Ever since I heard about the Mall of America as a little kid, I wanted to go there. I was told that it was a mall so big, they fit a roller coaster inside it! My little kid mind = blown. Taking my two favorite things, shopping and roller coasters, and combining them into one. I absolutely HAD to experience this. Thirty years later, here I am. So here are my impressions of the Mall of America, as a first-time visitor who has had this on my bucket list since forever. Maybe you have heard of this magical place and are wondering if it’s worth the hype, or maybe you are planning a trip and want to know what to expect.

Things to Do

It’s a mall, first and foremost. There are several non-shopping attractions, but since it’s a mall, the primary thing to do is shop. It is huge, but spread over 3 levels, with a movie theater and some dining on the 4th. This keeps the perimeter from becoming too overwhelming. It’s manageable, but still a good idea to plan your shopping based on what’s near what, because too much back and forth does add up to a lot of walking. Even so, we easily got in our 10,000 steps a day. There are stores on both sides of the perimeter walkways, so that is the mall part, and the amusement park is in the center. It’s on the ground floor, but the roller coaster tracks and structures reach up through all the stories. It’s a fun and colorful view from all levels, and even nicer at night, when they dim the lights and let the ride lights shine, like a mini city at night.

As for the shopping, they have it all. Macy’s and Nordstrom’s are the anchors, as well as the Crayola experience in one of the other corners. The other used to be Sears, but is closed. You can see the sign from the outside, but not inside the mall. It was being used as a haunted house when we were there. They have every price point, from designer boutiques to Five Below. For cosmetics, there are both Sephora and Ulta. For fashion, it’s what you’d expect. There are the usual chains at the various price points, and plenty of smaller places that I was unfamiliar with. Some were definitely local.

Fun activity stores include the m&m’s store, the Crayola experience, and the Lego store, which holds one of the largest Lego statues – a transformer that’s over 2 stories high. There is also a helicopter big enough for a small child to sit in, a globe, and a sea monster. The store itself is on the ground floor underneath this impressive display. It’s about the same size as in a typical mall store, so not huge, and on a Saturday morning, the line to enter wrapped around half the store – Sunday morning too. The m&m’s store is mostly about the merch, but you can also make your own cup of m&m’s candies. There’s a huge wall, 2 walls actually, of each color of m&m’s, in a few varieties, like a giant pick and mix. They are sold by weight, with different sized cups that hold a certain amount, so you know how much 2 lbs looks like and what it costs. You can also customize and print your own design on the m&m’s. Then there is the Crayola experience. It looks like it would be fun for adults and kids to do together, but adults alone would have less to do, so we skipped that one. A lot of the activities involved taking time to color. I was interested in how crayons are made, and the nostalgia of seeing what Crayola looked like through the years. I think I’m on the third iteration of the logo that has existed in my lifetime, but Crayola itself goes back to 1903 and the logos all along are iconic in the era in which they are from.

Good to Know

There is a coupon book that you can get from the hotels. It costs $10, and it has paid for itself a couple times over. We didn’t use many of them, as the coupons are not for the biggest or most popular stores. However, you can still save a few bucks even at some known national brand stores, as well as the local ones, and every little helps. This includes the 4 Minnesota souvenir shops. This is still a trip to Minnesota, even though staying at a hotel attached to the mall means we don’t actually need to step outdoors at all. I made a point to do so on purpose though, because it’s nice to breathe the local air when you go somewhere. There isn’t a lot within walking distance of the mall. Mostly other hotels and a few restaurants.

Accommodation

There are two Hotels attached to the mall, and staying in one definitely has its perks. We stayed at the Radisson Blu. The other one is the JW Marriott Minneapolis. Not having to worry about parking or transportation is one. Being able to easily take bags back to the room or go back for a rest is nice. Being able to walk back so easily after dinner or a movie is great too. The worst part of staying out late is the getting back, so I always like a hotel to be accessible to evening dining and activities.  In addition to sit-down restaurants at the mall, the hotel has a nice restaurant and bar, called the Fire Lake Grill. This proved useful on Sunday night, because the mall closes at 7pm, which we didn’t realize. That included all of the food court as well as the sit-down dining. At 7:30, the hotel restaurant was pretty much our only option for dinner. The dinner was great though.

The Local Area

When I’m in a new place, I like to do my best to figure out what the local area is all about. There are clues to this in souvenir shops, local places, and restaurant menus. Talking with the locals helps too, though having a starting point to ask about helps a lot. One thing I noticed on the menu was popovers. I had heard people talk about these but I had no frame of reference. So of course I ordered them. There is really nothing comparable, except maybe Yorkshire puddings from the UK. Popovers look like muffins that have risen so much that they are hollow on the inside. I found them to be drier than Yorkshire puddings, but they were served with a delicious honey butter. They can be eaten sweet or savory. They even used them as the bread for a sandwich.

I do like to visit souvenir shops wherever I go, especially in new cities. The souvenir shops share a little about the state, which is nice because otherwise I would know nothing. Apparently “ope” and “you betcha” are common local phrases. I wonder if they have a specific way to say “up north”. They pride themselves in being the north, and are known as the North Star State. There is local maple syrup, jams and syrups from chokecherries (I didn’t try those, but I should’ve), and more. There is a local chili. South of the border – the Canadian border, that is. Lakes and big game animals feature too, as well as plenty of buffalo plaid. It feels like a very cozy state.

I’m glad to have had the opportunity to check this one off my bucket list. It was great to experience, but for my part once is enough. I do plan to come back though, because just like I was at their age, my kids are super excited to see it for themselves and one day I do want to experience it together with them. I imagine it will be a different trip with kids. Probably more focus on the entertainment and experiences and less on the shopping. My tween son is definitely not what you would call an enthusiastic shopper, but he is definitely excited to visit the Mall of America.