The Mall of America®
We salute the nation’s most magnificent shopping and leisure experience
As US destinations go, this one is fast becoming the place that eclipses the Grand Canyon, the Empire State Building and Monument Valley in terms of sheer pulling power, attracting over 40 million visitors a year from across the country and so immense it even has its own Google map.
Yes, it’s The Mall of America, a retail palace that boasts over 520 retail and specialty stores in one magnificent monolith to the marketplace; the largest mall in terms of store vendors in the United States when it opened in 1992.
Need the bigger picture? No problem. According to Wikipedia, The Mall of America has a gross area of 4,870,000 sq ft (452,000 m2) or 96.4 acres, with 2,500,000 sq ft (230,000 m2) available as retail space.
Perhaps a translation would help. That means that seven Yankee Stadiums, 32 Boeing 747s or 258 Statues of Liberty could fit comfortably fit inside it. What’s more, according to the experts at the Mall:
- The walking distance around one level of it is 0.57 miles
- 4 out of 10 visitors to the Mall are tourists
- There are 4.3 miles of total store front footage
- There are 25 rides and attractions in Nickelodeon Universe®
- More than 400 events are held at Mall of America each year
- 5,000 weddings have been performed at Mall of America
- There are 11,000 year-round employees at Mall of America (13,000 during peak periods)
And of course…
- If Mount Rushmore was divided into individual monuments, a president could reside in each of the Mall’s four courts
But most importantly…
- There is no sales tax on clothing in Minnesota!
With that last stat in mind, grab an extra large shopping cart (with reinforced suspension) as we take a swift tour round this palace of procurement that doesn’t just offer retail therapy…but a life-changing operation.
Inside, you’ll find ever shopping sensation you could need, from American Apparel to Zales (The Diamond Store). All the big names are represented, including Nordstrom, Macy’s, Sears and Ikea; plus there’s rare chance to experience giants like Apple and Microsoft slug it out in the same venue. Not forgetting the hundreds of smaller retailers that make browsing and buying here a real shopping bag of delights.
Hungry? Then dive into the huge choice of over 50 eateries including Dick’s Last Resort and the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, and of course don’t forget to lose yourself in a world of entertainment including the nation’s largest indoor theme park, Nickelodeon Universe®, SEA LIFE® Aquarium, LEGO®, A.C.E.S. Flight Simulator, Moose Mountain Adventure Golf and more.
And don’t worry if you’re visiting during the legendary cold of a Minnesotan winter; the temperature is kept at a comfortable 70 degrees inside, whatever the season.
So many shops, so little time
The 520 retailers displaying their wares under one roof mean that if you spend roughly a minute in each, you’ll be able to tick them all off your list in just nine hours. Why not give yourself a breather and slow down to the glacial pace of two a minute and include a night’s stopover at the Radisson Blu, just two minutes away from this most magnificent of malls?
Blog post originally written for the Radisson Blu hotel chain and appeared on their website in 2014.
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