I went there in 93-94 ish and the Barnes and Noble was huge then too. you could tell they merged 2-3 smaller store together, one was a used book area, which I hadn't seen at a B&N yet.
A couple of notes about HarMar, about 19 months after this video was originally published: 1) Roseville is a suburb of St. Paul, not Minneapolis 2) the architecture that was noted around 5:20 is original to the mall (as least to my memory). The signage for the mall is new, but the floors and the bricks have been there since at least the early 1980s 3) the 1981 tornado noted around 8:10 was part of a rash of severe storms that occurred in the early 80s that drastically change the landscape of retail in the near northern suburbs. The original Target store across the street from HarMar was also heavily damaged in that tornado, and a couple of years later a tornado leveled half of the aforementioned Apache Plaza, contributing to that mall's demise (a lot of the original architecture and all of the original stained glass were lost, and Apache anchor JC Penney soon moved to Rosedale) and also destroyed a store called Sound of Music, which resulted in a fire sale and the eventual founding of Best Buy Co. 4) the "food court" area sort of became that way in the late 1990s, as that is one of the two sides of the mall at the time that had separate outside entrances for a lot of the stores. TCF operated a full-service multi story bank on the northwest corner at the end of the hallway, so they were in essence a mini-anchor. There was another smaller traditional food court on the interior of the mall where Barnes and Noble is now, there were also several interior stores. This part of the mall was gutted and turned into a big box store in the mid 90s. 5) the Staples was officially closed sometime mid 2022 I think. It's now a Cub branded liquor store. This is where HarMar Cinema 1-3 originally was. 6) the HarMar cinemas were at its closure owned by AMC after their purchase of General Cinema, and closed once the AMC Rosedale theaters opened in 2006 7) the staircase in the mall leads down to the mall offices, and at one point there was also a community room down there I think. Before the mid 1990s remodel that gutted a lot of the indoor stores, the hallway had equal space on both sides of the staircase
No need to gatekeep which suburb belong to which city. While a small part of St. Paul shares its border with Roseville city limits, it’s in very close proximity to SE Minneapolis (the campus area of the city, not the literal southeast part of the city). Growing up in the Como neighborhood of Minneapolis, Har Mar, Target Store #1, and Rosedale were where my family shopped.
It’s not really gatekeeping as much as it is a statement of fact. If not for Falcon Heights and Lauderdale, Roseville would share its entire southern city limits with St. Paul as it did during its establishment. Roseville is also entirely housed in Ramsey County. In addition, all Roseville north-south arterials and a good portion of residential streets carry St. Paul street names, and all numbering of street addresses is based on the radial center point of Jackson St and University Ave in downtown St. Paul.
The movie theater was AMAZING! It had a giant chandelier made of Coke bottles. Every bathroom stall was like a little room (kind of like fitting rooms) with its own complete bathroom with a sink, and they were all different bold colors. It was beautiful.
The mystery stairs were the rental office, the security and maintenance rooms, rest rooms, and for a while, one of those market research/survey places. It didn't used to be "authorized only". The funny thing about Har-Mar is that it manages to survive despite the lack of internal stores and amenities. The "outer" and anchor stores and even restaurants for the most part seem to do reasonably well and stay in business for a pretty long time, usually 5-10 years, often more. That Barnes & Noble has been through at least one full remodeling and expansion, and at one time it was the largest in the world.
I’ve lived in Roseville most of my life and that Barnes and Noble and Old Chicago have been there for as long as I can remember (25+ years). It is heavily trafficked to this day, maybe more than ever. The interior is DEAD though. The mall had/has a major shoplifting problem so most of the entrances are locked and the stores have either walled off or locked their own interior entrances that extend into the mall. Would not be stunned if they went the way of nearby Crossroads Mall and shutter the interior for good.
The last time I was in there I shit you not is was totally empty and the Flamingos “I only have eyes for you” was playing softly over the intercom. It was a whole vibe.
The thing I remember most is that the movie theater women's bathrooms had color coded stalls. Each stall was a different, vibrant color. I thought that was so cool when I was a kid. Still do.
I love how unique this mall is. It's like they stole the idea of a mall, got it partially wrong, but still had a successful mall with a lot of character. You asked in this video and favorite episodes, and it's honestly impossible to pick any one because each mall is presented so well and is one-of-a-kind. I've been meaning to comment on the music, though. I love the extra reverb you put on it to make it sound like it's really echoing through the corridors. Sometimes I second-guess myself thinking that it's too acoustically perfect to not be coming from the intercom speakers.
I know what the basement is/was! It was a a large convention center type space that could be rented by organizations for events. My dad worked at the State Farm claims center right across the road and State Farm rented the space for years to hold the best holiday parties for their employee's families. It was the best!
I cleaned at HarMar back in the early 80’s and it’s good to see they still have the old terrazzo floors that are easy to clean and perk up with a coat of wax but many are opting to polish them and skip the waxing nowadays. Glad to see this HarMar and the Burnsville Center spotlighted where I also did floor work at.
Great video, the minneapolis footage at the start was really cool to see. when I lived in the twin cities I’d go to the har-mar barnes and noble and wing stop a few times but never really thought about the rest of the place, I basically thought of it as a strip mall. Last summer we stumbled upon the rest of the mall space and it was pretty dead, really interesting to see it though.
I saw this 2 years after you posted it. The "food court" as you call it, has always been that way, at least since the 1990's new construction. I believe the Staples store was a victim of downsizing, if I remember correctly. I used to go here as a kid in the 1960s shortly after it opened. There used to be a lot of songbirds nesting up near the arched ceiling. I have a lot of fond memories of Christmas time there, we used to buy our Christmas tree at a nearby lot. Thanks for creating this, I enjoyed it!
Downstairs is where we went during the tornado. First and last time I was down there! It's heart breaking to see this mall so empty as it used to be the spot to go and shop and hangout.
Amazing job; this is defitnely one of my favorite episodes yet! If there was a vid I had to pick for my favorites it would be the Tale of Two Sisters. I've rewatched it maybe 20 times 😂
Thanks for filming this and the Southdale Mall/Center. Southdale was the first mall I ever went to (my second year of college-just across the river at UW-River Falls) in 1973. I would then tranfer to the St. Paul Campus (College of Vet. Med.) and Har-Mar would be a close run-but so would the relatively new Rosedale Mall. Probably spent more time at the Target across from Har-Mar and didn't know it was lost due to a tornado.
