Need an idea for a girls’ getaway? Three words: Mall of America.
The mission? To meet up with our good friends over a holiday weekend. The problem? We live in Oregon and they live in Florida. The solution? We met in the middle in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Geography aside, this location was perfect for another reason. We were traveling with 15-year-old girls who are currently mall obsessed. We had about 48 hours together. You can spend all of your time shopping at the Mall of America, or mix it up like we did, by doing other family-friendly activities.
What to Do at Mall of America
Shopping
Mention that you’ll be spending two days at Mall of America and you’re gonna get some groans. Yes, there’s a lot of shopping. And no, that’s not for everyone.
Imagine one of every store you’ve ever heard of, located under one roof. There are 520 stores inside the Mall of America. If you walk just one level of the mall, and there are four levels, it’s 1.15 miles around.
Theme Park
There’s more than just shopping at Mall of America. It also houses multiple attractions, most notably an entire theme park that sits smack dab in the middle of the mall.
In addition to loving malls, our girls also love theme parks. Nickelodeon Universe was really fun. It offers a range of activities that appeal to both the Nick Jr. age group, as well as the Nick at Nite crowd. There are 27 rides and attractions. Rides are categorized as family, junior, or thrill. There are cute character meet and greets, too. You can say “hi” to the likes of Spongebob Squarepants and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Purchase point passes or unlimited ride wristbands at kiosks at the entrances to the theme park. You could spend a few hours here, or all day.
KidTripster Tip: If you have a child with autism, rides are labeled with using a sensory guide created by IBCCES with 1 being “low sensory stimulation” and 10 being “high sensory stimulation.” There’s also a sensory space inside the theme park if your child needs to take a break.
Other Fun Entertainment Options
There are many other ways to keep your kids and teens entertained at the Mall of America.
A newer attraction is the Museum of Illusions. It’s a sensory experience with a variety of perspective-changing spaces. You’ll have fun exploring, and taking interesting photos along the way.
Fly Over America is a flight simulation ride that takes guests over America’s landscapes. It’s like Soarin’ at the Disney theme parks. Special experiences are sometimes offered, like a fly over of Hawaii or Canada. The ride itself lasts about ten minutes.
When you’re ready to give your feet a rest, go for dinner and a movie. B & B Theaters shows all the newest releases, and offers the comfort of reclining leather seats. The Marquee Bar serves made-to-order hot food.
Other entertainment options at the mall include: playing 18-holes at Moose Mountain Adventure Golf; playing golf in the dark at Rock of Ages Blacklight Minigolf; doing colorful hands-on activities at Crayola Experience; or seeing thousands of sea creatures at Minnesota’s biggest aquarium: SEA LIFE. You’ll also find an arcade, rock climbing walls, a mirror maze, and so much more.
What to Eat at Mall of America
All the shopping and activities will work up an appetite. Fortunately for you, there’s plenty of dining choices inside the mall. There’s the food court, plus a lot of sit down restaurants, too.
Mall of America also houses novelty restaurants like Kura Sushi which has a conveyor belt system and employs a robot to deliver drinks. The Malibu Barbie Cafe is opening in late 2023. It’s an immersive dining experience set in 1970s Malibu and it’s sure to be super popular.
Sprinkled around the mall are fun treats like ridiculously cute animal shaped cotton candy at Oppa Sweets; colorful mochi donuts at Mochinut; cream puffs at Beard Papa’s; waffles with toppings aka “dinges” at Wafels & Dinges; and lots of specialty sweet shops.
Where to Stay at Mall of America
To avoid renting a car, we chose a hotel at the Mall of America. There are two hotels inside the mall, but we stayed just across the street at the Element Bloomington Mall of America, a recently opened hotel. It was a one-minute walk to the East Entrance of the mall.
The girls wanted to share a room. At first, we considered staying at one of the hotels inside the mall, but we found pricing for multiple separate hotel rooms to be too expensive.
We realized that the Element offered a 3-bedroom set-up (called a Studio Commons 3-bedroom suite). That meant a bedroom and bathroom for each mom, plus a bedroom for the teens to share. Additionally, we had a spacious shared living room, dining room, and kitchen accessible from all rooms. The space was huge, allowing for time apart as well as together. It was essentially three hotel rooms with a common living space.
Another perk of the Element Bloomington is the daily complimentary breakfast. There’s a large variety of food – including hot items, pastries, a yogurt bar, fresh fruit and more.
KidTripster Tip: If you’re traveling with a food allergy, there’s an impressive allergy friendly snack selection in the lobby shop.
How to Get To Mall of America
Getting to the mall was easy. It was a nonstop flight for each of us. Once we arrived at Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport (MSP) the Mall of America was about 10 minutes away. A light rail train travels directly from the airport to the mall. Tickets are just a few bucks per person. The light rail station is located at the East Entrance of the mall. An Uber cost around $15.
Although this trip was a mother-daughter getaway, the Mall of America isn’t just for girls. There’s so much to do here that we plan to return, but next time we’ll bring the boys in our family with us.
[ Related: New York City with Teens is Priceless: Top Tips for Parents ]
