The Mall of America

Prices just varied depending on what kind of store you were interested in finding, and believe me, the store is most likely going to be there... I spent two weeks in Minneapolis in 2005, and I'd say half of my time during the days were spent here. It's a must for anyone who finds themselves in that area.

Flying through Minneapolis (MSP) and have a few hours to kill? If so you need to make a trip to The Mall of America otherwise known as the MOA.

The mall is easily accessible by bus, taxi, and light rail. If you choose the rail option like I did, the Hiawatha Corridor Light Rail Transit has stops providing door-to-door service for a relatively low cost. Stops at the airport are located at both the Lindbergh and Humphrey terminals. The MOA has only one stop that arrives and departs from Light Rail Station under Mall of America at 24th Ave.

Simply put, this mall is nothing less than HUGE!!! Statistics and pictures are provided courtesy of the mall’s official website www.mallofamerica.com

•Cost to build - $650 million
•Economic impact - Mall of America contributes more than $1.8 billion in economic impact activity annually to the state of Minnesota
•Gross leasable space - 2.5 million square feet
•Gross building area - 4.2 million square feet
•Number of stores - More than 520
•Sit-down restaurants – 20
•Fast food restaurants – 30
•Specialty food stores – 36
•Movie screens – 14
•Employees - 11,000 year-round, 13,000 during summers and holidays
•Parking spaces - 12,550 on-site
•Walking distance around one level - .57 miles
•Total store front footage - 4.3 miles
•Key attractions include The Park at MOA™, Underwater Adventures® Aquarium, LEGO® Imagination Center, Dinosaur Walk Museum, A.C.E.S. Flight Simulation, NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Nordstrom and Sears.

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

Another tidbit of information that I thought intriguing was the fact that the mall does not utilize any heaters. Even in the dead of winter, air conditioning operates. This is done to offset the heat given off by all the shoppers.

The mall was rather impressive. Whether it was food (ate at Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Barbeque, www.famousdaves.com) or accessories for my iBook, everything I needed was located somewhere in the mall. From the outside the mall doesn’t look like much. Upon entering though, one has no choice but to notice the large naturally lit atrium in the center of the complex. This is where The Park aka. Camp Snoopy is located. Due to time constraints I was only able to ride the roller coaster once. It was an intense ride given the fact that it is located indoors. I could not pinpoint the exact location of the aquarium but that was not for the lack of trying. Once again, time and the shear size of the mall ended up being the limiting factor.

Overall The Mall of America can be a cheap or an extremely expensive experience. Depending on the amount of shopping and walking that you are willing to do will be the determining factor. The next time I travel to or though Minneapolis, I will be sure to set aside some time to do some shopping and sightseeing at The Mall of America.

First, let it be said that I am NOT a mall person.  I don't like them, I'm not a fan.  So I was in no rush to make it to The Mall of America.  That being said, when I found myself two blocks from it, with absolutely nothing else to do one night, I decided to stop by; and I was very pleasantly surprised. 

You would think that this mall would just be more of all the things I DON'T like about malls; MORE people, MORE stores, MORE fast food joints... and while it's true, there are more of all of those things, somehow they are all absorbed into the mall into such a way that it just doesn't matter. 

The center of the mall is a large 7-acre inside amusement park, and what makes this work is the amount of trees and other foliage they add to this area.  It helps to take care of the noise, and actually gives it a very peaceful, lovely feel as you wander down the different paths.  The Unlimited Ride Wristband Voucher is $24.95, or you can purchase by the ride; I have never gone on a ride, I just enjoy the walk around the area. 

The mall also offers a large aquarium; it houses a 1.2 million-gallon tank and they also let visitors touch sharks, stingrays and other sea creatures.  The cost for the aquarium is $16.95 for adults, $9.95 for kids.

There is a place called ACES, that let's you use the same flight simulators that are used by the world's largest defense contractors.  Prices start at $29.95.

The Dinosaur Walk includes real life sized recreations of dinosaurs, ranging from the two-story-high Tyrannosaurus Rex to a tiny 12-inch tall Microraptor.  Adults $7.95, kids are $5.95.

There are over 500 stores, 60 restaurants, and 14 movie theaters.

While I wouldn't spend much time on a trip in ANY mall, this is one of the only ones I know where I would spend any time at all.  It's worth an evening visit, to grab dinner, take a walk around, and see.  Allow more time if you want to do one of the activities listed above. 

Whenever I'm in town now, I'll stop by for a walk through at some point.  I'm always alone when I'm in Minneapolis, and I enjoy the atmosphere of this place.  I hope you enjoy!