Travel to Mall of America via Minneapolis Metro from East Bank
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul offer tons of attractions for visitors, including the Mall of America. The mall is some distance from the center of Minneapolis, but it's actually super easy to get there if you are traveling from East Bank on the Green Line.
Steps
- Get yourself a ticket to ride the Metro. All stations generally have working vending machines, but you can also buy a train ticket on the Metro Transit app. Each ticket allows for uninterrupted riding for two and a half hours.
- Find a train heading north towards Minneapolis-Target Field on the Green line. At East Bank, you'll see the Graduate Hotel on one side of the street nearby. You'll want to board the train coming from the same side of the street as the Graduate Hotel.Template:Greenbox:'''Tip''': Each Metro Transit train will have its intended final stop written in the front corner of the train, facing the direction the train is heading.
- If you end up getting on the wrong train (going towards St. Paul), you'll have to travel back through the East Bank station. If you've traveled into Stadium Village or Prospect Park, you've gone the wrong way.
- Take this Green line train north two stops. You'll travel through West Bank up to the U.S. Bank Stadium stop.
- If you continue on the Green line into stops at Government Plaza or Nicollet Mall, you'll have gone too far.
- Get out when you reach U.S. Bank Stadium and walk to the opposite platform.
- Take a Blue line train going in the direction of the Mall of America stop. Here's where things get tricky.
- Take the Blue line train several stops. You'll have to travel through Cedar-Riverside, Franklin, Lake St/Midtown, 38th St, 46th St, 50th St/Minnehaha Park, VA Medical Center, Port Snelling (going underground to catch the two stations at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 for Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport), American Blvd, Blooming Center, and 29th Ave, before finally reaching the Mall of America.
- Get out once the train stops at the Mall of America's Transit Hub. Watch for other trains coming up from behind you. The train going the opposite direction will often come through this transit hub area, and you will want to watch for these to go past while waiting on a side platform before entering.
- The Transit Hub is near the Barnes and Noble store inside the second floor of the mall, off to the side. If you stray a long way from this area, plan extra time to return to the transit hub and to get a new ticket for your departure.
- Those caught without a ticket may be escorted off at the following station and asked to get a new ticket to continue riding towards their destination.
Tips
- Notice that the Blue line isn't the only light rail train that terminates at this station. There is also a Red line train that terminates here that you will want to watch out for when hopping a light rail back following these directions in reverse.
- Just inside another doorway at Mall of America's Transit Hub, you'll be able to buy new tickets if the old ones expired. This entire route from East Bank to Mall of America shouldn't take too long, about an hour. ETA times vary depending on train times and how many people get picked up at each stop.
- Estimated cost of a regular ticket is about $2, with half cost fares for certain reduced fare passengers.
- The Mall of America's stop isn't open 24 hours a day/7 days a week. However, the Metro search page will say there's a train operating during these times.
