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83-550: The aquarium at the Mall of America was opened in 1996 under the name UnderWater World after 18 months of construction. In 2000, the re-opening of the aquarium changed its name to Underwater Adventures Aquarium . In 2008, the aquarium became a part of British -based Merlin Entertainments group of attractions, and was rebranded as a Sea Life Centre in March 2011. In the summer of 2009,

166-656: A park and ride facility, and overnight parking is banned to prevent passengers taking the train to the airport. Commuters are required to use the nearby 30th Avenue station 's parking ramp. The station underwent a $ 25 million upgrade which was completed in October 2019. Behavior Detection Officers (BDOs) are trained extensively in Israel, each one going through at least 240 hours of training that includes communication techniques, first aid, defensive tactics, crisis intervention, terrorism awareness and rapid response. As Doug Reynolds,

249-612: A 10–6 decision to the Kansas City Chiefs . By this time, the Vikings had been eliminated from playoff contention, meaning that this would almost certainly be the final major event of any sort at the Met. Knowing that fans would be more determined to claim souvenirs, the Vikings tripled their security force for the contest. In the game's final minutes, many of the 41,110 fans in attendance began dismantling seats and bleachers, and thousands stormed

332-464: A blast to the upper deck in deep left-center field on June 3, 1967 . This was the longest homer of Killebrew's career, and the longest ever hit in Metropolitan Stadium. The Met's outfield seating featured green bleacher-style benches and seats, yet the seat the ball hit was painted red and could be seen from all other seats in the stadium. For a time, there was talk of building a new park for

415-416: A gross area of 5,600,000 sq ft (520,000 m ) or 129 acres (52 ha), and 2,869,000 sq ft (266,500 m ) of retail space. The mall is nearly symmetric , with a roughly rectangular floor plan . More than 500 stores are arranged along three levels of pedestrian walkways on the sides of the rectangle, with a 4th level on the east side. Four anchor department stores are located at

498-628: A mall; this is a reference to the Chapel of Love in the mall, which closed in August 2022. The mall was the location of the premiere of Digimon: The Movie (2000). The mall was also referenced in the series Reginald the Vampire in the episode " Reginald Andres Beyond Thunderdome " by the character Ashley who was quoted as saying "I was born on the day they broke ground for the largest shopping mall in America." In

581-501: A man wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan Jesus saves and the Coexist (image) logo crossed out being asked to either take it off or leave the mall, the member of security in the video saying "Jesus is associated with religion and it is offending people. People have been offended." In the video he stated that in another instance he was preaching in the mall and the mall has a policy against religious solicitation. In February 2015,

664-528: A period of twelve weeks in response to the COVID-19 pandemic , closing on March 17, and reopening on June 10 with only 150 tenants open for business. The mall was originally scheduled to reopen on June 1, but civil unrest in the Twin Cities around this time caused the mall to postpone the reopening. In 2003, after a protracted six-year legal battle between Simon Property Group , the managing general partner of

747-491: A problem for the Twins; baseball required all parks built after 1958 to have foul lines of at least 325 feet (99 m). Met Stadium distance signs included meters 1974–77. The diamond was aligned southeast (home plate to center field); recommended alignment is east-northeast. The Met was often considered less than ideal for football. The gridiron ran from around third base to right field (north-south), with barely enough room to fit

830-547: A ray pool full of cownose stingray , Atlantic stingray , southern stingray , shovelnose guitarfish and other rays. Pacific Northwest Rockpool features a touch pool full of assorted anemone , sea stars , sea urchins , and prawns . Mall of America Mall of America ( MoA ) is a large shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota . Located within the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area,

913-466: Is allowed in through skylights above the central amusement park area. The majority of the heat is produced by lighting fixtures, other electric devices and people in the mall. In fact, even during the winter, air conditioning systems may still be in use during peak hours to ensure a comfortable shopping environment. Although the common areas are unheated, the individual stores do have heating systems. Two nearly identical seven-story parking ramps on

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996-698: Is owned by the Ghermezian family , along with the West Edmonton Mall and the American Dream ). Approximately 40 million people visit the mall annually, 80% of whom are from Minnesota, Wisconsin , Iowa , Nebraska , the Dakotas , Illinois and Ohio . The mall's concept was designed by the Triple Five Group in conjunction with global design firm DLR Group, owned by the Ghermezian brothers, who also own

