Aug. 21 – Labor Day, Sept. 1, 2025
309 Days 7 Hours 37 Mins
Welcome to the 2024 Great Minnesota Get-Together! We offer a variety of services so that our guests can make the most of their visit to the 12 best days of summer – Aug. 22 through Labor Day, Sept. 2. (All information subject to change.)
Download a printable version of the Accessibility Guide here.
HomeTown Mobility, an independent vendor, provides electric mobility scooters, strollers, wagons and wheelchairs for rent at five locations inside the main gates of the fairgrounds. Hours are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. (9 p.m. Labor Day) daily. Advance reservations are recommended; scroll down for details on how to make a reservation.
If renting on-site, equipment is available on a first-come basis and subject to availability. Cash, credit and debit cards are accepted.
Guests are welcome to bring their own electric scooters and wheelchairs. Please note that battery charging of personal mobility equipment is not available at HomeTown Mobility; please scroll down for alternate locations.
Note: Guests arriving via group charter buses will enter the fairgrounds at Gate #18 on Randall Avenue.
Check out a State Fair Map for rental locations.
HomeTown Mobility is now accepting reservations for rental of wheelchairs and electric mobility scooters.
Reserve online, or call HomeTown Mobility’s home office at 1-712-938-2029 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. (During the 2024 fair, Aug. 22-Sept. 2, HomeTown’s office is also open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.)
Note: The deadline for reserving a scooter or wheelchair is 5 p.m. the day prior to when you need the scooter/wheelchair. For example, if you want a scooter on Friday, you have until 5 p.m. Thursday to make a reservation online or by phone. Cancellation must be made 48 hours in advance to receive a refund, less a $5 cancellation fee per rental unit. Reservations made by phone are subject to a $5 call-in fee; this fee does not apply to reservations made online. If you make a reservation, your wheelchair or scooter will be held until you arrive. If you rent from HomeTown Mobility, you may leave walkers, manual wheelchairs or other mobility equipment at the rental tent while using the HomeTown wheelchair or scooter.
Note: A limited number of wheelchairs and scooters are available for guests without reservations on a first-come basis; however, reservations are highly recommended to ensure a wheelchair or scooter is available for your visit. Reservations made by phone are subject to a $5 call-in fee. Strollers and wagons are available on a walk-in basis only.
If you need a regular electrical outlet plug-in for charging an electric mobility scooter battery, there are two options on the fairgrounds: Care & Assistance south of West End Market is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily (8 p.m. on Labor Day). Also, on the south side of the Grandstand outside between the entrance doors, outlets are designated with disability signs.
Parking spaces designated for vehicles with a valid disability parking certificate are available in the Camel, Robin and West and East Como lots on the State Fairgrounds on a first-come basis. Please note that these lots often fill up early each day, and there is no guarantee that space will be available. The cost is $20 per day (cash or credit).
Learn more about parking in fairgrounds lots.
The State Fair provides a free Park & Ride lot with free wheelchair-accessible bus service exclusively for people with disabilities and their companions. The lot, open to those with disability parking certificates or disability license plates, is located south of the State Fairgrounds at Oscar Johnson Arena, 1039 De Courcy Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108. From Snelling Avenue, exit at Energy Park Drive; travel east past the Accord office building to the first left turn, and head to the north side of Oscar Johnson Arena. Parking is available on a first-come basis.
Buses run continuously 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily (9:30 p.m. on Labor Day). Passengers are dropped off and picked up at the Loop Gate #9 (1741 Como Ave.).
The State Fair’s free Park & Ride service includes approximately 30 lots in the metro area located closer to the fairgrounds. A select number of lots are serviced by buses that are mostly wheelchair accessible. All other lots are serviced by a limited number of wheelchair-accessible buses. The lots offering accessible buses are noted at the link above.
Metro Transit, along with Southwest Transit and Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, offers State Fair Express Bus service for a small fee from numerous locations with free parking throughout the metro area. All Express Bus service is wheelchair accessible. Learn more.
Metro Mobility drops off and picks up passengers at two locations at the fairgrounds (check out a State Fair map):
Learn more about designated drop-off and pick-up points.
Metro Transit regular routes METRO A Line and Route 3 and 61 serve the fairgrounds. All regular route service is wheelchair accessible. Learn more.
Drivers wishing to drop off passengers and then leave the fairgrounds or continue to a parking area should do so either at the Loop Gate #9 (1741 Como Ave.) or outside the North End Gate #2 (1807 Hoyt Ave.). Charter buses drop off passengers at Gate #18. HomeTown Mobility booths that rent wheelchairs and electric scooters are located just inside each of these gates. Check out a State Fair map.
