We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
WiseGEEK

Advertiser Disclosure

Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How We Make Money

We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently from our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Culture

What is the Mall of America?

By K. Testa
Updated May 17, 2024
Our promise to you
WiseGEEK is dedicated to creating trustworthy, high-quality content that always prioritizes transparency, integrity, and inclusivity above all else. Our ensure that our content creation and review process includes rigorous fact-checking, evidence-based, and continual updates to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Editorial Standards

At WiseGEEK, we are committed to creating content that you can trust. Our editorial process is designed to ensure that every piece of content we publish is accurate, reliable, and informative.

Our team of experienced writers and editors follows a strict set of guidelines to ensure the highest quality content. We conduct thorough research, fact-check all information, and rely on credible sources to back up our claims. Our content is reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and clarity.

We believe in transparency and maintain editorial independence from our advertisers. Our team does not receive direct compensation from advertisers, allowing us to create unbiased content that prioritizes your interests.

The Mall of America, often abbreviated MOA, is the world’s most popular shopping mall. Every year, approximately 40 million people visit this megamall located in Bloomington, Minnesota. It is North America’s largest existing mall in terms of enclosed floor area, and is second only to the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada, in terms of total retail space. In addition to the stores and dining areas usually found in a typical American mall, the MOA features numerous additional attractions, ranging from an aquarium to a miniature golf course. A plan to nearly double its total size was unveiled in 2005.

The Triple Five Group, owned by the Ghermezian family, developed the Mall of America. In fact, they were the same developers who created the West Edmonton Mall in Canada. In 1986, the Ghermezian brothers and the Bloomington Port Authority agreed to develop a 78-acre (315,654.8 m2) parcel of land that had been vacated by Met Stadium back in 1982, when the state’s professional baseball and football teams relocated to the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

The Mall of America officially opened 11 August 1992. Its four levels cover 4.2 million sq ft (390,192.8 m2), and are home to more than 520 stores and services. The mall’s four anchors stores include Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Sears. For visitors interested in more than just shopping and dining, there are several other family-friendly attractions. The mall houses the Nickelodeon Universe indoor theme park, the Underwater Adventures Aquarium, and the LEGO® Imagination Center. Additional entertainment options include a movie theater complex, a comedy club, and live music venues.

In addition to offering world-class shopping and entertainment, the mall has been the site of various other types of events. For example, several documentaries and television shows have been filmed there. Also, numerous charity fundraisers take place in and around the mall each year. The Mall of America is even a popular wedding destination. Wedding vows have been exchanged thousands of times in the mall’s Chapel of Love, and many couples have traveled to the mall for their honeymoons.

In 2004, an IKEA store opened across from the Mall of America. This was the first step in what has been called the Phase II expansion of the mall. The new facilities are to be located on adjacent property, and are likely to include hotels and a business complex, among many other attractions. Developers estimate the cost of the expansion to be around $2.1 billion US dollars (USD). It appears that there has been mostly positive public support for the project.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
See our Editorial Process Share Feedback

Related Articles

Discussion Comments

By TreeMan — On Mar 19, 2012

I am thinking about taking a vacation to Minnesota and I am wondering how long I should spend browsing through the Mall of America?

To me it seems like it would not be a normal afternoon in a mall and would probably turn into a weekend visit at the mall. With this in mind I am wondering exactly what the rates are for the hotel that is available in the mall and what kind of rating as far as hotels go it has?

I feel like this would give me the best option in visiting the hotel as all I have to do is exit the lobby and walk into the mall and simply decide what fun there is to be had.

By jcraig — On Mar 19, 2012

@matthewc23 - Well even before the Mall of America was built there was a bit of history to the site. The Minnesota Twins played their games in the stadium that was located on the present site and there is even a red chair elevated twenty feet on the wall to show where a very long home run was hit by a famous player. This is located near the roller coaster.

I remember going to Twins games at this location as a kid and miss the old outdoor stadium, but I am glad to see that something productive replaced it on the site as it is a venue that not only provides one dimensional entertainment, but provides a lot of different types of entertainment that can appeal to a wide variety of people.

By matthewc23 — On Mar 18, 2012

@cardsfan27 - Right you are. When I visited I could not believe that they not only had shopping to offer, but also had attractions such as roller coasters, a water park and even a hotel.

I was also surprised at all the entertainment that was available at the mall as the mall is known to put on concerts as well as comedy acts.

When I went it was to a wrestling event, which was the first wrestling show for WCW, which for a time was the main wrestling promotion in the country. I found it to be interesting that the first time they ever aired during prime time they decided to use the Mall of America as its location.

I will say though, from a fans perspective it was great, because one could watch wrestling as well as shop or eat in between the matches and it was quite an incredible atmosphere.

The Mall of America to me seems like a place that can house a lot of attractions and be its own whatever it wants to be in order to show people a good time.

By cardsfan27 — On Mar 17, 2012

I have been to the Mall of America and I have to say that it is as big as people describe and its size cannot be over emphasized.

When I went there I was amazed to see all that was to be done there besides shop. The selection of food that was available was amazing and there were plenty of attractions inside the mall, which could distract someone for hours.

I feel like this is more of an attraction than a mall and I am betting that there are a lot of people that take vacations just to visit this mall and to see what all it has to offer.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.