The First Ever Inside Mall Was in Minnesota, 65th Anniversary

I have been talking about how convenient inside malls are.  They are all over the country.  They are great- shop inside in a climate controlled environment, most of the shops you want in one place, no fighting crowds over and over again for parking (just once).  I don't like the idea that these types of businesses could be a dying breed.  Say it isn't so!  Even if it is so, I don't see that happening for quite awhile because of the aformentioned convenience.

Get our free mobile app

The very first inside mall was right here in Minnesota.  It was Southdale mall, located in Edina.  Remember those commericals that used to run during the holidays- Shop the "dales".  Southdale, Ridgedale, Rosedale, Brookdale.  How did Southdale come about?  Remember Dayton's?  Basically a brain-child of that famous family.

“Southdale was the idea of Donald Dayton and the Dayton Corporation to build the first fully-air conditioned mall in the world,” Tom Fisher, a professor of urban design at the University of Minnesota, said. “It was so successful that they said let’s do it in all parts of the city, so they kept the ‘-dale’ name to identify the brand of all four of these malls.”

The actual definition of "dale" is an English term meaning low, peaceful valley.  The idea was to get people out of their cars and to walk a bit.  Weather isn't always working for us here in Minnesota, but it is something that they do in Europe, so it was an idea brought here to Minnesota.

This has got to be one of the best ideas ever.  I said ONE of the best.