1079-463: Is the largest indoor theme park in the United States. Unlike many indoor amusement parks, Nickelodeon Universe has a great deal of natural foliage in and about the park, and its floor has a wide variance in height – the highest ground level in the park is 15 feet (4.6 m) above the lowest. The rides include the roller coasters SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge , Fairly Odd Coaster , Back at

1162-545: Is very likely that a new stadium would have been needed in any event, as the Met was not well maintained. By the park's final season, broken railings in the grandstand's third deck had become a major safety hazard. Additionally, players had begun to complain about the Met's playing conditions; the infield in particular was considered the worst in the majors. Rumors abounded that the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission , which by then had taken over

1245-528: The Chicago Cardinals , about moving her team to the stadium. The Cardinals moved two of their 1959 regular season home games against the Philadelphia Eagles (October 25) (att: 20,112) and New York Giants (November 22) (att: 26,625) to Bloomington. A preseason football game was held each September at the Met for its first five years, 1956 through 1960: The Met finally got a football team when

1328-640: The Fort Lauderdale Strikers , on September 6, 1981. The game was moved to Memorial Stadium due to a scheduling conflict with the Twins. The Twins played their last game at the Met on September 30, 1981, losing to the Kansas City Royals 5–2 on a rainy afternoon. The night before the final game, home plate was stolen, and after the final game ended, hundreds of fans gathered on the field, searching (mostly unsuccessfully) for mementoes. The Vikings played their last game on December 20, 1981, dropping

1411-569: The Lifter Puller song Bloomington, singer Craig Finn (a Minnesota native) refers to the mall as a place where the narrator conducts some of their illicit business: "His idea of fun is Bloomington, he always takes his calls at the megamall". Metropolitan Stadium Metropolitan Stadium (often referred to as " the Met ", " Met Stadium ", or now " the Old Met " to distinguish from the Metrodome )

1494-633: The al-Shabaab militant group also released a propaganda video calling for attacks on the Mall of America and other Western shopping centers. Although the group had never launched attacks in North America, security at the mall was tightened in response and the Department of Homeland Security issued a one-day alert to shoppers to remain vigilant. On December 21, 2014, thousands of protesters attended an unauthorized demonstration organized by Black Lives Matter in

1577-591: 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. Beginning in 1953, inspired by the Boston Braves ' move to Milwaukee , Gerald Moore, the president of the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, led

1660-720: The Barnyard Hayride and Avatar Airbender , and a thrill ride called BrainSurge . It also has a miniature golfing section called Moose Mountain. This miniature golf course features eighteen holes and a relatively fast astroturf surface. At the Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium , guests travel through a 300-foot-long (91 m) curved tunnel through 14 feet (4.3 m) of water to view over 4,500 sea creatures including sharks, turtles, stingrays and many more. Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium offers special events such as sleepovers, scuba diving, snorkeling and birthday parties. In

1743-500: The Bruiser . Although the Met was responsible for bringing MLB and the NFL to the Twin Cities, it had not aged well. By the early 1970s, the Vikings were making noises about moving out. For instance, there was no prospect of building permanent seats along third base. The Vikings weren't willing to pay to build seats in an area that would have been in the end zone in the football configuration, and

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1826-789: The Giants chose to follow the Brooklyn Dodgers to the west coast at the urging of Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley , who owned the Millers' crosstown rivals, the St. Paul Saints . San Francisco had long been home to the Pacific Coast League 's San Francisco Seals , the top farm team of the Boston Red Sox . As part of the deal, the Millers' parent team then became the Red Sox, who had no plans to move anywhere in

1909-520: The Kicks folded after the 1981 soccer season. For the next three years, Met Stadium sat unused, decaying, and highly vandalized. Demolition for Metropolitan Stadium kicked off in 1985 on January 28, and continued for the next four months. After the rubble was cleared, the lot sat vacant for several years, although the nearby Met Center continued to provide entertainment for NHL hockey fans for another decade. The Mall of America , which opened in 1992, stands on

1992-610: The Mall of America after nearly two decades. The Theatres at Mall of America opened three days after the grand opening of the mall. Initially, the cinema was run by General Cinema , but it was bought out then rebranded by AMC Theatres , and eventually operated by mall management. The cinema occupied the south side of the fourth floor through December 2016, when it closed permanently. It was replaced by Cinemex subsidiary CMX Cinemas in late 2017. Due to CMX Cinema's bankruptcy proceedings, CMX Mall of America closed down and replaced with B&B Theatres in 2021. On December 28, 2018, it

