New Jersey May Soon Be Home To The Largest Indoor Theme Park In America

Have you ever wanted to chill in Bikini Bottom or fight crime with four totally rad talking turtles? Have you ever wondered what it’s like to get slimed? We’ve got great news for all you Nickelodeon fans (both past and present) out there. You might soon be able to enjoy a massive indoor theme park with all your favorite Nickelodeon characters – right here in New Jersey.

Developers of American Dream Meadowlands, the retail and entertainment complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey (that, when completed, will be the largest mall in America) have announced plans for an indoor park called Nickelodeon Universe. The eight-and-a-half acre theme park will be the largest in the Western Hemisphere. Visitors can expect rides based on beloved characters from the past like SpongeBob SquarePants and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, along with rides based on current Nickelodeon shows like Blaze and the Monster Machines. This park will be similar to the indoor park of the same name at the famous Mall of America in Minnesota, but even bigger and better.

Other attractions in the complex will include a water park with all of your favorite DreamWorks characters and a Legoland Discovery Center for younger kids. Awesome attractions for adults include an indoor ski slope, an aquarium with a walk-through tunnel, and a “4-D” movie theater where viewers can actually smell whatever is on the screen.

Though the long-delayed American Dream complex has been controversial, these attractions could make the complex a huge tourist destination and create tens of thousands of jobs in New Jersey. Not to mention, it would make a lot of our childhood dreams come true. Unfortunately, we might have to wait a while. The multi-billion dollar project began in 2002 and has been stalled since April. Most recently, the opening date has been pushed back to fall of 2018.

Check out the developer’s sketch and some photos from the Mall of America’s Nickelodeon Universe to get an idea of what this park might look like: