Big Snow American Dream

Last updated
Big Snow American Dream
Big Snow American Dream 01.jpg
The "Switchback" and "Northern Lights" trails at Big Snow American Dream
Location Meadowlands Sports Complex,
East Rutherford, New Jersey
Nearest major city New York City
Coordinates 40°48′40″N74°04′12″W / 40.81111°N 74.07000°W / 40.81111; -74.07000 Coordinates: 40°48′40″N74°04′12″W / 40.81111°N 74.07000°W / 40.81111; -74.07000
Skiable area4 acres (1.6 ha)
Runs3
Longest runSwitchback - 1,000 feet (300 m)
Lift system 4 total (1 quad lift, 1 Poma,
2 magic carpets)
Website bigsnowamericandream.com

Big Snow American Dream is an indoor skiing and snowboarding park within the American Dream shopping and entertainment complex, at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, that opened on December 5, 2019. [1]

Contents

Big Snow American Dream is the first indoor ski park in North America. [2] [3] It is owned by the Triple Five Group and is operated by Snow Operating who also run Mountain Creek Resort. [4]

History

The exterior of the indoor ski slope in 2009 Xanadu Indoor Ski.JPG
The exterior of the indoor ski slope in 2009
Partial view of the ski slope's exterior in 2020 Big Snow American Dream exterior.jpg
Partial view of the ski slope’s exterior in 2020

The American Dream shopping mall was first proposed as Meadowlands Mills in 1994. [5] The mall, later renamed Meadowlands Xanadu, was nearly complete in 2009 when construction stopped due to a lack of funding. [6] The original plans for the mall had included an indoor ski slope, which was advertised as the United States' first indoor Alpine ski resort. [7] On February 1, 2011, following a month of heavy snowfall, observers found that 50 to 60 feet (15 to 18 m) of the slope's eastern wall had been damaged, and a horizontal crease had formed on the wall. [8] Two days later, as workers tried to melt the snow on the ski slope's roof, about 150 feet (50 m) of the eastern wall had collapsed under the weight of the snowfall accumulation. [9] [10]

In May 2011, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority formalized an agreement with Triple Five Group, which assumed ownership of the mall and renamed it "American Dream". The ski slope would continue to be built as part of the agreement. [11] [12] The ski slope was rebranded "Big Snow" in 2015. [13]

In 2018, Triple Five announced that the ski slope would open the following December as part of the mall's phased opening, which would take place between 2019 and 2020. [11] In advance of the opening, Big Snow hired 300 workers. [2] [14] On December 5, 2019, Big Snow American Dream opened with an event attended by skiers and snowboarders such as Donna Weinbrecht, Lindsey Vonn, Red Gerard, and Ben Ferguson. [15] [16] [17] The opening of a portion of Big Snow was delayed until the following week. [15]

In the early hours of September 25, 2021, part of the ski slope caught on fire. However, there were no reported injuries. [18] Big Snow reopened on May 27, 2022, eight months after the incident took shape. [19]

Attractions

The "Lil' Dipper" beginner trail Big Snow American Dream 03.jpg
The "Lil' Dipper" beginner trail

The 4-acre (1.6 ha) park is covered with 5,500 tons of snow, packed to a depth of 2 feet (0.61 m) and is open year-round. There are three trails: a beginner trail called "Lil' Dipper", an intermediate trail called "Switchback", and an advanced trail called "Northern Lights". There is also a terrain park. [20] [1] The trails are served by four lifts: two carpet lifts serving the Lil Dipper, and a quad chairlift and platter surface lift serving Northern Lights and Switchback. Both lifts were manufactured by Doppelmayr-CTEC in 2008. The slopes are 1,000 feet (300 m) long, covering an altitude of 160 feet (49 m) with a maximum pitch of 26%. [1] [21]

Its climate-controlled environment is at a consistent 28 °F (−2 °C). [4] Guests are able to get skiing and snowboarding lessons. [17] [22] To prevent overcrowding, guests book tickets for time slots in advance. [17]

The park also has a gourmet hot chocolate shop called Joe C's Hot Cocoa. [1] [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

Nickelodeon Universe is the name of two indoor amusement parks located at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota and American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with a third location under construction at the Mall of China in Chongqing, China. The parks consist of attractions and rides based on Nickelodeon’s popular franchises. The amusement parks are owned and operated by the Triple Five Group with licensing rights from Paramount Global, which owns Nickelodeon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meadowlands Sports Complex</span> Sports complex in New Jersey, U.S.

