Things to do at Great Lakes Crossing Outlet Mall with Kids

Are you searching for fun things to do at Great Lakes Crossing Outlet Mall with kids?

Most of the time, a shopping trip wouldn’t make for a great family night away. But Great Lakes Crossing is different. It’s way more than just an outlet mall. Not only are there 180 Great Lakes Crossing stores, but they also have several fun family attractions.

A trip to Great Lakes Crossing has often been an end-of-summer trip for us. It gives the kids one last chance for some summer fun, and I get some awesome deals on their back-to-school clothes. A couple of times we’ve turned it into a mini-vacation, spending a few days at Kalahari in Sandusky, then stopping at Great Lakes before heading back home to Canada.

I’ve also done a few Black Friday Girls’ Trips here—that is definitely not the time to bring the little ones!

What’s at Great Lakes Crossing for Kids?

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Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills, Michigan. See everything this mall has to offer for kids at mamasonvacation.com (link in bio). greatlakescrossing auburnhills familytravel familyfriendly travelfamily lego peppapig
♬ Pure Imagination – Kathleen

When we first started going, the big attraction for kids was Jeepers, a small indoor amusement park with mostly kiddie rides. It was awesome, and my kids loved it!

While that’s gone now, the new attractions they added offer fun for everyone. Today, you can check out a Legoland Discovery Center (with a couple of rides!), a Peppa Pig play center that’s perfect for the younger kids, a massive arcade for the teens, and an aquarium that the whole family will enjoy.

Plus, you can still find the classic merry-go-round in the food court, along with the fun (and free!) Great Lakes Crossing play area. And of course, there are plenty of shops your kids will want to check out too.

Ready to go? Here is all the info you’ll need to plan a trip to Great Lakes Crossings with kids:

Where is Great Lakes Crossing?

Great Lakes Crossing Outlets is located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It’s right at the intersection of I-75 and Baldwin Road (Exit 84), about 30 minutes north of Detroit.

Address: 4000 Baldwin Rd, Auburn Hills, MI 48327, USA

Great Lakes Crossing Hours

Always double-check the hours on their official site, especially around holidays!

Monday to Friday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sundays: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Hotels Near Great Lakes Crossing Mall

With so many things to do at Great Lakes Crossing, staying overnight can make the trip a lot more relaxed. There are three hotels right on the edge of the parking lot, so you won’t even need to move your car.

All three are budget-friendly, have an indoor pool, and include free hot breakfast.

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Auburn Hills ($)—My favourite! (read my review).
Hampton Inn Detroit/Auburn Hills-North ($)
TownePlace Suites Detroit Auburn Hills ($)

Shopping Time!

There are way too many Great Lakes Crossing stores to list them all here. Instead, I’m focusing on the ones kids usually love. If you want to see everything, check the Great Lakes Crossing outlets directory.

Toys and Games:

Sweets and Treats:

Great Lakes Crossing Restaurants and Food Fun

There are tons of food options both inside the mall and nearby. As a Canadian, I love to try restaurants we don’t have at home. The Great Lakes Crossing restaurants definitely don’t disappoint.

Quick Bites and Snacks at Great Lakes Crossing:

Coffee, Tea, Juice, and Smoothies: Biggby Coffee, Leaf & Latte, Totally Tea, Teamension
Snacks: Cinnabon, Mrs. Fields, Tower’s Pretzels, Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, Dairy Queen/Orange Julius, Carousel’s Soft Serve Icery, Exotic Snack Guys
Fast Food Options: A&W, Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway, Popeyes, Charleys Philly Steaks, Beyond Juicery + Eatery, Hummus & Pita Co, Sbarro, Panda Express, Thai Express, Sakura Japan, Asian Cajun

Sit-Down Dining at Great Lakes Crossing:

Miyako Japanese Steakhouse
Rainforest Café (Read my review)
Don Patron (coming soon)

More Restaurants Near Great Lakes Crossing:

If you don’t mind a short walk or drive, there are even more restaurants near Great Lakes Crossing, including:

McDonalds
Five Guys
Qdoba
KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot
Kirby’s Coney Island
Chili’s Bar and Grill
LongHorn Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse
Olive Garden

Things to do at Great Lakes Crossing for Kids

Now, let’s get to the things to do at Great Lakes Crossing Outlet Mall that make bringing the kids worth it!

