Southdale Center, Edina MN 1963

This authentic 1960s color photograph, captured in 1963, looks down into the famous Garden Court of Southdale Center in Edina, Minnesota. The archival image highlights the mall’s revolutionary indoor landscape, anchored by a signature floor-to-ceiling white wire bird cage containing live trees and birds. Surrounding the aviary are lush tropical plants, including large philodendrons, and custom stone-clad planters that double as seating areas for shoppers. The architectural scale of the court is emphasized by the hanging gold-tone cylinder chandeliers with exposed bulbs and the orange-painted structural pillars supporting the upper levels. In the background, a colorful “Natural Gas Space Age Energy” exhibit is visible, along with the moving escalators that were a high-tech novelty for retail environments in the mid-20th century. Designed by architect Victor Gruen and opened in 1956, Southdale Center was the first fully enclosed, climate-controlled shopping mall in the world. While the mall has been modernized and the iconic bird cage was eventually removed, the building remains a landmark of American architectural and retail history. This factual record preserves the original “town square” atmosphere that Gruen envisioned for the suburban Twin Cities. 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.