Mall of America

Sea Life at Mall of America (formally known as Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium) is a public aquarium located in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, United States. The 1.3 million-US-gallon (4.9 ML) aquarium contains thousands of aquatic creatures, including sea turtles, sharks, sawfish, stingrays, jellyfish and seahorses. There are eleven exhibits featured at the aquarium. The aquarium is highlighted by a 300-foot (91 m) 360° clear acrylic tunnel, which consists of four different areas housing both freshwater and salt water creatures.

Fairly Odd Coaster (known formerly as Timberland Twister) is a spinning roller coaster themed to The Fairly OddParents that opened on March 15, 2004, at Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America. Individual cars have two rows facing each other and each car spins independently throughout the course of the ride. The ride is geared toward families. The ride was installed by Ride Entertainment Group, who handles all of Gerstlauer's operations in the Western Hemisphere.

Pepsi Orange Streak (formerly known as Pepsi Ripsaw) is a custom Zierer roller coaster located in Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America. It is located in the west side of the park, and debuted with the park in August 1992. Some of its features include two lift hills, a tunnel through the Log Chute, and three large helices, twisting its way through the park. The ride is sponsored by Pepsi, Mall of America's official soft drink.

Nickelodeon Universe is the name of two indoor amusement parks located at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota and American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with a third location under construction at the Mall of China in Chongqing, China. The parks consist of attractions and rides based on Nickelodeon’s popular franchises. The amusement parks are owned and operated by the Triple Five Group with licensing rights from Paramount Global, which owns Nickelodeon.

The 1969 NFL Championship Game was the 37th and final championship game prior to the AFL–NFL merger, played January 4, 1970, at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb south of Minneapolis. The winner of the game earned a berth in Super Bowl IV in New Orleans against the champion of the American Football League.The Minnesota Vikings of the Western Conference hosted the Cleveland Browns of the Eastern Conference. It was the Vikings' first appearance in the title game, while the Browns were making their second straight appearance and fourth of the 1960s. Minnesota had a regular season record of 12–2, including a 51–3 defeat of the Browns eight weeks earlier on November 9. The Vikings defeated the Los Angeles Rams 23–20 in the Western Conference championship a week earlier at Met Stadium. They were coached by Bud Grant and led on offense by quarterback Joe Kapp and wide receiver Gene Washington. The defense allowed only 133 points (9½ per game) during the regular season and their four defensive linemen were known as the "Purple People Eaters." Cleveland was 10–3–1 during the regular season and had upset the Dallas Cowboys 38–14 at the Cotton Bowl for the Eastern Conference title. The Browns were coached by Blanton Collier; Bill Nelsen was the starting quarterback and Gary Collins and Paul Warfield were star wide receivers for the team. Although not as severe as the "Ice Bowl" of 1967, the weather conditions were bitterly cold at 8 °F (−13 °C), with a sub-zero wind chill factor. Cleveland linebacker Jim Houston suffered frostbite during the game and was hospitalized. Minnesota was favored by nine points to win the title game at home, and they won, 27–7.Of the four NFL teams that joined the league during the AFL era (1960s), Minnesota was the sole winner of a pre-merger NFL championship. The Dallas Cowboys entered the league in 1960 and lost two NFL title games to the Green Bay Packers, in 1966 and 1967. The expansion Atlanta Falcons (1966) and New Orleans Saints (1967) did not qualify for the postseason until 1978 and 1987, respectively. The Vikings would go on to lose Super Bowl IV 23–7 to the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs. Starting with the 1970 season, the NFL champion was determined in the Super Bowl, beginning with Super Bowl V. This was also the final broadcasting assignment for Paul Christman who died less than two months later on March 2.

Metropolitan Stadium (often referred to as "the Met", "Met Stadium", or now "the Old Met" to distinguish from the Metrodome) was an outdoor sports stadium in the north central United States, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Millers minor league baseball team was the original tenant from 1956 to 1960, but Metropolitan Stadium was best known as the home of the American League's Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL); both played at the "Met" for 21 seasons, from 1961 through 1981. The Minnesota Kicks of the North American Soccer League (NASL) also played there from 1976 to 1981. Southwest of the airport, the stadium site is now the Mall of America, which opened in 1992.

