The Nickelodeon Universe theme park at the Mall of America will reopen next week after almost five months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Mall of America announced the indoor attraction will reopen with "significant changes" on Monday, Aug. 10.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the state, the theme park will only allow 250 people into the seven-acre park at a time, with guests buying 2-hour tickets and visitors funneled in through a single entry point.

What's more, it's also available for group buyouts, with businesses or parties able to rent the theme park for 250 people for three hours before or after opening hours.

Tickets will cost $19.99 plus tax for riders and $4.99 for non-riders and can only be bought at the mall itself.

"Capacity is anticipated to be reached early in the day, therefore guests who arrive when the park is at capacity will have the opportunity to join a virtual queue and be notified when they are able to enter Nickelodeon Universe to begin their two-hour unlimited park experience," the mall says.

Other rules and changes to expect:

• Guests aged 3 and up will have to wear face masks at all times except when eating and drinking – and this includes while on rides. Kids aged 2 and below and those with medical exemptions won't need to.
• Guests must sanitize their hands before going on each ride, with sanitizing stations put at the entrance of each ride.
• Staff will assign seats on every ride to maintain distance.
• There will be social distancing markers in lines for each ride.
• Attractions will be sanitized after each use.

Several rides won't be open due to the inability to social distance. Here are the ones that will be open.

"Reopening Nickelodeon Universe – even with significantly reduced capacity – is a positive step forward,” said Jill Renslow, EVP of Business Development and Marketing for Mall of America.

"This is a process, and we will continue to learn, evaluate, and if needed, enhance, this new Nickelodeon Universe experience in the coming weeks and months. We are confident in the health and safety protocols we have in place and look forward to welcoming back guests of all ages to Nickelodeon Universe."

The theme park will be open 11 a.m, to 7 p.m. daily.

The Mall of America reopened to the public after Stay at Home restrictions were loosened on June 10.

Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America is currently the nation’s largest indoor theme park boasting 7 acres of rides and entertainment for adventure seekers of all ages. We spent a full day checking out everything the park had to offer so we could create this top 10 list and help visitors navigate the best of the best.

Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

If you prefer to watch the Top 10 Rides video click here.

There are very few temperature controlled theme parks, so for that reason alone, Nickelodeon Universe ranks high on my list. I’ve had my share of rainy vacation days and some that were so hot and humid it was difficult to have fun. At the Mall of America this simply isn’t a concern. Typically, my favorite time to ride the coasters at a theme park is at dusk when the lights begin to shine and a new vigor hits the air. So, I was thrilled to discover that Nickelodeon Universe is covered by a glass ceiling allowing the natural progression of day to night mimicking the feeling of being outdoors. 

Night time lights -Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

And, the park is now a certified autism center, meaning the employees are trained in sensory awareness and are happy to help your family find quiet spaces and/or provide noise cancelling headphones as needed. 

The park is now a certified autism center, meaning the employees are trained in sensory awareness.

The training also provides insight into motor skills, social skills, communication, environment, and emotional awareness so staff can better serve the individualized needs of all visitors.

#1 Ride at Nickelodeon Universe

The Log Chute

The log chute continually appeared in the top 3 list of everyone I interviewed, kids and adults alike. It combines a peaceful mountain river float with a bit of excitement as guests float past Paul Bunyon (fitted with a Santa Jacket around Christmastime) and his giant ox, a black bear, and more before plummeting down the 40 foot drop. 

Prepare to get wet, especially if you are seated near the front.

Prepare to get wet, especially if you are seated near the front. I’ve managed to come out dry every time, using a few tricks regarding weight distribution. (heavier guests should be seated in the back while the littles sit up front) 

Log Chute Ride - Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

Height Requirements - 47” or 36” with a chaperone (chaperone does not pay to ride)

Pro Tip

The line for the log chute weaves in through the caves so it is difficult to see how long it really is. If you are rushed ask an employee before heading in. Some days we’ve walked right on and others we’ve waited nearly an hour for this ride.Log Chute Splash - Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

#2 Ride at Nickelodeon Universe

The Fairly Odd Coaster

The Fairly Odd Coaster is definitely the theme ride with the most sass. This tiny track provides unbelievable amounts of laughs and excitement. Guests board small carts (4 passengers each) which spin freely while whizzing down the course. My family can not get enough of this zany ride.

Height Requirements - 47” or 43” with a chaperone (chaperone does not pay to ride)The Fairly Odd Coaster - Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

#3 Ride at Nickelodeon Universe

Pepsi Orange Streak

The Orange Streak is a classic coaster ride providing speed and a smooth journey around the entire park and through a few tunnels. This ride does not have loops or excessive drops making it a favorite among the more cautious theme park visitors. 

