Mall of America facts for kids
Mall logo at entrance
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| Location | Bloomington, Minnesota, United States |
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| Coordinates | 44°51′15″N 93°14′32″W / 44.85417°N 93.24222°W |
| Opening date | August 11, 1992 |
| Developer | Melvin Simon & Associates & Triple Five Group |
| Management | Triple Five Group |
| Architect | HGA, KKE Architects, Inc., Jerde Partnership |
| No. of stores and services | 520+ |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 |
| Total retail floor area | 2.5 million sq ft + 5.4 mn expansion (8 mn sq.ft). (230,000 m²) |
| No. of floors | 4 |
| Parking | 20,000 spaces, including two 7-story ramps and overflow surface lots. |
| Website | http://www.mallofamerica.com |
The Mall of America (also known as MOA or the Megamall) is a huge shopping mall in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA. It's located near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
This mall is one of the biggest indoor shopping centers in the United States. It has a lot of retail space and a massive total area. The Mall of America first opened in 1992. In 2006, it welcomed 40 million visitors! The Triple Five Group, a family-owned company from Canada, owns and manages the entire property.
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Mall Design and Features
The Mall of America is really big, covering 4.2 million square feet. About 2.5 million square feet of that is for stores. The mall looks like a rectangle from above. It has over 520 stores spread across three levels of walkways. There's even a fourth level on the east side. Future plans might add more stores, bringing the total to 900! Four large "anchor" department stores are at each corner of the mall. The mall is divided into four different areas, each with its own special look.
Even though Minnesota winters can be very cold, only the mall's entrances are heated. The main areas stay warm from sunlight coming through skylights. Heat also comes from the lights, other electronics, and even from the people inside! During busy times, they even need to use air conditioning to keep everyone comfortable. Each individual store, however, does have its own heating system.
The mall has two large, seven-story parking garages. They are on the east and west sides and offer 12,550 parking spots. There are also outdoor parking lots, bringing the total number of spaces to about 20,000.
A Look Back: Mall History
The Triple Five Group designed and built the Mall of America. This company also owns the West Edmonton Mall, which is another huge mall in North America. The Mall of America was built on the old site of Metropolitan Stadium. This was where the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins sports teams used to play. They moved out in 1982.
You can find a special plaque in the mall's amusement park. It marks the exact spot where home plate used to be in the old stadium. There's even one seat from Met Stadium placed in the mall. It's in the exact spot and height where Harmon Killebrew hit a super long home run in 1967!
Work on the mall began on June 14, 1989. It officially opened its doors to the public on August 11, 1992. Before it even opened, people gave it nicknames like "The Megamall" and "The Mall."
When it opened, it became the second largest mall in total area in the U.S. It also had the most stores. The Mall of America is the most visited shopping mall in the world. More than 40 million people visit it every year! That's about eight times the population of Minnesota. The mall also provides jobs for over 12,000 people.
In 1995, the mall hosted a live television event for the first time. A professional wrestling company called World Championship Wrestling (WCW) broadcasted from the mall. This became a famous part of their competition with another wrestling company.
Over the years, there were some disagreements about who owned the mall. But in 2006, the Ghermezian family, who own Triple Five, gained full control. This allowed them to start planning a big expansion called "Phase II."
Future Plans: Phase II Expansion
"Phase II" is a planned expansion for the Mall of America. It will be built on a large empty area north of the mall. This area used to be home to the Met Center arena. An IKEA store was built there in 2004.
The plans for Phase II include a dinner theater, an ice rink, three hotels, and even a waterpark! It will be similar to the West Edmonton Mall. This expansion will make the Mall of America much bigger.
The developers hope to add 5.2 million square feet to the mall. This would double its current size. The expansion will connect to the main mall on all four levels. It will also connect to the IKEA store with a bridge. There will be an ice rink big enough for professional hockey games, open for public skating. An additional parking garage will add 8,000 more parking spaces.
