Minnesota's MALL OF AMERICA - Big Friggin' Whoop!
Written: Apr 04 '05 (Updated Sep 02 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Not terribly crowded on a summer Sunday. No sales tax on clothing.
Cons: Ordinary shopping experience. Mediocre extra attractions are wildly overpriced. Very overrated.
The Bottom Line: The Mall Of America is OK, but hardly worth a cross-country drive.
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| radioroger's Full Review: Mall of America |
The Mall Of America was the very first destination on our 2004 family vacation from Ohio to the Pacific Northwest. I had researched the mall and my 11 and 13 year old daughters and I had learned of the 500 stores, Camp Snoopy Amusement Park and Underwater Adventures Aquarium and we were looking forward to our visit. I drove all of Saturday night.. We arrived at the Mall Of America just after it had opened... 11:00 on a June Sunday morning... and stayed all day... until about 7 PM.
My Perspective:
I realize many people "live to shop" and love the Mall Of America... and I am about to rip on it. So, to be fair, I'd like to share where I'm coming from... Yes, I am a man, but I don't hate shopping. I don't LOVE shopping, but I don't dislike it either. The Mall of America met none of my desires or expectations. Since this place is fairly well known all across the U.S. and Canada, I guess I was expecting something very special. I thought it would be a magical shopping oasis filled with a huge variety of one-of-a-kind specialty stores... a big beautiful fantasy land worthy of its reputation for attracting shoppers from thousands of miles away. What I found was an ordinary mall. GIGANTIC, but ordinary. The only unique aspect is having so many stores, an average amusement park and a mediocre aquarium all under the same roof. I am writing from the perspective of the mall as a tourist destination... versus reviewing a mall in my own city which I could visit any time.
Shopping
The Mall Of America contains over 500 stores on its four levels, but just four anchor stores (Nordstrom's Sears, Macy's and Bloomingdale's). The vast majority of the smaller specialty stores are the same ones you'll find in the mall at Anytown, USA. Many of these stores have two, or even three locations within the Mall Of America. There at least two Claire's, Sunglass Huts, Eddie Bauer, Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, The Gap, Trade Secret, Victoria's Secret, Perfumania, Bath & Body Works and many others. The mall has 30 shoe stores, 18 jewelry stores, 15 music and electronics stores and countless clothing stores. A handful of the stores ARE unique, such as the Minnesota Vikings Team Store, Field Of Dreams (sports memorabilia), Minnesot-ah and Al's Farm Toys. But most of the stores are just like the ones you'll find at your local mall. The store name, "Minnesot-ah!" reminded me of Jesse Ventura. In order to amuse myself throughout the day, I practiced my impersonation of the Navy SEAL/pro-wrestler/ex-governor's distinctive pronunciation of the word "Minnesota" (MIN-NEE-SO-TAAHH!). By the end of the day, my kids had grown quite tired of it. One positive... The state of Minnesota has no sales tax on clothing, so out-of-state visitors can save a bit on clothes. I bought my daughter a pair of Reeboks.
Dining
There are over 50 restaurants ranging from walk-up snack stands to upscale fine dining. Four of the nicer restaurants are rated by AAA. Café Odyssey is an international restaurant with a diverse menu containing many ethnic selections. California Café features steak, ribs, chicken and seafood. As the name suggests, Mandarin Garden is a Chinese Restaurant. The Napa Valley Grille features grilled steak and seafood. There are several other sit-down restaurants. Fast food and walk-up counters are abundant. You'll find McDonald's, two Taco Bells, Burger King, Arby's, Pizza Hut, Dairy Queen, A&W and many, many others.