I love this Mall! Reminds me of Eastland Mall! The food court at Woodland looks like the Cafe Court in 1983. Really like the storefronts. 37 yrs later still a great mall for walkers. The 1987 food court reminds me of my life in my 20's. Glad you visited Bowling Green, OH!!!
An important part of Har Mar history is the Ferrells ice crème ship/restaurant. A generation of kids had their birthday party there, with the zoo and ringing bells.
The mall hosted many antique and craft shows down its corridors. The mall and the shops were buzzing with lots of shoppers. I remember Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor in the northeast entrance.
I know there’s a big room downstairs- like a party room but that’s all. I thought *thought* there were dance classes that were held there, 1990’s and prior.
Back in the 70’s there was a class on babysitting offered in the basement along with other events. I think my brownie troop met there occasionally as well if I remember correctly. The mall offices were also downstairs.
Back in the 80's there used to be a Chuck e cheese at HarMar, The Lower concourse is nearly same size as the main floor, in fact there is or was a staircase on the opposite end to connect the two
I’ve been going there since a small child. Late 40’s now. Saw the first screening of empire strikes back, raiders, return of the Jedi. Down the stars was a sports area for karate competitions, then I think a cup scouts store before or after. I worked there in 2000’s at mars music. It was a great mall in the 70’s and 80’s.
The stairs led to a public restroom area and a couple pay phones. In spite of the number of closed stores it’s still a well maintained space, and pretty well used mall. The AMC theaters left when they opened new ones at the nearby Rosedale Mall.
I grew up in Saint Paul and have great memories of shopping and going to movies at Har Mar… I remember seeing Shrek and The Emperor’s New Groove there! 🤣
This is an amazing. My Grandma used to take me here for clothes shopping when I was little. Seeing this brings back so many great memories. And yes, I vividly remember that "food court" with the weird swivel chairs, there used to be a soup place in there but it closed recently, Eddington's. Best of all the restaurants in there
Oh! I forgot to mention there used to be a really cool pet store right off the weird ramp. They sold all the odd pets like hermit crabs and hamsters. That place was amazing, I don't remember the name however
I used to visit Har Mar from time to time back in the '90s and early 2000s, but it was never my favorite mall, due to the lack of stores that would interest someone in their teens and early 20s. Even back then, the consesus was that it was an iferior mall, compared to others in the Twin Cities area, even Northtown! I went to Rosedale for the first time in a long time in early March for my birthday, to check out a retro video game arcade, called "Starcade!" It was really awesome, they had a TON of machines, including many of my favorites from my childhood. I'd highly recommend it! That being said, I'll visit Har Mar again in the near future, and show it some much-needed love.
I grew up in St.Paul. HarMar used to be an awesome little mall! One back corner had a Circus Pizza (no animatronics but all the arcade stuff). There was the theaters and a few food places peppered throughout. I worked at Michaels during summer 1998. There was a toy store there once, and a cool gift shop that had huge balloons, B Daltons and Two Plus Two which became Claire’s. There was all sorts of cool places there. But I swear every time I go to Target across the street there’s a cop car or two outside Marshall’s with lights going. There’s been some pretty brazen pillaging going on there. There’s a Spirit Halloween there too which some reckon is the kiss of death.
I grew up with that place. I can remember when it was the shopping hub of Roseville in the mid-60's. I have fond memories of my mom taking me shopping with her there. She would pack a lunch and she would take a break from shopping and we would sit by the fountain and eat turkey sandwiches.
Southdale is located in E-dine-a not E-deen-a. Meet Me AtThe Fountain: an inside history of the mall by Alexandra Lange, just published. Great history of shopping malls, including Southdale. Scattered shopping malls had something to do with the decline of the central business districts of Downtown America, but they certainly weren't the only factor. FHA housing policy, suburbanization, freeway construction, the regular extension of water and sewer lines farther out, a preference for shiny new spaces over dingy old ones (however distinguished), and so on played a role. Southdale was built on land that was still being farmed, but suburbanization had been under way for some time.
Har Mar was THE place to be when I was in high school at Alexander Ramsey (now Roseville Area High School). It was super busy. My Mom and I used to shop at Field Schlick and frequented many stores in the mall. There was always a grocery and there was a Synder's Drug store about where Staples is now. What you call the food court, never was a food court. There was a pizza shop there, Har Mar Pizza (used to love the shrimp pizza and get a coke) and across the way was a pet store (thankfully now gone - we didn't know better in those days). I moved to California in the '80's and didn't return to MN until about 8 years ago. I do remember going to an antique fair at the mall in the '90's. Farrell's Ice Cream parlor is where the sushi place is now. I worked there for one summer as a waitress. It's been many things since.
The lower level was the mall offices and an auditorium. Twin Cities events like the Axel and Carmen- Easter show were done down there and drew large crowds. I did photography for a charity "Jello Jump" back in 1976, where they filled a swimming pool with Jello and people contributed money for a chance to take a jump. Marie Slawik was actively involved in day-to-day operations, and I remember selling her a camera which she used to keep photo memories of the mall conditions and activities. No doubt she bought the camera at a store inside "her" mall. Marie resisted easing of the blue laws, and the mall was one of the last to finally open on Sundays, bowing to pressure from Rosedale. Got my 1st bike from the Sears catalog store at Har Mar. Bought a fishing pole at an autograph event in the JCPenny sporting goods department where Jim Perry made an appearance. Sold a movie projector to "Spendy Wendy" Anderson when the governor appointed himself to congress and he thought prices were better here, than they'd be when he got to D.C.
The steps that led downstairs used to be bathrooms and a dance area for teens from Ramsey and Kellogg called the Junction, (around 1965-67). Staples my husband told me just this week closed as they said the rent was getting too high for them.Sure miss the days when shopping was fun from Mary Adams to the Bridal Shop.
interestingly the very first Target store was just to the north of this mall...there is still a Target there but the original was torn down and rebuilt in a different part of the lot.
you mentioned the Apache Plaza...I was working up in the Twin Cities when it was torn down so I took a bunch of really bad digital photos of the demolition as I would drive to work in the morning...no idea why I did it...history I guess.
