Crookston is a small city in Minnesota with the distinction of being named one of the safest cities in the state. It’s home to the University of Minnesota Crookston, and it offers residents and visitors many activities such as fishing, cross-country skiing, and ice skating. The Crookston area also has many recreational facilities where you can either watch or play sports.
1. Crookston Sports Center
The Crookston Sports Center is home to the Crookston Pirates hockey team. The 87,000-square-foot facility has three arenas, an 800-square-foot concession area, and seating for over 1,200. The event arena hosts the Pirates hockey games, but there is also the Blue Arena for kids’ hockey and the Gold Arena with a turf field for soccer and other turf sports.
The sport center is open to the public so everyone can enjoy getting active. Make sure to check the schedule for open skate times or to try your hand at curling. There is also a golf simulator so you can get some practice swings in, even when there is snow on the ground.
Walking is a great way to get your exercise, and the Crookston Sports Center has a walking program so you can do it all year round with an annual membership of only $25. Walking is permitted on the upper level during open hours as long as there are no paid or high school events. The upper-level track is 1/4 mile, so four trips around the event rink and the practice rinks will get you to a mile. If you just go around the event rink, you will hit a mile after eight laps.
2. Minakwa Golf Course and Driving Range
The Minakwa Golf Course is a nine-hole golf course on the northwest edge of Crookston. It’s a very well-maintained course with a driving range and pro shop. This course is home to the high school golf team and is a popular spot for young local golfers.
The Minakwa Golf Course hosts several tournaments throughout the season, including some fundraising events and junior tournaments. The annual Fourth of July tournament is always fun, and the Junior Golf Tournament is always a popular event for kids of all ages. There’s even a group for players 8 and under at this tournament. They play four holes, and their registration fee includes lunch.
Minakwa also has event nights throughout the season, such as Couple’s Fun Night with dinner and golf.
3. University of Minnesota Crookston Campus
The Crookston Eagles play their home games at the University of Crookston campus. You can stop by any season to watch your favorite sport. The sport venues include:
Lysaker Gymnasium
Lysaker Gymnasium is a beautiful gym that hosts basketball and volleyball. It has three full-size courts and can seat up to 2,200 people for games. The facility is also a premier venue for northwest Minnesota sports events and brings section basketball tournaments to the area every year.
Ed Widseth Field
The Ed Widseth Field is the former field for the University of Minnesota Crookston football team and is now the home of the Crookston Pirates football team. It’s also used as a practice space for other Golden Eagles teams.
Minnesota Crookston Baseball Field and Softball Field
The baseball and softball fields sit next to each other on the south side of the university campus. The baseball field not only serves as the home field for the college teams but also host tournaments for the high school and American Legion baseball. This field has received several upgrades over the years, including a new irrigation system, a windscreen, a press box, and a team lounge with custom-built lockers.
Minnesota Crookston Soccer Field
Make sure to catch a soccer game at the Minnesota Crookston Soccer Field. It sits to the east of the Ed Widseth Field and hosts the home games for the women’s soccer team.
4. City of Crookston Parks
The City of Crookston has 22 different parks with all kinds of open space and facilities for playing and watching sports. Head out any time of year to get in on the action. Some of the parks you can enjoy include:
The Highland Park Complex
The Highland Park Complex includes 40 acres of sports fields and courts. It has a baseball field, a skate park, five tennis courts, horseshoe courts, a basketball court, and six softball diamonds. The complex hosts several softball, baseball, and tennis tournaments throughout the year and provides a home field for many men’s and women’s softball leagues. You can stop by to cheer on your player or get involved and join a league.
American Legion baseball, Babe Ruth baseball, and girls fast-pitch softball teams and leagues also use this complex for their practices and games. The tennis complex hosts lessons for kids and adults along with serving as a place for everyone to enjoy recreational tennis. It even has push-button lighting if you want to play after dark.
Carman Park
Carman Park has soccer fields, volleyball courts, and play structures for the kids. It also has a rentable shelter and lots of green space.
Central Park
Head to Central Park on Central Park Drive to play disc golf. This is also a great park if you want open green space to let kids play their own games.
Crookston City Pool
The City of Crookston now owns the Crookston City Pool, and it not only provides open swim times for those who want to get some laps in for exercise but also hosts swim meets. The Pirates Swim team competes here if you want to stop by to see the kids race against other local teams.
When you need reliable transportation so you can get to all of these Crookston area sports venues and events, make sure to stop by Rydell Outlet Center to find a used car or truck. We always have plenty in stock, and there’s no better place in the Grand Forks area to find good quality used cars at prices you can afford. Give us a call or stop by to take a walk through our lot to see what we have.
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