Additional Discloser: I was given a 2-night stay at the Radisson Blu Hotel, gift certificate credit for food, & passes to several attractions during our stay for this blog post. All opinions remain my own.
Mall Of America
This past Friday, on August 11th, the Mall of America celebrated its 25th birthday and we were there to share in the celebration as well. First, let me just say that I moved to Minnesota almost 20 years ago and it took me a good year before I made my first trip to the mall in 1999. My first memory of the Mall of America was Nickelodeon Universe and all the stores I would spend countless hours shopping at.
Over the years, I frequently visited the Mall of America since we live only 25 minutes south of it. It’s one of the most magical places to go during the holidays I must say… and as I got older, got married and started a family the Mall of America became a Minnesota staple and part of our everyday lives. We Minnesotans experience many months of cold harsh winter and there are several attractions and restaurants to keep us warm and occupied during the long winter months.
The Mall of America has over 520+ stores spread across 3 levels that cover everything and anything you could ever want, including department stores like Macy’s & Nordstrom. See the complete list of stores here.
There are 10+ attractions for the whole family:
- Nickelodeon Universe
- SEA LIFE MN Aquarium
- FlyOver America
- The LEGO Store
- American Girl
- Build-A-Bear Workshop
- Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy
- The Escape Game
- Moose Mountain Adventure Gold
- Amazing Mirror Maze
- Rock Of Ages – Backlight Mini Gold
- Crayola Experience (see my review here + discounted tickets)
50+ plus dining options to choose from including:
- CRAVE
- FireLake Grill House & Cocktail bar (located in the Radisson Blu)
- Benihana
- Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
- Hard Rock Cafe
- Margaritaville
- Rainforest Cafe
- Tucci Benucch
- Twin City Grill and more
There are food courts, ice cream, and coffee shops through out the mall on each level.
Here are a few more fun facts about the Mall of America that you probably didn’t know:
- 400+ events are held at the mall each year.
- 8700 weddings have been performed to date.
- 40 million visitors come to the mall annually.
- Located only 1.5 miles from MSP airport.
- 2 hotels are attached to the mall. However, there are over 50 hotels within 10 minutes.
Our weekend stay at the Mall of America
We stayed at the Radisson Blu for 2 nights in the Junior Suite. Let me just say that this was the perfect weekend in so many ways. The hotel and our room was clean, comfortable and filled with luxury amenities. The hotel staff was amazing, polite and very accommodating.
The Radisson Blu experience included:
- In-room safe
- Refrigerator
- Flat-screen TV
- 24-hour room service
- Pool
- Free Wifi
- Solimar salon & spa
We also dined at the FireLake Grill restaurant for dinner and had breakfast the next day, both times we enjoyed amazing farm-to-table food and excellent service. FYI, you don’t need to be a guest at the hotel to dine at the FireLake Grill.
During our stay we enjoyed several of the mall’s attraction as well, most of these we experienced for the first time and the kids couldn’t get enough.
This was a family favorite, we booked The Heist and at first, we didn’t know what to expect but 10 minutes in we were hooked. We had to infiltrate an art thief’s office and steal back a famous piece of art. We weren’t allowed to take any pics or videos but believe me when I say that this was an experience we all enjoyed 🙂
You can’t get any better than an 18-hole miniature golf course with the kiddos. Complete with a life-sized moose and beautiful layout.
This was on our summer bucket list, but totally not what we were expecting… it was a 100x better. It’s a flight simulation ride that takes you on a breathtaking, aerial tour of some of the greatest landmarks and regions throughout the United States in virtual flight technology. The experience is unbelievably real with wind, scents, and mist. You have to check it out when you visit the Mall of America.
It’s the nation’s largest indoor theme park, with 28 rides, attractions, and home to some favorite characters like SpongeBob, Dora, Paw Patrol and much more. The kids had a blast.
If you’ve ever been to SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium in the Mall of America you know I’m not kidding when I say it’s huge. It includes thousands of sea creatures, including sharks, sea turtles, sting rays, jelly fish and more. You can also swim with the sharks, my kids decline that part 🙂
Days Of Our Lives Fan Event
While we were there the Mall of America hosted a Days Of Our Lives Fan event and you guys know I love my soaps. This was a mini treat for me, I stood front row and got fan crazy when the hot soap guys looked my way. I have no regrets for how I might have behaved.
Besides the FireLake Grill, we also enjoyed meals at Johnny Rockets, Margaritaville, and had Italian street food at Piada. We concluded our weekend with cappuccinos from Tim Hortons for us and gelato for the kids from Paciugo Gelato.
Overall this staycation was amazing and even more was how much fun we had at the Mall of America. You guys you don’t have to just go shopping, you can enjoy days filled with family fun, memorable attractions, and unforgettable food.
If visiting the Mall of America as a tourist check out the free visitor’s kit here.
Are you excited about your next visit to the Mall of America?
It’s so hard to believe that the MOA is 25 years old now. I love that it’s been able to constantly change and update with trends. You always find something new!
Took our girls there when they were teenagers. Since we lived in Iowa at the time, it was a day trip and doable. Now we’re in KY and confined to inferior malls. 😢
Oh my word, that is quite the mall! Nothing like that here but I am looking forward to heading to the West Edmonton Mall next week when we visit our daughter, yahoo!
I love the MOA! I think it has gotten even better with age. People complain about it but you can’t really beat it for a one stop shop! All the stores I want are there and I don’t have to go to a million places; just one!
I haven’t been to MOA in a while, but seems like I need to get back!
Holy cow, so much to do there! I live in a rural town so this sounds a-mazing to me!
I haven’t been to the mall in awhile! I need to get there 🙂