Your 2026 Minnesota State Fair guide: prices, hours, changes

The 2026 Minnesota State Fair opens this month and runs through Labor Day. Gate prices are unchanged: $20 general admission, $18 for kids 5–12 and seniors 65+, and free for ages 4 and under. Daily hours are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., with Labor Day closing at 8 p.m. Last admission is 9 p.m. most days and 6 p.m. on Labor Day at this year's state fair.

Key Takeaways

• Ticket prices are frozen at $20 general, $18 for kids 5–12 and seniors 65+, and free for ages 4 and under.
• The Great Big Wheel is gone; the 230-foot America Wheel replaces it at Randall Avenue and Cooper Street.
• The $24 million Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum renovation is complete.
• Nine new food booths open; Harry Singh's Caribbean and other longtime stands do not return.
• Labor Day ends an hour earlier, with last entry at 6 p.m. and closing at 8 p.m.

When is the state fair open, and what does a ticket cost?

The first 11 days keep 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. hours, with final admission at 9 p.m. On Labor Day the grounds close for the season at 8 p.m., an hour earlier than last year, and last entry is 6 p.m.

Officials did not raise gate prices. General admission stays $20. Kids 5–12 and seniors 65+ pay $18. Children 4 and under remain free.

What's new at this year's state fair?

The biggest change is the America Wheel, a traveling Ferris wheel themed to the country's 250th anniversary. It is 230 feet tall—about 75 feet higher than the Great Big Wheel—and sits in the same spot at Randall Avenue and Cooper Street. On a clear day, views from the top are estimated at 14 miles, the Pioneer Press reports. Its 45 gondolas highlight U.S. presidents, with extra displays on the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and national parks.

A multi-year, $24 million rebuild of the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum is finished, with new seats, wider aisles, added railings, rebuilt wheelchair areas, a new roof, upgraded systems, and expanded restrooms. Nine new food vendor booths are in. Summer Lakes Beverage opened a Boat House at Randall Avenue and Underwood Street with walleye sliders, fried “dockside poppers,” drinks, and live music.

New rides include Thor and the Juke Box Funhouse on the Mighty Midway, plus the Pirate Jet and Ghost Pirate Dark Ride on the Kidway. The North End Event Center hosts “Ultimate Dinosaurs,” including Minnesota's official state fossil, the giant beaver, with Science Museum of Minnesota paleontologists at Fossil Corner on select days Aug. 27–29 and Sept. 2–4. Bike lots at gates 9, 2, and 16 expanded, and the largest free stage is now the Luther Auto Bandshell. For more on rebuilt venues and new exhibits, see Future Tech & AI Wonders.

What's gone from the fairgrounds, and what else is changing?

The Great Big Wheel has left. Harry Singh's Caribbean, a Food Building fixture for more than 15 years, is not back after founder Harry Singh died last month at 81. Also absent: Original Corn Fritters & Fried Green Tomatoes, Island Noodles Surf Shack, OOf-da Tacos, Spring Grove Soda, St. Martin's Olives, Thelma's Handmade Ice Cream Sandwiches, Vegie Fries, The Big Pepper, Churros & Aguas Fresca, and Scenic 61 by New Scenic Café.

The Tilt-A-Whirl marks 100 years at the fair. Gopher mascot Fairchild turns 60. Accessibility add-ons include ASL at some shows, more audio descriptions, Braille at the North End exhibit, human guides rather than an app, and a second prayer and meditation tent near the Skyride.