Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America
What the park is
The park opened with the mall on 11 August 1992 as Knott’s Camp Snoopy. It became The Park at MOA on 19 January 2006, when the Peanuts licence ended, and relaunched as Nickelodeon Universe on 15 March 2008. Triple Five runs it under licence from Paramount. The mall counts “27+” attractions, including five roller coasters and one water ride; the GetYourGuide listing counts 26 rides and attractions for all ages and heights. Every ride sits under the building’s central skylights. The history page covers the site before the mall.
Free floor, points card or wristband
There are three ways to use the park. Walking through costs nothing: the paths, the food stands and the view of the Log Chute are open to anyone in the mall. For a handful of rides, the park sells a points card at its own counters; it is not sold on GetYourGuide. For a day of riding, the unlimited-ride wristband covers every ride for one day. It includes free parking and access to seasonal events: Toddler Tuesdays, Slime Break and Nickelodeon Booniverse. Food, drinks and locker rental cost extra. The wristband is redeemable once, on the selected date only.
The rides by type
Thrill rides. SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge, Avatar Airbender and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock are the thrill rides the listing names. Pepsi Orange Streak and the Fairly Odd Coaster are among the other named rides.
Family and junior rides. PAW Patrol Adventure Bay and the Rugrats Reptarmobiles are the family and junior rides the listing names. Characters from SpongeBob, PAW Patrol and the Turtles appear for meet-and-greets.
Other named rides. Back at the Barnyard Hayride is another ride the park names.
Limits. Rides may close without notice. Some rides cannot take guests of certain body sizes because of how the restraints are built; Lokela wrote that his daughter had fun but he could not fit one ride’s restraint. Service animals are allowed on four junior and family rides only. No pets and no smoking.
Dutchman’s Deck and the Log Chute
Dutchman’s Deck Adventure Course opened in 2010. It has three parts: the Ghostly Gangplank ropes course, the Anchor Drop slide and the Barnacle Blast zipline. The Log Chute is the park’s only water ride and one of the originals from 1992, still running. It closes for maintenance for a few weeks each autumn, so an autumn visit may find it shut. Watching it from the path is free.
Hours, queues and the 3 pm rule
Park hours are 10 am to 9 pm Monday to Saturday and 11 am to 7 pm on Sunday, as published; check before travelling. Sonia arrived at opening, found almost no lines and rode a great deal in the morning. Another traveller found the wait times long but expected, and Christin’s group of friends used the queues to talk. From 3 pm to closing, anyone under 16 has to be with an adult aged 21 or over, inside the park as well as in the corridors. The rule runs all day on Black Friday and 26 to 31 December. The escort policy page has the full wording.
The home-plate plaque and the red seat
The mall stands on the site of Metropolitan Stadium, home of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings, which was demolished in 1985. A home-plate plaque is set into the floor of Nickelodeon Universe where the plate used to be. High on a wall, a single red stadium seat marks where Harmon Killebrew’s 520-foot home run of 3 June 1967 landed. Both are free to see. FlyOver America, a flying theatre that opened in 2016, needs a separate ticket that is not sold on this site.
The ride pass
The ride-pass close-up lists what reviewers mention and who the wristband does and does not suit.
The park opens at the same time as the shops. One reviewer who arrived at opening found short lines in the morning, and a morning start also leaves the rides done before the 3 pm escort rule begins.
Check dates for the wristband
The wristband is valid on one selected date and allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Pick a date to see what is open.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to go into Nickelodeon Universe?
Yes. The park floor is open to anyone in the mall, with no ticket. Only the rides need a points card or the unlimited-ride wristband. The tickets hub compares the wristband with the other six attractions.
What is the difference between the wristband and points?
The wristband covers unlimited rides for one selected day and is sold on GetYourGuide. A points card, sold at the park, pays for a handful of rides. Neither includes food, drinks or lockers.
What are Nickelodeon Universe hours?
As published, 10 am to 9 pm Monday to Saturday and 11 am to 7 pm on Sunday; check before travelling. The hours page lists every attraction’s published times.
How long does a day in the park take?
As long as the wristband holder wants, from opening to closing. One traveller stayed ten hours. The one-day itinerary fits the park around the other attractions.