Camp Snoopy
Located in the mall's center, this 7-acre amusement park is reportedly the largest enclosed theme park in the country. Camp Snoopy has about 25 rides and attractions. Most of the rides are small and suitable for young children. The larger rides include a small and very ordinary steel roller coaster (Pepsi Ripsaw), a water ride (Xcel Energy Log Chute), a 74-foot ferris wheel and The Mighty Axe, a pendulum-type thrill ride. The rides are okay. They're definitely better than typical county fair rides, but they're nothing special. I rode the log ride and the roller coaster. The girls rode a few of the others. The large rides are fun, but not intense. Except for the popular log ride, the lines for the rides were short, with minimal waiting. The steel truss rafters are somewhat unattractive, but are necessary to support the glass panel roof which allows the sun to shine through. Admission to the park is free, but the rides are outrageously expensive. Rides are $2.10 - $4.20 EACH. Unlimited ride wristbands are $25 per person per day. During the warmer months, you could spend the day at the nearby 90-acre Valleyfair Amusement Park for about the same price.
Underwater Adventures Aquarium
I've visited about six or eight aquariums across the country. Underwater Adventures is okay, but definitely not one of my favorites. This aquarium has no real signature exhibit. The highlights include a turtle exhibit through an indoor faux-forest... a large tank containing sharks, barracuda and other large fish with a clear, acrylic walk-through tunnel... and a small touch tank where kids can reach in and touch living sharks and stingrays. There are also quite a few small tanks containing a variety of creatures. The cartoonish decor and many of the exhibits are clearly designed to appeal to young children... and this attraction is a good one for the little ones. However, if you're especially fond of aquariums, you're likely to be disappointed by Underwater Adventures. It's quite small (we were there for 30-45 minutes) and the exhibits are rather ordinary. Like Camp Snoopy, Underwater Adventures is incredibly expensive. Admission is $14 for adults, $12 for seniors (61 and over) and $8 for kids (3-12). The nearby Minnesota Zoo is considerably less expensive and has an enclosed pavilion for year-round daily dolphin shows.
Lego Imagination Center
This attraction is actually pretty cool. The Lego Imagination Center features dozens of colorful sculptures/models constructed from the popular multi-generational building bricks. The Lego models include dinosaurs, Harry Potter, fantastic machines and "the world's largest animated, interactive clock tower." It's amazing to look at these detailed sculptures from a distance, then look at them closely to see that they are constructed of thousands of the little Lego bricks. There are also tables where kids can construct their own Lego models. Best of all, the Lego Imagination Center is free.
Miscellaneous
The Mall Of America is located adjacent to I-494 (Exit 2 B-C). Access to and from the highway is not difficult and parking is plentiful, with both lots and garages. It takes considerably longer than one day to thoroughly explore this giant mall. The crowds weren't bad during our visit. I got my first and only Aqua Massage here. Resembling a cross between a hyperbolic chamber and a tanning bed, the fully clothed subject is enclosed within the machine and "massaged" from neck to feet by powerful water jets. One stays dry by virtue of strong, thick plastic sheeting. It was an interesting and pleasurable sensation, but my wallet was ten bucks lighter after my seven minute massage.
Final Thoughts
My daughters enjoyed the mall far more than I did. I included it in our itinerary for their sake. They knew of it long before our vacation and were more excited about visiting the mall than any of the other great places we'd be visiting. The Mall Of America is certainly not an awful place to visit, but I feel it falls way short of its reputation. My low rating reflects the ordinary shopping experience, the wildly expensive extra attractions, and especially its failure to live up to its hype and reputation. The decor and architecture has no distinctive character... it's just big. It's only been here since 1992, but perhaps the mall's novelty and attraction has faded as Americans have turned their attention to newer, trendier shopping venues (e.g. Easton Town Center near Columbus, Ohio) If you're a shopping junkie, then perhaps the Mall Of America is for you. And I'm sure the mall and its attractions have helped the good Twin Cities citizens endure many a long, cold, snowy Minnesota winter. But if you're like me, and shopping is not really your gig, you may want to skip the Mall Of America in favor of the many other wonderful (and lesser known) attractions that the Twin Cities area has to offer.
Here's what we did the following day...
I-94 - How Your Family Can Enjoy The Long Drive Across North Dakota
TO SEE OUR MALL OF AMERICA PHOTOS, PLEASE VISIT MY TRAVEL WEBSITE:
www.mikebechtol.com
Mall Of America Website:
www.mallofamerica.com
Recommended:
No
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
radioroger
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Location: Rural Ohio
Reviews written: 46
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