During the fair, ASL interpreters are available to assist guests 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. If you would like ASL interpretation during your visit, please contact us by email at accessibility@mnstatefair.org, by phone at 651-288-4448, or stop by Guest Relations at Visitors Plaza. (Advance arrangements are recommended. Requests for interpreter services will be accommodated based on interpreter availability.)
ASL interpretation is offered at these free shows, no reservations required.
State Fair History Snapshot
Located in front of Ramberg Center
Daily at 10:30 a.m.
Pet Surgery
Located in the Pet Surgery Suite, next to the Pet Pavilions
Daily at noon
Thank A Farmer Magic Show
Located at the Christensen Farms Stage
Daily at 1 p.m.
Minnesota State Fair Parade
Located in front of the Administration Building
Daily at 2 p.m.
All-Star Stunt Dogs Splash
Located at The North Woods Stage
Daily at 2 p.m.
Looking Inside the Hive
Located at the Bee & Honey display in the Agriculture-Horticulture Building
Daily at 4:30 p.m.
The Chipper Experience! Where Comedy & Magic Collide!
Located at the Family Fair Stage at Baldwin Park
Thursday, Aug. 22 – Tuesday, Aug. 27, at 3:30 p.m.
Alléz-OOPS! Circus. Comedy. Spectacle.
Located at the Family Fair Stage at Baldwin Park
Wednesday, Aug. 28 – Monday, Sept. 2, at 3:30 p.m.
DNR Programs
Located at DNR Park
Energy Information Center
Located at Eco Experience
ASL interpretation offered for speakers from the following organizations:
STEM Day at Dan Patch Park
Located at Dan Patch Park
Thursday, Aug. 22 (ASL interpretation provided for select programs on stage including: University of Minnesota Raptor Center at 12:15 p.m., University of Minnesota Physics Force at 2:15 p.m., and Concordia Science Academy at 3:15 p.m.
Naturalization Ceremonies & Oaths of Allegiance
Located at International Bazaar
Monday, Aug. 26, at 9 a.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 28, at 9 a.m.
Llama-Alpaca Costume Contest
Located in the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum, section 24
Wednesday, Aug. 28, at 6 p.m.
ASL interpreting is also available upon request for evening Bandshell Tonight! shows at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell. Requests should be made at least 14 days prior to the concert. Contact accessibility@mnstatefair.org or 651-288-4448. Bandshell Tonight! shows are free with fair admission.
Captioning for guests who are deaf or hard of hearing will be offered at these free shows and competitions, no reservations required. A monitor displaying the captioning will be positioned near the stage or in a designated seating area.
MNHS Presents History On-A-Schtick
Located at the Schell’s Stage at Schilling Amphitheater
Saturday, Aug. 24, Sunday, Aug. 25, Wednesday, Aug. 28, and Thursday, Aug. 29, at 10 a.m.
Draft Horse Supreme Six Horse Hitch Classic Series
Located at the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum, section 24
Monday, Aug. 26, at 2 p.m.
Guests who are blind or have low vision will be provided with free access to Aira, a mobile app that provides on-demand visual assistance within the digital perimeter of the fairgrounds. Visitors download the Aira Explorer app and use their smartphone camera to show their surroundings or images to a professional visual interpreter. Visual interpreters can help guests with anything from navigating the fairgrounds to reading aloud menus and signs.
Here’s how to get started:
Minnesota State Fair visitors can also leverage Aira’s Access AI feature to take or upload an image, receive a description of it, and then use their phone to magnify the image or have it read audibly. This could be used, for example, to take a picture of a menu at a food vendor or sign at an exhibit.
For questions on using Aira, contact support@aira.io or call 1-800-835-1934. Free assistance at the Minnesota State Fair beyond the first five-minute call each day is only available within the designated digital perimeter of the fairgrounds Aug. 22 through Sept. 2, 2024. Beyond the fairgrounds, Aira is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and no advance reservations are needed; rates may apply. Learn more about Aira here.
Audio description for guests who are blind or have low vision will be offered at these free shows, no reservations required. Headsets for audio description can be picked up from the audio describer, who will be located near the stage prior to the show.
MNHS Presents History On-A-Schtick
Located at the Schell’s Stage at Schilling Amphitheater
Saturday, Aug. 24, Sunday, Aug. 25, Wednesday, Aug. 28, and Thursday, Aug. 29, at 11 a.m.
NEW! Audio description services for additional, select free entertainment shows will be available by request. Requests must be made at least 14 days prior to the show. Contact accessibility@mnstatefair.org or 651-288-4448 for more information.