2075-493: The Met by fifteen minutes to accommodate the large crowd waiting to buy tickets. To help speed things along, the Kicks' owners let two thousand fans enter the stadium for free. An NASL attendance record was set one month later, when Pelé and the New York Cosmos drew 46,164 fans to Metropolitan Stadium. Large crowds continued for the Kicks, who drew 41,505 for that year's opening playoff game. Four days later, another record

2158-479: The Met only seated 49,700 people for football (48,400 at the time of closure) and any expansion would have resulted in seats that would have been of no use for the Twins during baseball's regular season. However, the Vikings would not even consider playing at the University of Minnesota 's Memorial Stadium even on a temporary basis. Discussions for a new stadium actually began in 1970, with six years remaining in both

2241-406: The Met with the unique configuration of a double deck in left field, and bleachers behind third base. The left-field grandstand was originally planned to be capable of sliding toward or away from the gridiron (as Denver's Mile High Stadium later would be), but that part of the project was never realized. The Met provided an overwhelming home-field advantage for the Vikings late in the season and in

2324-513: The Met's equal) The Millers were then the top farm team of Stoneham's New York Giants , and there was some hope or expectation that the Giants might relocate there. Under major league rules of the time, by virtue of owning the Millers, the Giants owned the major league rights to Minneapolis. Negotiations were also held with Griffith's Washington Senators, as well as the Cincinnati Reds , Cleveland Indians , and Philadelphia Athletics . However,

2407-653: The Met, the only time a baseball crowd exceeded 50,000 and remained its attendance record for baseball.) The Vikings hosted and won the 1969 NFL Championship Game at the stadium, the last NFL game prior to the 1970 merger . Metropolitan Stadium was the home of the Minnesota Kicks soccer team from 1976 until the team folded in November 1981. The Kicks, members of the North American Soccer League (NASL), were highly anticipated in Minnesota and had to delay their first game at

2490-517: The Minneapolis Millers. On February 7, 1956, an accident occurred on the construction site when a portable heater used to cure concrete exploded in the stadium's basement. After $ 50,000 of repairs and a three-week delay in construction, Metropolitan Stadium opened in time to hold its first game, a minor league contest between the Millers and the Wichita Braves on April 24 of that year. (At

2573-556: The Twins couldn't afford it. At one point, there were plans to place a dome over Metropolitan Stadium, or build a new football stadium located between the Met and the Met Center , which had opened in 1967 just north of the Met. It soon became apparent that, at the very least, the Vikings would need a new stadium. As part of the AFL–NFL merger , the NFL declared that stadiums with less than 50,000 seats were inadequate for its needs; at its height

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2656-463: The Twins had moved in and the Met had been expanded to befit its new status as a big-league stadium. (The Chicago Cardinals , after playing two games in Bloomington in 1959 , announced in March 1960 that they were moving to St. Louis .) The park had a disjointed, skeletal feel; it was obvious that it had once been a minor league baseball stadium. For instance, when bleachers were erected to expand

2739-409: The Twins on the old Met site that would be connected to the Mall of America. However, the terms of the agreement in which the land was sold to Triple Five Group , owners of the Mall of America, do not allow another stadium to be built on the site. Even without this to consider, the site is now directly in a flight path for Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport . The old flagpole at the stadium

2822-485: The Twins' and Vikings' leases. While the initial talks focused on a stadium for the Vikings, the Twins quickly joined the discussions. The idea of a dome was particularly appealing to Griffith given the bitterly cold weather that is common in the Twin Cities early and late in baseball season. This accelerated the push for construction of a new stadium, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome , which was completed in 1982 . However, it

2905-462: The ages of 21 and 23. On December 23, 2022, the mall was placed under lockdown after a "long-standing feud" led to the fatal shooting of a 19-year old male inside the Nordstrom department store. A bullet grazed a bystander's clothing resulting in only minor injuries. Two teenagers, TaeShawn Adams-Wright and Lavon Longstreet, were later convicted of second degree-murder and second-degree assault for

2988-522: The aquarium debuted the exhibit Seahorse Kingdom. In March 2010, Jellyfish Discovery was opened as the largest jellyfish exhibit worldwide. In March 2011, SeaLife officially completed the transition to a Merlin Entertainments' Sea Life Centre, and was renamed Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium. The re-brand featured updated theming throughout the aquarium and many new exhibits. Brave the Rainforest features multiple pop up tanks to allow visitors to get closer to

