Visiting the Mall of America during a Pandemic

In normal, non-pandemic times, the Mall of America brings in around 40 million people a year. So, imagine my surprise when I was here in December of 2020 (at the height of the pandemic) and there was nobody at the Mall of America… It was so surreal, almost like we were in a museum, or some weird time altered space with no people. I had never seen it that quiet before and hopefully will never see it that way again.

Fast forward to now and everything is pretty much back to normal.

For instance, they brought the seating back throughout the mall, which FYI, I will never again take for granted all the seating that a mall has. Your feet get sore doing all that walking! And I’m especially thankful that the eateries are back open again. Imagine a mall with almost no food! But alas, all is good now.

Luckily, the Mall of America has persevered during the pandemic and has even added some cool new things. So, let’s dive into what it’s like at the Mall of America!

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But first, fun facts about the Mall of America

• The first thing to note, is currently this is really the biggest Mall in America

• MOA is located in Bloomington, Minnesota.

• The mall was built in 1992. 2022 marks it as 30 years old!

• There are two hotels attached to the mall.

• The mall has 4 floors and over 500 stores.

• There is a chapel if you want to get married at the mall!

Let’s dive into more fun stuff!

Also, if you are looking for more practical information (like parking and ect.), I’ve included that information at the bottom of this post.

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Shopping at the Mall of America

 

There are around 520 stores at the MOA. To put that into context, your average mall typically has 150 stores or less. So, there is everything you could possibly want in a shopping experience at MOA.

You can expect your normal mall stores, like the typical cellphone stores, and stores like Barnes and Noble. But the Specialty stores are what you really need to check out. Like the Minnesot-ah store for all things Minnesota related, or the Alpaca Connection store that has all things Alpaca. Super fun to check out the unique stores at MOA.

The biggest department stores are Nordstrom and Macy’s. Then on the other end of the spectrum, you have your practical stores, like a Walgreens, or even a Holiday gas station store minus the (real) gas pumps!

The favorite store for the kiddos, is the Build a Bear Workshop. They get to pick a bear out and actually stuff it right there on the premises.

Another kiddo favorite is the Lego store…

The newest thing to come to MOA is M&M World. There are now 7 of these in the world and it’s such a neat experience. You can buy all sorts of M&M souvenir related things and of course you can buy your hearts content of M&M candies.

Whatever your shopping needs are, there’s no doubt that you will find something to get your shopping fix.

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 Shopping fuel- AKA- Coffee

You gotta fuel up in order to do all that shopping.

Incredibly, there are over 15 coffee shops available for you to get your caffeination on.

The most popular coffee joint with 5 shops, is Minnesota’s own, Caribou Coffee. Next up, is Starbucks with 3 shops. Dunkin Doughnuts is fighting the big boys with one shop. And for a Specialty experience, you can try the new Lululemon fuel space and get your regular coffee drink or try one of their healthy smoothies.

However, if you are not a coffee drinker, all of these places have other drink options available as well. Or you can find one of the tea places like the brand new Uni Uni. I tried their peach black tea with cheese foam on top. Delicious.

And if you still need more fuel, then you must get sweet treats…

There are sweet treats pretty much everywhere you turn. And you don’t have to feel guilty eating them since you are walking the calories off! Like how I justify things?

But if you are looking for something more substantial to eat, there are plenty of eateries available…

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Dining options at the Mall of America

On top of having food eateries scattered throughout the mall, there are also 2 food courts on the 3rd floor for fast food. Or, if you want to eat at a restaurant, the 4th floor has many options available.

But again, there are restaurants and fast food scattered on all the levels and the hardest decision will be where you want to eat.

I recommend trying Twin City Grill (on the first floor) for a good sit-down restaurant.

Or, if you are looking for a quick meal, try Piada Italian Street Food from the food court. Try their Avocado Piada, Italian street wrap with Avocado, arugula, mozzarella, sweet corn & tomatoes and basil aioli. Super delicious.

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 Entertainment at the MOA

The Mall of America is on their A game when it comes to entertainment.

The biggest draw is Nickelodeon Universe. An indoor theme park located right in the middle of the mall. (I like to compare the mall to a doughnut, with the outer part being the stores and the hole being the theme park.)

Nickelodeon Universe is a full-fledged theme park with rides for all ages. Think Roller coaster, Ferris wheel, carousel, and many more rides. The best part is that it’s indoors, but with all the skylights, you feel like you are outside. Perfect for us Minnesotans with our cold winters.

Sea Life Aquarium

Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium is the next super fun thing. An Aquarium that includes an underwater tunnel and a touch pool where you can touch all kinds of neat sea stuff.

B&B Theaters

Incredibly, there is even a full movie theatre on the 4th floor! B&B Theatres has all the latest showings and is a perfect break from all that shopping. Be sure to park in the West Parking lot for the closest access to the Theatre. Click here for the latest showings.

Rick Bronson’s Comedy Club

Also on the 4th floor, is a comedy club! Rick Bronson’s Comedy Club typically has shows on Tuesdays through Sundays with Saturday having double shows. Click here to see all the shows.

and that’s not all…

Rock of Ages Minigolf

Flyover America Destination 

The Fair on 4

They’ve added other cool things like blacklight mini golf, a Mirror maze, an escape room, a virtual FlyOver America destination ride, a Crayola Experience and the latest thing is a replica of our famous State Fair!

As you can see, there are loads of fun things to do at the Mall of America.

If you are wondering how to see it all, why not stay the night at the mall? Yes, you can stay the night!

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 Staying at the Mall of America

I think this is the coolest thing ever. You can spend the night at the MOA in one of their 2 attached hotels. Radisson Blu and JW Marriott are connected to the mall, so you don’t even have to go outside the whole time you are at the mall.

Check out the hotels here.

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 Practical information for visiting the Mall of America

If you drive here, remember where you park. There are parking lots on all sides of the mall. (East, West and North) They also have descriptive pictures all over the parking lot. Take a picture of this with your phone before you go in the mall. Oh, and parking is FREE.

Use the directory

These directories are so handy. You select what you want, and it will act like a GPS with map including arrows and everything. You can also download their APP which I’m sure would be amazing as well.

Remember that the stores are in a circle (or doughnut as I referenced earlier) around the Nickelodeon theme park. If you need to get halfway across the mall, cut through the theme park. No sense in walking all the way around when you can take a shortcut!

Finally, wear comfy shoes… You will walk A LOT!

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Final thoughts on the Mall of America

As you can see, Mall of America is definitely worth a visit. It checks all the boxes of a true touristy destination (I love a touristy place.) So, go, ride the coaster and shop your hearts out!

If you are looking for more Minnesota things to do, check out my post on Things to do in Duluth.

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