Har-Mar has looked pretty much exactly like that, including all the empty space, since at least 2008. The Staples has shuffled around since then. Pretty sure it's all the way gone now. I grew up mall-ratting at MoA, but Har-Mar and Rosedale were on the opposite end of the same bus line so I would go up there occasionally instead, especially for the movie theater. Never really considered it to even have a food court, just a couple places you could get food. It's always been a strange mall. It housed the kind of pet store that literally just sells animals, at least from the 90s and well into the 2010s, which is not something I've ever seen in another mall. It also used to have one of the only A&W places in the state, or at least in the twin cities. That was back when the Cub was the movie theater. And the different legs of the zigzag have such distinctly different feelings, that I sometimes forget all of those corridors are all in the same building. The pet store used to be in one of those darker, narrower hallways at the beginning of the video. In the bright hallway, next to the Barnes & Noble, used to be a David's Bridal that I bought a dress from. The thing I miss and loved the most about Har-Mar is that it used to host makers fairs in those huge hallways. They'd regularly have special events were vendors (mostly small businesses who were local or travelled to do these kinds of things for a living) would come set up tables up and down the middle of the hall, so there was like, a median of simple pop-up shops, back in the day when people wrote checks at least as often as they pulled out a plastic card. The things for sale were usually arts-and-crafts-y, from oil paintings to crochet doilies to homemade soaps. I think they also did flea market style events too. Pretty sure the basement is just offices and storage and things of that nature. There are back hallways on the main floor, but certainly not enough to store all of the décor they used to put up for various holidays.
I worked at HarMar from 1968-1972 and I still both shop and walk there today. The current stores in HarMar, Marshals, Michael’s, Barnes & Noble, Cub Foods, Famous Footwear, etc. all seem to do a pretty decent business but very few have Mall entrances open, making the Mall a great place for indoor walking but an echo chamber as far as shopping goes. Definitely a LOT has changed since it first opened. By the way, the term “Food Court” was never used there in the early years. There were simply restaurants scattered through the Mall. And as someone said earlier… it’s NOT in Minneapolis. It’s in Roseville, MN which is a suburb of St. Paul, you know, our capital city. Yeah THAT one! 😊
For my lifetime, the food at Har Mar always faced "outward" , especially with the local stand alone "Professor's Restaurant on the North side. With four colleges within a few minute drive, this was a destination restaurant for ice cream and affordable date nights. Also, it's stayed fairly active due to those colleges and the traffic on Snelling.
You're thinking of Pavilion Place, across from Rosedale. That mall was trash, but lava links and the theater downstairs were awesome hangouts for a kid in the 90s.
I went there a few weeks ago, it's more dead than when I used to go 6 years ago. Now the stores don't even open the door to the mall anymore. That staples is gone. The only thing left I saw was Barnes and noble, the sushi place, cub foods, Marshall's and homegoods. There were a few restaurants left.. I also worked there one night as security for a craft show, there were so many stores back then. Music store, the guy in there played van Halen's jump on a synth Everything is almost gone there now
Did security at the Marshals back in 1996. Wasn't full but had a lot more stores, better food court. We just swung by there a few weeks ago first time i've been there in many years and it is a ghost town. And the Barnes and Noble permanently locked the mall gate. You have to enter from outside. If the theft is the same or worse than when I worked there. I can understand why.
I used to go to movies here in the eatly to mid 2000s. Very dated theater. The bathrooms had the sinks in the toilet stalls. It was a strange design. I also used to go to the Barnes and Nobels all the time. It was always packed. It was a weird mall, though, and had random stores. Never could compete with Rosedale.
I’d been here several times in the 80s and can fill in some of the stores that were there. Barnes used to be a Snyder Drug. The space across from Merle Norman was a Woodcraft Hobby (they had another location on Lake St). Marshall’s has been in the same spot since I first came there in ‘84. Across from Marshall’s by the north mall entrance was an old time ice cream parlor called “The Professor’s”. H&R Block was a Boy Scouts of America store. Space across from Michael’s was a B. Dalton Bookseller. America’s Best had been a barber shop with a very cool ‘70s brick facade that sported a wrought iron gate for the entrance (I believe it was called “The Barbers”). Old Chicago was a bank. The 2 level structure on the corner with Waxing The City had been a TCF bank. The late 80s addition to the mall can be noticed when the floor changes from terrazzo to the brown tile towards Burlington. Great use of the tune “One Million Miles from the Ground” by Dexter Wansel!
Really, I like this mall. I think having the stores with both indoor and outdoor entrances gives the best of both worlds. You can go in for one thing and get out, or you can just browse all the stores in a climate controlled environment. Or, you can go into one store, realize you need something from another store, use the mall to go to that 2nd store without going outside in the cold, get what you need, return the the first store and leave.
For reasons unknown, mall management has been asking the remaining stores to keep their mall entrances locked. This totally defeats the purpose of an indoor shopping center.
I was at this mall not too long ago. God I hate the shape of it though. Fun fact there used to be a horrible pet store at this mall and it is one of several reasons Roseville passed a law against selling puppy mill animals and made pet store pets laws. The stairs used to lead to a room where people would find folks in the mall and ask them to do market research for a small amount of compensation. They’d go up into a room and watch commercials, fill out surveys etc.
Apparently All Staples in Minnesota have closed. Which was a bummer. Like their stuff a little bit better than OfficeMax/Office Depot. Competition and lack of sales clearly makes it hard for either of the two office suppliers to really exist. I had worked at the Barnes & Noble sometime ago and it used to be the headquarters for the local Barnes & Noble chains.
I remember moving here in 2004 and they had just got done with the downsizing. The new parking lot would come in later. I do remember the theater there being really affordable. Great way to get a cheap movie night with some friends. In my opinion, the mall was always not doing well. But you're right--it was always just a fancy strip mall.
It was NOT "just a fancy strip mall" in the 1960s and '70s. It was a real mall with crowds of people and a vibe of commerce and fun. Every space occupied. Regular special shows in the big main hallway -- aquariums, campers, arts & crafts.
