Tour the Barbie Dreamhouse at Mall of America

By AIMEE BLANCHETTE, Star Tribune

February 14, 2014 at 8:51PM

Yep, it's pink. But there's more to the Barbie Dreamhouse Experience than blinding, bedazzled color. There's also glitter — 20 pounds of glitter, to be exact. Follow along as our trio of little critics — Louis Bustos (7), Avery Hagedorn (5) and Ameya Morrow (4) — tour the 30,000-square-foot spectacle, located inside the Mall of America's former Bloomingdale's space.

Barbie's kitchen and patio

Our review team's Dreamhouse experience started in the kitchen, where the kids bellied up to pink and white appliances to make virtual cupcakes on interactive screens.

"Look at the cupcake! It's spinning in the oven!" Ameya said.

After whipping up a batch, the trio found a place to relax on the patio, where lights change the setting from day to night every five minutes. It wasn't long before Louis spotted another pink chandelier.

"Sometimes when I look at something bright like that, and then I look at something else, I see a green ring on it — it's like a blob or something," he said.

Clearly, the Dreamhouse was getting to him.

Barbie's bedroom

Above Barbie's triple-size California King bed, a canopy displays the names of kids walking through the Dreamhouse. "I see my name up there!" Louis said while perched on the edge of the bed. "Like meteorites and comets!"

Vintage Barbie dolls decorate the walls.

"I don't have those Barbies, but they're really fancy," Ameya said.

Inside Barbie's bathroom, a magenta dolphin peeks out of the toilet. There are vanity stations galore, complete with makeup and hair supplies enclosed in plastic cases.

"If you could open it, those would be so fun to play with," Louis said of Barbie's makeup brushes and hair rollers.

Barbie's living room

The Dreamhouse living room includes a library, fireplace, puzzles and more interactive stations. Tawny the horse looks in through the window.

En route to Barbie's entertainment world via the pink elevator, which doubled as an imaginary airplane ride, the kids talked about the places they'd traveled to via plane. Louis is flying to California for spring break.

"Oops, I almost swallowed my gum," he said.

Barbie's entertainment world

Inside the Dreamhouse's 6,500-square-foot entertainment zone, the kids become the stars of the show. It's outfitted with a stage, a runway, costumes and a choreographer.

"I want high heels," Avery said.

"I want high heels, too," Ameya said. "Ooh, makeup!"

After selecting her look — a silver jacket and sunglasses — Ameya sat down at one of the makeup stations.

"I'm a pop star! I'm Barbie and the pop stars!" Ameya said before hitting the stage.

Avery took to the runway in a fashionable hat, striking poses to the song "Everybody Needs a Ken." She then headed backstage for a costume change, spotting a blue dress adorned with rhinestones. "I like the sparkles but my hair is all staticky," she said before licking her palm and sliding it across her hair.

"I would like to have my birthday here," Avery said. "Yep, I would totally live here."

Dozens of vintage Barbies are on display in the Barbie Dreamhouse Experience photographed on Tuesday, February 11, 2014 in Bloomington, Minn. The 30,000 square foot exhibit is the largest Barbie life-size dreamhouse in the world. ] (RENEE JONES SCHNEIDER reneejones@startribune.com)
Dozens of vintage Barbies are on display in the Barbie Dreamhouse Experience. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

AIMEE BLANCHETTE, Star Tribune