This was published 6 years ago
Biggest shopping mall in the USA: Inside the Mall of America, Minneapolis
By Craig Platt
The Mall of America, Minneapolis, is enormous even by US standards.
I've heard about the giants malls of North America before, so I ask a question that might seem unthinkable in Australia.
"Does this mall have a roller coaster inside it?"
"Yes, it has four," our driver says.
The Nickelodeon Universe theme park inside the mall features four roller coasters and many other rides.
We're on our way to the Mall of America, the largest shopping centre in the country and 12th largest in the world, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Malls are more than just places to shop in the US, they are entertainment venues, meeting places, even holiday destinations.
But why is the country's largest located in Minneapolis, a city with a population a little over 400,000 (or 750,000 including its neighbour, St Paul)? Perhaps it's due to the climate.
Although the Australian dollar has fallen against the greenback ... shopping in the US can offer great value.
Anyone who has seen Fargo, either the movie or the TV series, will know that Minnesota gets mighty cold in winter. As such, a large, climate-controlled space sounds pretty attractive. In addition, Minnesota is one of the few states in the country to not have any sales tax on purchases, making it an attractive shopping destination.
The numbers behind the mall are staggering. There are 520 stores and 50 restaurants, employing 14,000 people. It covers 520,000 square metres and walking a lap around one level (of which there are four) will see you cover 1.85 kilometres. If you spent 10 minutes in every store, it would take you 86 hours to visit them all.
The shops circle the mall's Nickelodeon Universe theme park, which means that, despite its size, it's surprisingly easy to avoid getting lost. If you're not sure where you are, you simply head back into the middle of the building, following the sounds of screaming kids on rides, where the various roller coasters and other rides will allow you to orient yourself.
The shops are spread over four levels.
In addition, three of the four corners of the mall are home to different department stores (Macy's, Nordstrom and Sears), which also makes it easy to figure out where you are.
It's easy to see that visitors could spend the entire day here, even if they weren't shopping. Along with its four roller coasters, the theme park features a variety of other rides, including a big-screen, virtual-reality theatre called Flyover America. It's similar to an IMAX screen, except the audience's seats are elevated and move in time with the spectacular aerial footage, creating an immersive experience.
There are a wide variety of restaurants, ranging from regular fast-food chains through to fine dining. We lunch at Cedar + Stone, which offers a range of traditional local dishes with modern twists, sourced from local farms. The fresh, light produce is about as far removed from typical mall fast food as you can imagine.
There are two hotels at the mall, which is a short distance from the city's airport.
But, of course, the main attraction is indeed shopping, and not just for the locals. In fact, shopping remains one of the main draws for many Australian visitors to the US, with figures putting it as the number one activity we engage in while visiting the US.
According to the US Department of Commerce National Travel and Tourism Office, 92 per cent of Australian visitors go shopping in the US, making it a more popular activity than sightseeing (90 per cent).
And although the Australian dollar has fallen against the greenback from its glory days of $1.05 a few years ago, even at the high 70-cent mark shopping in the US can offer great value, particularly on clothing. Levi jeans cost about half the price here, and I pick up a pair of Skechers shoes at the mall for $US60 (A few months later I see the same ones in a Melbourne store for $A140).
Despite its size, the mall is not finished yet. At the start of March, the mall pitched to city officials a plan to build a giant, $200 million indoor water park at the site.
In America, it feels like bigger is always better – even when you're already the biggest.
Trip notes
FLY
Most US airlines have connections into Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport from the major entry points for Australians. The airport is Delta's second-largest hub.
VISIT
The Mall of America is located in Bloomington, not far from the airport. A light-rail service runs directly from the airport to the mall and takes about 20 minutes. More than 50 local hotels also offer free shuttle buses to the mall. The mall is open from 10am to 9.30pm Monday to Saturday and from 11am to 7pm Sunday, though some attractions located within the mall have different opening hours. See mallofamerica.com
STAY
The mall has two hotels on site: a Radisson Blu and a JW Marriott. See https://www.radissonblu.com/en/hotel-mall-of-america and http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mspjw-jw-marriott-minneapolis-mall-of-america/
The writer travelled as a guest of Brand USA, Explore Minnesota and Mall of America.
See also: The best places to shop in Hawaii
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