Bloomington is home to the world-famous Mall of America®. Beyond that, the area’s attractions offer different reasons to visit: leisure activities, historic buildings, hands-on engineering for children, and encounters with animals. If you’re looking for a hotel in Bloomington, you can start by considering which of these is most important for your trip.
Leisure activities and Nickelodeon Universe®
The Mall of America offers dozens of leisure activities, including the state’s largest aquarium. Nickelodeon Universe® adds a distinctive attraction: it is the first indoor Nickelodeon theme park in the United States. Spread across seven acres, the park offers rides, entertainment, and dining. These different kinds of leisure activities can help guide your travel planning.
Tickets for Nickelodeon Universe® can be purchased online, at Nickelodeon Universe ticket outlets, at self-service kiosks in the park, or at the Mall of America guest services desks. Check the available ticket-purchasing options before your trip.
Building history and city museum
The Gideon and Agnes Pond House was built in 1856 as a brick house in the Federal style. It is the central building in Bloomington’s Pond-Dakota Mission Park. Since restoration work was completed in 1995, the City of Bloomington has maintained the house as a museum. Its construction date, architectural style, and subsequent restoration give the building a clear historical connection.
Old Town Hall is also part of the city’s architectural history: it is one of the few surviving structures from Bloomington’s 19th-century architecture. The building houses a history museum with artifacts and exhibitions about Bloomington’s past. Those interested in the city’s history will find a different focus here than at the Mall of America’s leisure attractions.
Technology for children and animal encounters
The Works Museum is designed for children ages five to twelve and their families. It focuses on hands-on engineering, interactive experiences, and design challenges. Its offerings are specifically geared toward children in this age group, making it different from a visit focused mainly on a theme park or city history.
At Richardson Nature Center, visitors can get up close to the birds of prey, reptiles, and amphibians that live there. This focus complements technology, history, and entertainment with the opportunity to encounter different groups of animals.
Getting there and choosing a travel focus
The Hiawatha Line (Route 55) connects both terminals of Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport to the Mall of America; the journey takes twelve minutes. Check the route and travel time before your trip.
When choosing a hotel in Bloomington, your planned focus is a useful starting point: are you mainly interested in the Mall of America and leisure activities, historic buildings, or activities for children and animal encounters?
For an overview of the wider area: Minneapolis.