3071-415: The corners. The mall is organized into four different zones. Each of those zones had its own decorative style until a series of renovations from 2010 to 2015 led to a unified and more luxurious style, as well as to coincide with the mall's first major expansion. The mall's food court is on the 3rd floor. Despite Minnesota's cold winters, only the mall's entrances and some below ground areas are heated. Heat

3154-544: The creatures and a Ranger Stage with extra facts and animals. The rainforest features spectacled caiman , poison dart frogs , piranhas , freshwater angelfish and other exotic species. The Tunnel , a 300-foot (91 m) 360° acrylic tunnel that goes through four exhibits: Sturgeon Lake, Wild Amazon, Shark Cove and Rainbow Reef. The Coral Caves hold live coral and fish such as clownfish and regal blue tang . Seahorse Kingdom features seahorses . Jellyfish Discovery features moon jellyfish . Ray Lagoon features

3237-460: The deal and sued Simon, citing fiduciary responsibility. On November 3, 2006, the Ghermezians gained full control of Mall of America by spending US$ 1 billion. On May 18, 2008, the Mall of America received a tax break for a proposed $ 2 billion expansion. The bill gave the city of Bloomington the ability to increase taxes on sales, lodging and food and beverages to finance a parking ramp at

3320-445: The downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul , and it was believed this would be the best location for a prospective major league team. Earlier, the 1950 Census indicated that the Twin Cities and their suburbs had over a million people between them, the unofficial threshold for a major metropolitan area. After a plan by architects Thorshov & Cerny won approval, groundbreaking was scheduled to begin on June 20, 1955. The construction

3403-486: The drive to lure a major league team to Minnesota by constructing a modern stadium built to major league specifications. After the rejection of numerous sites, a stadium committee appointed by Moore approved a 160-acre (0.65 km ) plot of farmland in Bloomington. The stadium would replace Nicollet Park as the home of the American Association 's Minneapolis Millers . The site was approximately equidistant from

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3486-759: The east and west sides of the mall provide 12,287 parking spaces. Overflow parking north of the building provides an additional 1,200–1,500 spaces and 1,407 spaces are provided by IKEA , which opened in July 2004. During its run as an all-encompassing entertainment and retail venue, certain aspects, particularly its bars, have come under scrutiny. In early 2000, a Mardi Gras -themed bar, Fat Tuesday, shut its doors due to indecent exposure and alcohol-related offenses. On November 29, 2011, Google announced indoor maps for Mall of America along with several other places like airports, parks, and public spaces. On January 3, 2012, Macy's Inc. announced it would close its Bloomingdale's location at

3569-580: The exact location it occupied in the stadium, commemorating a 520-foot (160 m) home run hit by hall-of-famer Harmon Killebrew on June 3, 1967. In 1986, the Bloomington Port Authority signed an agreement with the Ghermezian organization. Groundbreaking for the mall took place on June 14, 1989. Organizations involved include Melvin Simon and Associates , Teachers Insurance and Annuity , and

3652-410: The fans' view. It was well known as a hitter's park; its short foul lines—343 feet (105 m) to left (east), 330 feet (101 m) to right (south)—were particularly friendly to pull hitters such as Harmon Killebrew . The 330 marker in right was actually closer to right-center, leading to speculation that right field was even closer. Since the Met was built in 1956, however, this would not have been

3735-502: The field once the game ended. The goal posts were torn down, pieces of the field were dug up, and speakers and lightbulbs on the scoreboard were removed. Hundreds of injuries were reported, mostly minor scrapes and bruises but also multiple head injuries sustained during the melee. Met Stadium was officially abandoned when the Vikings and the Twins moved to the Metrodome in January 1982, and

3818-710: The foreseeable future. Multiple exhibition games featuring Major League teams were held at the Met at this time; a game between the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds was held at the Met in 1957, another between the San Francisco Giants and Chicago White Sox in May, 1958, and a matchup between the Senators and the Philadelphia Phillies was held shortly after the 1958 All-Star break. The latter game brought 15,990 fans to

3901-423: The former Security Director at the mall noted in a congressional testimony in 2008, BDOs are taught to "look for intent, rather than means. The objective is to focus on suspicious indicators in three categories: People, vehicles, and unattended items like backpacks, shopping bags, and suitcases." This methodology has prepared the mall for a variety of threats, both from terrorists and everyday criminals. In 2010, it

