The Mall of America (also known, to locals, as "the sprawl")  is an enormous shopping mall and restaurant and entertainment adventure. As long-time former residents of the Twin Cities, we thought we'd known all that there was to know about the Mall of America. au contraire! We spent the whole day at the Mall of America, and could have easily gone back for more. The old Camp Snoopy has been replaced by an extraordinary amusement park, Nickelodeon Universe®.

Avatar airbender

Jimmy Neutron's Atomic Collider

Mall of America is the nation's largest retail and entertainment complex. The 4.2 million square foot complex is home to more than 520 world-class shops; Nickelodeon Universe® the nation's first Nick theme park; Underwater Adventures® Aquarium, a 1.2 million gallon walk-through aquarium; a 14-screen movie theater and more. The Mall opened in August of 1992 and is located in Bloomington, Minnesota, just minutes from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Mall of America has become a treasure for the entire state of Minnesota. From planes, trains, and cross-country road trips, Mall of America has become a destination for everything from family vacations, weekend getaways and even honeymoons. The Mall is now generating more than $1.8 billion dollars each year in economic impact for the state and has put Minnesota on the map as a tourist destination. Tourists from Canada, England, Sweden, Ireland and Japan come to Mall of America to take in the sights and capitalize on no sales tax on clothing. Once known mainly as a vacation destination for outdoor activities, tourists now flock to the state for shopping. In fact, tourism accounts for four out of every ten visits to the Mall.

Lego displays

There are more than 520 stores, 76 restaurants, 14 movie screens, and 12,550 parking spaces (and a station for the Light Rail System, which can deliver you to downtown Minneapolis or the MSP airport). Key attractions include Nickelodeon Universe®, Underwater Adventures® Aquarium, LEGO® Imagination Center, Moose Mountain Adventure Golf, A.C.E.S. Flight Simulation, NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway, The American Girl Store & Bistro, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Nordstrom and Sears.

Carousel

Pepsi Orange Streak Roller Coaster

DID YOU KNOW?
~ 258 Statues of Liberty could lie inside the Mall
~ If Mount Rushmore was divided into individual monuments, a president could reside in each of the Mall's four courts
~ Mall of America is big enough to hold 32 Boeing 747s
~ Seven Yankee Stadiums can fit inside Mall of America
~ If a shopper spent 10 minutes browsing at every store, it would take them more than 86 hours to complete their visit to Mall of America
~ There is no sales tax on clothing in Minnesota

Spongebob Squarepants Rock Bottom Plunge Roller Coaster

Boots

If you check in at a guest services station, you can rent wheelchair scooters, strollers, and more. They also have a very valuable savings coupon book for $10, which can save you hundreds of dollars in savings, from discounts to Nickelodeon Universe®, the Underwater Adventures® Aquarium, movies, restaurants, store discounts, and more. I highly recommend buying it if you are going to play, eat, or shop at all at MOA (not everyone does - there is quite an active mall walkers community, especially in the winter).

We spent most of our time in Nickelodeon Universe®, with a few side trips to restaurants (need to refuel!) and a few favorite shops. We also spent an hour inside the Underwater Adventures® Aquarium, which we'll share with you later this week. It was a blast!

Swiper

Dora's El Circulo del Cielo

The cool thing about Nickelodeon Universe® is that it is completely family friendly. There are rides for all ages - from Dora and Diego rides for small children to Fairy Oddparents and Spongebob rollercoasters for teens and adults. We saw a wide range of people and ages - and they all were happy!

Splat o sphere

Backyardigans Swing Along

Our 6-year old daughter says, "I loved Backyardigans swing and the Fairy Oddparents Rollercoaster the best. I can't believe we spent a whole day there and I was not ready to go home! Every time we got on the Fairy Oddparents Rollercoaster, my dad laughed the whole time. It was so funny. My mom and dad had told me that Mall of America was BIG. I could not believe HOW BIG IT IS. GO, you'll have so much fun!"

Backyardigans Swing Along 

If you haven't been to the Mall of America, you really should find the time to go there. It is a true marvel. It is not just about shopping, it is an extraordinary experience. This was the first time I'd been there with a child, and spending the day there made me feel like a kid again.

Tak Attack

Nickelodeon Universe Store

The combination of world-class shopping, top attractions, more than 350 free events annually, great restaurants and excellent value make Mall of America a popular vacation choice.

Interested in Exploring Minnesota? It's easy - head to ExploreMinnesota and you'll find a plethora of activities, ideas, places to stay, and more.  We thank ExploreMinnesota for their great help on our recent trip.

Photos courtesy and copyright of Dr. Jessie Voigts.