Mall of America

Do you remember when Mall of America first opened? Do you remember your first visit? Minnesota’s beloved MOA is turning 25 this year (#MOAturns25), and there are quite a few ways to help celebrate.

With the cooler weather and the kids starting to feel cooped up, MOA has something for everyone in the family during the winter months. Enticements include 520-plus stores, 50 restaurants, two hotels, a movie theater and a constant 70 degrees year-round.

And what better time of year to visit MOA than the holiday shopping season? In addition to crossing names off your list, you can also check out the Holiday Music Festival, visit Santa and enjoy countless other holiday festivities. Don’t forget Black Friday. Even with online shopping taking off, MOA is still a dominant force, generating $2 billion annually. There’s also more focus on entertainment and attractions.

Crayola Experience

Let’s start with the cool new kid on the block, the Crayola Experience. This place is getting a lot of attention and for good reason. With 60,000 square feet—including 25 hands-on attractions, a two-story playground, a 6,000-square-foot Crayola store and a cafe—the Crayola Experience encourages visitors to spend at least three to four hours to take in as much of the colorful fun as possible.

At the interactive hands-on attractions, you can name your own crayon to take home, melt your favorite crayon into a keepsake shape, color in the dark with neon crayons, learn how crayons are made and be the star of your own coloring page. And what Crayola experience would be complete without a coloring station with a giant caddy filled with thousands of crayons?

Sea Life Aquarium

When MOA first opened 25 years ago, this 1.3 million-gallon aquarium was known as Underwater Adventures, but the new-and-improved SEA LIFE Aquarium still offers the same amazing experience. The aquarium is home to thousands of creatures, including fish, sharks, sea turtles, clown fish, alligators, jellyfish, sea horses and stingrays. Visitors are encouraged to spend at least an hour checking everything out.

One of the most popular exhibits is the Pacific Northwest Rockpool, where visitors are able to touch sea creatures, including sea stars, anemones and sea cucumbers. Visitors can also snorkel with the fish or feed the stingrays. If you’re the type who prefers to watch from afar, there are public daily feeding schedules for the animals, from sea horses to sharks, where you can watch from the safety of dry land. More than 100 pounds of food are fed daily to the animals in the aquarium.

Nickelodeon Universe

Nickelodeon Universe is one of the world’s largest indoor amusement parks. Originally known as Camp Snoopy when MOA first opened, the remodel includes 27 rides and more than 30,000 live plants. Some of the original rides remain, including the Log Chute and the Carousel. New rides include Avatar Airbender, Brain Surge and Shredder’s Mutant Masher. Visitors also get the chance to meet their favorite Nickelodeon characters in person, including Dora, SpongeBob and the Ninja Turtles. Weekly events include Toddler Tuesdays, the twice-daily Double Dare Challenge and the nine-minute light show Universe of Light.

MOA’s hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Entertainment attractions and holiday hours may vary, so go to mallofamerica.com when planning your visit.

AAA Minneapolis members receive exclusive discounts on Crayola Experience, Sea Life Aquarium and Nickelodeon Universe tickets.

Raya Garrison is AAA Minneapolis’ content marketing specialist.