Most of the large stores lock the doors that go into the mall because they don't have the staff any longer to monitor to entrances... You can see in your video that Burlington coat factory and Home Goods both have their gates locked while they're open.
My ex wife and I lived close, we would walk here all the time. Or in winter walk inside. One time I heard cibo Matt's flowers on the speaker once when they played music. So many memories of this place. My ex passed 2 months ago and though we were divorced I wish I could share this video with her
The original 3-screen theater occupied the space that Staples was, and yes, that Staples closed down and has been replaced by Cub Wine & Spirits, a companion to the Cub grocery store shown in the video. There's never been a bona fide food court at Har-Mar. Since I've been a kid in the 1980s, Har-Mar has always been sort of a cheesy mall, and it's had its highs and lows. I'd say its peak (a soft peak, mind you) was the late 1990s when it still had its theaters, restaurants, as well as anchors Barnes & Noble, Home Goods, and Marshall's. Speaking of Marshall's, they are a VERY long term anchor of Har-Mar, as well as Famous Footwear. They've been in the exact same spot for 40+ years.
Har-Mar always had a kind of cheesy, bush-league vibe -- It was never meant to compete with the upper echelon malls like the Recession- and Pandemic-proof Galleria in Edina or Ridgedale in Minnetonka, or Southdale when it first opened. SA-accused music artist Har Mar Superstar named his musical persona in a nod to the schleppiness of Har Mar Mall.
I remember interviewing at Record Town in the Har Mar Mall... Parent company was Trans World Music Corporation... Padding shrink figures to save the bottom line..
It was a very significant event though! It hit the dang mall and dumped fish in the parking lot. Took out the first original Target store and Applebaums grocery! It passed about 1/2 mile west from where we live now!
I saw Boys in the Hood at the movie theater there with my mom, and the black people in the theater talked through the whole movie. They were yelling at the screen and just making all sorts of noise. LOL, I did not know that black people like to make a lot of noise while watching a movie. To each their own.
I’ve heard the name Har Mar, but have never been there (wrong side of town for me). I’m glad you explained how it was named, because I always wondered how they came up with that. As always, the music is fantastic. Mall muzak with all that glorious reverb is just so comforting.
@@JeffMiletich Uh, plenty of people don’t know that because we didn’t grow up here, and people younger than a certain age never had the chance to go to any of them. And turn your caps lock off so you aren’t shouting like a maniac,
I own the Merle Norman Cosmetics and I have been at HarMar for over 31 years. I can still remember the good ol days. There were many great restaurants and stores. There was a popular A&W also in the center of the mall towards the movie theater as well as an ice cream shop. There was never an actual food court; but more like a Food Ave along with several great restaurants throughout.
My husband asked me to marry me at Har Mar Mall in Northwestern Bible Bookstore. That was a tragic lost. Before During that time, I worked at LeeAnn Chin there. I think they had major craft shows there.
Use to go to this mall as a kid visiting my cousins. Cool video at start! Wow they have a Tuesday mornings, nice. Funny all the sheep walking around in their face diapers thinking they are protected 😂😂
HarMar Mall hasn’t really changed much since the 90s. The theatre was gorgeous, though - that’s a true loss.
I went there in 93-94 ish and the Barnes and Noble was huge then too. you could tell they merged 2-3 smaller store together, one was a used book area, which I hadn't seen at a B&N yet.
A couple of notes about HarMar, about 19 months after this video was originally published:
1) Roseville is a suburb of St. Paul, not Minneapolis
2) the architecture that was noted around 5:20 is original to the mall (as least to my memory). The signage for the mall is new, but the floors and the bricks have been there since at least the early 1980s
3) the 1981 tornado noted around 8:10 was part of a rash of severe storms that occurred in the early 80s that drastically change the landscape of retail in the near northern suburbs. The original Target store across the street from HarMar was also heavily damaged in that tornado, and a couple of years later a tornado leveled half of the aforementioned Apache Plaza, contributing to that mall's demise (a lot of the original architecture and all of the original stained glass were lost, and Apache anchor JC Penney soon moved to Rosedale) and also destroyed a store called Sound of Music, which resulted in a fire sale and the eventual founding of Best Buy Co.
4) the "food court" area sort of became that way in the late 1990s, as that is one of the two sides of the mall at the time that had separate outside entrances for a lot of the stores. TCF operated a full-service multi story bank on the northwest corner at the end of the hallway, so they were in essence a mini-anchor. There was another smaller traditional food court on the interior of the mall where Barnes and Noble is now, there were also several interior stores. This part of the mall was gutted and turned into a big box store in the mid 90s.
5) the Staples was officially closed sometime mid 2022 I think. It's now a Cub branded liquor store. This is where HarMar Cinema 1-3 originally was.
6) the HarMar cinemas were at its closure owned by AMC after their purchase of General Cinema, and closed once the AMC Rosedale theaters opened in 2006
7) the staircase in the mall leads down to the mall offices, and at one point there was also a community room down there I think. Before the mid 1990s remodel that gutted a lot of the indoor stores, the hallway had equal space on both sides of the staircase
No need to gatekeep which suburb belong to which city. While a small part of St. Paul shares its border with Roseville city limits, it’s in very close proximity to SE Minneapolis (the campus area of the city, not the literal southeast part of the city). Growing up in the Como neighborhood of Minneapolis, Har Mar, Target Store #1, and Rosedale were where my family shopped.
It’s not really gatekeeping as much as it is a statement of fact. If not for Falcon Heights and Lauderdale, Roseville would share its entire southern city limits with St. Paul as it did during its establishment. Roseville is also entirely housed in Ramsey County. In addition, all Roseville north-south arterials and a good portion of residential streets carry St. Paul street names, and all numbering of street addresses is based on the radial center point of Jackson St and University Ave in downtown St. Paul.
@@outsidethewaxbox And a 651 area code. You got me. But explain St. Anthony Village. Half and half?
@@Thegonagle I always thought of St. Anthony as purely Minneapolis, but some of the second ring like Blaine can really be confusing.
I'm kind of surprised their is no mention of the MN State Fair grounds (2nd largest in the country) being directly across Snelling Ave. as well.
The movie theater was AMAZING! It had a giant chandelier made of Coke bottles. Every bathroom stall was like a little room (kind of like fitting rooms) with its own complete bathroom with a sink, and they were all different bold colors. It was beautiful.
