Heritage Preservation in a First-Ring Suburb

There is a little bit of everything in this field session: something for the voyeur, something for the archaeologist, something for the historian and something for the consumer. I bet you’re wondering how this could be? Or maybe you’re not…but I’ll tell you anyway.
For the voyeur…visit the Country Club District. An early to mid 20th century planned residential district listed on the National Register for its effort to preserve more than 500 period homes.
For the archaeologist…take a walking tour of Williams Park. Here you’ll find the Edina Mills Archaeological Site and learn about the role of archaeology in historic preservation.
For the historian…visit the Edina Historical Society Museum, the Minnehaha Grange Hall(pictured below) and the Cahill School (pictured above.) Each of these sites represents a different story in the preservation of rural heritage and the integration of heritage preservation with city planning for community development.
For the consumer...visit the Southdale Mall. Enjoy a brief presentation on the history of America’s first indoor mall followed by a “self-guided tour”. You know what that means, right? Bring your money because you’ll have time to shop!