Tussauds owner buys mall's big aquarium Merlin Entertainment Group, a British operator of tourist attractions such as Legoland and Madame Tussauds, is the new owner of the Underwater Adventures aquarium at the Mall of America. The price was not disclosed. Merlin said it plans to spend about $5 million to improve the 1.2 million-gallon aquarium under the east wing of the Bloomington mall. Originally known as UnderWater World, the attraction had just pulled out of bankruptcy when a group of investors led by Todd Peterson bought it in 1999 for $10 million, less than half its value.
JACKIE CROSBY
