In the fall of 1956, 75,000 people came to Edina to see something no American had built before: a fully enclosed, climate-controlled shopping mall. Inside was a Red Owl grocery, a Walgreens, a Woolworth, a bank, a barber and a post office. The central court had a large skylight, a fishpond and eucalyptus trees. There was a skating rink and a small zoo, and its residents included a chimpanzee named Zsa Zsa.
Seventy years later, the place to pick up groceries at Southdale is Kowalski's, which replaced the old food court with bars for burgers, sushi and ramen. There's a Life Time on site and a Hennepin County service center. The apartments and hotel on the property keep it occupied around the clock. In its 70th holiday season, Southdale works best as the place where everyday errands, exercise and dinner happen in one warm building, with gift shopping as one more reason to stop by.
The Plan Gruen Drew Had More Than Stores
The Dayton family built Southdale to bring shoppers into their department stores during cold winters. According to the Minnesota Star Tribune's July 2026 history of the mall, the family bought 500 acres of Edina farmland and hired Austrian architect Victor Gruen to design a mall as part of a larger community development. The proposed school, offices and park were never built.
Gruen saw Southdale as a public plaza that could ease the isolation of car-centered suburbs. It was the first American mall to bring a European streetscape indoors, with café tables under umbrellas and fountains in a daylit atrium.
For decades, the retail side of that plan took over. Since 2012, owner Simon Property Group has spent about $400 million reworking a center the Star Tribune describes as underperforming for roughly the previous decade. The same article describes the result as a return to the mixed-use, community-focused elements Gruen originally envisioned.
What Fills the 1956 Roles Now
Most of the original lineup has a modern counterpart somewhere on Southdale's 80-acre property.
| Role | 1956 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Groceries | Red Owl | Kowalski's, with burger, sushi and ramen bars |
| Public services | Post office and bank | Hennepin County service center |
| Something to do besides shop | Skating rink and zoo | Life Time, pickleball courts, a movie theater, an arcade and Puttshack mini golf |
| Daily services | Barber | Nail salon and tailor |
| Overnight | None | Apartments and a hotel |
Simon's leasing vice president, Tom Hanchar, described the strategy to the Star Tribune:
"Shopping centers have to be a fabric of the community. Sometimes shopping would be part of it, and sometimes not."
The same article reports that Placer.ai foot-traffic data from spring 2026 showed Southdale up nearly 30% compared with 2019. Mall representatives told the paper that Life Time, Kowalski's, the restaurants and the movie theater have kept Southdale busy for more hours of the day.
A December Day That Starts Before the Stores Open
Those longer hours shape what a winter day at Southdale looks like. Simon lists mall walking seven days a week, starting at 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. on Sunday. It is the same Minnesota winter the Daytons were planning around in the 1950s.
A full December weekday at Southdale might look like this:
- Early morning: Walk the indoor loop, then head to Life Time. Seating with charging stations sits near the Hennepin County Service Center and the Life Time entrance.
- Midday: Stop at Center Court, where Simon has scheduled local school bands and a local dance team to perform on weekdays and weekends throughout December.
- Lunch or groceries: Grab a bowl of ramen at a Kowalski's bar, or do the week's shopping without moving the car.
- Evening: Have dinner at Smithson, Southdale's newest restaurant, which serves until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Smithson Gives People a Reason to Stay After Dark
Smithson is a steak and seafood restaurant from Randy and Sharon Stanley, the restaurateurs behind 6Smith in Wayzata and Baldamar in Roseville. The Star Tribune's preview set its grand opening for Saturday, Oct. 17, and called it the most upscale restaurant in the couple's group. It took over the former Express space, and the Star Tribune's 2025 announcement put its capacity at just over 200 people.
Randy Stanley explained the goal in that preview: "We wanted to create a legacy restaurant that feels special enough for a celebration, but comfortable enough that you want to come back every week." That goal of being somewhere regulars return to every week matches the rest of the mall's strategy.
The Star Tribune lists these hours:
- Monday through Thursday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Friday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Sunday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Weekend brunch: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Reservations go through Smithson's website.
The Holiday Calendar Is Built Around Center Court
Southdale's 2026 holiday events gather in and around Center Court, the descendant of Gruen's skylit square. The schedule comes from Simon's holiday page and Explore Edina's 2026 holiday guide:
- Santa photos, Nov. 20 through Dec. 24: Begins Friday, Nov. 20. Reservations are highly recommended.
- Caring Santa, Dec. 6, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.: A private, sensory-friendly visit. Reservations are required.
- Pet photos with Santa, Dec. 6 and Dec. 13, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
- Star Tribune Cookie Wonderland, Dec. 10, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Features finalists from the paper's annual Holiday Cookie Contest.
- Live music, Saturdays and Sundays in December, noon to 4 p.m.: Explore Edina places the performers on the second-level bridge overlooking Center Court.
Almost none of these events involves buying anything. They give people a reason to gather in one warm public room for an afternoon, which is the use Gruen had in mind for that space.
Retail Is Still Part of the Mix
The stores still matter. The Star Tribune reports that Tiffany & Co. opened this spring and completed Southdale's luxury wing, which also includes Louis Vuitton, Moncler, Rolex and David Yurman. Apple and Sephora are still in the main corridors, and Abercrombie & Fitch returned in 2025. Läderach, the Swiss chocolatier, and Princess Polly appear in Simon's Southdale directory. Simon's August 2026 announcement says ALO is expected in early 2027.
The Square Extends Across France Avenue
Gruen planned Southdale as the center of a larger district, and the area around it has grown into one, though not the way he drew it. The Star Tribune describes Southdale and the Galleria across the street as complementary. The Galleria has a stronger lineup of high-end home stores and restaurants, along with newer additions like Yeti and Rivian.
For the holidays, Explore Edina reports free valet parking at the Galleria near the CōV entrance from Nov. 27 through Dec. 31. The Galleria is closed on Christmas Day.
Farther west, the Edina Art Center at 4701 W. 64th St. will hold its first Winter Fine Art Market on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The City of Edina's announcement says the market is open only to local artists. Everything for sale must be made by the seller, and AI-generated, mass-produced and resale items are not allowed. The work will include ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, paintings, photography and sculpture.
A Dec. 12 itinerary could start with a morning walk at Southdale and the art market when it opens at 10, followed by lunch back at Kowalski's.
For more than two decades, I've watched the south metro's shopping districts change, and how close a home is to places like Southdale is something many buyers and sellers ask about. If you're thinking about what's within reach of your next home in Edina, or what nearby amenities add to the one you have, Eric Frank is happy to talk it through. Let's Connect.