FYI that very chandelier is hanging in Lenny Kravitz apartment living room in Paris!
@@Maverick1981ta Amazing! lol
This was my childhood mall until Rosedale Center was built. So many memories. Thank you !!!🙏🏻
The mystery stairs were the rental office, the security and maintenance rooms, rest rooms, and for a while, one of those market research/survey places. It didn't used to be "authorized only". The funny thing about Har-Mar is that it manages to survive despite the lack of internal stores and amenities. The "outer" and anchor stores and even restaurants for the most part seem to do reasonably well and stay in business for a pretty long time, usually 5-10 years, often more. That Barnes & Noble has been through at least one full remodeling and expansion, and at one time it was the largest in the world.
I remember there was a large room downstairs where they held coin shows and there was a Commodore Computer Club that met there that I belonged to.
I’ve lived in Roseville most of my life and that Barnes and Noble and Old Chicago have been there for as long as I can remember (25+ years). It is heavily trafficked to this day, maybe more than ever. The interior is DEAD though. The mall had/has a major shoplifting problem so most of the entrances are locked and the stores have either walled off or locked their own interior entrances that extend into the mall. Would not be stunned if they went the way of nearby Crossroads Mall and shutter the interior for good.
The last time I was in there I shit you not is was totally empty and the Flamingos “I only have eyes for you” was playing softly over the intercom. It was a whole vibe.
The thing I remember most is that the movie theater women's bathrooms had color coded stalls. Each stall was a different, vibrant color. I thought that was so cool when I was a kid. Still do.
I like that history of Har Mar Mall in Roseville, Minnesota.
Thanks for showing us the beginning of the episode 2 of season 3.
I love how unique this mall is. It's like they stole the idea of a mall, got it partially wrong, but still had a successful mall with a lot of character.
You asked in this video and favorite episodes, and it's honestly impossible to pick any one because each mall is presented so well and is one-of-a-kind.
I've been meaning to comment on the music, though. I love the extra reverb you put on it to make it sound like it's really echoing through the corridors. Sometimes I second-guess myself thinking that it's too acoustically perfect to not be coming from the intercom speakers.
Amazing how this mall managed to survive all these decades in its small format in an area filled with dozens of megamalls
Glad you're back! Thanks for the video!
I know what the basement is/was! It was a a large convention center type space that could be rented by organizations for events. My dad worked at the State Farm claims center right across the road and State Farm rented the space for years to hold the best holiday parties for their employee's families. It was the best!
I cleaned at HarMar back in the early 80’s and it’s good to see they still have the old terrazzo floors that are easy to clean and perk up with a coat of wax but many are opting to polish them and skip the waxing nowadays. Glad to see this HarMar and the Burnsville Center spotlighted where I also did floor work at.
Great video, the minneapolis footage at the start was really cool to see. when I lived in the twin cities I’d go to the har-mar barnes and noble and wing stop a few times but never really thought about the rest of the place, I basically thought of it as a strip mall. Last summer we stumbled upon the rest of the mall space and it was pretty dead, really interesting to see it though.
Glad you enjoyed!
I saw this 2 years after you posted it. The "food court" as you call it, has always been that way, at least since the 1990's new construction. I believe the Staples store was a victim of downsizing, if I remember correctly. I used to go here as a kid in the 1960s shortly after it opened. There used to be a lot of songbirds nesting up near the arched ceiling. I have a lot of fond memories of Christmas time there, we used to buy our Christmas tree at a nearby lot. Thanks for creating this, I enjoyed it!
Downstairs is where we went during the tornado. First and last time I was down there! It's heart breaking to see this mall so empty as it used to be the spot to go and shop and hangout.
This video was really well done!!!!
Thank you so much I appreciate it!
Amazing job; this is defitnely one of my favorite episodes yet! If there was a vid I had to pick for my favorites it would be the Tale of Two Sisters. I've rewatched it maybe 20 times 😂
Thank you so much! I remember working so hard to make that episode like a documentary, and there might even be a revisit coming soon🤫
Leeann Chins - I used to love that place.
Thanks for filming this and the Southdale Mall/Center. Southdale was the first mall I ever went to (my second year of college-just across the river at UW-River Falls) in 1973. I would then tranfer to the St. Paul Campus (College of Vet. Med.) and Har-Mar would be a close run-but so would the relatively new Rosedale Mall. Probably spent more time at the Target across from Har-Mar and didn't know it was lost due to a tornado.
I love this Mall! Reminds me of Eastland Mall! The food court at Woodland looks like the Cafe Court in 1983. Really like the storefronts. 37 yrs later still a great mall for walkers. The 1987 food court reminds me of my life in my 20's. Glad you visited Bowling Green, OH!!!
Your video production quality is awesome. Hope you keep growing my man.
Thanks man!
An important part of Har Mar history is the Ferrells ice crème ship/restaurant. A generation of kids had their birthday party there, with the zoo and ringing bells.
Used to work there circa 1971.
@@dbcocktails Haha, me too. Circa 1975 or 1976. I thought it was a cool place to work but ended up hating the place when I quit.
I used to manage this mall and had my office in the basement.
Somehow I feel like a longer reminiscence might be interesting.
Just go down the damn steps. Lol! Neon palms all the way.
The mall hosted many antique and craft shows down its corridors. The mall and the shops were buzzing with lots of shoppers. I remember Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor in the northeast entrance.
We had dinner at Farrelly the one night I worked security at a craft show. Thanks for reminding me of the name!
great video. Love the old songs.
Staples permanently closed recently :/ I wish I knew more about the basement!
Don’t remind me. That was a sad day as sad as when the movie theater left and the staples replaced it. RIP #1885
When I was a teen/young adult, about 20-25 years ago, there were always rumors about some freaky stuff that went on in the basement of HarMar.
I know there’s a big room downstairs- like a party room but that’s all. I thought *thought* there were dance classes that were held there, 1990’s and prior.
Back in the 70’s there was a class on babysitting offered in the basement along with other events. I think my brownie troop met there occasionally as well if I remember correctly. The mall offices were also downstairs.
I used to work at this mall back in the early 2000’s. Watching this video brought back so many memories.
