A Guide to Experiencing Grapevine Mills With The Whole Family

Grapevine Mills Mall has it all, whether you are looking to shop, have 'fin-tactular' or 'brick-tacular' fun, or dine with kids. Sitting in a 1.8 million-square-foot space, this mall is located two miles north of DFW International Airport. Among the 180 stores inside the mall are SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium, LEGOLAND Discovery Center, and Peppa Pig World of Play. These three attractions offer families a fantastic journey into the underwater brick and piggy land. 

There's more to enjoy at Grapevine, including shopping in famous outlets like Nike, H&M, and Gap. After you've explored the retail stores and have worked up an appetite, we recommend dining at our family-friendly eateries. Rainforest Café is a fan favorite. Charleys Philly Steaks, Gyro & Wings, and Potato Corner are other places to try. 

Are you looking to experience Grapevine Mills with the whole family? Here are five attractions we recommend visiting.  

SEA LIFE Dallas 

Visit SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium to see the conservation efforts, learn about thousands of oceanic creatures, and leave with souvenirs. The aquarium has ten-plus exhibits, all offering breathtaking encounters. The Sea Turtle Rescue Center houses turtles undergoing treatment and rehabilitation before their release into the wild. One thing you'll like about this exhibit is the hands-on learning. The display includes model turtles and a station explaining the entire rescue process. The kids can therefore choose to go through each step and finally release the turtles into the ocean. 

We can almost guarantee that you and the kids will be in awe of the 360-degree tunnel, a display containing 160,000 gallons of water, seven species of shark, sea turtles, and rays. The interactive rockpools are a fun exhibit where you can touch sea creatures like anemones and stars. Prepare to get all smiley with the stingrays at the Stingray Bay Exhibit. Check out the monitors for exciting facts about these creatures, including their habitat, evolution, and feeding patterns. Also, the VR exhibit offers a peek into the habitats of sharks, and the interactive nature makes it a fun, immersive experience. 

Learn about the creatures of the Amazon at the Rainforest Adventure Exhibit, such as Scully and Mulder, the two caimans, Seneca, the 13-foot-long reticulated albino python, and the piranha. The Sea Life Pollinator Garden is the aquarium's initiative to stop pollinators' extinction. The demo farm shows visitors the importance of one habitat in the ecosystem, no matter how small. Kids can learn how to practice these conservation efforts by switching lights off at night to reduce the discomposure that migrating pollinators face.  

SEA LIFE Aquarium opens daily, but the operating hours vary. We, therefore, recommend visiting the calendar page before your visit. You may amend your booking date as long as the ticket is valid. Also, our facilities are stroller and wheelchair-accessible. And you may bring an assistance dog. We recommend booking online tickets to avoid the long queues, especially during holiday breaks and the festive season. The attraction also holds education and feedings throughout the day, so you can also look this up online or talk to the staff. Face masks are not mandatory but are recommended during your visit. 

We offer various gate pass options. The general admission tickets provide entry on the day of the visit. You may also leave the attraction and come back later in the day. Membership tickets offer annual admission to SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium. Two yearly tickets are available, one that provides anytime entry. The other membership ticket gives access to the attraction from Sunday to Friday. 

Combination tickets are a steal, providing entry into two or three attractions at Grapevine Mills at one low price. And if you wish to throw a birthday party for your little ones, we recommend our birthday party package. You may also gift a loved one and their family gate passes to enjoy SEA LIFE. Our Digital Photo Pass tickets are a great way to memorialize your visit. 

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Dallas 

More family fun awaits at LEGOLAND Discovery Center, also inside Grapevine Mills across from SEA LIFE Aquarium. The attraction boasts twelve-plus attractions and rides. Marvel at the interactive cityscape built using 1.5 million bricks in MINILAND. Sneak a peek at the DFW International Airport, the Southfork Ranch, and the AT&T Stadium. Watch your favorite LEGO characters get in high-speed car chases. Later in the day, have an immersive multi-sensory experience in the 4D Cinema. 

Get inside the enchanted chariot for a rescue mission inside Kingdom Quest. Collect points as you ward off trolls and skeletons and return the princess to safety. There's more action in Merlin's apprentice ride. See if you can conjure a spell and pedal to Merlin's chamber. Don't miss out on an appearance by Bertie and other LEGO characters. 

Create a racing LEGO-built car at the LEGO Build & Test Zone and push it down the ramps to put your motor skills to the test. Join master Wu in the Dojo training room for Spinjitzu lessons in the LEGO Ninjago City Adventure. Here, you'll participate in several obstacle challenges and take on mazes. 

Put on your ranger suit and get in your police vehicle and try to drive as fast as possible to catch up with the city's robbers trying to get away with gold in Forest Ranger Pursuit. Learn how LEGO bricks are made by taking the behind-the-scenes LEGO factory tour. Pass by Heart Lake City to see how the five best friends are doing and to add your LEGO models. Create more LEGO items in DUPLO Village, the animal-themed exhibit. Another mission awaits, but this time it's in outer space. You can build your spaceship and command mission control at the space mission exhibit.  

Explore the VR exhibit and see how fast you can drive compared to other LEGO vehicles. Lastly, take a dip in the water playground at Pirate Beach. See if you can retrieve the treasure and take control of the pirate vessel. 

LEGOLAND Discovery Center opens daily. However, the last entry is ninety minutes before the closing time. The attraction is also wheelchair-accessible, but visitors must be able to get on the rides without staff help. 