Crop Art Display
Located in the Agriculture Horticulture Building
Scan the QR codes located throughout the crop art display to hear detailed audio descriptions of select works using your mobile device.
Large-print daily schedules and fairgrounds maps are available at any information booth. Here are links to downloadable daily schedules and fairgrounds map.
Take a book break at Alphabet Forest, an oasis of fun games and activities to inspire young readers to build vocabulary, learn about letters and explore the wonderful world of reading and writing. As part of our mini on-site library of children’s books to enjoy, several selections also contain Braille. Stop by!
Find your way to various buildings across the fairgrounds using these location addresses and links to Google Maps. Click here to view addresses.
Please note: As of Aug. 27 at noon, the elevator at the east end of the Grandstand is currently not working. Enter the Grandstand via the elevator on the west end of the building.
Please note: State Fair admission is not included in the purchase of Grandstand Concert Series tickets. Customers must purchase admission into the fairgrounds in addition to the Grandstand ticket.
There are several wheelchair seating locations in the Grandstand, including the plaza and elevated mainstand sections. These are available for purchase online, over the phone or in-person (see the “Buying Grandstand Tickets” link above). Ticket buyers who require wheelchair-accessible locations may purchase up to three companion seats for each wheelchair location, subject to availability.
Guests using wheelchairs may enter by way of the elevators at the west end of the Grandstand, the ramp at the west end of the Grandstand near the elevator, or the Grandstand Ramp from Carnes Avenue. If you’d like to use an elevator, we recommend the larger elevator on the west end. For more information, call 651-288-4427.
Grandstand Accessibility Map showing elevators, ramps, seating areas, restrooms, food & drink locations and more
ASL interpreting is available upon request for the Grandstand Concert Series. To purchase Grandstand tickets in the ASL interpretation section, please call Etix (800-514-3849) or the State Fair Ticket Office (651-288-4427), or purchase in-person at the State Fair Ticket Office beginning July 8. Ticket purchases in the ASL interpretation section (Riser 1) must be made at least 14 days prior to the concert.
Assistive listening devices are available free for use during Grandstand shows. Receivers and headsets are available from the guest services desk on the east side of the Grandstand Plaza. A valid driver’s license or state ID and a credit card are required for check-out. (The credit card will only be charged if the receiver and headset are not returned or are damaged.)
All entertainment venues, indoor and outdoor, have access for entry, exit and viewing. Special seating areas are available for guests with disabilities on a first-come basis.
Take a break from the sights and sounds of the fair in the Joy Mobile, a one-stop sensory experience designed to help guests reset and re-engage. Its calming environment provides a range of supportive sensory experiences to reset acoustic, visual, tactile and olfactory senses. Learn more.
Located north of Loop Gate #9, just south of Judson Avenue.
Open daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (8 p.m. on Labor Day)
This take-a-break oasis is specially created for fair guests of all ages with sensory-processing challenges who may find the sights, sounds, smells and crowds of the fair overwhelming.
The sensory space in the Fraser Sensory Building is staffed by Fraser-trained sensory support volunteers who can help individuals regulate with tools and techniques such as weighted blankets and shoulder wraps, calming music, floor cushions, an exercise ball and fidget toys. People with sensory difficulties are welcome to use the space to regulate.
The Fraser Sensory Building features interactive sensory activities, giveaways, educational resources and information about employment opportunities. The nonprofit welcomes individuals and families to join us for fun activities and to explore their resources. Fraser, a Minnesota nonprofit, is a nationally recognized expert in treating early childhood autism and mental health, and in providing overall wellness programs for those who have intellectual or developmental disabilities with co-occurring autism or mental health issues.
Located on the west side of Cosgrove Street, south of the Home Improvement Building.
Open daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (8 p.m. on Labor Day)
Monday, Aug. 26: 9-11 a.m. at Kidway; 10 a.m. to noon at Mighty Midway
For guests who would like to experience the fun of rides & games at Mighty Midway & Kidway with reduced light brightness and sound volume, on Monday, Aug. 26, at the times noted above, lights, sounds and non-safety-related announcements will be minimized.
Please note: The sensory-friendly hours apply only to Mighty Midway & Kidway; there may be areas in other parts of the fairgrounds that contain loud music and lights during these hours. Also, in the Mighty Midway & Kidway, some lights and sound may still occur, as not all attractions can completely eliminate all sound and light.
To help you make the most of your day at the fair, below are tips from Fraser and the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota.
Download a printable version of the sensory friendly visit tips here.
Pre-visit stories, also called social narratives, provide a blueprint to explain new experiences and decrease the anxiety around unfamiliar or potentially overwhelming events.
