BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Same rainforest, elevated climate. An iconic fixture of the Mall of America has returned, only now, it's on the third floor.
The Rainforest Cafe opens to the public on Friday nd while the experience and ambiance is everything you remembered, the brand new third floor location comes with additions to the menu, new management, a large patio and even more animal interaction.
The Rainforest Cafe first opened at the Mall in 1994 where it quickly became an attraction, both for local families and out of town visitors. Then, it announced last January they'd be moving and shutting down temporarily.
Judging by the amount of curious gawkers inside the mall on Thursday, and a handful of shoppers who stopped to snap a photo, the new spot is much anticipated.
Situated next to two more coming attractions to the mall -- the Crayola Experience and Margaritaville -- folks familiar with the Rainforest Cafe will notice some changes. The gift shop is now separate from the restaurant, there's more TVs surrounding the bar and the fish tank that became a staple of the first floor location is no more.
Still, the new spot has incorporated more animatronic animals -- from tigers, gorillas and elephants -- that all come to life when the next thunderstorm rolls around (roughly every 22 minutes).
The Rainforest Cafe is located on the third floor on the east side, near its sister property Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. For hours and more information, click here.