I had been wanting to see the American Dream experiential shopping mall and indoor amusement park for several years. I had been in conversation with Triple Five Group about bringing a previous project to the location, but that never came to fruition. Recently, being in town for the World Experience Summit (WXS) and having a community of local and visiting experience creators and partners from the WXO - World Experience Organization in town was the perfect opportunity to visit on a Tuesday morning right after the mall opened. Many of the attractions we visited weren't open yet, but we did get some behind-the-scenes special access.
A huge thank you to Global VP Laura DeSwart and her assistant Huiting Su, the latter of whom gave our crew of 14 (Julian Rad, Jasmin Jodry, Brett Kuehner, John Kolesar, Louis Alfieri, Adam Bamba Tanaka, PhD, Jaime Izurieta Varea, Kelly Vaught, Christy Casey, Michael Badelt, Josh Sehnert, Eliran Farhi, and Heather Doggett) from the WXS a tour of the massive facility and a behind-the-scenes look at some of the attractions and experiences in its 3 million square foot campus.
Even though I had read about it for years and heard about these mega indoor malls with rides and more, nothing prepared me for the sheer size, scale, and ambition of the project. (That moment when you realize your friends are crazy, but in a good way.) We walked a few miles and it felt like we only scratched the surface. As I rewatched the videos I captured during our visit, the one word I kept repeating over and over was "WOW!"
Here is a partial list of what lies inside the doors of American Dream.
- Over 30 attractions
- At least two mini-golf courses
- An amusement park with roller coasters and rides
- An ice rink
- An aquarium
- A conservatory
- An indoor ski lift and ski slope (Pro-tip: You can see the slope through the back windows of Yard House restaurant)
- Elevated and interesting retail experiences from brands
- More fountains, couches, and koi ponds than I could count
The development of this particular American Dream has been over 20 years in the making, finally opening adjacent to MetLife Stadium in Meadowlands, NJ, in 2019. It is a sibling project to the Mall of America in Minnesota and the West Edmonton Mall Property Inc. (West Edmonton Mall and Fantasyland Hotel) in Canada.
Investing in these megamalls and centering them around entertainment and experience, as much as, or perhaps more than, the retail anchor stores of malls of the past, is/was a visionary and bold move by the Triple Five Group. This shows an understanding of ‘retail of the future’ where we come together for memories, food, and perhaps to shop a bit too.
Another important aspect of American Dream is that it is geared for events. There are numerous gathering and performance spaces for private or corporate events. I was astonished to learn that the indoor amusement park is occasionally converted into a nighttime adult playground, bringing in headline EDM acts and turning on the party lights. They also host numerous pool parties with big-name DJs at the water park. It’s refreshing to see a group who are determined to find ways to say "YES!" to a wide variety of entertainment and attractions.
The journey has not been without its challenges, but the group is pushing ahead with expansion. A new IMAX theater is coming soon. There will be a Marriott hotel attached, and all this is ramping up to coincide with the World Cup Soccer event scheduled at the nearby Metlife Stadium in 2026.
Another pleasant surprise about American Dream is how well-appointed the entire facility is. Every couch, gathering area, sculpture, padded bench under the escalator, art, and even the design of the murals covering future retail or additional attractions, every element is executed thoughtfully and with a luxurious touch. Many in our group were surprised at how much we enjoyed the design touches and aesthetics. They set the bar significantly higher than your usual neighborhood mall.
American Dream and its big attractions are open 365 days a year. They host about 15K-20K people on a slower weekday, but up to 150K over the busier weekends. On a Tuesday at lunchtime, I was amazed to see a long line forming in the mall as guests waited outside the water park before it opened… floaties and water wings ready for a day of fun and sun, albeit sun via a massive atrium roof.
Will I go back to American Dream? Yes, absolutely. I want to go on a weekend or holiday to see it fully activated and to dive into some of the attractions and experiences there (perhaps literally in the case of the wave pool). One could have several Experience Safaris, not to mention many tasty meals at its 150,000 sq ft food court or any of its seven major restaurants, without even leaving the building.
For the right experiences and attractions, this is a very alluring location with innovative landlords who are open to experimenting and finding creative ways to activate the acres of space they have available. Let me know if you are interested and I will introduce you to their team. Meanwhile, I look forward to seeing how it progresses and what new offerings come to this retail and entertainment behemoth.