Log Chute, formerly known as Paul Bunyan's Log Chute sometimes Fog Chute for Halloween or Yule Log Chute for Christmas, and the Love Chute for Valentine's Day is a log flume attraction sponsored by Xcel Energy (formerly sponsored by Brawny) at Mall of America's Nickelodeon Universe in Bloomington, Minnesota. It opened on August 11, 1992, and is one of the mall's oldest surviving acquisitions from Knott's Camp Snoopy. The ride is based on the tall tale of Paul Bunyan and is set in a mountain lumber mill featuring two lift hills and two drops as passengers experience singing animatronics, including a 19-foot tall Paul Bunyan (modeled after the Brawny mascot) and Babe the Blue Ox. The attraction was designed to keep riders dry enough so that they could comfortably continue shopping. Holiday overlays for Halloween and Christmas have been put into place since 2017 with the "Fog Chute" and "Yule Log Chute", with the animatronic characters being dressed in festive costumes. For Halloween, Paul has been dressed as a pirate, Jim Hopper from Stranger Things, and Hulk Hogan promoting the short-lived Pastamania restaurant once housed in the mall. A 2022 April Fools Day prank had the attraction become the "Kenny Loggins Chute" with Paul being dressed as the musician. The ride is also the site of Harmon Killebrew's 520-foot home run record at the former Metropolitan Stadium and is marked by one of the stadium's original chairs located on the wall above the ride.

SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge is a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter roller coaster located at Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota. Standing 74.5 feet tall, it is the tallest roller coaster in the park. It also features a beyond vertical (97 degrees) drop. It is the first roller coaster themed to SpongeBob SquarePants, and opened with the Nickelodeon Universe grand opening on March 15, 2008. The ride features a vertical loop, and a heartline roll. The ride was installed by Ride Entertainment Group, who handles all of Gerstlauer's operations in the Western Hemisphere.

The Mall of America station is the busiest transit center in Minnesota, with bus and light rail service linking the Mall of America to many destinations in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro. Public transit service is provided by Metro Transit and the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority. The station is served by Metro Blue Line and Red Line. The station previously hosted private shuttle services to hotels and Mystic Lake Casino until those services moved to a new charter bus terminal on the north side of the mall in 2015. A $25 million upgrade to the station was completed October 14, 2019 with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony February 14, 2020.

The Met Center was an indoor arena that stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, United States, a suburb of Minneapolis. The arena, which was completed in 1967 by Minnesota Ice, just to the north of Metropolitan Stadium, seated 15,000. It was the home of the Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1967 to 1993. For its first 15 years, its official name was the Metropolitan Sports Center; the more familiar shorter name was adopted in 1982.The Met's other tenants included the ABA's Minnesota Muskies, which played just one season before moving to Miami for the 1968–69 season. The league responded by moving the defending champion Pittsburgh Pipers to Bloomington, but the Pipers left to return to Pittsburgh after the season. The NASL's Minnesota Kicks played two indoor seasons at the Met from 1979 to 1981. The Minnesota Strikers of the Major Soccer League (MISL) played indoor soccer at the Met Center from 1984 to 1988. The Boys' High School Hockey Tournament was also held there from 1969 to 1975. The arena also held entertainment-related shows, including the first performance of Sesame Street Live in September 1980.

The Thunderbird Motel was an Indian-themed motel that was built in 1962 along Interstate 494 and 24th Ave., in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. It is an example of post-war American culture. Prior to its demolition, it was part of the Ramada franchise.

30th Avenue station is a light rail and bus station on the Blue Line in the Twin Cities region of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The station opened with the second phase of the Hiawatha Line on December 4, 2004. It has a 1,585-space park and ride facility. The south parking lot was closed for construction of a 1,443 space parking ramp, which opened in Fall 2008. Red Line began to serve the station on June 22, 2013, going northbound only. Red Line service to 30th Avenue ended on May 19, 2017. Because it was deliberately made difficult for drivers to park at the Mall of America and then ride light rail, this is an easy alternative. It is only about two blocks from the Mall of America and is much more convenient for drivers to park and ride. The station was originally 28th Avenue station and was renamed to the adjacent 30th Avenue in summer 2022 when 28th Avenue was renamed to Winstead Way in honor of former Bloomington mayor, Gene Winstead. The cost to change the station name is estimated to be $15,000.