Mall of America, Bloomington, MN
Created | Updated Dec 23, 2006
America is a land of many things. One of those many things is consumerism. One of our greatest monuments to consumerism is the Mall of America. It is one of the largest concentrations of retail space in the world, with about 2.5 million square feet of retail space, 11,000 employees and enough parking for 20,000 cars.
If you're visiting Minneapolis, MN the Mall of America is a relatively easy destination to reach. Within sight of the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, it is itself a transportation hub. If you're driving, it sits directly next to two freeways, I-494 and highway 77. If you're taking public transit, it is a hub for numerous bus lines and sits at one end of the regions only light rail line. The light rail actually travels from the mall, to the airport and on to downtown Minneapolis.
Lodging is readily available in the area, with a large number of hotels situating themselves near both the mall and the airport.
The Mall of America is a huge attraction, in every sense of the word. Not only is it's scale enourmous, but it attracts 40 million visitors every year. Once you're there it's easy to see why. Just about any kind of shop you can imagine is there, particularly if you like imagine clothing shops. (Speaking of which, there is no sales tax for clothing in Minnesota)
The mall also includes an indoor amusement park, the largest of its kind in the US. The park includes a lot of real foliage, which can be a pleasant environment while shopping during the cold Minnesota winters.
If you are visiting the mall, here are a couple tips. Week days are usually much quieter than weekends. Weekends leading up to Christmas can be particularly busy, so if you don't want to deal with crowds, it's recommended to avoid that time of year. During the summer when school is out, you will find a large number of children there. The mall does have rules about children not being with their parents and they do attempt to enforce those rules though.
If you're stuck eating at the mall, don't fret, there are a number of good restaurants inside. Most, while not of an excellent quality, won't make you regret staying there to eat. If you're looking for the best the region has to offer in food, look else where. If you're looking for a nice meal to hold you over while you shop, there are tons of great options.
If you're visiting Minneapolis, MN the Mall of America is a relatively easy destination to reach. Within sight of the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, it is itself a transportation hub. If you're driving, it sits directly next to two freeways, I-494 and highway 77. If you're taking public transit, it is a hub for numerous bus lines and sits at one end of the regions only light rail line. The light rail actually travels from the mall, to the airport and on to downtown Minneapolis.
Lodging is readily available in the area, with a large number of hotels situating themselves near both the mall and the airport.
The Mall of America is a huge attraction, in every sense of the word. Not only is it's scale enourmous, but it attracts 40 million visitors every year. Once you're there it's easy to see why. Just about any kind of shop you can imagine is there, particularly if you like imagine clothing shops. (Speaking of which, there is no sales tax for clothing in Minnesota)
The mall also includes an indoor amusement park, the largest of its kind in the US. The park includes a lot of real foliage, which can be a pleasant environment while shopping during the cold Minnesota winters.
If you are visiting the mall, here are a couple tips. Week days are usually much quieter than weekends. Weekends leading up to Christmas can be particularly busy, so if you don't want to deal with crowds, it's recommended to avoid that time of year. During the summer when school is out, you will find a large number of children there. The mall does have rules about children not being with their parents and they do attempt to enforce those rules though.
If you're stuck eating at the mall, don't fret, there are a number of good restaurants inside. Most, while not of an excellent quality, won't make you regret staying there to eat. If you're looking for the best the region has to offer in food, look else where. If you're looking for a nice meal to hold you over while you shop, there are tons of great options.
