By Aubrey Schield

Mobilize your friends and don your finest armor for a day of paintball fun at one of our top 5 paintball parks in and around the Twin Cities. With acres upon acres of outdoor playing area, plus exciting obstacles (some even boast retired military vehicles) to amp up your experience, these paintball destinations are must-visit spots for any fan of the sport.

Splat Tag
Located about 25 minutes from the Twin Cities in Hudson, Splat Tag offers 22 unique paintball courses for walk-on games, private groups and special events. They offer free training for first time players, and if you don’t have your own equipment they have rentals available. The courses are elaborately designed, complete with old military trucks, sandbag bunkers and a 30-foot-tall castle. Be sure to visit their website to learn about monthly “big scenario” games, which transport you into a world where your name is Splat Tag Warrior.

MN Pro Paintball
For over 200 football fields of play, head to MN Pro Paintball, located in Lakeville, about a 30-minute drive south of Minneapolis. The park offers 15 different “battlefields”, all of which have unique obstacles and scenarios. Don’t miss out on playing the soon-to-open Overwatch battlefield, which features the smoldering remains of a downed aircraft. The whole thing might sound a little intense, but MN Pro is great for players of all ages, and includes packages for kids’ birthday parties, corporate team building and bachelor parties.

Area 22
This is a smaller paintball destination for those looking for more face-to-face combat. Located in the rural hamlet of Glencoe, Area 22 features a five-acre woodsball field with full-sized buildings and a recreational speedball field with inflatable military tanks and bunkers.

Special Forces
You won’t have to travel too far outside the Twin Cities to arrive at Special Forces Paintball, located in Buffalo. Choose from walk-on games according to your party’s age range and four different paintball guns: splatmaster, .50 caliber, airsoft and .60 caliber. Five fields of play offer different experiences for your paintball nirvana, each designed to help you get the most out of the game.

Vintage Paintball
Gear up at their store in West St. Paul before traveling 25 minutes outside the Twin Cities to this paintball emporium. Offering play scenarios including woods, wild west, urban, castles and more, it’s no wonder Vintage was rated the No. 1 spot for kids’ paintball birthday parties.

Honorable Mention

Splatball
If you’re looking for a milder form of play, check out this indoor paintball destination located in Minneapolis, just outside of the downtown area. Splatball is great for kids’ parties because they use low-impact paintball guns and keep a close watch on open play with referees. They also have a designated area with tables to gather at for some birthday-cake-eating, present-opening fun.