Head to St. Paul for The Dayton’s Elves, where you can see the magic of Dayton’s 8th Floor being brought back to life every night now through Christmas!
Remember the iconic Dayton’s 8th Floor Displays? The Pihaly Family in St. Paul is bringing the magic back to life on their enclosed porch! What started last year on their outdoor porch has now grown to 7 windows plus a backyard display with original characters from the Minneapolis Dayton’s 8th Floor Christmas Show. It’s definitely something to add to your holiday bucket list!
When I heard about this, I knew we had to visit The Dayton’s Elves on opening night. I’m fairly certain I visited the Dayton’s 8th Floor Christmas Show in Minneapolis every year from my childhood to when they closed in 2017 with my parents, later adding my husband and my son. I was absolutely crushed that our family tradition was over when they announced the closing, so I visited their liquidation sale and picked up an elf of my own.
When I saw The Dayton’s Elves Facebook page, I reached out to John Pihaly to see if they could take my elf and add her into a display. Luckily he said yes and now she’s a part of the bakery scene!
What started as a nostalgic hobby during Covid for John Pihaly, has brought back a treasured Minnesota holiday event for the entire community to enjoy. He ended up with a set of 25 elves back in 2020 after justing wanting one or two to display. From there, he got the help of a former Dayton’s show crew member to restore and re-create the vintage- style storefronts you can see today. How amazing to see the magic of Dayton’s brought back to life!
The Dayton’s Elves is located outside so be sure to dress for the weather so you don’t have to rush through the display. They do shovel paths around the porch, but I’d recommend wearing boots or sturdy shoes you are comfortable in walking through snow. And don’t forget to bring your letters for Santa, as they have a Santa mailbox!
The Dayton’s Elves is completely free to visit but if you feel compelled, they are collecting donations. In 2024, they raised $5,600, with $2,300 going to each non-profit: The Salvation Army and Toys for Tots!
The Dayton’s Elves
Open NOW through Christmas, every night 5-9pm
1887 Saunders Ave, St. Paul
#TheDaytonsElves
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Hannah is a married mom of 3 kiddos in the Twin Cities. Born and raised here in MN, she loves finding deals and special events to share with others.
Hannah enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading books, going on road trips up north, singing along with the radio and finding new thrift stores to shop! Hannah is also a fierce advocate for people with disabilities and is always on the lookout for more sensory friendly opportunities in the Twin Cities.
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