3984-487: The house found a gun. In March, 2022, the man, Kahlil Wiley, pleaded guilty to one count of second degree assault with a dangerous weapon and was sentenced to three years and nine months. The second assault charge against him was previously dismissed. On August 4, 2022, the mall was put under lockdown after two men fired gunshots during an altercation at the Nike store, then fled. Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch

4067-504: The latter being replaced with a 24,000-square-foot M&M's retail store, which opened in late 2020. There are also two hotels on the mall's property, JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America and Radisson Blu Hotel . In 2023 a Toys "R" Us opened in the mall. Nickelodeon Universe , formerly Camp Snoopy , is an indoor theme park in the center of the mall. The park features roller coasters , among numerous other rides and attractions, including many not related to Nickelodeon, and

4150-409: The lockdown was lifted approximately 40 minutes after it started and the mall closed for the rest of the day shortly thereafter. On January 3, 2022, an 18-year-old Roseville man was identified as they left the scene of the shooting with the shooter was arrested for aiding and abetting first-degree assault, and on January 4, police arrested the suspect on assault charges and in a subsequent search of

4233-612: The lower level of the eastern parking ramp is the Mall of America station , the busiest transit hub in Minnesota with services to and from many destinations in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. The Transit Station contains two stops on the Metro Network : the southern terminus of the METRO Blue Line ( light rail ) to Downtown Minneapolis via MSP Airport and Hiawatha Avenue (operated by Metro Transit ), and

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4316-691: The mall lies southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77 , north of the Minnesota River , and across the Interstate from the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport . It opened in 1992, and is the largest mall in the United States , the largest in the Western Hemisphere , and the twelfth largest shopping mall in the world . The mall is managed by the Triple Five Group (which in turn

4399-607: The mall's lawsuit an "improper prior restraint on speech" and an unconstitutional overreach. On April 12, 2019, a five-year-old boy was thrown from the third-story balcony by 24-year-old Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda of Minneapolis, outside the Rainforest Cafe , and landed near the Michael Kors store. The boy was in the hospital for over five months, but eventually recovered. Aranda was sentenced to 19 years in prison in June of that year with

4482-505: The mall's rotunda. The demonstration was in response to the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and the then recent jury decision not to prosecute the white officer in that case, as well as the death of Eric Garner of New York. In response to the demonstration, the Mall of America closed the areas of the mall around the rotunda. Police arrested 25 demonstrators. The Bloomington City Attorney, Sandra Johnson, pursued charges against

4565-466: The mall's security personnel. On December 31, 2013, members from the First Nations protest movement Idle No More attempted to repeat a successful Native-American round dance held at the mall in 2012, but failed after being stopped by mall security. Organizers of the dance, Patricia Shepard and Reyna Crow from Duluth were arrested on site for trespassing. In January 2023, a TikTok of was posted of

4648-460: The mall. On March 24, 2012, the Triple Five Group, partnered with architectural firm DLR Group , announced the start of a $ 200 million expansion that would build into the north parking lot of the mall. The plans called for an additional hotel and an additional 200,000 square feet (19,000 m ) of retail space. The project broke ground in the fall of 2013 and began opening in stages in

4731-570: The movement's activists. Eight individual activists were sued in Hennepin County District Court. The mall's lawsuit would prohibit the defendants from demonstrating and require them to delete all of their posts to social media pertaining to the demonstration. The lawsuit additionally asked that the court jail Black Lives Matter activists unless they publicly announce that the demonstration is cancelled on their social media accounts. The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota called

4814-536: The new American Football League (AFL) announced Minneapolis–St. Paul as one of its charter cities for the inaugural 1960 season. However, the NFL persuaded the team's owners to pull out of the AFL in January 1960 and join the NFL as an expansion team in 1961 , and was later named the Minnesota Vikings . As it turned out, the year's delay worked to the Vikings' benefit. By the time the Vikings played their first game ,

4897-629: The northern terminus of the METRO Red Line ( bus rapid transit ) to Apple Valley . The indoor waiting area at Mall of America Transit Station is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Metro Transit and the MVTA also operate many local bus services to the Transit Station and many area hotels along with the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel offer free shuttles to their establishments. The mall is not