The Meadowlands Sports Complex is a sports complex located in East Rutherford, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The facility is owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meadowlands Arena</span> Arena in New Jersey, United States

Meadowlands Arena is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on New Jersey Route 120 across the highway from MetLife Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack, next to the American Dream shopping and entertainment complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain Creek</span> Ski area in New Jersey, United States

Mountain Creek is a ski resort in Vernon Township, Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. It is located on New Jersey Route 94, 47 miles (76 km) from the George Washington Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Waterpark</span> Water park in Alberta, Canada

World Waterpark is a water park located within the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Opened to the public in 1986, it is the second largest indoor water park in North America, after American Dream's DreamWorks Water Park which opened on October 1, 2020. It has a maximum capacity of 5,000 guests, an average air temperature of 31 °C (88 °F) and contains the world's largest indoor wave pool with a capacity of 12.5 million litres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Dream Meadowlands</span> Retail and entertainment complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA

American Dream is a large retail and entertainment complex in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The first and second of four opening stages occurred on October 25, 2019, and on December 5, 2019. The remaining opening stages occurred on October 1, 2020, and thereafter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indoor skiing</span> Sport discipline

Indoor skiing is done in a climate-controlled environment with artificially produced snow. This enables skiing and snowboarding to take place regardless of outdoor temperatures. Facilities for both alpine skiing and nordic skiing are available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ski Dubai</span>

Ski Dubai is an indoor ski resort with 22,500 square meters of indoor ski area. The park maintains a temperature of -1 degree to 2 degrees Celsius throughout the year. It is a part of the Mall of the Emirates, one of the largest shopping malls in the world, located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was developed by Majid Al Futtaim Group, which also operates the Mall of the Emirates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramus Park</span> Shopping mall in Paramus, New Jersey

Paramus Park is a shopping mall located in Paramus, New Jersey, United States. It opened in 1974, is owned by Brookfield Properties, and has a gross leasable area (GLA) of 770,941 sq ft (71,622.8 m2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackensack RiverWalk</span> Trail along the lower river

Hackensack RiverWalk, also known as the Hackensack River Greenway, a is partially constructed greenway along the Newark Bay and Hackensack River in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The 18-mile (29 km) linear park, which closely follows the contour of the water's edge where possible, runs along the west side of Bergen Neck peninsula between its southern tip at Bergen Point, where it would connect to the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, and the Eastern Brackish Marsh in the north. The walkway passes through the contiguous municipalities of Bayonne, Jersey City, and Secaucus with a potential connection to a walkway in North Bergen. It passes through new and established residential neighborhoods, county and municipal parks, brownfields, industrial areas, commercial districts, and wetland preserves. While existing parks and promenades have been incorporated and new sections have been built there remain gaps. It will pass under sixteen bridges and cross over eight natural creeks. Since 1988, in accordance with the public trust doctrine New Jersey law requires new construction built within 100 feet (30 m) of the water must provide 30 feet (9.1 m) of public space along the water's edge. In September 2022, the Lower Hackensack was declared a federal superfund site, triggering a process to remediate and restore the water and shoreline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ober Gatlinburg</span> Ski area and amusement park in Tennessee

Ober Gatlinburg is a ski area and amusement park located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA that was established in 1962. The area also contains a large mall with indoor amusements, an indoor ice skating rink, snack bars, a restaurant, and stores. An aerial tram connects Ober Gatlinburg to downtown Gatlinburg, about 3 miles east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triple Five Group</span> Canadian conglomerate

Triple Five Group is a Canadian conglomerate based in Edmonton, Alberta, which specializes in shopping centres, entertainment complexes, hotels, and banks, along with running three indoor amusement parks. The company owns and operates two of North America's largest malls, the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta and the Mall of America in Minnesota, both of which contain a wide variety of entertainment attractions alongside traditional retail. The company also owns the American Dream Meadowlands, which opened at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in New Jersey on October 25, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madrid Xanadú</span> Shopping mall in Madrid, Spain

Madrid Xanadú is a large shopping mall and entertainment center in Arroyomolinos, Madrid, Spain. Constructed next to the Autovía de Extremadura highway, the mall is one of Europe's largest, with over 222 shops, eateries, and a 15-screen Cinesa Movie Theater. The most distinctive attraction is Madrid SnowZone, an indoor ski slope. The slope is from a Canadian company, Intrawest. The mall was named after the 1981 film Xanadu, starring Oliva Newton-John.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meadowlands station</span>

Meadowlands Sports Complex, or Meadowlands, is a New Jersey Transit train station that is the western terminus for the Meadowlands Rail Line located at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Since the early 2000s, DreamWorks Animation, an American animation studio, owned by NBCUniversal, has had an involvement in the creation and theming of amusement park rides and attractions. This article details the ventures of DreamWorks Animation in amusement parks.

