BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — The Mall of America (MOA) is spreading festive cheer and joy to shoppers with a huge holiday transformation and a "Christmas list" of events leading up to the big December day.
Here is a look at the new holiday décor at MOA by the numbers:
- Two 44-foot trees stand in the Rotunda
- Each tree in the Rotunda has 385 branches and 32,000 LED bulbs
- In each court space of the Mall, oversized ornaments weighing 200-300 pounds hang from the ceiling, with each taking a full hour to install
- Nearly 5,000 strands of lights are up and glowing throughout the mall
- Seven 11-foot nutcrackers stand in the Mall's north entrance
- Four larger-than-life toy installations including a View Finder, Rocket Ship, Robot, and Toy Car can be found inside
- Twenty themed holiday trees and giant ornaments are inside the Nickelodeon Universe
The Nickelodeon Universe Winter Break runs from Nov. 4 to Jan. 31 with fan-favorite characters dressed up for the season throughout the theme park and a nightly holiday light show.
Want to meet Santa? An arrival ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 26 in the Rotunda. The public is invited to schedule an appointment to visit multicultural Santas beginning Nov. 16 at the annual Santa Experience. Pet photos with Santa are also available on Nov. 24, Dec. 1, Dec. 8, and Dec. 15. Santa photos, movies, and other merchandise will be available for purchase.
Beginning Nov. 29, the elf-run, Santa-approved holiday research lab is back for another season. Elves will offer tours to shoppers at the Candy Cane Institute — giving a behind-the-scenes look at the North Pole's research department and a special visit from Santa himself.
Billed as the "most exciting day of the year at Mall of America" — Black Friday is Nov. 29 this year with doors opening at 7 a.m. Mall officials offered this three-prong plan for the biggest shopping day of the year at the mall:
- Mystery Cards presented by Minnesota Lottery: As guests enter the North Entrance doors on Black Friday morning, thousands of Mystery Cards will be handed out that reveal their special surprise. Prizes are valued up to nearly $600.
- Pepsi Prize: The first 200 people in line at the North Entrance of the Mall on Black Friday will receive a $25 Mall of America gift card in addition to their Mystery Card. Plus, one of those first 200 people will receive $2,500 courtesy of Pepsi! Participants must be 18 years or older to participate in the Pepsi Prize.
- Doorbuster Zone: Guests who receive a Doorbuster on their Mystery Card will head to the Doorbuster Zone where one of our designated Doorbuster characters will bust through a door to deliver their prize.
MOA officials will ramp up their expanded hours in three separate sets of dates:
November 1 – November 30:
Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Thanksgiving Day: CLOSED
Black Friday: 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
December 1 – December 16:
Monday – Thursday: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday + Saturday: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
December 16 – January 1:
Monday – Sunday: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Christmas Eve: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Christmas Day: CLOSED
New Years Eve: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
New Years Day: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
The Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettles and volunteer bell ringers are back for another season and can be found at the mall's entrances.
For more information on the festivities at MOA, please visit mallofamerica.com/holiday.
