My family recently visited the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. If you haven't been there, the Mall of America is WAY more than just an ordinary shopping mall. It is an extra-ordinary mall and an awesome amusement park all wrapped into one. It is a place for everyone!
First, the shopping, I swear they have almost every type of specialty store you can think of--department stores, toy stores, housewares, clothing, electronics, shoes, socks, handbags, accessories and soooo much more! My son loved the LEGO store, and I had to almost drag my husband out of the Apple and Microsoft store (and both of my boys prefer not to spend time in a mall, the the exception now of going to the Mall of America...I can 'drag' them there anytime!
Next, the restaurants, they have wonderful chain and specialty sit-down restaurants, as well as lots counter-service/fast food options to choose from. Plus, they had lots of specialty choices as well, you know...ice cream, candy, pretzel, my much needed coffee and more! Pretty much something for every budget and appetite! With all those choices, you won't need to leave the mall to grab a great meal!
Beyond the retail and the food are the amazing attractions that are available within the Mall of America, which include: Theatres, Rick Bronson's House of Comedy, A.C.E.S Flight Simulation, Amazing Mirror Maze (we had fun working our way through the maze, it is a challenge but lots of fun), American Girl, and SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium (yep, an impressive aquarium right in the MOA, we enjoyed it). They also have temporary exhibits, while we were at the Mall of America, they were holding the Diana: A Celebration exhibition which featured and celebrated aspects of the life and work of Diana, Princess of Wales.
The Mall of America also contains an 18-hole miniature golf course, called Moose Mountain Adventure Golf, which features an original and whimsical design giving it an old-time north woods feel and staring those north woods creatures like the moose, horse and more! We had a blast, it was only our second time playing miniature golf with our 4 year old, so we played by abbreviated rules (you know limit the number of strokes before you pick up the golf ball and move to the next hole). The course was challenging and fun for all ages! We were so focused on our game that we completely forgot to take pictures once we started playing, sorry! We all got a kick out of the extra challenge at the last holes! Very fun!
Of course we cannot forget, Nickelodeon Universe! Can you believe there is a 7-acre amusement park right in the center of the Mall of America? Nickelodeon Universe features tons of unique attractions and entertainment, including 27 rides and attractions for ALL ages and courage levels! This park has something for everyone in your family, from great kid/Jr rides to fast roller coasters and spinning rides for those more adventurous riders. You can meet your favorite Nickelodeon characters and shop at exclusive stores and simply be entertained. Their is no cost to enter Nickelodeon Universe, in fact you can come and go as you please, which I loved. There is a charge to ride the rides--you can purchase an Unlimited Ride Wristband, which is good for the entire day or just a few rides if you desire! We had the Unlimited Ride Wristband, which worked perfect for us. We started out the day riding several rides (our son is only 42" tall so we started with what we called the Nick Jr rides (those for the little ones that feature Diego, the Backyardigans, Blue, Wonder Pets etc.). My husband and I would alternate splitting off to go on the thrill (and I mean THRILL!) rides. When we needed a ride break, we would go shopping, grab a bite to eat or whatever, then come back when we were ready! This is such an awesome benefit of Nickelodeon Universe, plus it is all indoors so which rides are open and how much fun you have is not impacted by the weather--such a bonus when it comes to those cold, winter or rainy days!
My family had a blast spending the weekend at the Mall of America and Nickelodeon Universe, as well as playing Moose Mountain Adventure Golf! There really is so much to do that you simply park your car (free and ample parking available, plus many hotels have shuttles) in the morning and spend the entire day shopping, playing and simply enjoying life and time together with family and friends! There is so much to see and do that I do not think it would be possible to even shop every store in a weekend, there are about 520 stores and 50 restaurants there, and by the way there is NO SALES TAX on shoes and clothing at the Mall of America! I know my family will be making the trip to enjoy it again in the near future! We had a wonderful time!
Thank you to Nickelodeon Universe-Mall of America for our tickets used for this review, opinions are honest. Review by Michelle. All personal photos used in this post belong to My Springfield Mommy and may not be used in any way without permission from My Springfield Mommy.
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