Empire Mall Turns 50: A Look Back at the First Stores in the Mall

Fifty years ago, Sioux Falls was the biggest city in South Dakota. But compared to 2025, the population then was more like Fargo or Cedar Rapids today, about 140,000 people.

Sioux Falls in 1975: A Smaller City

That's quite a difference from the nearly quarter of a million people that call Sioux Falls and the surrounding area home.

RELATED: Half of South Dakota’s Population Now Lives in Sioux Falls and Rapid City

Half a century ago, in 1975, Sioux Falls was still the major urban center for the area, if only a bit smaller. The city limits at the time were 57th Street in the south, AKA the Minnehaha/Lincoln County boundary.

To the north, parts of the city already reached the relatively new I-90. Sycamore Avenue was the east end of town. And in the west, the city pretty much ended at Louise Avenue. Yep, the fairgrounds were outside the city at the time.

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The Blizzard of 1975: A Harsh Winter Memory

In 1975, two big events were the talk of the town. First, the year started with the massive Blizzard of 1975 on January 10 and 11. Only about seven inches of snow fell, but the winds were so strong, and the temperatures so cold, that the event is remembered as one of the worst blizzards of the 20th century.

Then in the fall, a new city center rose on the western edge of town. Just off the intersection of Louise Ave and 41st Street, the Empire Mall opened on September 24, 1975.

At the time, it was known as the Sioux Empire Plaza. It was actually the second mall in town, after the Western Mall opened six years before.

Read More: 24 Stores That Used to be In The Western Mall In Sioux Falls

When it opened in September of 1975 Younkers and Herbergers were there, along with a couple movie theaters. JCPenney joined the team the next spring. There were 47 stores when the mall opened.

From 47 Stores to 140: The Mall’s Growth

When it opened, there was 650,000 square feet of indoor shopping. It's grown a bit since then. In 2025, the mall has just over a million square feet of retail space and 140 stores in the building and surrounding area.

Today, the Empire Mall is the largest mall between Minneapolis and Denver, welcoming over five million people annually. It wasn't quite as big on its birthday in 1975, but it was still a premier and huge shopping destination for Sioux Falls.

Here were the original tenants at the Empire Mall in Sioux Falls

Sources: Pigeon 605, Argus-Leader, Wikipedia