Dayton's building offers fun, food and kittens during Super Bowl LIVE

Image 1 of 2

The doors to the old Dayton’s building in downtown Minneapolis have opened again, offering people enjoying Super Bowl LIVE the chance to warm up and visit attractions like the Hallmark Channel’s Kitten Bowl Experience. 

The store closed when 601W Companies purchased the property from Macy’s 10 months ago, marking the first time in more than 100 years that there has not been a department store in the building. The purchase presented an opportunity for the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee. 

“As soon as we knew that the space might be available, we started the conversation with the owners of the Dayton’s project,” said Andrea Mokros of the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee. “[They] understood the value of showing what is such an important property to customers in a new way before they make it into a new building.” 

The space has been temporarily transformed into an extension of Super Bowl LIVE on Nicollet Mall. 

“This is a celebration of the Bold North so we wanted to be outside along the Nicollet Mall,” Mokros said. “But we wanted to give fans a chance to get warm and experience the indoors as well to extend their stay and make it possible to make this an all-day or all evening event.”

“We think this is pretty phenomenal, this is a once in a lifetime experience and we’ve all been involved in the entire experience,” Super Bowl LIVE visitor Tara Syring said. 

Inside visitors can have a bite to eat, see Prince’s shoes and take part in interactive exhibits. But the biggest attraction seemed to be the Kitten Bowl. 

“Minneapolis has been nothing but welcoming, we’ve had a line since we opened up,” Matthew Carroll of the North Shore Animal League America said. “People have waited a half hour or an hour to get in to see these kittens.”

The “cat-letes” are available for adoption, Carroll told Fox 9. 

“We are so excited and the best part about rescue is every single time you adopt you save two lives. The one you take into your home and you open up space to take in another one,” Carroll said. 

For more information about the kitten bowl and the other featured attractions click here