Apache Plaza Mall
St. Anthony Village, Minnesota - circa 1962
Vintage postcard view of the Center Court and fountain inside the Apache Plaza mall. To me, this is one of those "quintessential" 1960s mall photos. The kind that really displays all the color, mood, and yes, tackiness (but in a good way), that truly defined the decadent shopping malls of that era. This easily ranks as one of my own personal favorite shots here so far!
Sadly, the place was demolsihed in 2004, but reading up on it and looking at many photos online, it's easy to see why this quirky, colorful old mall is still so deeply loved (and missed), by fans like Jeff Anderson, the cat behind the fantastic fan tribute site ApachePlaza.com. Heck, I've never even been there myself, yet now I miss it like an old friend! The links below will lead you to all the history info you'll ever need on this mall.
Mall history: 1961 - 2004 (dead)
Architect: Willard Thorsen
Info from Wikipedia
Resource articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
Previous entries: none
(Study image courtesy of ApachePlaza.com)
posted by Keith @ 11/16/2006
6 Comments:
Love the windows!!! They are so groovy!
But the cneter court makes that pool look like it is an outside motel shot at night.
I agree, Keith. It's got so many elements that define that time for me. The planters in the pool, the stained-glass clerestory windows, the cool ceiling...so much fun stuff going on. Not everyone's dream space, I'm sure, but one of my favorites. I've enjoyed it several times at ApachePlaza.com. Glad to see it here.
It looked exactly like this the last time I was there in 2003, well minus the activity of course.
Keith -
I stopped by your site because the holidays make me sentimental for the old malls, and was nicely surprised to see your bit on Apache. I love your blog!
Jeff Anderson
www.apacheplaza.com
I remember going to Apahe Plaza when I was a kid with my mother and her sister at Easter time to see all the farm animals they would bring in. It brings back lots of memories.
~Greg
Minneapolis, MN
Hey Keith- great blog. I'm doing some research for a film. Could I contact you directly about mall locations? Thnx
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