Donaldson’s, Southdale Center, Edina MN 1963

This authentic 1960s color photograph, captured in 1963, provides a stunning view of the multi-level interior concourse at Southdale Center in Edina, Minnesota. The archival image highlights the mall’s revolutionary climate-controlled design, featuring a series of hanging white globe lights, lush indoor planters with trailing ivy, and a large bird cage structure to the right. The upper level prominently features the sleek, modern storefront of Donaldson’s department store, illuminated with bright block lettering. In the foreground, a large Monstera deliciosa plant frames the view of the lower-level garden court, where shoppers are seen resting near a stone-lined pond. Southdale Center, which opened in 1956, was the first fully enclosed, climate-controlled shopping mall in the United States, designed by the visionary architect Victor Gruen to serve as a year-round social hub. While the mall has undergone numerous renovations over the decades and the Donaldson’s brand eventually transitioned to Carson Pirie Scott and later Macy’s, the center remains a premier shopping destination. This factual record preserves the mid-century modern elegance and innovative environmental design that defined the birth of the American shopping mall. All our images are available as royalty-free instant downloads for use in books, media, and creative projects – or make your own prints for home, work, or as a truly unique gift.