Minnesota
What to Explore at Minnesota's Largest Mall
Mall of America is a Minnesota icon. Home to more than 520 stores, 50 restaurants, a theme park and an aquarium, it continues to add trendy shops, exciting entertainment options, restaurants and major events that bring 32 million visits through its doors each year. Jake Juliot from Explore Minnesota joined me on WJON to highlight what to do at MOA.
THINGS TO DO
Find fun and excitement at The Fair on 4, where your family can savor fair-inspired foods like cheese curds & house-cut fries, compete in axe throwing (with a parent or guardian), drive a go-cart and more.
Spanning more than 24,000 square feet, M&M’S Mall of America features Minnesotathemed products and a free, interactive experience including exclusive merch and experiences like “Peanut Peak” — a rooftop celebration of majestic landscapes in Minnesota. Not to mention a personalization station, “Wall of Chocolate”, and photo ops with iconic M&Ms characters.
For even more fun with friends, work together to solve clues and escape from one of the immersive experiences inside The Escape Game. Challenges have included breaking out of a jail cell, fixing your Mars rover to get back to Earth, and rescuing a stolen painting from an art gallery.
MOA’s popular indoor theme park, Nickelodeon Universe, is home to 27 attractions and counting including the longest indoor zip line in the country, and a nightly light show. Attractions feature your favorite Nickelodeon characters from Spongebob SquarePants, Blues Clues and Paw Patrol.
At the Museum of Illusions, step inside mind-bending exhibits that shock your senses and puzzle your perceptions. Nothing is as it seems inside this interactive exhibit for the entire family.
Adjacent to Nickelodeon Universe, FlyOver America simulates soaring over national landmarks and destinations. The seats move and swing gently, creating a sense of flying. The immersive experience features wind, mist and scents to enhance the images on the screen. Next to FlyOver, the 5D Extreme Attraction gives riders the choice between a wild ride through a mystery mine or a trip underwater with prehistoric beasts.
At SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium, the state’s largest aquarium features a 300-foot long underwater tunnel with four areas where guests can see sharks, rescued sea turtles, and more.
If your kids are into collecting and/or playing with toy cars, the country’s fourth Ridemakerz location opened last holiday season and offers custom mini vehicles as souped-up with premium rims and tires as anything you’d find in The Fast and the Furious series.
For fans of LEGO, the iconic store outside Nickelodeon Universe offers a pick-a-brick wall with 180 different LEGO elements, endless kits available for purchase, play tables to inspire creativity and eight larger-than-life models, including a robot that stands over 34 feet tall.
Another family favorite, Crayola Experience offers kids 25 hands-on activities like naming and wrapping their own crayons, as well as a massive retail store. Spanning nearly 10,000 square feet, the CoComelon Playdate attraction features 10,000 sq.ft of active play areas, including a two-story play structure, imaginative play buildings and open play zones. Iconic locations from “CoComelon” come to life, including JJ’s Treehouse, the Fire Station, MacDonald’s Farm, and much more in a safe and enclosed space.
WHERE TO STAY
Mall of America has two on-site hotels, the JW Marriott and Radisson Blu. Both hotels feature full-service restaurants and bars, fitness centers, pools and meeting space, as well as direct access to the mall.
Several other hotels in the area offer shuttle service to the mall, including the Great Wolf Lodge with a water park, arcade, bowling alley and interactive games.
Nickelodeon And Mall of America Celebrate Opening Of Nickelodeon Universe
WHERE TO SHOP
Name any popular clothing store and Mall of America probably has it. While it boasts some of the country’s biggest chains, it also has several unique, hard-to-find stores. Some of the newest stores to open include Squishable, Draper James, and more.
From outdoor gear at Karl’s Fishing & Outdoors or L.L. Bean to trendy fashion at Aritzia, Zara, and more, you’re going to find something for everyone.
The Mall of America also spotlights many local merchants throughout its sprawling, 5.6 million square foot space. The past few years has seen a new Love From Minnesota shop (a.k.a. The Neighborhood); Games by James, an iconic shop selling board games, card games, and puzzles; and Indulge & Bloom, which specializes in gorgeous fresh flowers, home décor, and gifts.
WHERE TO EAT
Taste your way around the world with spots like Kura Sushi, a revolving sushi bar with Japanese roots, fresh lobster rolls from Maine at Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls, frozen treats from Mexico at La Michoacana, and delicious ramen at Ichiddo Ramen.
Find your favorite pop-culture inspired spots like Carlo’s Bakery from TLC’s Cake Boss, Margaritaville, Wahlburgers, and Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. For something sweet, visit Nothing Bundt Cakes, Beard Papas for custom cream puffs, freshly fried donuts at Duck Donuts, unique cookies at Baking Betty’s or Belgian waffles at Wafels and Dinges. For a taste of nostalgia, visit the 90’s icon Rainforest Café.
Culinary on North, an upscale food court on level three, features a dozen fast-casual restaurants with food served on actual plates with silverware. Diners can dig into Italianstyle street food at Piada, burgers and milkshakes at Shake Shack, and a taco concept from the Hot Indian crew at Bussin’ Birria.
Other new eateries include Juicebox that specializes in locally made fruit drinks, Rocket Fizz offering over 500 varieties of glass bottled soda and vintage candy, and Chocolate Moonshine offering gourmet chocolates, caramels, and sipping chocolates.