Utilize the combination tickets that include entry into SEA LIFE Grapevine within fourteen days after your visit to the aquarium. Visit the website for full details on operating hours, ticket options, accessibility, and ticket purchase. 

Peppa Pig World of Play Dallas 

Bring your family to Peppa Pig World of Play for ‘oinktastic’ activities. Grab a ‘snort-tastic’ picture with Peppa Pig and friends at the meet-and-greet play area. Go inside Peppa Pig’s house to explore his kitchen and whip up a sandwich. Check out the living room and the rest of the house to see what’s happening. 

Join Peppa Pig and his family in the Muddy Puddles play area and jump into the muddy fun; expect lots of snorts and giggles. You can never have too many adventures in a day. Visit Rebbeca Rabbit’s underground world, explore tunnels, and slide into big muddy puddles. Want to know which play area to visit next? Climb Peppa’s Treehouse to see what areas you haven’t explored yet. 

Participate in soft obstacle courses at George’s Fort before sliding down to your next adventure—time to visit Grandad Dog’s Garage, as your trike needs cleaning and a gas refill. Check the trike’s air pressure before leaving the garage. 

It’s almost lunch hour, and Miss Rabbit could use your help sticking up groceries at the supermarket. Have fun finding all the items listed on the shopping list. More ‘oinktastic’ fun awaits at Madame Gazelle’s School Bus Trip. Hop aboard and sing along to Wheels on the Bus with Peppa and his friends. 

Grandpa pig’s Train is heading to the Sensory garden. Hop aboard and enjoy what Grandma Pig’s garden has to offer. Explore the Dinosaur Discovery with George before jumping into daddy pig’s car for a family photo. Walk to the campervan café inside the play area, where you and the family can picnic next to the ducks. Grab Daddy Pig’s Lost & Found Activity Pack at the gift store. This kit contains all of the attraction’s information, games, and clues to help you retrieve daddy Pig’s lost items. 

Peppa Pig’s World of Play opens daily between ten a.m. and six p.m., but the last admission of the day is set at four p.m. The attraction is wheelchair accessible, and you may bring a guide dog. Several options are available, including the combination ticket for entry into Sea Life Aquarium and Legoland Discovery Center. Other options include a birthday party, annual passes, and general admission tickets. 

AMC Cinema Experience 

Why watch the latest blockbuster at home when you can experience a unique movie experience thanks to the AMC dine-in theaters? This place offers the perfect combination of premium seating, including reclined sofas and technology such as IMAX, Dolby Cinema, and Prime at AMC.  

What’s more, you can choose the deliver-to-seat service where the staff can serve your meals in the comfort of your movie seat. Alternatively, you could press the button on your chair to signal the team to come and pick up your order, like in a restaurant. 

Build-A-Bear Workshop 

The Build-A-Bear Workshop is a store where kids can create personalized bears from scratch. It includes a step-by-step process where your kids select the color and size of the bear and a special heart ceremony before checking out with the assembled bear. Once you get in, the kids will determine the type of animal they want. There are so many to choose from, including dogs and leopards. 

Next is the stuffing process. The workshop has various options, including pre-recorded or live sound recordings and scent packs. The scent options include cupcake, bubblegum, strawberry and mint chocolate chip. We recommend using the build-your-own sound recordings, which allow you to leave personalized messages for your family members. 

The actual stuffing begins once you have selected a scent and sound. The staff at Build-A-Bear will take your animal through a stuffing machine that requires pedaling to let the stuffing flow. Once your animal is fluff, you and the kids can choose what heart you would like stuffed inside the animal. 

A fun activity the workshop staff may include before placing the heart inside is rubbing the heart on your head to make sure the stuffed animal is intelligent, on the cheeks for happiness and on the ears so that you’ll always count on the stuffed animal to listen to you. Next is bath time. Place your stuffed bear or minion in the bathtub and scrub away. Remember to use the faucets to blow out air, ensuring your animal is completely dry. 

Next is the dressing room. You may leave your bear as it is, but if you wish to dress the stuffed animals up, you have visited the right place. There are plenty of outfits to choose from, including camo uniforms and superhero outfits like spiderman and superman. You may also select from a wide range of sports shoes, everyday ones and boots. Remember to accessorize with a hat. Most hats can fit any animal size, while some, like the Hello Kitty Bear, are for specific animal types. Other items in the dressing rooms include vehicles and tents. 

You are almost done building your bear, but first, you must visit the registration area to create your stuffed animal’s birth certificate. You can choose a name and use the options listed in the Build-A-Bear suggestions book. This process makes you eligible for special offers at the workshop. You can select a free bow before checkout and get a cardboard box to store your stuffed animal. The packaging comes uncolored, so the kids can personalize it by choosing a colour they love. 

You may bring your stuffed animal for maintenance if you need more stuffing or to fix the sound recording. Even better, anyone can drop a lost and found stuffed bear at the workshop and the staff can trace the owner and reunite them with their animal. How cool is that! 

Experience Unforgettable Fun at Grapevine Mills 

Grapevine Mills Mall is the perfect place to spend your weekend with your family, thanks to its cool attractions. SEA LIFE Grapevine offers a great learning experience for the whole family as it teaches your munchkins the importance of keeping our oceans clean and safe for sea creatures. Book your online tickets to walk inside Texas’ only 360-degree tunnel.