This is a list of events and openings related to amusement parks that occurred in 2019. These various lists are not exhaustive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TMNT Shellraiser</span> Steel roller coaster

The TMNT Shellraiser is a steel indoor roller coaster at Nickelodeon Universe amusement park, within the American Dream Meadowlands shopping and entertainment complex, at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The roller coaster is a Euro-Fighter model manufactured by Gerstlauer, and themed to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT). It is the steepest roller coaster in the world with a vertical drop of 121.5 degrees. The TMNT Shellraiser has the exact same layout as Takabisha at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan, the previous record holder for world's steepest roller coaster.

DreamWorks Water Park is an indoor water park within the American Dream shopping and entertainment complex, at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The park opened on October 1, 2020. The water park includes 15 water slides and 15 attractions, and covers 8.5 acres (3.4 ha).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy's Blasting Bronco</span> Launched roller coaster

Sandy's Blasting Bronco is a compact steel launched roller coaster at Nickelodeon Universe amusement park, within the American Dream Meadowlands shopping and entertainment complex, at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The coaster is located indoors and launches riders both forwards and backwards through a compact layout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nickelodeon Slime Streak</span> Indoor roller coaster at Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream Meadowlands

Nickelodeon Slime Streak is a steel family roller coaster located in the Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park at the American Dream Meadowlands megamall in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The coaster opened for the park's grand opening on October 25, 2019, and is primarily targeted at children and younger audiences.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Pries, Allison (November 26, 2019). "Trail map for American Dream mall's ski park shows what it will look like inside". NJ.com . Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  2. 1 2 Pries, Allison (2019-11-07). "American Dream's huge indoor ski slope is hiring 300 workers". nj. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  3. ↑ "Big Snow American Dream Opening". skitheworld.com. 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  4. 1 2 Pries, Alison (October 11, 2019). "16-story indoor ski slope at American Dream opens soon. Here's what it'll cost you". NJ.com . Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  5. ↑ Hendry, Cheryl Ann. "Finding Nature in an Industrial Swamp: A Case Study of New Jersey's Hackensack Meadowlands", p. 196, Montana State University, 2017.
  6. ↑ Pristin, Terry (2009-05-19). "Xanadu, a New Jersey Mall, May Be Too Big to Fail". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  7. ↑ Thomas, Lauren (2019-10-22). "More than 17 years in the making, American Dream megamall's story was shaped by retail's upheaval". CNBC. Retrieved 2019-11-28.
  8. ↑ Brennan, John (February 5, 2011). "Ice buildup causes wall to buckle at Xanadu's snow dome - NorthJersey.com". northjersey.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. ↑ Lamendola, Michael (February 10, 2011). "Protective wall, roof damaged at Xanadu ski dome". NorthJersey.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved November 28, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ↑ Hurley, Amanda Kolson (October 9, 2015). "Does America Need Another Giant Mall?". The Atlantic. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  11. 1 2 Katzban, Nicholas (November 12, 2018). "See the progress on the American Dream water park, now taking shape". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  12. ↑ Henry, Samantha (May 3, 2011). "Xanadu mall project to get new name, big expansion". New Jersey Herald . Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  13. ↑ Stainton, Lilo H. (September 22, 2015). "Explainer: American Dream Starting to Come True in the Meadowlands?". NJ Spotlight. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  14. ↑ Porpora, Tracey (2019-11-07). "American Dream's Big Snow hiring 300 people". silive. Retrieved 2019-11-28.
  15. 1 2 Pries, Allison (2019-12-05). "Indoor ski slope at American Dream is open. Here's a first look inside". nj.com. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  16. ↑ "Grand opening: Big SNOW American Dream to open to public today at American Dream". newjersey.news12.com. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
  17. 1 2 3 "'The snow is perfect:' Indoor ski slope opens at American Dream". North Jersey. 2019-12-05. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  18. ↑ NJ.com, Ted Sherman | NJ Advance Media for; NJ.com, Josh Solomon | NJ Advance Media for (2021-09-25). "Fire breaks out at the American Dream mall ski slope, but no injuries reported". nj. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  19. ↑ Munoz, Daniel. "American Dream's Big Snow indoor ski slope reopens, eight months after fire". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  20. ↑ "Here's The Trail Map For American Dream's Indoor Ski Park". Wyckoff, NJ Patch. 2019-11-26. Retrieved 2019-11-28.
  21. ↑ "Big Snow American Dream, NJ". 5 December 2019.
  22. 1 2 Redmond, Kemberly (November 26, 2019). "Heres The Trail Map For American Dreams Indoor Ski Park". patch.com. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.