The Mall of America can be the perfect destination for families with teens. Thrilling teenagers can be tricky when it comes travel. The ultimate goal is to have a great time together and create lasting memories. With generational differences, finding common ground sometimes takes a little thinking outside the box.
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The Mall of America, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a prime destination for fun, thrill and laughter. Regardless of the temps outside, once you’re inside, you’ll have hours upon hours of everchanging entertainment.
Teens like to be wowed. They like to be challenged. They like to have a good time. And, they like to eat. Read on for multiple ways to check all these boxes and more.
Mall of America: Teen Approved
Just Googling the square footage of this gigantuous building made my teenage son smile while in the airport. That was a good sign. 4,870,000 sq ft or 96.4 acres to be exact.
With over 500 stores, seeing everything wasn’t really on our list. Having an amazing time together in the Nickelodeon Universe theme park was. I loved seeing the authentic smile work its way across his face as the Ferris wheel and roller coasters came into sight. It’s hard to fathom a full amusement park under one roof until you’re there. The ingenuity behind the rides’ placement, and the skylights that bring the outside in, are something to take notice of.
**Travel Tip** Pick up a visitor’s magazine on the wall rack by the north end Customer Service desk. There are a bunch of coupons on the back few pages.
Without further ado, let’s get to the good stuff!
Nickelodeon Universe: Teen Favorites
The entire park is very family friendly. It has rides for all ages and thrill levels. Honestly, I was a bit worried that there wouldn’t be enough ‘big kid’ rides to fill a whole day, but that was not the case.
Here are my son’s favorite rides in no particular order:
- Pepsi Orange Streak
- Rock Bottom Plunge
- Ghost Blasters
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock
- Log Chute
- Fairly Odd Coaster
- Air Bender
Additional Fun and Activities
Right in the amusement park area, you’ll find additional activities for teenagers. Teen travel is all about the element of surprise, so finding more than just rides was perfect.
Dutchman’s Deck Ropes Course
Always one to test our physical abilities, this was a great option for both of us. There is an additional fee apart from the theme park. Ask for a military discount if applicable. (you’ll need to show your ID)
The ropes course has three levels and two swirling slides. You can spend as long as you want on the course, but once you take your harness off, you can only do the slides.
Each level gets a bit trickier and another 8’ or so higher. There are multiple planks and ropes to test your balance and guts. We both found it fun but not overly scary since you are hooked onto the guide rope by a carabiner. We spent roughly 30 minutes on the course/slides.
Moose Mountain Putt-putt
Putt-putt has always been a go-to activity for this kid. Moose Mountain has 18 holes to put up a family challenge. Found on the upper level of the mall, it’s a great view of the amusement park as you make your way through the course.
Cost is for a full 18 holes.
Arcade
There are actually several arcade rooms throughout the mall. The refillable gaming card works for all of them. If you have a coupon for free credits, you’ll need to purchase your card on Level 3.
The great thing about these arcades is that they are full of new games not typically found. Along with that, they have oldies but goodies, too. Pong, Guitar Hero and Pacman to name a few.
As with all good arcades, you can cash in your earned points for candy and prizes. The point system was actually pretty generous, and the prizes were fun and different. There’s something special about the Tootsie Rolls that come from gaming. It’s been a tradition in our family for the past 15 years.
Wall Climbing
We didn’t get a chance to participate in this, but it is so cool! You literally are climbing walls of various art: Mount Rushmore, a skate park, a piano, the ocean.
You can pay for 30- or 60-minutes’ worth of climbing time and climb as many walls as you desire.
Mall of America Extras
M&M’s Store
Located near the Log Chute, this is a must. Two main features really stick out. One, you can make custom made M&M’s. Via a computer program, you can pick out your candy’s color and picture. These make great personalized gifts. The second thing not to miss is the wall of M&M’s!! A rainbow of colors will absolutely amaze you.
Food Court
Teen travel isn’t complete unless their bellies are full. With a food court full of options, this is easy. Burger Burger was our choice for the day. Besides serving delicious food, I like the fact that they partner with local suppliers, contribute to charitable organizations and support local schools. A little voluntourism while traveling with your teen is always a bonus.
For a truly WOW reaction, head to Sugar Factory. We ordered their extreme shakes and sundaes. Even though we knew what we had selected, it’s still a shock when all that sweetness gets set down in front of you!
We were quite entertained during our time in the restaurant by nearby tables that ordered the specialty, smoking drinks. The wait staff pours the selected liquid over dry ice right at the table for the full effect. It was a delight for everyone around.
Their BIG item is their $50 sundae bowl. It comes with 12 scoops of ice cream, candy of all sorts, a donut and lots of toppings. The waitress recommended having at least six people in your party in order to be able to eat it all. Next time!
Shopping in Mall of America
You can literally shop until you drop – or run out of money. We only shopped for a few of the 10 hours that we were at the mall and we still walked over seven miles for the day. There are three floors of practically every store you can imagine. The variety is great, especially if you’re shopping for gifts.
We opted to shop after riding the majority of the rides, so we didn’t have to deal with a lot of packages while getting on and off. There are cubbies at each ride so it’s not a huge deal unless you have an overabundance of bags.
Minneapolis Lodging: Home Exchange
To add to the surprise element of teen travel, I booked our stay through Home Exchange. We had a wonderful experience and the hosts were so accommodating.
Home Exchange works with both mutual exchanges and points. Since our host was staying in a different city than ours, we used acquired points to cover our stay. It was very comfortable staying in someone’s home. They gave us great recommendations for nearby coffee shops and hikes.
If you’re interested in signing up for Home Exchange, you can use my referral link to get extra points right away.
Teen Travel Takeaways
The teen years go by so quickly. These young adults are being launched into a crazy world. It’s nice to let them be kids and have fun. The best part is getting to share that experience and have fun being a kid right alongside them. The element of surprise, food and personalized experiences make a well-rounded trip. The Mall of America is great for any time of the year, but winter makes it ideal. So, put those hands up and enjoy the ride!