Height Requirements - 47” or 42” with a chaperone (chaperone does not pay to ride)

Pepsi Orange Streak - Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

#4 Ride at Nickelodeon Universe

Spongebob Squarepants Rock Bottom Plunge

Thrill seekers look no further than the Rock Bottom Plunge. This coaster begins with a nearly 90 degree climb before plummeting almost straight down into a journey of loops, twists, and turns. Cautious park goers need not apply. 

Height Requirements - 48”

Rock Bottom Plunge - Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

#5 Ride at Nickelodeon Universe

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock

Guests who love the feeling of flight (that’s me) will feel right at home on Shell Shock. Visitors select a shell to pilot as they depart from Antonio’s Pizza Rama and glide through the air tilting and twisting as much or as little as desired in flight. Want to be the best pilot? Pay attention to the control instructions while in line. 

Height Requirements - 48”

Having way too much fun selecting my turtle shell - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Shell Shock - Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

#6 Ride at Nickelodeon Universe

Shredder's Mutant Masher

Guests board the Mutant Masher in a large circle attached to a giant swinging arm. Riders spin round and round while climbing higher and higher until that magical feeling of weightlessness occurs. Seriously, that feeling never gets old!

Height Requirements - 48”

Mutant Masher - Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

#7 Ride at Nickelodeon Universe

Backyardigans Swing Along or the Carousel

Backyardigans Swing-Along - Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

The Swing Along and Carousel rides are oldies but goodies. Great for photo ops and just classic fun the entire family can enjoy. 

Swing Along Height Requirements - 47”

Carousel Height Requirements - 42” unless accompanied by a chaperone (chaperone does not pay to ride)

Carousel - Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

Junior Rides

#8 Ride at Nickelodeon Universe

Back at the Barnyard Hayride

The Barnyard Hayride is where little kids get to feel like big kids and experience their first thrill of coaster rides while racing through barnyard animals. Have the camera ready along with plenty of celebratory high fives!

Height Requirements - 42” unless accompanied by a chaperone (chaperone does not pay to ride)

Barnyard Hayride - Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

#9 Ride at Nickelodeon Universe

Diego's Rescue Rider

The Rescue Rider is always a kid favorite. Guests climb aboard the rescue rider bus to help Diego along his journey. Enroute, happy riders will swing from side to side while getting higher and higher until doing a full loop on the rescue bus. (This ride does not go upside down. The bus swings on an arm while staying level.)

Height Requirements - 42” unless accompanied by a chaperone (chaperone does not pay to ride)

Diego's Rescue Rider - Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

#10 Ride at Nickelodeon Universe

Guppy Bubbler

Guppy Bubbler placed on the list for the photo op alone. Seriously, how adorable is this ride? Kids board their own little bubble shell gondola before floating into the air. (each bubble shell holds 3-4 riders and parents can join their children) The more adventurous riders can take hold of the wheel and spin the bubble as they soar. A perfect ride for the beginning adventurer!

Height Requirements - 42” unless accompanied by a chaperone (chaperone does not pay to ride)

Guppy Bubbler -Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

Honorable Mention

Paw Patrol Adventure Bay

Adventure Bay is similar to a typical mall play area, but much larger. It is a new addition to Nickelodeon Universe and I’m told it is one of the most popular attractions among the younger kids. This one is pricey for a junior attraction at 6 tickets, but parents can sit and relax while their youngsters spend hours burning off all that pent up energy. Can you really put a price on that?

Parents can sit and relax while their youngsters spend hours burning off all that pent up energy.

Height Requirements - 42”-52”

Know Before You Go

During non-peak season all Nickelodeon Universe rides are generally open, however only for partial hours. View the non-peak ride schedule here.

Don’t forget to stop by the meet and greet area to say hello to Spongebob, Dora the Explorer, and other well loved Nickelodeon characters!

Character Meet and Greet - Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

Rides cost between 3 tickets (for the junior rides) to 6 tickets (for the thrill rides). Peruse the list of rides and height requirements before visiting to decide if an all day wristband is a more economic option. 

Peruse the list of rides and height requirements before visiting to decide if an all day wristband is a more economic option.

Wristbands can be purchased in advance and offer a $2 savings when doing so. Check out ticket options and bundle packages here. Nickelodeon Universe also offers season passes, military discounts, twilight savings, and toddler tuesday wristbands.

Each night when the Mall of America closes there is a show behind the Lego Store (in Nickelodeon Universe) with music, lights, fog, and a grand finale confetti blast which is not to be missed!Nightly Show - Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America

Have you visited Nickelodeon Universe? Which ride is your favorite?