There are also plans for fine art exhibits and two fancy department stores.
Nickelodeon Universe
Nickelodeon Universe is a fun indoor theme park right in the middle of the mall! It used to be called Camp Snoopy. The park has exciting roller coasters and many other rides and attractions. It's the largest indoor theme park in the United States.
Unlike many indoor parks, Nickelodeon Universe has lots of real plants and trees. The ground inside the park also changes height, making it feel more natural.
The park features popular rides like the SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge and Avatar Airbender roller coasters. There's also a miniature golf course called Moose Mountain. It has 18 holes and is designed to be a challenge!
Underwater Adventures Aquarium
At the Underwater Adventures Aquarium, guests can walk through a 300-foot-long curved tunnel. This tunnel is under 14 feet of water! You can see over 4,500 sea creatures, including sharks, turtles, and stingrays. The aquarium also offers special events like sleepovers, scuba diving, and birthday parties.
Other Fun Attractions
The Mall of America has many other cool things to do:
- A.C.E.S. flight simulations, where you can pretend to fly a plane.
- A 14-screen movie theater, now run by the Mall of America itself.
- The Lego Imagination Center, a huge store with amazing Lego creations.
- Bodies... The Exhibition, an educational exhibit about the human body.
Special Memories and Memorials
- The exact seat where Harmon Killebrew hit his longest home run at Metropolitan Stadium.
- A plaque in Nickelodeon Universe showing where home plate was at Metropolitan Stadium.
- A memorial for those who died on United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11, 2001 attacks. This memorial, a bust of Tom Burnett, is on the first floor near Nordstrom.
The mall also hosts public events, like the Race for the Cure on Mother's Day.
Main Stores
The Mall of America has several large "anchor" stores:
It also has other popular stores sometimes called "junior anchors":
- Barnes & Noble
- Best Buy
- DSW Shoe Warehouse
- Marshall's
- Old Navy
Getting to the Mall
The Mall of America is a major transportation spot in the area. You can get there by bus and light rail train. Metro Transit provides regular public service. The main bus and train station is on the lower level of the eastern parking garage.
The Hiawatha Line light rail connects the mall to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. From the airport, you can continue to downtown Minneapolis. The mall is the first stop on the Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transitway.
Mall Slogans
Over the years, the Mall of America has used different slogans:
- Mall of America is Your Place to Be (1992-1993)
- It's Your Place to Be! (1993-1994)
- America's #1 Mall (1994-1995)
- The Best Mall in America (1995-1996)
- America, You're the One! (1996-1997)
- The Spirit of America (1997-1998)
- Be There or Be Square! (1998-1999)
- America's Lovin' It! (1999-2001)
- The Mall That Remembers America (2001; used after the September 11, 2001 attacks)
- The New Home of Nickelodeon Universe (2008; used to celebrate the opening of Nickelodeon Universe)
- America Loves MOA (2010-present)
Images for kids
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Met Stadium home plate marker
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A mural that used to be near the food court.
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The Mall of America has four floors.
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An old sign at a Mall of America entrance.
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The mall's west side has three levels.
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A view of the amusement park from the third floor.
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The entrance to the mall from the transit station.
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The amusement park when it was called "Camp Snoopy."
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The special chair marking Harmon Killebrew's home run.
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The carousel at the amusement park.
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The band organ that used to be at the carousel entrance.
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The "Kite-Eating Tree" ride, renamed "Swing-Along" in 2008.
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A three-story U.S. flag displayed on July 4, 2008.
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The mall's information sign, showing "MOA."
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The MPR store, which has since closed.
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Al's Farm Toys, a farm-themed toy store that closed in 2016.
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Some of the unique sports stores in the mall.
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The Lego "Imagination Center," a long-standing attraction.
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The Lego Store after its remodeling in 2010.
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The front entrance of the Mall of America.
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The TCF Rotunda, a common event location.
See also
In Spanish: Mall of America para niños