TRAVEL TIPS
MOA’s transit center makes it easier than ever to get to the mall or MSP Airport via light rail, bus or bike. Valet parking, formerly available at Nordstrom and the Radisson Blu, now includes the option for shoppers to drop their car off on one side of the building and pick it up on another. Park Assist shows shoppers where there are open parking spots.
Once inside, the mall offers free Wi-Fi throughout the building, a mobile app and interactive digital directories in 10 languages.
Families with kids on the autism spectrum can rest assured they’ll be well taken care of thanks to the mall’s new designation as a Certified Autism Center, with sensory guides available for each ride at Nickelodeon Universe.
The park also offers a designated quiet space for guests with sensory issues. The space provides a safe and calming environment and is located behind Guest Services, near the exit of Pepsi® Orange Streak. The room features dimmable lights, soft seating, air conditioning, soundproof walls and more.
Having recently hit a major, 30-year milestone, the Mall of America also has a lot of history to share. Gain insider access to hidden mall highlights during a 90-minute VIP tour and covers “amazing stories, fascinating facts and unbelievable anecdotes at every turn.”
For repeat guests, join the MOA Insiders program to earn points every time you shop, play, and dine at Mall of America. Points may be redeemed for rewards like admission to top attractions, special discounts, and more.
If you’d like to listen to my conversation with Jake Juliot, it is available below.
Come Visit Richmond With Us in Pictures
BEMIDJI — The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development recently announced over $1.4 million in child care economic development grants, including a $200,000 award to the
Northwest Minnesota Foundation
in Bemidji.
Split between 11 programs and organizations around the state, more than 80% of the awarded funds support programs in Greater Minnesota, with the aim of creating more than 1,100 new child care slots.
“Affordable, reliable child care is essential for a thriving economy,” DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek said in a release. “These grants are supporting working families by ensuring Minnesota parents are able to work knowing their child is well cared for by some of the best caregivers in the nation. We’re also helping employers retain talent and working together to establish the foundation for long-term economic vitality.”
DEED’s Child Care Economic Development Grant program provides funding to organizations and communities to invest in new or expanding child care businesses, including facility improvements, worker training, attraction, retention and licensing, and other strategies to address the child care shortage.
Since the office’s inception in July 2023, DEED has awarded over $13 million in grants to 56 organizations to fund child care startups or business expansions, resulting in over 4,000 new child care slots.
A new state evaluation found Minnesota’s voter registration system mostly works as intended, but some counties did not update their records accurately.
On Wednesday, the Office of the Legislative Auditor published a summary of new voter registration applications submitted in the summer and fall of 2024. The findings stated counties processed 96% of new applications within the legal time frames, but struggled to process applications when recieved within 20 days of an election.
The report also said counties did not always update voter registration records as required by law when the Office of the Secretary of State flagged possible disqualifying conditions, such as incarceration. Counties sent required notices within 10 days to 84% of registered voters whose incarceration or guardianship challenges they removed.
The report goes on to say counties followed the identity verification process correctly for 99.9% of applicants and followed the residency verification process correctly for 99% of applicants. But among applicants counties manually reviewed for residency, counties either inaccurately assigned voter statuses or failed to document their rationale in more than one-third of the cases reviewed.
The Secretary of State maintains the Statewide Voter Registration System, while counties are responsible for creating and maintaining their own voter registration records. As of January of 2026, nearly 3.8 million people were registered to vote in Minnesota.
Top officials respond
Reaction to the report from Minnesota leaders has been mixed, with some top Republicans saying Secretary of State Steve Simon is to blame for inactive voters being left on voter rolls.
However, Simon’s takeaway from the evaluation was mostly positive, saying, “the report found our office has established the appropriate procedures for counties and that counties have performed their work with a nearly perfect record of accuracy.”
Cory Kampf, president of the Minnesota Association of County Officers, said counties generally agreed with the recommendations but asked for more context. He added voter residency was verified in 99% of applications, following the correct processes.
Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, and Leader Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, full statement reads: “This voter registration audit exposes major loopholes in our system, including the thousands of votes that were allowed to register and cast a ballot on Election Day but couldn’t be verified as legal voters. It also showed that the Secretary of State does not follow the law for inactive voters, choosing to leave voters on the rolls years after they should have been deactivated. These are major problems that need to be addressed. Integrity in elections is paramount, and Minnesotans deserve certainty that only legal voters are deciding our elections.”
Minnesota
Minnesota Looks to Add 1,100 Child Care Slots, With Melrose Among the 11 Funded Communities
UNDATED (WJON News) — The city of Melrose is one of 11 communities and organizations sharing in the latest round of child care grants.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has announced more than $1.4-million in child care economic development grants that will create more than 1,100 new child care slots across the state.
DEED says more than 80% of the money is slated for outstate Minnesota.
Commissioner Matt Varilek says the grants help working families by ensuring parents are able to work. It also helps employers retain talent and establish the foundation for long-term economic vitality.
Since the program’s start in July 2023, DEED has awarded more than $13-million in grants to 56 organizations to fund child care startups and business expansions.
25 Board Games That We All Played in the ’70s
From well-known favorites like Clue to cult classics like Masterpiece, these 1970s board games bring a wave of nostalgia for a time when life felt simpler — and maybe even a little more exciting.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
LOOK: The Best Car Ads of the 1970s in One Nostalgic Gallery
From the Pinto to the Civic, get ready to relive the days of manual windows and two-door wagons as we flip through some of the most iconic car print ads from 1970s magazines.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
Summer Vacation in the ’80s: These Nostalgic Photos Say It All
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
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