Ah, I saw Return of the Jedi at Har Mar; it's my first movie-going memory.
Back in the 80's there used to be a Chuck e cheese at HarMar, The Lower concourse is nearly same size as the main floor, in fact there is or was a staircase on the opposite end to connect the two
Really?? What was all down there?
@@NorthCdogg22 meeting rooms, mall offices and a few random businesses
@@ItsaRomethingeveryday interesting, wish I could’ve seen all that
@@NorthCdogg22 did you see any elevators while there by chance?
@@ItsaRomethingeveryday not while I was there
I go by this place when I go to the State Fair I didn;t know it was a mall and thought it was a strip mall with a bunch of decent spots.
I’ve been going there since a small child. Late 40’s now. Saw the first screening of empire strikes back, raiders, return of the Jedi. Down the stars was a sports area for karate competitions, then I think a cup scouts store before or after. I worked there in 2000’s at mars music. It was a great mall in the 70’s and 80’s.
The stairs led to a public restroom area and a couple pay phones. In spite of the number of closed stores it’s still a well maintained space, and pretty well used mall. The AMC theaters left when they opened new ones at the nearby Rosedale Mall.
Lots of activity in the men’s bathrooms if you read the Roseville Review.
Another great video.
I grew up in Saint Paul and have great memories of shopping and going to movies at Har Mar… I remember seeing Shrek and The Emperor’s New Groove there! 🤣
This is an amazing. My Grandma used to take me here for clothes shopping when I was little. Seeing this brings back so many great memories. And yes, I vividly remember that "food court" with the weird swivel chairs, there used to be a soup place in there but it closed recently, Eddington's. Best of all the restaurants in there
Oh! I forgot to mention there used to be a really cool pet store right off the weird ramp. They sold all the odd pets like hermit crabs and hamsters. That place was amazing, I don't remember the name however
@@torger8305I remember that and the hobby store next door to it.
What does the starting song about Minneapolis have to do with Har Mar Mall in Roseville, a norther suburb of St. Paul??????
I used to visit Har Mar from time to time back in the '90s and early 2000s, but it was never my favorite mall, due to the lack of stores that would interest someone in their teens and early 20s. Even back then, the consesus was that it was an iferior mall, compared to others in the Twin Cities area, even Northtown! I went to Rosedale for the first time in a long time in early March for my birthday, to check out a retro video game arcade, called "Starcade!" It was really awesome, they had a TON of machines, including many of my favorites from my childhood. I'd highly recommend it!
That being said, I'll visit Har Mar again in the near future, and show it some much-needed love.
I grew up in St.Paul. HarMar used to be an awesome little mall! One back corner had a Circus Pizza (no animatronics but all the arcade stuff). There was the theaters and a few food places peppered throughout. I worked at Michaels during summer 1998. There was a toy store there once, and a cool gift shop that had huge balloons, B Daltons and Two Plus Two which became Claire’s. There was all sorts of cool places there. But I swear every time I go to Target across the street there’s a cop car or two outside Marshall’s with lights going. There’s been some pretty brazen pillaging going on there. There’s a Spirit Halloween there too which some reckon is the kiss of death.
Oh my. I remember when the theater has that crushed white stone plastered on the front and the lightbulbs. And the smell!
I grew up with that place. I can remember when it was the shopping hub of Roseville in the mid-60's. I have fond memories of my mom taking me shopping with her there. She would pack a lunch and she would take a break from shopping and we would sit by the fountain and eat turkey sandwiches.
Southdale is located in E-dine-a not E-deen-a.
Meet Me AtThe Fountain: an inside history of the mall by Alexandra Lange, just published. Great history of shopping malls, including Southdale.
Scattered shopping malls had something to do with the decline of the central business districts of Downtown America, but they certainly weren't the only factor. FHA housing policy, suburbanization, freeway construction, the regular extension of water and sewer lines farther out, a preference for shiny new spaces over dingy old ones (however distinguished), and so on played a role. Southdale was built on land that was still being farmed, but suburbanization had been under way for some time.
ya but this is Harmar mall this is in Roseville. He made a totally different video about Southdale.
We can't expect anyone to pronounce our suburbs as we do when we write them funny. Wayzata. QED.
@@shushnik Why can't we? The guy is making a video for RUclips. You look stuff up and get stuff right. This takes about 10 minutes of extra work.
Har Mar was THE place to be when I was in high school at Alexander Ramsey (now Roseville Area High School). It was super busy. My Mom and I used to shop at Field Schlick and frequented many stores in the mall. There was always a grocery and there was a Synder's Drug store about where Staples is now. What you call the food court, never was a food court. There was a pizza shop there, Har Mar Pizza (used to love the shrimp pizza and get a coke) and across the way was a pet store (thankfully now gone - we didn't know better in those days). I moved to California in the '80's and didn't return to MN until about 8 years ago. I do remember going to an antique fair at the mall in the '90's. Farrell's Ice Cream parlor is where the sushi place is now. I worked there for one summer as a waitress. It's been many things since.
Har Mar Superstar. Looks a lot like Brookdale Mall (RIP)
It was a great Mall back in the day! All small stores and restaurants. The late 60s and 70s.
Amazing video man!
Thank you so much! Means a lot!
@@NorthCdogg22 Of course man, your videos are getting a lot better, keep up the great work!
I loved this mall. Best affordable theatre. Saw Something About Mary there. The aisles used to fill up with craft vendors during the holidays.
The lower level was the mall offices and an auditorium. Twin Cities events like the Axel and Carmen- Easter show were done down there and drew large crowds. I did photography for a charity "Jello Jump" back in 1976, where they filled a swimming pool with Jello and people contributed money for a chance to take a jump. Marie Slawik was actively involved in day-to-day operations, and I remember selling her a camera which she used to keep photo memories of the mall conditions and activities. No doubt she bought the camera at a store inside "her" mall.
Marie resisted easing of the blue laws, and the mall was one of the last to finally open on Sundays, bowing to pressure from Rosedale. Got my 1st bike from the Sears catalog store at Har Mar. Bought a fishing pole at an autograph event in the JCPenny sporting goods department where Jim Perry made an appearance. Sold a movie projector to "Spendy Wendy" Anderson when the governor appointed himself to congress and he thought prices were better here, than they'd be when he got to D.C.
