How Long Would It Take to Visit Every Store in Mall of America?
TL;DR: Mall of America has 520+ stores across 5.6 million square feet. Visiting every store would take approximately 33 hours. This guide covers how to actually make the most of a visit, plus transportation options from MSP Airport and the metro.
Mall of America has 520+ stores spread across 5.6 million square feet. That's 96.4 acres under one roof. If you laid the mall flat, it would cover 9.5 football fields.
So how long would it actually take to visit every single one?
The Math
Walking speed: Average human walks 3 MPH. But in a mall, with crowds, strollers, and the gravitational pull of Cinnabon, you're doing maybe 1.5 MPH.
The layout: MOA has 3 main levels, each with a loop that's roughly 0.57 miles. That's 1.7 miles for a full lap of all three levels. At mall speed, that's about 70 minutes just to walk past everything without stopping.
520 stores at 3 minutes each: That's 1,560 minutes. Or 26 hours of actual store time.
Add walking between stores: About 4-5 hours total transit time.
Food and bathroom breaks: Let's say 3 meal breaks at 30 minutes each, plus bathroom stops. Another 2 hours.
Total: roughly 33 hours.
If you went at it like a job - 8 hours per day with breaks - you'd need a little over 4 full days to visit every store in Mall of America.
Nobody has ever done this. Probably. If you have, call us. We have questions.
The Realistic MOA Visit
Most people spend 3-5 hours at Mall of America. That's enough for one floor, a meal, and maybe Nickelodeon Universe if you have kids. Here's how to actually make the most of a visit.
Level 1 (Ground Floor): The heavy hitters. Nordstrom, Macy's, and most of the larger anchor stores. Also where you'll find the IKEA-style home stores and the South Avenue entrance (closest to the parking ramps).
Level 2: More specialty retail. This is where the unique stores live - the ones you won't find at your local strip mall. Also the main Nickelodeon Universe entrance.
Level 3: The food court level. Also has a concentration of smaller shops, kiosks, and entertainment. The north food court has the better options; the south side is more standard fast food.
Level 4: SEA LIFE Aquarium, Crayola Experience, and FlyOver America. This is the entertainment floor. If you have kids under 12, budget at least 2 hours up here.
Nickelodeon Universe: The indoor amusement park in the center of the mall. 27 rides across 7 acres. Separate ticket required ($22-40 depending on package). Lines are shortest on weekday mornings.
Getting There
MOA is at the intersection of I-494 and Hwy 77, about 10 minutes south of MSP Airport and 15 minutes south of downtown Minneapolis.
By light rail: The Blue Line runs from downtown Minneapolis through MSP Airport to Mall of America station. $2.50, about 25 minutes from downtown. The station drops you right at the mall's east entrance. This is genuinely the best way to get there if you're coming from downtown or the airport.
By car: 13,000 parking spots across the East and West ramps. Parking is free. Yes, free. Finding your car afterward is the hard part. Take a photo of your parking level and section number. Trust me.
From MSP Airport: You just landed with a 5-hour layover and want to see MOA? Blue Line light rail takes 12 minutes from the airport. Or a car service drops you at the door and picks you up when you text, which means you're not hauling shopping bags on a train.
From the suburbs: Driving is easy but the I-494/77 interchange gets congested on weekends, especially during holiday shopping season (November-December). From the south metro (Rosemount, Eagan, Burnsville), it's 10-20 minutes. From the west suburbs (Eden Prairie, Minnetonka), budget 25-35 minutes.
Tourist Tips
Go on a weekday. Weekend crowds at MOA are intense, especially Saturday afternoons. Tuesday and Wednesday are the lightest days. If you're a tourist with schedule flexibility, midweek visits are dramatically more pleasant.
The overflow exists. Across the street, the MOA expansion area has additional stores and restaurants. Don't assume everything is inside the main building.
Eat outside the food court. The food court is convenient but not the best MOA has to offer. Twin City Grill (Level 1, South) is a proper sit-down restaurant. FireLake Grill (Level 1, South) does good Minnesota-inspired food. For a quick bite, Shake Shack on Level 3 beats most food court options.
Free entertainment. MOA has free live music, events, and attractions throughout the year, especially during holidays. Check the MOA events calendar before your visit.
No sales tax on clothing in Minnesota. This is a big deal for out-of-state visitors. Clothing and shoes are tax-free in Minnesota. Electronics, food, and other items are taxed normally. If you're buying clothes, Minnesota is one of the best states to do it.
The MOA Day Trip (For Groups)
MOA is one of the most popular group outings in the Twin Cities, especially for:
- Out-of-town visitors who want to see "the big mall"
- Birthday parties (Nickelodeon Universe, SEA LIFE, Crayola Experience)
- Bridal parties doing a shopping day before the wedding
- Tour groups who have a half-day in Minneapolis
For groups, a car service simplifies the logistics. Everyone gets picked up together, dropped at the entrance, and collected when the shopping's done. No splitting into 3 cars, no fighting for parking spots, no trying to remember which ramp level you're on. And if the group has bags and boxes from a full day of shopping, a Suburban has the cargo space to handle it.
The Answer
33 hours. Four full days. 520+ stores. 1.7 miles of walking per level.
Nobody's doing it. But if you visit 30-40 stores in 4 hours, eat something good, and skip the food court - you've won Mall of America. Get in, enjoy it, get out before your feet stage a revolt.
NS Limo provides transportation to Mall of America from anywhere in the Twin Cities metro, MSP Airport, and beyond. Book online or call (320) 223-8146.