4980-422: The now-defunct Brookdale . Mall of America became the largest shopping mall in total area and largest in total store vendors in the United States when it opened. The Mall of America's 42 million annual visitors equal roughly eight times the population of the state of Minnesota. As of 2015 , the mall employed over 11,000 workers year-round and 13,000 during peak seasons. In early 2020, Mall of America closed for

5063-478: The office of architect Jon Jerde . Mall of America opened its doors to the public on August 11, 1992. Its anchors were Nordstrom , Macy's , Bloomingdale's and Sears . Even before opening, the mall had earned several nicknames, including "The Megamall", "Sprawl of America", "Hugedale" in reference to the four major "dale" shopping malls within the Twin Cities: Rosedale , Southdale , Ridgedale and

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5146-421: The organizers, and the city is sought compensatory damages from some of the organizers for out-of-pocket costs the city incurred while paying overtime for additional security. In response to these charges, demonstrators have called for a boycott of the mall. Plans for another Black Lives Matter demonstration at the Mall of America on December 23, 2015, prompted mall officials to file a restraining order against

5229-414: The playing field and end zones . Wooden bleachers were brought onto the field during football season to bring fans closer to the game. For 1965 , a large double-decked grandstand was installed in left field to replace the temporary wooden bleachers. The Vikings actually paid for this new grandstand in return for reduced rent; this location was prime sideline seating in the football configuration. This left

5312-407: The playoffs due to Minnesota's famously cold temperatures. The Vikings hosted ten playoff games at the Met and won seven of them. In the 1965 baseball season, both the All-Star Game and the World Series were played at Metropolitan Stadium, one of the few times that coincidence has happened since the former event was inaugurated in 1933. (Game 7 of that year's World Series drew 50,596 fans to

5395-425: The possibility for parole after 12 years served. On December 31, 2021, a single gunshot was fired on the north side of the third floor of the mall. A patrolling Bloomington Police Department officer who heard the shot immediately notified mall security, who activated the mall's lockdown alarm. Responding officers found a man who had been shot in the leg when they arrived at the scene and later another injured person

5478-447: The property, and the Ghermezian brothers/Triple Five Group, over majority ownership of the site, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of the Ghermezians, effectively transferring control and planning authority of the mall back to the creator of the concept. The dispute stemmed from a 1999 purchase of Teacher's Insurance's 27.5% equity stake by Simon Properties, giving them majority ownership. The Ghermezians claimed they were never told of

5561-429: The second-largest shopping mall in North America, the West Edmonton Mall . The Mall of America is located on the site of the former Metropolitan Stadium , where the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins played until the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome opened in 1982. A plaque in the mall's amusement park commemorates the former location of home plate and one seat from Met Stadium was placed in Mall of America at

5644-402: The shooting. Both were sentenced in 2024 to 30 years and seven months in prison. The Mall of America was used as a filming location for various movies and television shows, including: The mall was referenced in the series How I Met Your Mother during the episode " Slap Bet " as the reason why native Minnesotan Marshall Eriksen believed that Robin Scherbatsky would have been married in

5727-446: The site of what is now nostalgically called "the Old Met." A brass plaque in the shape of home plate, embedded in the floor in the northwest corner of Nickelodeon Universe , commemorates the site's days as a sports venue by marking where home plate once sat. Near the opposite corner, mounted high on the wall, is a red stadium seat denoting the precise landing spot (including elevation) of Harmon Killebrew 's 520-foot (158 m) home run,

5810-432: The stadium for the Twins, a $ 9 million renovation increased the seating capacity from about 22,000 to over 30,000 by the completion of the Twins' inaugural season . During the Twins' first ten seasons at the Met, they outdrew the average American League team each year. The National Football League (NFL) was also interested in placing a team at the Met. Conversations were had with Violet Bidwill Wolfner , owner of

5893-416: The stadium for the Twins, no concourse was built to connect them to the rest of the stadium. Due to this design flaw, fans in the bleachers literally had to leave the stadium to get to the grandstand. Unlike most multipurpose stadiums built during this time, there were very few bad seats for baseball. The stadium was built using cantilever construction for the overhanging decks, eliminating posts that blocked

5976-538: The stadium from the city of Minneapolis, had deliberately let the Met go to seed in order to aid the push for the Metrodome. The Minnesota Kicks' last regular season game at Met Stadium was a 2–1 victory over the Dallas Tornado on August 19, 1981. A week later, the team's last game at the Met was a 1-0 shoot-out playoff victory over the Tulsa Roughnecks . The team's last game played was a home playoff loss, 3–0 to