LEGOLAND Discovery Center

It’s called the “ultimate indoor LEGO® playground” for a reason! There are two rides, a 3D cinema, Detroit Miniland, and a huge LEGO City play area—perfect for letting the kids burn off some energy before you try to shop. Plus, they have tons of Lego play areas like the Creative Workshop, Build and Test area, Lego Friends space, and a Duplo Farm for the toddlers. Check out my full review here.

Get your tickets here.

Peppa Pig World of Play

This indoor play center has ten play areas, like Peppa’s house, a treehouse, a garage, and a supermarket, and is designed just for kids ages 2–8. You also get a chance to meet Peppa, which is always a hit. Check out our review here.

Get your tickets here.

SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium

The Great Lakes Crossing aquarium features sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, tropical fish, and more. There is an optional Ranger Mission Pack add-on, which gives your kids three missions to keep them even more engaged. With a small play area, the Interactive Touchpool, and an Underwater Ocean Tunnel, this is a fun stop for visitors of all ages.

Get your tickets here.

Kids Empire

This indoor playground opened in 2023. We haven’t visited yet, but it looks like more than just your typical slides and ball pits.

Price: $19.90 (ages 1-17), with two free adults per child ($5 for any extra adult).

Round1 Bowling & Arcade

This arcade is massive. There’s a variety of arcade games, a huge claw machine section, and a full prize room. They also offer bowling lanes, billiards, ping pong, and even private karaoke rooms.

See prices here.

AMC Theatres

With 25 auditoriums, including IMAX, this is a great place to take a more relaxing break from shopping. You can even order food delivered to your seat at the AMC Dine-In restaurant or grab a drink at MacGuffins Bar.

Check out what’s playing here.

The Carousel and Playground

Located in the food court, the mall’s free soft play area is perfect for younger kids. The carousel is small, but still fun.

Great Lakes Crossing Moto

On my last trip, I saw small motorized bikes set up near Santa’s Flight Academy. I’m not sure if this is permanent, but it looked like a fun option for younger kids.

Tips for your Great Lakes Crossing Family Trip

Save Money: Buy the Legoland and Sea Life Aquarium Combo Ticket.
Time Flies: Plan to be there longer than you think you’ll need!
- Legoland will take a good 3-4 hours.
- You might spend up to 2 hours in Peppa Pig World of Play.
- Plan for 1-2 hours in the Sealife aquarium.
Park Smart: If you plan on shopping and spending time at the attractions, try to park close to the attraction entrance so you can easily take your bags back to the car without a long walk.
Avoid the Crowds: The attractions are really busy on weekends, but Sundays are usually a little better than Saturdays.
Take Shifts: If you have at least two adults on your trip with younger kids, staying in one of the hotels off the parking lot is perfect. You can take turns shopping or hanging back at the hotel with the kids to swim or relax in the room.
Another Option: If you aren’t staying nearby, you could take turns shopping and playing with the kids in the arcade.

Great Lakes Crossing with Kids: My Experience

Our last family trip to Great Lakes Crossing was during March Break 2020. I planned to write about it then, but COVID lockdowns hit a week after we got home and this blog got put on the back burner. That trip was our first time seeing all the new attractions. We stayed about 10 minutes away, but after doing a couple Black Friday stays at the on-site Holiday Inn Express, I can say that’s the best hotel option (review coming soon).

We spent most of the first day shopping, with a long break at LEGOLAND that the kids would’ve happily stretched even longer. On day two, we headed straight to Peppa Pig World of Play. Even though both kids were technically too old, Brie is still a big Peppa fan, so I arranged a guided tour, which I’ll be sharing on Autism on Vacation. We finished the trip with time at the LEGOLAND store, Build-A-Bear, and the aquarium. We got through the aquarium quicker than expected, but the Mission Pack add-on kept Brie really engaged.

Overall, the trip was a success! The kids got the clothes they needed and a few candy shop treats, and I was able to shop at a relaxed pace. Plus, we all had some family fun checking out three awesome attractions!

Final Thoughts

Both of my kids have enjoyed our trips to Great Lakes Crossing since they were little. Even now that they’re older, I think they’d still enjoy an overnight stay. Next time, we’ll definitely spend some time in the arcade and check out Kids Empire (because you’re never too old to play!).

With so many things to do at Great Lakes Crossing with kids, it’s easy to turn a shopping trip into a fun family weekend away.

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