American Dream: Complete guide to thrill rides, water park, aquarium, ski slope, history
James M. O'NeillLocal journalism takes time and resources. A few stories linked on this page are only available to subscribers. Please consider subscribing to NorthJersey.com to view these stories so we can continue our coverage about topics you care about. See our current deals here.
Since the concept of a mega-mall in the Meadowlands was first floated in 1996, the Record and NorthJersey.com have chronicled every tortured twist and turn in the on-again, off-again, on-again project.
With American Dream officially open, we have brought together some of our recent coverage of the entertainment and retail venue. Scroll down for links to stories and video on what the inside looks like. You'll also find stories on the site's retailers, transportation issues, food options, history, funding, job opportunities and environmental challenges. This site will be constantly updated as we learn more.
Opening day
American Dream officially opened Oct. 25, but the public wasn't able to experience everything the complex will have to offer. The water park opening set for Nov. 27 has been postponed. The indoor ski slope opened as scheduled on Dec. 5. The retail stores are supposed to open by March 2020, and the aquarium in the spring.
Days after the official opening, some of the amusement park rides still didn't have state approval to operate.
The state announced the night before the opening that it had issued a temporary certificate of occupancy so American Dream could open Oct. 25 as scheduled.
Officials say the mall's attractions will open in what the call four "chapters." This is our complete guide to what's opening when.
We traveled to Minnesota to check out Mall of America, also operated by Triple Five, to see what we could learn from it about American Dream.
It's impact on the retail industry
Some retail experts say American Dream could serve as a North Star for the retail industry, a test case for experiential retail and whether the concept can be successful in one of the country’s most competitive markets.
How it's progressing
On Dec. 5 the indoor ski slope opened, featuring a 160-foot slope with a graduated incline shaped with 5,500-tons of real snow that has been sprayed by snow machines night and day for a month.
We asked three expert ski racers with the Ridgewood High School ski team to check out Big Snow's indoor slope. Here's what they thought.
In mid-November American Dream announced that the DreamWorks Water Park opening, set for Nov. 27, would be delayed. No new opening date was announced.
In August we got a peek inside the American Dream complex to see how things were progressing.
The garish orange, red and yellow pattern on the exterior walls of American Dream's ski slope was painted white in September. It was the last remnant from the days when Gov. Chris Christie called the complex "the ugliest damn building in New Jersey." We got an exclusive interview with the mural artists in October.
In April of 2019, Gov. Phil Murphy said American Dream had begun testing its amusement rides.
Here's how the complex, still under construction, looked inside in January of 2019.
In March of 2017, six massive construction cranes stood silently over the dormant site.
Links to more coverage continue below the photo gallery
What's inside
In spring of 2020 the SEA LIFE Aquarium will open, featuring 3,000 species swimming through 250,000 gallons of water.
The 160-foot indoor ski slope, which has 5,500 tons of snow, is topped with a 26-degree incline, roughly equivalent to an intermediate ski run. It will feature banked turns on one side to mellow the initial grade for less experienced riders, and have a small terrain park.
In May 2019 we learned that American Dream would include Instagram-friendly settings where visitors can shoot selfies, including museum-scale interiors, a 60-foot fashion fountain and a sprawling garden with bird-filled aviaries and rabbit fields.
There will be miniature golf at American Dream. But not your run-of-the-mill course. The mega center will have Angry Birds Mini Golf — equipped with 3D renderings.
The New Jersey Hall of Fame, which never had a permanent home, will move into American Dream.
American Dream stores
Here's the list of retailers who have announced so far they will be opening locations at American Dream.
Whoopie Goldberg opened a popup store for the holiday season.
American Dream announced a 10-year, multimillion-dollar partnership with The Coca Cola Company that will include a social media storefront, green rooms, and an 800-person dining center.
Barneys New York will open its only New Jersey store at American Dream — a two-level store inside a curated luxury portion of American Dream called The Collections.
Primark, the low-priced fast-fashion retailer that is big in Europe but largely unknown in this country, has chosen American Dream for a strategic outpost in its U.S. expansion.
The food
Marc Murphy of "Chopped" fame will partner with veteran restaurant manager Levent Veziroglu for Grisini Food Hall and Coffee Shops.
The Ani Ramen House, a ramen and Japanese izakaya restaurant, owned by Luck Sarabhayavanija, will open a new location in America Dream.
H Mart, the upscale Asian-American market and eatery with a growing footprint in North Jersey, will open a 35,000-square-foot space at American Dream.
An 18-vendor food hall created by the Munchies website and video channel for foodies will be part of American Dream.
Getting there
How to get there by car, bus, train, ferry.
If you wan to drive there, for now you won't have to pay for parking.
American Dream hopes to ferry shoppers from Manhattan and the Hamptons by helicopter.
American Dream selected Lyft as its official ride-sharing partner. The partnership includes a designated Lyft pickup and drop-off location on site.
NJ Transit plans to expand some local bus lines, have express service from New York and Secaucus and add a new line form the Port Authority in Manhattan to get shoppers to American Dream.
NY Waterway announced it will offer a ferry-bus service from Manhattan that is set to begin on the mega mall's opening day.
Road improvements planned for intersection near American Dream.
The history
Times have changed since 1996, when a plan for a mega-mall in the Meadowlands was first pitched. Bill Clinton was president and Eli Manning was still in high school.
American Dream is located where it is because local environmentalists fought to preserve vital Meadowlands swamps.
A timeline: Some of the milestones on the way to opening American Dream.
Triple Five, the operator of American Dream, said in 2016 it would be eager to submit a proposal for a North Jersey casino should the opportunity arise.
Dream jobs
Officials are hiring 300 people to operate the indoor ski slope.
American Dream was looking to hire 300 lifeguards for its water park.
Looking for a job? Sephora, Primark, Ulta Beauty, Levi's, Columbia Sportswear, DSW, Saint Laurent, Piercing Pagoda and Zales Jewelers are among a list of retailers with public postings for jobs at American Dream.
Environmental concerns
The president of the Bergen Audubon Society feared the glass exterior of American Dream could be deadly to the dozens of bird species that migrate through the Meadowlands each year.
Our go-to expert
Melanie Anzidei, our retail reporter, provides the backbone of our American Dream coverage. She happens to have grown up in East Rutherford, the town American Dream calls home. She earned a masters in journalism from Columbia Journalism School in 2014, and covered business and municipal news before taking on the retail beat. You can reach her at anzidei@northjersey.com.