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Even though the massive American Dream Mall in Rutherford, NJ isn't opening until October, its indoor ski slope with real snow is now taking reservations.
Big Snow, which debuted in December, reopened on Tuesday with a host of new rules, including required online reservations, temperature checks, frequent cleaning and required masks and gloves—but there's still much fun to be had for skiers and snowboarders.
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"Skiing and snowboarding are great naturally socially distant recreation activities, and we are all very excited to be able to open Big SNOW for our guests again," said Hugh Reynolds, vice president of marketing and sales for SNOW Operating. "Our team has been working very hard these past few months to reinvent what the Big SNOW experience will look like in today’s COVID world. I’m confident that our guests will see and feel the results of that work when they visit us, and we’re looking forward to sharing the experience with them.”
The mall’s indoor ski slope is the first of its kind in North America and even has a chair lift that ascends to the top of a 160-ft hill. The climate-controlled facility, which stays at a cool 28 degrees, has fresh powder. The snow is actually two-feet deep and extends for 1,000 feet, dropping skiers a full 16 stories from start to finish. The beginner area is separate from the main slope and has two moving carpets that bring beginners up the bunny slope.
Here's more on what you can expect if you go:
To ski for two hours, tickets are $34.99 online; each additional two hours is just $20. There are also packages available that include equipment rentals and time with instructors that range from $69.99 to $149.99. Private lessons range from $199.99 to $399.99. Big SNOW is open 1pm–9pm Mondays through Thursdays, 1pm–10pm on Fridays, 10am–10pm on Saturdays and 10am–8pm on Sundays.