#victor gruen

hclib:

Southdale Mall 60 Years Old

Sixty years ago, Southdale Center, the first enclosed shopping mall, opened in the Minneapolis suburb of Edina on October 8, 1956. Developed by the Dayton Company and designed by architect Victor Gruen, Southdale Center cost $20 million to build.

On the opening weekend, more than 75,000 individuals visited Southdale. The mall had 50 stores, with Dayton’s and Donaldson’s department stores as anchors. By December 1956, there were 72 stores. Southdale‘s three-story atrium was an indoor oasis featuring landscaped gardens, fountains, and a giant cage of canaries [top left].

The mall received national attention, including a New York Times article headlined “Weather-Conditioned Shopping Center Opens.” The Timesnoted that Minneapolis weather on opening weekend was a brisk 60 degrees outside but a balmy 72 degrees inside.

Southdale Center was featured in a 2013 PBS special, 10 Buildings that Changed America (scroll to 26:50 minutes of the video) or see the companion book. Southdale revolutionized shopping into an activity that was entertaining and fun.

VisitSpecial Collections to view our vertical files of newspaper clippings and brochures on the Southdale Shopping Center.