The Best Time to Visit

January and February: a 5K indoors

Minnesota winters are long and cold. The mall is one of the few places in the region to walk a 5K indoors in January, with each level about 1.2 miles round. The walk from the ramp to the door is the cold part; inside, skylights, lighting and people keep the temperature steady. The heating page explains how.

Summer and autumn

In autumn the Log Chute, an original 1992 ride, closes for maintenance for a few weeks. In summer 2026 SEA LIFE ran a limited-time themed trail; such trails are temporary and not guaranteed.

Black Friday and late December

Black Friday weekend brings the largest crowds of the year. The Parental Escort Policy runs during all mall hours on Black Friday and from 26 to 31 December, instead of from 3 pm. The escort policy page has the full rule.

Day of the week and hour of the day

As a rule, weekday mornings in the school year are the quietest and weekends the busiest. Sunday retail hours are shorter, 11 am to 7 pm. On the park, Sonia arrived at opening and found almost no lines; another traveller found the wait times long but expected. The least-crowded-day page sets out the guidance in short.

Holidays

Moose Mountain and Rock of Ages close on Christmas Day. They open 11 am to 6 pm on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The mall posts its own holiday hours on mallofamerica.com; check them before a holiday visit. Every published schedule is on the hours page.

Frequently asked questions