This narrative, developed by Fraser, highlights in general the parts of the fair that might be the most challenging and explains that if individuals feel overwhelmed, they can take a break in the Fraser Sensory Building (more info above).
Read Fraser’s Minnesota State Fair pre-visit story to help you and your family or group prepare for the fair.
Before you come to the fair, please visit the Updates page of our website for the latest information on the 2024 State Fair.
Information subject to change.
Service dogs are permitted on the fairgrounds. Service dogs are those that have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please note: During the 12 days of the Minnesota State Fair, pets are not allowed on the fairgrounds, with the exception of service dogs or animals approved as part of an exhibition.
The Minnesota State Fair’s Mighty Midway and Kidway welcome you! Our first responsibility is to ensure that guests have a safe and enjoyable experience each time they visit. We encourage guests to take responsibility for choosing which amusement attractions are appropriate for them. Here is some helpful information:
For fair guests who would like to experience the fun of rides & games at Mighty Midway & Kidway with reduced light brightness and sound volume, on Monday, Aug. 26, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Kidway, and from 10 a.m. to noon at Mighty Midway, lights, sounds and non-safety-related announcements will be minimized.
Please note: The sensory-friendly hours apply only to Mighty Midway & Kidway; there may be areas in other parts of the fairgrounds that contain loud music and lights during these hours. Also, in the Mighty Midway & Kidway, some lights and sound may still occur, as not all attractions can completely eliminate all sound and light.
Whenever a guest is required to be accompanied by a responsible companion, the accompanying person must be able to safely ride the ride and assist the guest. This includes helping the guest in boarding, de-boarding and passing through the attraction; assisting the guest to maintain postural control while riding; and assisting the guest down stairs, catwalks or ladders in case evacuation is necessary. Attraction operators are neither trained nor permitted to physically assist guests.
Guests should observe an attraction through at least one cycle of operation to become familiar with the motion and dynamic actions before choosing to ride.
Before entering a ride/attraction, all guests must:
Guests with service animals must have a companion stay with their animal while they are riding. Attraction operators cannot be responsible for the care and safety of service animals and still maintain proper control of their attraction.
Persons with conditions that could be aggravated by an attraction’s dynamic actions, such as bumping or jarring, are cautioned not to ride. Guests should use caution in choosing attractions if they are pregnant or have head, back, neck, stomach, heart, cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, degenerative bone disease, or other health issues.
Parents and care givers are responsible for deciding if an attraction is appropriate before placing a child on an amusement ride.
Rides and Attractions at the Minnesota State Fair
Dozens of food and beverage locations throughout the fairgrounds offer seating areas that are accessible by curb cuts and have hard, sturdy floor surfaces and tables that a guest can pull up to in a wheelchair or scooter or move a chair to make room for a wheelchair or scooter. Here is the list published in August 2024 by Access Press, a statewide news source for people with disabilities. More information about 2024 vendors coming soon.
NOTE: Not all vendors provide cups with lids and straws.
Momentum Refresh is the nation’s first fully accessible, universally designed, mobile restroom equipped with a full-size adjustable changing table, a ceiling hoist (sling not provided) and other amenities.
By offering a safe and comfortable personal care space for those with mobility limitations and their caregivers, Momentum Refresh reduces barriers and promotes inclusivity, equity and understanding. In addition to a toilet, this groundbreaking vehicle is equipped with a height-adjustable universal changing table, an overhead ceiling hoist (sling not provided) to facilitate easier transfer from wheelchair to changing table or toilet, a height-adjustable sink, enough room for an individual and caregiver, and a team of trained professionals available to inform guests about the amenities and to maintain and clean the space. (Note: Slings for the ceiling hoist are specific to the individual and are therefore not provided. Please make sure to bring your own sling. Any sling with a loop attachment is compatible with the lift in the vehicle. Check out this link with more info.)
Located on east side of Cosgrove Street, north of Lee Avenue (U11 on fairgrounds map)
Open daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (8 p.m. on Labor Day)
Find an adult-size changing station at KaiBi Mobile Family Care Center located on the west side of Underwood St., between Carnes & Judson avenues. KaiBi also provides facilities for diaper changing, nursing, pumping, feeding and sensory comfort in a climate controlled environment.
Open daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (8 p.m. on Labor Day)
A height adjustable, adult-size changing table is available in Care & Assistance located south of West End Market, open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily (8 p.m. on Labor Day).
Bariatric chairs may be available upon request with at least 24 hours advance notice at some seating areas throughout the fairgrounds (including the Grandstand), based on availability. To inquire about bariatric seating, contact accessibility@mnstatefair.org or 651-288-4448.
accessibility@mnstatefair.org
651-288-4448