The steps that led downstairs used to be bathrooms and a dance area for teens from Ramsey and Kellogg called the Junction, (around 1965-67). Staples my husband told me just this week closed as they said the rent was getting too high for them.Sure miss the days when shopping was fun from Mary Adams to the Bridal Shop.
interestingly the very first Target store was just to the north of this mall...there is still a Target there but the original was torn down and rebuilt in a different part of the lot.
you mentioned the Apache Plaza...I was working up in the Twin Cities when it was torn down so I took a bunch of really bad digital photos of the demolition as I would drive to work in the morning...no idea why I did it...history I guess.
Har-Mar has looked pretty much exactly like that, including all the empty space, since at least 2008. The Staples has shuffled around since then. Pretty sure it's all the way gone now. I grew up mall-ratting at MoA, but Har-Mar and Rosedale were on the opposite end of the same bus line so I would go up there occasionally instead, especially for the movie theater. Never really considered it to even have a food court, just a couple places you could get food.
It's always been a strange mall. It housed the kind of pet store that literally just sells animals, at least from the 90s and well into the 2010s, which is not something I've ever seen in another mall. It also used to have one of the only A&W places in the state, or at least in the twin cities. That was back when the Cub was the movie theater. And the different legs of the zigzag have such distinctly different feelings, that I sometimes forget all of those corridors are all in the same building. The pet store used to be in one of those darker, narrower hallways at the beginning of the video. In the bright hallway, next to the Barnes & Noble, used to be a David's Bridal that I bought a dress from.
The thing I miss and loved the most about Har-Mar is that it used to host makers fairs in those huge hallways. They'd regularly have special events were vendors (mostly small businesses who were local or travelled to do these kinds of things for a living) would come set up tables up and down the middle of the hall, so there was like, a median of simple pop-up shops, back in the day when people wrote checks at least as often as they pulled out a plastic card. The things for sale were usually arts-and-crafts-y, from oil paintings to crochet doilies to homemade soaps. I think they also did flea market style events too.
Pretty sure the basement is just offices and storage and things of that nature. There are back hallways on the main floor, but certainly not enough to store all of the décor they used to put up for various holidays.
I worked at HarMar from 1968-1972 and I still both shop and walk there today. The current stores in HarMar, Marshals, Michael’s, Barnes & Noble, Cub Foods, Famous Footwear, etc. all seem to do a pretty decent business but very few have Mall entrances open, making the Mall a great place for indoor walking but an echo chamber as far as shopping goes. Definitely a LOT has changed since it first opened.
By the way, the term “Food Court” was never used there in the early years. There were simply restaurants scattered through the Mall.
And as someone said earlier… it’s NOT in Minneapolis. It’s in Roseville, MN which is a suburb of St. Paul, you know, our capital city. Yeah THAT one! 😊
For my lifetime, the food at Har Mar always faced "outward" , especially with the local stand alone "Professor's Restaurant on the North side. With four colleges within a few minute drive, this was a destination restaurant for ice cream and affordable date nights. Also, it's stayed fairly active due to those colleges and the traffic on Snelling.
Omg, the Professor's restaurant. Memory unlocked!
Awesome video! I am digging your content!
Southdale is the best video!
Thank you very much! Glad your enjoying them :)
In the early 2000’s the downstairs had a laser tag arena and Army, Navy, Marines recruiter. Laser tag place was decent.
You're thinking of Pavilion Place, across from Rosedale. That mall was trash, but lava links and the theater downstairs were awesome hangouts for a kid in the 90s.
I went there a few weeks ago, it's more dead than when I used to go 6 years ago. Now the stores don't even open the door to the mall anymore. That staples is gone. The only thing left I saw was Barnes and noble, the sushi place, cub foods, Marshall's and homegoods. There were a few restaurants left..
I also worked there one night as security for a craft show, there were so many stores back then. Music store, the guy in there played van Halen's jump on a synth
Everything is almost gone there now
Did security at the Marshals back in 1996. Wasn't full but had a lot more stores, better food court. We just swung by there a few weeks ago first time i've been there in many years and it is a ghost town. And the Barnes and Noble permanently locked the mall gate. You have to enter from outside. If the theft is the same or worse than when I worked there. I can understand why.
Amazing episode!!!💟💟💟💟
Looks like a former 60's open air mall that was closed in. Not much in updates over the years.
I used to go to movies here in the eatly to mid 2000s. Very dated theater. The bathrooms had the sinks in the toilet stalls. It was a strange design. I also used to go to the Barnes and Nobels all the time. It was always packed. It was a weird mall, though, and had random stores. Never could compete with Rosedale.
The original movie theater from the 70’S was cool. I saw James Bond ,earthquake ,Superman,what’s up doc,and many other 70’s classics.
James Bond double feature circa the summer of 1971 -- You Only Live Twice and Thunderball.
I grew up with this as my mall in the mid 80's. I could tell you what was in most of the empty stores at some point.
I’d been here several times in the 80s and can fill in some of the stores that were there. Barnes used to be a Snyder Drug. The space across from Merle Norman was a Woodcraft Hobby (they had another location on Lake St). Marshall’s has been in the same spot since I first came there in ‘84. Across from Marshall’s by the north mall entrance was an old time ice cream parlor called “The Professor’s”. H&R Block was a Boy Scouts of America store. Space across from Michael’s was a B. Dalton Bookseller. America’s Best had been a barber shop with a very cool ‘70s brick facade that sported a wrought iron gate for the entrance (I believe it was called “The Barbers”). Old Chicago was a bank. The 2 level structure on the corner with Waxing The City had been a TCF bank. The late 80s addition to the mall can be noticed when the floor changes from terrazzo to the brown tile towards Burlington.
Great use of the tune “One Million Miles from the Ground” by Dexter Wansel!
Really, I like this mall. I think having the stores with both indoor and outdoor entrances gives the best of both worlds. You can go in for one thing and get out, or you can just browse all the stores in a climate controlled environment. Or, you can go into one store, realize you need something from another store, use the mall to go to that 2nd store without going outside in the cold, get what you need, return the the first store and leave.
