AlexandraPride

The focal point of the mall is the 7-acre amusement park, which includes approximately 30 rides/attractions, such as a ferris wheel and a roller coaster. Speed demons beware, this IS an indoor coaster. Don’t expect to be thrown around too much while zipping around in your coaster seat! The amusement park charges for admission, and there are several different admission packages to choose from, including a no-fuss unlimited ride option.

There are many other fun attractions at the mall, too, including the Underwater Adventures Aquarium, the LEGO® Imagination Center, the A.C.E.S. Flight Simulation, the NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway, and a 14-screen movie theatre. However, being that Minnesota has NO SALESTAX, I chose to spend the majority of my visit doing some well-earned shopaerobics instead, hehe! This state is shopping heaven for girls sizes 0-4 – I was always able to find the items I wanted in a size that would suit my slender frame with no hassle whatsoever, which is SO nice compared to the immense competition I face for the same items in southern California! The mall shops flank a walkway around the amusement park. The bottom floor has a few kiosks strewn around as well. At last count, there were four major department stores, which were located on the four corners of the rectangular mall.

The list of restaurants and eateries is quite extensive, as befits a 4-story, 4.2 million sq. ft. center of commerce. I believe there are approximately 20 restaurants and over 60 eateries. The fourth floor is an underdeveloped part of the mall – more a boasting point than something truly worth checking out beyond the theatre (and perhaps the Hooters bar – I find them overrated myself) located there.

All in all, this is a mall to check out if you like having a large spectrum of shops at your disposal or if you are interested in taking advantage of the fun attractions, i.e. the ones mentioned above. If you have a pretty set selection of shops that you gravitate towards and have no interest in the amusement park, etc., then this place might come off as overrated. Being that I visited pretty much every mall in the area during my visit, I will add that, which I found the Mall of America somewhat overrated compared to my dear South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, CA, I found browsing through the Mall of America to be much more engaging than the other Minnesotan malls, which strongly lacked the energy and liveliness that I thrive upon.