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April, 2008 – Bloomington, Minnesota – Mall of America’s recently renovated Nickelodeon Universe, formerly The Park at MOA and Camp Snoopy, has opened its fun-infused walls to throngs of excited children and parents, with Krech, O’Brien, Mueller & Associates along for the ride. As the design force behind many of the retail and structural sites that were re-branded for the first-ever Nickelodeon themed park, Krech, O’Brien, Mueller & Associates was responsible for much of the amazing transformation in the seven-acre theme park. In addition to 18 new Nick-themed rides and attractions, Nickelodeon Universe also features four new Nickelodeon-branded retail stores.SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge is the shortest Gerstlauer roller coaster to date, standing only 67-feet tall; yet it has a 97-degree drop. Developed by TivoliToo, a 3-dimensional sculpting and design studio, and supported by Krech, O’Brien, Mueller & Associates’ structural engineering team, it features a prominently placed statue of SpongeBob and Patrick riding an orange bus down a 90-degree angle while holding a rubber glove over his head.

As for retail, located at the north entrance stands the Nickelodeon Store. Occupying more than 5,000-square feet, it is the flagship store with the largest selection of Nickelodeon merchandise in the world. It features a snow white metal façade, with large punched windows showcasing the vibrant green and orange interior. The exterior is alive in color and size, with a 15’ tall and 25’ wide sign elevated 10’ above the entry.

Nickelodeon Universe will also feature 4U, a trend-setting fashion store for tweens and teens with merchandise like hot shirts and unique bags featuring some of Nick’s most popular properties, including The Naked Brothers Band and SpongeBob SquarePants.

With an open ceiling system, colorfully painted interior and complimentary wood grain fixtures, the space boats a bright and breezy feel. Supporting the airy feeling, simple forms create unusual overhangs and a column colonnade reinforces the clean horizontal lines. The lively orange exterior also provides large vertical surfaces for impressive graphics.

NU Stuff is home to park-based Nickelodeon Universe souvenir merchandise. This 1,000-square foot space, located at the East entrance of Nickelodeon Universe, offers an open atmosphere to make browsing fun and easy.

Redefining amusement park eating, Chicago-based Levy Restaurants is launching EATS. Levy’s innovative culinary team has created healthy dining options and one-of-a-kind concepts for guests of all ages, with the kitchen designed to allow guests to watch as their food is being prepared. Featuring a swirl in the floor that leads guests to their eating experience, the colorful tiles and clean patterns emulate the overall clean design. An extreme renovation, EATS is now a playful and brightly colored food venue.

Robert Niles

August 3, 2020, 3:41 PM · Minnesota's Nickelodeon Universe theme park will reopen to guests starting next week. The park, which is located inside Mall of America, today released the procedures it will follow as it welcomes back visitors.

To start, the seven-acre, indoor park will limit capacity to just 250 people at a time when it reopens August 10. Visitors will have to buy timed tickets on site, as the park will not be selling tickets in advance nor taking advance reservations. Once the park reaches capacity, it will run a virtual queue for admission for the remainder of the day.

Visits will be two hours each, during which guests can enjoy unlimited rides. However, just 12 of the park's 27 attractions will be operating. Open attractions will include the Fairly Odd Coaster, Pepsi Orange Streak, and SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge, for those of you counting coaster credits. The Log Chute is not on the "open" list, which you can find on the park's website.

Tickets will be $19.99 plus tax for riders and $4.99 plus tax for non-riders. Nickelodeon Universe will be open 11am-7pm daily. All visitors ages three and older must wear masks at all times, expect while seated, safely distanced from others, and actively eating or drinking. Hand sanitizing stations have been installed at the entrance and exit of each attraction. Team members will assign seats to enforce safe physical distancing and will sanitize rides after each use.

"Reopening Nickelodeon Universe – even with significantly reduced capacity – is a positive step forward," Executive Vice President of Business Development and Marketing for Mall of America Jill Renslow said. "This is a process, and we will continue to learn, evaluate, and if needed, enhance, this new Nickelodeon Universe experience in the coming weeks and months. We are confident in the health and safety protocols we have in place and look forward to welcoming back guests of all ages to Nickelodeon Universe."

Nickelodeon Universe's sister park at the American Dream mall in New Jersey remains closed at this time.

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(FOX 9) - A Minneapolis-based studio released their latest drone film project capturing footage of the Mall of America and its theme park, Nickelodeon Universe. 

Rally Studios, known for its recent drone film at Bryant Lake Bowl, released the film Wednesday saying the creators wanted to "bring in nostalgic storytelling from their days growing up in Minnesota and frequenting Mall of America," according to a news release from the MOA. 

Rally Studios released a drone film of the Mall of America and Nickelodeon Universe.

"After a busy morning of strapping on rollerblades and chasing rollercoasters with a drone, we are extremely proud of this footage and look forward to future shoots with the Mall of America team," cinematographer Jay Christensen said in the release.

The film starts at the public art installation, Kaleidoscope, before flying into Nickelodeon Universe. From there, the drone chases roller coasters and weaves in and out of other attractions before taking viewers eye to eye with the giant sculptures atop The LEGO store.