For reasons unknown, mall management has been asking the remaining stores to keep their mall entrances locked. This totally defeats the purpose of an indoor shopping center.
It is a cool place used to be Model Railroad events where local clubs would come in for the weekend!
Also aquarium shows including some of the very early saltwater aquarium tanks.
Your dead mall video great
I was at this mall not too long ago. God I hate the shape of it though.
Fun fact there used to be a horrible pet store at this mall and it is one of several reasons Roseville passed a law against selling puppy mill animals and made pet store pets laws.
The stairs used to lead to a room where people would find folks in the mall and ask them to do market research for a small amount of compensation. They’d go up into a room and watch commercials, fill out surveys etc.
I remember seeing Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Har Mar Theater back in the 80's.
The Staples closed. Before the Staples, that area was where the movie theater was.
Apparently All Staples in Minnesota have closed. Which was a bummer. Like their stuff a little bit better than OfficeMax/Office Depot. Competition and lack of sales clearly makes it hard for either of the two office suppliers to really exist. I had worked at the Barnes & Noble sometime ago and it used to be the headquarters for the local Barnes & Noble chains.
I remember moving here in 2004 and they had just got done with the downsizing. The new parking lot would come in later. I do remember the theater there being really affordable. Great way to get a cheap movie night with some friends.
In my opinion, the mall was always not doing well. But you're right--it was always just a fancy strip mall.
It was NOT "just a fancy strip mall" in the 1960s and '70s. It was a real mall with crowds of people and a vibe of commerce and fun. Every space occupied. Regular special shows in the big main hallway -- aquariums, campers, arts & crafts.
The mall offices were also down there along with a Taekwondo studio that later turned into a dance studio.
Most of the large stores lock the doors that go into the mall because they don't have the staff any longer to monitor to entrances... You can see in your video that Burlington coat factory and Home Goods both have their gates locked while they're open.
My ex wife and I lived close, we would walk here all the time. Or in winter walk inside. One time I heard cibo Matt's flowers on the speaker once when they played music.
So many memories of this place. My ex passed 2 months ago and though we were divorced I wish I could share this video with her
The original 3-screen theater occupied the space that Staples was, and yes, that Staples closed down and has been replaced by Cub Wine & Spirits, a companion to the Cub grocery store shown in the video. There's never been a bona fide food court at Har-Mar. Since I've been a kid in the 1980s, Har-Mar has always been sort of a cheesy mall, and it's had its highs and lows. I'd say its peak (a soft peak, mind you) was the late 1990s when it still had its theaters, restaurants, as well as anchors Barnes & Noble, Home Goods, and Marshall's. Speaking of Marshall's, they are a VERY long term anchor of Har-Mar, as well as Famous Footwear. They've been in the exact same spot for 40+ years.
Har-Mar always had a kind of cheesy, bush-league vibe -- It was never meant to compete with the upper echelon malls like the Recession- and Pandemic-proof Galleria in Edina or Ridgedale in Minnetonka, or Southdale when it first opened.
SA-accused music artist Har Mar Superstar named his musical persona in a nod to the schleppiness of Har Mar Mall.
I worked as a security officer here for awhile. The mall walkers here were intense!
Roseville is a Saint Paul suburb not a Minneapolis suburb
It’s in a St Paul suburb not Minneapolis
I used to attend dance class in the basement. Roseville Performing Arts Company (or something like that)
In the far end of the building they had a baskin robbins ice cream. I think they had a Shakeys Pizza but not positive about that.
I remember interviewing at Record Town in the Har Mar Mall... Parent company was Trans World Music Corporation... Padding shrink figures to save the bottom line..
Only you and Kristin your cruise director at unicomm would take the time and effort to include the tornado story.
I pride myself in the fact that I take time to research and get the facts about malls, unlike other creators
It was a very significant event though! It hit the dang mall and dumped fish in the parking lot. Took out the first original Target store and Applebaums grocery! It passed about 1/2 mile west from where we live now!
What was super fun as an 80’s kid was going to HarMar, playing at the arcade, then going to McDonalds across the street with the outdoor play park!
Har Mar 1 and 2 is where I first saw Return of the Jedi and ET
I saw Boys in the Hood at the movie theater there with my mom, and the black people in the theater talked through the whole movie. They were yelling at the screen and just making all sorts of noise. LOL, I did not know that black people like to make a lot of noise while watching a movie. To each their own.
I also saw movies at that movie theatre.
I’ve heard the name Har Mar, but have never been there (wrong side of town for me). I’m glad you explained how it was named, because I always wondered how they came up with that. As always, the music is fantastic. Mall muzak with all that glorious reverb is just so comforting.
Yeah it was interesting finding out where that name came from, thank you for watching! Glad you enjoyed
WHO IN THE TWIN CITIES DOESN'T KNOW THAT HAR MAR CAME FROM HAROLD & MARIE SLAWIK, OWNER OF MIDWAY FORD & BUILDER OF HAR MAR MALL??????
@@JeffMiletich Uh, plenty of people don’t know that because we didn’t grow up here, and people younger than a certain age never had the chance to go to any of them. And turn your caps lock off so you aren’t shouting like a maniac,
I own the Merle Norman Cosmetics and I have been at HarMar for over 31 years. I can still remember the good ol days. There were many great restaurants and stores. There was a popular A&W also in the center of the mall towards the movie theater as well as an ice cream shop. There was never an actual food court; but more like a Food Ave along with several great restaurants throughout.
There were bathrooms and a seminar room in the basement. The men’s room was a notorious gay pick-up location in the ‘80s & ‘90s.
What’s happening to har mar mall in Minnesota
My husband asked me to marry me at Har Mar Mall in Northwestern Bible Bookstore. That was a tragic lost. Before During that time, I worked at LeeAnn Chin there. I think they had major craft shows there.
Staples is gone, it's a liquor store now owned by the same people as the grocery store.
Staples closed I think a few months ago
Har Mar still there :)
Use to go to this mall as a kid visiting my cousins. Cool video at start! Wow they have a Tuesday mornings, nice. Funny all the sheep walking around in their face diapers thinking they are protected 😂😂
My great grandparents owned that mall. Ask me anything
I hope these classic malls can be repurposed.
Mute the music!
E DINE uh, not
Uh DEE Nuh.