Nickelodeon Universe is the indoor theme park built into the center of Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Spread across roughly 7 acres of climate-controlled space, it packs in more than two dozen rides and attractions, meaning it runs at full capacity regardless of the brutal Minnesota winters happening just outside its glass roof.
The park has operated under several names over the decades. It opened on August 11, 1992 as Knott’s Camp Snoopy, themed around the Peanuts characters, before dropping the Knott’s name and later rebranding entirely as Nickelodeon Universe on March 15, 2008. Today it’s owned and operated by the Triple Five Group, the same company behind the mall itself, under a licensing deal with Paramount.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Bloomington, Minnesota
- Opened: August 11, 1992 (as Knott’s Camp Snoopy)
- Rebranded: March 15, 2008 (as Nickelodeon Universe)
- Size: About 7 acres
- Attractions: 27+ rides, including 5 roller coasters
- Tallest coaster: SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge, about 74.5 ft
- Owner/operator: Triple Five Group
The Ride Lineup
Nickelodeon Universe’s five roller coasters range from mellow to genuinely intense. Pepsi Orange Streak, a smooth family coaster dating back to the park’s 1992 opening, glides riders around the perimeter with views of the whole park. On the other end sits SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge, a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter that opened with the Nickelodeon rebrand in 2008 — it’s the park’s tallest and fastest coaster, with a beyond-vertical first drop, a handful of inversions, and a top speed around 43 mph, all packed into a footprint small enough to fit under a mall roof.
Beyond the coasters, the park mixes classic amusement-park staples like a log flume and Ferris wheel with Nickelodeon-branded family rides themed to shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Back at the Barnyard.
From Camp Snoopy to Nickelodeon Universe
The park’s identity has shifted with its licensing partners rather than its layout. It launched as Knott’s Camp Snoopy in 1992 as part of Mall of America’s original construction, traded the Peanuts theme for Nickelodeon characters in 2008, and has kept that branding ever since even as individual rides have been swapped, renamed, or re-themed around newer Nickelodeon properties.
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Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America FAQs
Is Nickelodeon Universe open year-round?
Yes. Because it’s fully enclosed inside Mall of America, it operates every day of the year regardless of outside weather.
How many roller coasters does Nickelodeon Universe have?
Five, ranging from the mellow Pepsi Orange Streak to the taller, faster SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge.
Was Nickelodeon Universe always called that?
No. It opened in 1992 as Knott’s Camp Snoopy, themed around the Peanuts characters, before rebranding as Nickelodeon Universe in March 2008.
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Photo by Chris Slupski on Unsplash.