6059-601: The stadium, including Calvin Griffith, who described the stadium as "terrific." In October 1960, Calvin Griffith announced that his Washington Senators would move to Metropolitan Stadium as the Minnesota Twins . The Twins played their first home game on April 21, 1961 , with a loss to the new Washington Senators (now the Texas Rangers ). [1] The Millers and Saints were then promptly folded by Major League Baseball. To ready

6142-589: The summer of 2015. In March 2014, ground was broken on the mall's north side for the $ 104 million, 14-story JW Marriott hotel, owned and financed by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. In 2018, it was announced that MOA had proposed to build an indoor water park, with a cost between $ 150 and $ 200 million for the project. In March 2022, the plan was approved by the Bloomington City Council. The Mall of America has

6225-427: The time of its opening, the stadium still lacked an official name; the park was not named until a July announcement declaring it "Metropolitan Stadium".) In the 1950s, major league owners Calvin Griffith and Horace Stoneham called the stadium the finest facility in the minors; Stoneham added that "there were not two better" major league stadiums of the time (although not specifying which specific two he thought were

6308-454: Was almost delayed, however, when the owners of the property began a protest, claiming they had not yet been paid. One of these owners created a barricade of farm equipment along his property line that ran directly through the future infield. The dispute was settled in time for the groundbreaking to move forward as planned. Many spectators and dignitaries attended the groundbreaking, including Minneapolis mayor Eric G. Hoyer and several members of

6391-536: Was an outdoor sports stadium in the north central United States , located in Bloomington, Minnesota , a suburb of Minneapolis . The Minneapolis Millers of Minor League Baseball were 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

6474-530: Was announced that Sears (which had been at the Mall of America since its opening in 1992) would be closing as part of a plan to close 80 stores nationwide. Currently, the mall features Macy's , Nordstrom , L.L. Bean , and Crayola Experience as its anchors, along with the vacant anchor space formerly occupied by Sears. There are also many junior anchors, like Forever 21 , H&M , Barnes & Noble , Nordstorm Rack , and DSW . Former junior anchors include Best Buy , Marshalls , and American Girl , with

6557-404: Was found who appeared to have been grazed by the bullet. The first victim was transported to the hospital while the second was treated on the scene by paramedics and released. According to a statement by Deputy Chief Kim Clausen, she recommended that there was an "altercation" between two men that resulted in one shooting the other. After a thorough search of the mall by police and security officers,

6640-506: Was in the mall with his family at the time; they were unharmed. The two alleged shooters were apprehended a week later in Chicago. They were detained shortly after stepping out of a barbershop. Three people were also arrested for allegedly aiding the shooters as they fled the scene and hid from authorities at a nearby Best Western hotel. Two of the suspects originated from Minneapolis, while the other three originated from Burnsville , all between

6723-624: Was noted that mall security officials were instructed to question or detain individuals exhibiting what they deemed "suspicious behavior". Signs of suspicious behavior included photographing air-conditioning ducts, or signs that a shopper was hiding something. At the time, some officials within the Bloomington Police Department worried that the mall's security methods may infringe on citizens' rights. In 2011, NPR 's All Things Considered and Morning Edition and PBS 's NewsHour both aired programs documenting security abuses by

6806-504: Was purchased by the Minneapolis/Richfield American Legion Post when the stadium was razed. The pole was sold back to the Twins and restored in 2010 ; it was then placed in the plaza at Target Field . A series of photographs taken in the mid-1980s during Metropolitan Stadium's abandonment. †= Team's stadium under construction or refurbishment at time 1 = A team used the stadium when their permanent stadium

6889-739: Was set when 49,571 fans came to see the Kicks defeat San Jose, 3–1. The team enjoyed great success in their first four seasons in Minnesota, winning a division title each year. Attendance dipped toward the end of the franchise's history, however, with an average of 16,605 per game in 1981, their final season. The size of the field for soccer games was 100 by 72 yards 1976–78 and 104 by 72 yards 1979–81. The Met also hosted multiple concerts. Numerous wrestling matches were held at Metropolitan Stadium, including contests featuring Hard Boiled Haggerty , Bob Geigel , Wilbur Snyder , Kay Noble , Lord Littlebrook , Verne Gagne , Gene Kiniski , Rene Goulet , Larry Hennig , Hans Schmidt , Mad Dog Vachon and Dick

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