Posted in Minnesota Fun Facts, History March 22, 2023 by

Few People Know Minnesota Was Home To The First Indoor Mall In America

Sure, plenty of folks have heard of the Mall of America, but fewer people know that one Minnesota shopping mall was the first – and is the oldest – indoor mall in America. Southdale Center, in Edina, opened in 1956, and at the time, it was the first fully-enclosed, climate-controlled shopping center – i.e., mall – in the United States.

Southdale Center is a modern Minnesota shopping mall in the Twin Cities suburb of Edina.
Southdale Center/Google
It has all the amenities you'd expect in a modern mall, such as anchor stores and a large multiplex movie theater.
Southdale Center/Google
More than 60 years ago, however, Southdale was nothing more than a glint in the eyes of eager suburban developers.
Southdale Center/Facebook
On October 8, 1956, Southdale Center opened to much fanfare and retail fervor.
Southdale Center/Facebook
The first indoor shopping center of its kind, more than 40,000 people showed up on opening day.
Dayton's, Minnesota's premier department store chain, played a major role in developing Southdale. When the mall opened, Dayton's, along with Donaldson's and a Red Owl supermarket, was one of the mall's first anchor stores.
Minnesota Historical Society
Today, Dayton's is best known for establishing Target stores, the first of which it opened in Roseville in 1962. The Target division eventually grew so big that it absorbed Dayton's, and after buying Marshall Field's, rebranded both chains under the Marshall Field's name.
A few years later, Target sold its Marshall Field's unit to Macy's.
Southdale Center/Google
Macy's is still a Southdale anchor store in the old Dayton's location.
When it opened, Southdale Center had 800,000 square feet over three levels.
Minnesota Historical Society/Facebook
After several expansions and updates, today the mall contains almost 1.3 million square feet of leasable space.
Southdale Center/Google
The original mall included dining options for its customers, like the Sidewalk Cafe, set up in Southdale's atrium.
Minnesota Historical Society/Facebook
During its heyday, Southdale leaned hard into the food court concept.
Now, Southdale offers many sit-down dining options with their own exterior entrances.
Southdale Center/Google
Rather than feeding shoppers, today, restaurants and entertainment are the draw, and retailers hope diners will want to shop after eating.

Of Minnesota’s many firsts, the indoor shopping mall has had one of the greatest impacts on American society. You’re welcome.

Are there other Minnesota firsts that may have had a bigger impact outside the state? Scotch tape? Post-It Notes? Let us know in the comments.

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Address: Southdale Center, 10 Southdale Center, Edina, MN 55435, USA