Rochester's Best Indoor Winter Play Is Moving Into the Stores That Closed
October 15, 2026
October 15, 2026
The west end of Apache Mall at 1201 12th St. SW used to hold Montgomery Ward and later Herberger's. The 48,000-square-foot first floor of that space sat empty from 2018 until this past Friday, October 9, 2026. That day it reopened as a Sky Zone trampoline park. A short walk away, two Rochester entrepreneurs are turning 16,000 square feet of a former H&M into Kidstruction, a construction-themed indoor playground, and they hope to open in December.
Both projects depend on the same thing. A trampoline park or a playground with Rochester's largest ball pit needs a big, open room, and in this city the big open rooms are the ones the retail collapse left behind. The mall's new role as a winter refuge for families grew directly out of its losses.
Before any of this, Apache Mall had already tried the idea once. Scheels opened in 2015 after expanding into the former Sears footprint, and it brought something new for the mall: a store where people came to do things as well as buy things. The Post Bulletin's October 10 report describes the two-story store's mini bowling alley, shooting gallery and arcade. The Rochester Scheels store page lists a classic shooting gallery, a Big Buck Hunter arcade game, Rollerball bowling, a youth play area, Ginna's Café and 24 flavors of homemade fudge.
The results set the plan for everything after. Britton Burridge, vice president of leasing for mall owner GGP, told the Post Bulletin that Scheels draws about 10 times as many shoppers as Sears did in that space. He added that it generates about 10 times the sales Sears did at the height of its popularity. In the same report he called the department store closures of the 2010s "a blessing in disguise," because regaining control of those anchor boxes let the mall rethink what went in them.
That approach shows up in the tenant mix. According to Burridge, about 25% of Apache Mall's tenants are now experience-based, compared with well under 5% in 2014. In 2026 alone, the mall signed nine new tenants covering 86,000 square feet.
| Former occupant | What fills the space now | Status as of mid-October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Sears | Scheels, with Rollerball bowling, shooting gallery and arcade | Open since 2015 |
| Montgomery Ward, then Herberger's | Sky Zone trampoline park, 48,000 sq ft first level | Opened October 9, 2026 |
| H&M | Kidstruction indoor playground, 16,000 sq ft | Targeting December |
Kidstruction shows most clearly why these businesses need these particular rooms. Rob Goodson and Alex Loechler, both of Rochester, worked on the concept for almost two years. Goodson told the Post Bulletin they were looking for sites "that had at least 15,000 square feet or more." He said, "Nobody wanted to take it seriously. The mall took it seriously. The mall is the hero in this situation."
Loechler explained the reason for the business in seasonal terms. "We just felt Rochester needs more fun stuff to do. People need outlets in the winter," he told the paper.
The plans so far include Rochester's largest ball pit. KAAL reported in August on an Interactive Challenge Wall, an obstacle course where children climb, balance, dodge and problem-solve their way through. At that point the owners hoped to open in November or December and were still setting prices. By the October Post Bulletin report, the target had narrowed to December. The Apache Mall directory still lists Kidstruction Indoor Playground as "Coming Soon" and does not give an age range or admission price.
Sky Zone franchisee Ashley Youngdale made a similar point about her own site. Before opening her second Sky Zone franchise, she told the Post Bulletin that the space was a tight fit even at 48,000 square feet, but that Apache Mall was the best choice in Rochester for her business. "The more people walk by and see us, the better," she said.
Burridge sees the two as a pair. "We are starting to create a little bit of an entertainment corridor there at Apache Mall that I think is going to really draw a lot of families," he said.
The park is only days old, so here is what its own pages list. The Sky Zone Rochester attractions page includes a Zip Line, Mega Launch Slide, Racer Slide, Family Slide, Warrior Course, Ultimate Dodgeball, Aerial Silks, Boulder Balls, SkySlam, CycloBeat, an iWall and tapWall, King of the Hill, Freestyle Jump, an Air Court and an arcade.
The hours and prices currently posted on Sky Zone Rochester's site:
The best weekday value is for families with young children. Little Leapers runs Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m. for children 5 and under. A 120-minute pass is $15.99, and one accompanying adult jumps free with each paid child. That is less than half the standard two-hour price, and it falls in the morning hours when many parents of preschoolers need somewhere warm to go. Any age may enter, but children under 13 can't be left without a parent or guardian.
The new attractions sit among other tenants that support longer visits. The mall directory lists Pixeljoy Claw Arcade as open. Orangetheory Fitness, which Burridge also counts among the experience-based tenants, is listed near Scheels. Warby Parker opened in August. Burridge told the Post Bulletin that Rochester is the smallest market in the United States where the eyewear brand has ever opened a store, and he credited Mayo Clinic's $5 billion "Bold. Forward. Unbound" project and the growth of the University of Minnesota Rochester for the city's appeal.
Holiday dates are starting to appear on the calendar:
Check mall hours before you go. The Apache Mall visit page shows "Today's Hours" of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., while its FAQ lists 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Sky Zone posts its own hours, and they run later than either version.
Bruce Nustad, president of the Minnesota Retailers Association, told the Post Bulletin that successful malls are becoming "multi-purpose destinations" where "people want to shop and eat, but they also want to play and spend time together." He said weather is part of why Minnesota malls stay strong. Apache Mall opened in October 1969, and 57 years later its largest new tenants are businesses built for the coldest months.
If someone in your circle is moving to Rochester before winter, perhaps a new Mayo Clinic colleague with young children, knowing where to spend a January Saturday is part of settling in. Through Michelle Kalina, we build that local, season-by-season knowledge into every relocation we manage in Rochester. Request a private White Glove consultation, and we will help your household plan its first winter here alongside the move itself.
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