Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America

Location: Inside the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota (near Minneapolis).

Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America Phone: (952) 883-8600

Admission Info and Operating Schedule: Admission to the park is free. Rides and attractions require varying numbers of points. Points are available for purchase individually or in multi-point packages. Pay-one-price unlimited ride wristbands are also available.

Because it's indoors, the park is open year-round whenever the mall is open, which is pretty much all the time.

Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America Directions: The Mall of America is located at the intersection of I-494 and Highway 77. It is about 15 minutes from both downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul. It is a few minutes from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.

Highlights: The park features three coasters and an assortment of Nickelodeon-themed rides and attractions including:

• Fairly Odd Coaster spinning coaster
• SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge coaster
• Orange Streak coaster
• El Circulo del Cielo Ferris Wheel

Other Nickelodeon Universe Info: Nickelodeon Universe Photo Gallery

Water Park of America
Although it's not directly affiliated with the Mall of America, the huge Water Park of America is around the corner.

Hotel Info: Compare rates for Mall of America-area hotels at About.com's booking partner, Kayak.

New for 2008: Avatar Airbender half pipe coaster
The coaster will use LSM launch technology.

SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge "Euro-Fighter"
The coaster will drop at a 97-degree angle from a 67-foot height.

Note that the park will change its name to Nickelodeon Universe in Spring 2008 and adapt its theme. It had been known as Knott's Camp Snoopy and then changed its name to The Park at the Mall of America.

Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America Overview: More than a place for locals to shop, the oversized, frenetic Mall of America is a tourist destination in its own right. It makes perfect sense therefore (sort of) that plopped into its cavernous middle is a theme park. We're not talking about a couple of kiddie rides and a cotton candy machine. This is a full-fledged amusement park with three coasters, a giant Ferris wheel, and a slew of other thrill and kiddie rides.

Granted, the coasters don't come close to breaking any records, and the rides are mostly off-the-shelf models (although there is a nifty log flume ride and a fun shoot-em-up dark ride). But the rides offer plenty of fun. And I don't know about you, but I'll take a spin on a Ferris wheel over a spree in Macy's any day. Speaking of Macy's, while hanging around the entrance to the department store, it's pretty weird to hear riders screaming and feel the floor rumbling from the coaster from the nearby park.

The Knott's folks used to operate the park (it was originally known as Knott's Camp Snoopy), but it now sports a Nickelodeon theme and features characters such as Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants.