In the 1900s, there were 5 ballrooms on West Lake Okoboji: Manhattan Beach, Roof Gardens, The Inn,…read moreThe Casino and The Central Emporium, then known as the Central Pavilion. The Central Emporium is the only one that remains a part of today's Iowa Great Lakes. It was originally built in 1901 and by the 1960s, the building sat empty until it was purchased in 1967 and used as boat storage. In 1971, the building was remodeled and began leasing out space for stores. During that first year, there were only 3-5 businesses including The Diver's Den, the Outrigger and a jewelry store. I started hanging out at the Central Emporium about that time in the early 1970s. It's gone through ownership changes since then and many shops have also come and gone. The Building itself has also been stabilized from falling into the Lake and at during my visit this summer, the old Girl looks pretty good on the inside as well. There's still the expected collection of tourist based shops, but the Central Emporium also includes a couple nice dining and drinking establishments (with great views), a branch of Hill Avenue Books, and even a few shops (e.g., Life on the Lake) that I enjoy. You can also get here by foot or by boat. I could see how a developer would think of this property as a good condo or other resort opportunity. And I do wonder how the Central Emporium makes money within the confines of a summer vacation season. But as long as this historic Iowa building still stands, I'll be there whenever I'm in town.

Always a fun and nostalgic place to visit. I've been coming to Okoboji since the 1980's, and The…read moreEmporium hasn't changed a lot. You can still grab a bite to eat, buy a bag of candy, or load up on all those Okoboji sweatshirts to wear during the upcoming winter. Plus, if you show up just after the summer season has ended, you'll get everything at a great discount.

Aside from one other "revenge" review, it looks like no one has opined about the Fishermen's…read moreFactory Outlet since my FTR in 2008 or 13 years ago. I was in just last week, and the place was fairly busy with lots of fisher persons admiring the latest rod and reel and talking shop. There is lots of stuff to choose from if you're in the business. Even though I don't fish, I enjoy looking around anyway. I did find a cool Berkley Mask and otherwise passed on their still impressive clothing line.

Great deals on some name brand gear! Friendly service and…read moreplenty of fishing gear to checkout.

This is my local shopping mall that I've grown up to enjoy. With stores and places coming and going…read moreover the years, the floors and other fixtures are so outdated that they look like they're from the 70s. It's time they decided to gut this shopping mall and put in some new flooring and other fixtures for a place that's nearly 45 years old. The floor tiles have been showing signs of age and not up to today's standards. Many other shopping malls across the country have had them ripped out and redone over the years, this one is unfortunately off the radar. This should be next on the list for renovation projects.

Very Friendly Atmosphere I Loved The Sioux City Southern Hills Mall So Much I'll Be Coming Back…read moreSoon!!!!!! I Love Shopping Here Every time!!! Very Nice Employees. This Mall Has a Lot of Variety & Cool Merchandise to Buy Every Day is a New Experience & All The Times I Been There I Had Bought Something That I Loved. Siouxland Mall is Very Big & Over whelming & Can Be Very Frustrating if Your Trying to Find Someone. Good Luck Trying Not to Get Lost in The Mall. :)

With the loss of its anchor stores, this mall is a ghost town on a Saturday afternoon. Went just to…read moresee how bad it really was and I left feeling sad for Fort Dodge and the stores that remain. One can only hope that this mall will be bought and completely renovated soon.

Ok, so it's a small town and the mall is the size of a super walmart. But, how many shoe stores…read moredoes the town need? It has some good stores, like the hallmark (huge), but it seemed to be missing some girls clothing stores and a bookstore (oddly it had a music cd store). If you need shoes, there seems to be an entire row of them lined up. Otherwise, the sears and jc penny in the mall would be the only stores to meet most peoples needs.

Unique and eclectic little shop in the heart of Mankato. They have art prints, gifts, designer…read moreclothing & goods, vintage, and more. Gina, the shop person, was incredibly helpful with my selection. More pleasing is the fact that I found a vintage satin dress for $35- I'll be wearing it to a wedding in October. :) also cute play space available for the kiddos (ping pong table & indoor tent), as well as a piano to play! Feel free to bring the family in, as this store is a joy for all ages.

12 years later, Gayle and I were here to look for "Muck Boots" for our September trip to the…read morePeruvian Amazon. We missed Bomgaars 15% off sale by a day, but still managed to find some economical boots that fit. Bomgaars remains somewhat of a maze in terms of finding things, especially considering that this is the type of "Farm and Home" store that I love spending some serious time wandering around. Store staff never really offered help, but I always knew they were around.

Help needs an attitude adjustment. Battery guy put 2017 on my battery so I would be shorted a year…read moreof warranty ( they engrave them to document when you purchased them) because I refused to bring my old battery all the way to the back of the store for him after I had left them by the front door. I offered to show him where they were(they are heavy) and he refused. Check out people said that is not uncommon from him. Needless to say I was not impressed with the help

Disclaimer: I don't like malls…read more That said, River Hills Mall is pretty good. It's all on one level, so it feels a bit sprawling, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. No heights or vertigo or people throwing stuff (or other people) from balconies is a plus in my strange book. The carousel was a bit disappointing, smaller than I had imagined. Nonetheless, cool that there's a merry go round in a mall, even if I am a little too heavy to ride it. (120 pound weight limit.) Ok, a lot too heavy, gosh! It's fairly stylish and nice to wander around and get some steps in. Maybe you'll find something to buy or eat or a movie to watch. The highlight of our day at the mall, besides walking around to take a break from driving, was ending up the sporting goods store, Scheels, and buying a whole bunch of fudge there. The irony was not lost on me.

We were all very surprised at how much we enjoyed this mall. There's a working carousel, strong…read moreselection of stores, and a food court that goes beyond the generic fast food options (though it has those too). It's better than a lot of the Twin Cities malls in cleanliness, selection, and overall shopping experience.