USA Guide
The Great Lakes
The Mall of America
Shopping addicts make the pilgrimage to the Mall of America from all over the Midwest – and far beyond, including parties from as far away as Japan. Opened in 1992, this mind-boggling 4.2-million-square-foot, four-story monument to consumerism tallied 42 million visits in a recent year. It incorporates more than five hundred stores, with a seven-acre Nickelodeon Universe theme park. Featured rides include UnderWater Adventures ($18.95), with 1.2 million gallons of water and amazing Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean aquariums. Evidence of the Mall's all-under-one-roof convenience is provided by the Chapel of Love retail store, where more than five thousand couples have legitimately tied the knot.
The Mall is twenty minutes south of the cities on I-494 at 24th Avenue, Bloomington. Take bus #54M from St Paul's West Sixth Street at Cedar, the #5E bus or the light rail from downtown Minneapolis; catch the train from 5th Street on Nicollet Mall.
Opening time: Mon-Sat 10am–9.30pm, Sun 11am–7pm
Telephone: 952/883-8800
Website: www.mallofamerica.com
Price: Free