Winter is a season of traveling all over Minnesota to shop for thoughtful gifts for my family and friends. For me at least. But in the cold of February, I am much more inclined to find my way indoors.
It is hard to beat the Mall of America when it comes to indoor shopping malls. Affectionately referred to as, “MOA,” locally, it opened in 1992 and is the largest mall in the United States, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, and the ninth-largest shopping mall in the world. Pretty remarkable.
One of the most visited tourist destinations in the world, attracting more than 40 million visitors annually. That is more than twice as many people as the world’s largest amusement park, the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
So the story goes;
In 1982, the Minnesota Twins and Vikings relocated from the Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington to the H.H.H. Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis leaving 78 acres in one of the most prime areas of Minnesota available. The Bloomington Port Authority purchased the stadium site and entertained development proposals. The Mall of America was chosen and started development on June 14th, 1989.
Even before opening, the mall had earned several nicknames, including “the Megamall,” “Sprawl of America,” and “Hugedale,” about the four major “dale” shopping malls within the Twin Cities: Rosedale, Southdale, Ridgedale, and the now-defunct Brookdale.
On August 11th, 1992, the Mall of America, as we know it today, opened its doors to 330 stores and more than 10,000 employees.
It now has approximately 520+ stores; 22 eateries (and that does not include the food courts); Lego Land; a flight simulator; B&B movie theaters; a house of comedy; a mirror maze; miniature golf; an Escape Game, where you’ll have the choice to pull off a heist, repair a spaceship on Mars, or choose from a handful of other adventures; and if that weren’t enough, a Radisson Blu Hotel is attached.
A few of my personal favorites are the aquarium and the amusement park.
Winter is a season of traveling all over Minnesota to shop for thoughtful gifts for my family and friends. For me at least. But in the cold of February, I am much more inclined to find my way indoors.
It is hard to beat the Mall of America when it comes to indoor shopping malls. Affectionately referred to as, “MOA,” locally, it opened in 1992 and is the largest mall in the United States, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, and the ninth-largest shopping mall in the world. Pretty remarkable.
One of the most visited tourist destinations in the world, attracting more than 40 million visitors annually. That is more than twice as many people as the world’s largest amusement park, the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
So the story goes;
In 1982, the Minnesota Twins and Vikings relocated from the Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington to the H.H.H. Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis leaving 78 acres in one of the most prime areas of Minnesota available. The Bloomington Port Authority purchased the stadium site and entertained development proposals. The Mall of America was chosen and started development on June 14th, 1989.
Even before opening, the mall had earned several nicknames, including “the Megamall,” “Sprawl of America,” and “Hugedale,” about the four major “dale” shopping malls within the Twin Cities: Rosedale, Southdale, Ridgedale, and the now-defunct Brookdale.
On August 11th, 1992, the Mall of America, as we know it today, opened its doors to 330 stores and more than 10,000 employees.
It now has approximately 520+ stores; 22 eateries (and that does not include the food courts); Lego Land; a flight simulator; B&B movie theaters; a house of comedy; a mirror maze; miniature golf; an Escape Game, where you’ll have the choice to pull off a heist, repair a spaceship on Mars, or choose from a handful of other adventures; and if that weren’t enough, a Radisson Blu Hotel is attached.
A few of my personal favorites are the aquarium and the amusement park.
MOA hosts SEA LIFE Minnesota (formerly Underwater World, then Underwater Adventures Aquarium) which boasts a 1.2 million-gallon aquarium, home to thousands of aquatic creatures, including a large collection of sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, and freshwater fish. The aquarium also includes a 300-foot clear acrylic tunnel that goes from one end of the aquarium to the other, about the length of a football field. If that wasn’t enough, SEA LIFE also has snorkeling with the fish, sleeping under the sea which includes a pizza party, behind-the-scenes tours, hosts birthday parties, is the center of wedding proposals often, and has even had underwater weddings.
MOA hosts SEA LIFE Minnesota (formerly Underwater World, then Underwater Adventures Aquarium) which boasts a 1.2 million-gallon aquarium, home to thousands of aquatic creatures, including a large collection of sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, and freshwater fish. The aquarium also includes a 300-foot clear acrylic tunnel that goes from one end of the aquarium to the other, about the length of a football field. If that wasn’t enough, SEA LIFE also has snorkeling with the fish, sleeping under the sea which includes a pizza party, behind-the-scenes tours, hosts birthday parties, is the center of wedding proposals often, and has even had underwater weddings.
Another notable is the indoor amusement park, Nickelodeon Universe. Previously named Camp Snoopy, Nickelodeon Universe opened in March of 2008. It is the nation’s largest Nickelodeon theme park with 24 amusement park rides including a roller coaster that winds around the enclosed atrium of the mall.
A few other fun facts:
- MOA maintains 70 degrees year-round with passive solar energy from 1.2 miles of skylights and heat generated from lighting, store fixtures + body heat
- There are more than 30,000 live plants and 300 live trees acting as natural air purifiers
- There are more than 4.3 miles of total storefront footage. It would take 86 hours to spend just 10 minutes in each store.
- 5,000+ weddings have been performed at Mall of America
- It even has its very own ZIP code!
40 million people from around the world visit the mall, generating nearly $2 billion each year in economic impact for the state.
MOA is in Bloomington, southeast of I-494 and Hwy 77, north of the Minnesota River, and a quick drive from the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport if you need to kill some time before catching a flight or picking someone up.