Lake George Municipal Complex offers a variety of amenities free to the public. The Lake George Indoor play area is ideally for children 0-6 years old and free to use! There are also meeting rooms, free Wi-Fi, couches, and a place to work or study.
Address: 1101 7th Street South, St. Cloud, MN 56301
Phone: (320) 257-5959
Website: Lake George Municipal Complex
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Cost: FREE
Bathrooms: Several stalls, automatic flush toilets, changing tables.
Amenities: Play area that is ideally for ages 0-5, conference room for up to 16, several couches, table and chairs, 3 rooms that are available for rentals.
Are you ready to find out one of the greatest secrets St. Cloud isn’t telling you about? It’s the Lake George Municipal Complex.
I moved here 5 years ago, almost to the day and in those 5 years I have made it a goal of mine to discover all the little things there are to do around here with children.
5 years ago, you couldn’t even search for “things to do in St. Cloud with kids” without getting a random list of things that had almost nothing to do with family friendly activities in St. Cloud.
I remember that when I searched for “things to do in st. cloud with kids in winter” the first thing that was recommended on every list was Munsinger Gardens.
Though a beautiful place, Munsinger Gardens is NOT a kid friendly winter destination. Number 3 was Bravo Burrito. My frustration with the lack of information on what to do in the area has driven me nuts. And it’s because of the lack of information out there that I created Minnesota Guru.
It’s not fancy and probably a bit too wordy. However it’s informative and hopefully tells you about family friendly activities happening in Central Minnesota that you may not even know about!
Take the Lake George Municipal Complex. Have you ever been inside? Do you know what is hiding behind those granite walls as you play at the splash pad or watch a concert during Summertime by George?
Next time you’re in the neighborhood on a weekday, during their hours, take a peek inside.
As a disclaimer, if you’ve been inside for their Halloween event or even the Christmas event, those don’t count. Go inside on an ordinary day and snoop around.
Snooping is welcomed and invited. However, be prepared that what you’ll find hiding behind the granite walls is what I deem St. Clouds best hidden secret!
The honest truth is that 9 out of 10 people that I talk to, have no idea about all that Lake George’s indoor complex offers. They’ve never been inside and have no idea that it is free and open to the community!
Although small, if you’re in need of a rainy day activity or indoor winter activity or an air conditioned activity on a hot sunny day, then Lake George is a great option for you!
Plus the price is right! You can’t beat free!
Lake George Play Area:
The greatest secret that the Lake George Municipal Complex is hiding is a small playroom. However don’t get your hopes up thinking you’re going to find climbing structures and rope swings or even a bounce house hiding inside.
The indoor play room at Lake George is a small long area that has bins full of toys. Trucks, tinker toys, electronic toys (with batteries!), trains, puzzles and games are all available for your use! You’ll also find baby toys, dolls, push cars, a Caterpillar tunnel and child sized table with chairs.
Through the eyes of an adult, they don’t offer anything overly exciting. However to the eyes of a child, everything is new and exciting and must be touched.
Imagine for a moment that you invited a friend and her children over to your home. Your child finds all her toys boring. However the new friends find everything exciting and different. The same concept applies to the indoor play room a Lake George.
This is also a great place to introduce your child to new toys and see if they like them. If you’re thinking about getting a train set for your child’s next birthday, let them play with the train set at Lake George. You’ll know pretty quickly if investing in a train set is a good or bad idea.
If you are going to use the Lake George Play Space, then here’s what you’ll need to know:
- When you enter the building from the front, go through the double doors and go to the right. The hallway will turn left then right. The play space will be obvious.
- On the counter is a binder. Sign in with how many kids you have with you. This helps Lake George know if the room is being used and if it’s still a good investment for them to continue offering.
- Play play play. Sit on the floor with your kids and teach them, play with them and read to them.
- Wipe down toys you’ve played with. Cleaning wipes are provided for your use. Let’s work together to not spread germs.
- When you’re done, clean the room up and leave it as clean – if not cleaner – than you found it.
- Pack up and leave. There is no time limit on the room other than when they open and close.
The room is smaller and we’ve found that 5 or 6 kids is about the most it can hold comfortably. You can get more in there but if everyone is playing with a floor object, we’ve found it gets tricky.
Lake George Conference Room:
Surprise! There is a board room / conference room hiding inside the Lake George Municipal Complex! The conference room is free to use. However it is available on a first come first serve basis. If you’d like to reserve the room, call ahead and see if they’ll allow you to.
In speaking with some of the staff members, they informed me that the board room is often used by students for homework, working on group projects and sometimes by small businesses holding meetings.
You could also use the conference room for interviews, or even playing a board game or two!
To get to the board room you’ll want to enter from the front of the building. Straight in front of you, either slightly to the left or right will be a door way leading to a large open room. Enter that room and to the left you’ll see the conference room.
There is a door on the room so you can hold a private meeting or study in silence.
Lake George Couch Areas:
Just outside the conference room are three sitting areas. One area has two chairs, which is perfect for a quick and friendly chat. Across from that, but down a ways – separate – is a couch area.
On the other side of the dividing walkway on the same side of the fireplace is another couch area. This side is a bit more cozy and homey feeling.
Personally I’ve used the couch areas to meet with friends and to catch up. My son used to insist on taking his naps on the living room couch.
So when a friend said she wanted to come over and chat I suggested we meet at Lake George instead of whispering at my house. Don’t worry, my husband was home.
We sat on the couches, talked and had a great time.
Use of these areas are on a first come first serve basis. However be polite and considerate if there another person there studying.
Lake George Table & Chairs:
Opposite of the couch by the fireplace, and on the other side of the fireplace, is a dining room table and 4 chairs.
This is the perfect place for group study or project or even playing a board game with friends. You could also work on a crafting project or color or read the morning paper.
If you are ever in need of a quite comfortable space with a table and chairs, Lake George has you covered!
Rooms for Rent at Lake George:
In general, all that Lake George offers in terms of their indoor space is free. However if you are in need of a larger space for an event or party, Lake George does rent out two rooms.
The large Sun Room is in the back and the building and has three sides of glass that really bring the natural light inside. This room can seat up to 40 people and is 18×30 feet.
Monday – Friday Cost: $20/hour, 2 hour minimum
Saturday – Sunday Cost: $20/hour, 4 hour minimum
Kitchen space can also be rented for an additional $20.
The second room, the multipurpose room, is in the front of the building with small windows on two sides. This room is 16×32, seats 30 people and is available for $15/hour.
These rooms have been rented out for a variety of events such as birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, work parties, community events, church dinners, and more. If you are ever in need of a space to rent, then Lake George may be the answer you’re looking for!
Lake George WIFI:
Wifi is available and free at Lake George Municipal Complex! When you enter, check in with the person at the front desk to get the password.
Lake George really is a great place for a student to work quietly on homework or study for a test. It’s also a great change of atmosphere for anyone who works at home and needs to get out of the house for a few hours to get some work done.
Overall Lake George Municipal Complex is one of the greatest secrets hiding in plain sight. They aren’t trying to keep people from coming. However they aren’t advertising about it either! Don’t let this place continue to be a secret. Share this post on Facebook and Pinterest to tell your friends about all that Lake George has to offer!