s well-appointed facilities reside inside the 1,600-acre Bunker Hills Regional Park and act as a hub for the vast network of trails that passes through the park’s grassy meadows and vast forests of pine and oak. Horse-top visitors may witness native park wildlife such as white-tail deer, sandhill cranes, and hawks and overhear songbirds as they belt out choruses in the hopes of becoming the next superstar discovered in a forest, just like Celine Dion.

Metro Gun Club’s team refines the skills of sportsmen of all levels by overseeing a collection of indoor and outdoor ranges. Its facilities include 14 trap fields, each equipped with Pat-Trap throwers and four outfitted with a wobble option that can oscillate targets both vertically and horizontally. Beyond the trap fields, the outdoor ranges span six skeet fields, four five-stand sporting-clay fields, and a 75-foot duck tower offering five shooting blinds. Range masters also oversee a 14-lane, 50-foot indoor pistol gallery, as well as an archery range run by retired merry men.

To encourage responsible firearms operation, Metro’s weapon experts lead training courses, such as the Permit to Carry classes, and organize league shooting.

Zero Gravity thrills visitors with an arena whose walls and floor are composed of 11,000 square feet of trampolines for flipping and turning airborne somersaults. On the dodge-ball courts—one of which can be rented for private parties—jumpers pelt each other with balls as the trampolines add a vertical component to a classic game. Meanwhile, basketball hoops set at different heights let visitors possessing all types of hops showcase their dunks, and a tot spot separates youngsters from their more mature counterparts. Lockers safeguard valuables during jump visits, and guests can take breaks in the Gravity Lounge, which is outfitted with vending machines and WiFi connectivity.

The low, steady rumbling of balls rolling across polished wood echoes throughout Andover Lanes, where players line up shots or watch their friends topple pins from a seating area outfitted with retro, three-sided tables. Pulsating dance beats reverberate from the alley’s internet jukebox, mingling with the thunderous sounds of pins crashing to create an air of palpable excitement. This excitement is never more apparent than on Friday evenings, when the 24 lanes take on incandescent hues during rounds of cosmic bowling and the alley’s full bar and grill stays busy all night slinging pizzas, wraps, and burgers. The alley’s arcade similarly lights up with glinting pool balls and video-game consoles that keep fingers loose after hours of hurling balls down lanes or bench-pressing french fries. To complement its all-American food and retro vibe, the bar also hosts a wide projection screen for sports games and a stage for karaoke and live musicians

A bowling alley, sports bar, 4,100-square-foot arcade, and convention hall all reside within Blainbrook Entertainment Center. In the bowling alley, families and friends challenge each other at one of 24 neon-lit lanes equipped with automatic scoring or join the center's competitive leagues for adults and children ages 5–19. Meanwhile, sports fans grab a seat in the sports bar to watch games on big-screen TVs, listen to live music, enjoy steak dinners from the menu, or play pool. Pool tables also fill the arcade alongside poker tables, dartboards, and more than 50 games, including virtual-reality games. And when guests need to host a wedding reception, family reunion, or rock-paper-scissors competition, they fill Brookhall–a large convention center with a bar, crystal chandeliers, and access to an outdoor garden.