Minnesota’s Mall of America has a host of family-friendly activities, including the Nickelodeon Universe theme park, a miniature golf course, and  Lego area.  Also included in the ranks of family things to do at MOA is Underwater Adventures Aquarium.

Underwater Adventures features a walk through a tunnel, with fish (including sharks) swimming around and above you as you move through the aquarium.  (Sometimes a moving walkway is in use so you hop on and enjoy the ride; on our latest visit the walkway was turned off so that we could stop and go as we pleased.)

Today is the grand opening of a new feature at Underwater Adventures:  Jellyfish Discovery.  Billed as the world’s jellyfish collection, there are several different species of jellyfish on display, as well as walls with all sorts of jellyfish facts.  (Did you know that a group of jellyfish is called a smack?)  There are blue jellyfish and spotted jellyfish and clear jellyfish in the various jellyfish aquariums.

Just over a year ago, Underwater Adventures introduced its Seahorse Kingdom, and my girls were happy to see how the seahorses had grown.

After viewing the sea creatures in the aquarium, there are two hands-on areas where visitors can touch starfish or crabs.

If you haven’t been to Underwater Adventures for a while, Seahorse Kingdom and Jellyfish Discovery might make a return trip worthwhile.  Although admission to the aquarium isn’t cheap, wristbands are good for the whole day, so it can be a good diversion for kids from the shop-till-you-drop day at the mall.  Membership is priced fairly; for our family of six it is actually cheaper than paying full-price admission.  Discounts and promotions are available on the Underwater Adventures website, and the mascot Sharky can often be found around Mall of America handing out coupons.

Disclosure: We received complimentary admission to see the new jellyfish exhibit.

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