The diner was built in 1937 by the Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company of Elizabeth, New Jersey.[1] Then it was shipped to Saint Paul by rail and installed in 1939.[2] The diner is 50 feet long by 10 feet wide. The 24-hour diner has operated non-stop since it first opened.[1] In 1983, the diner was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[3]
Pop culture
The original Mickey's Diner appears in several Hollywood movies. These include The Mighty Ducks, Jingle All the Way, and A Prairie Home Companion.[4] The diner is also featured on the front and back cover of the 1985 self-titled, debut album of R&B singer, Alexander O'Neal. The diner appears in O'Neal's 1985 music video for the song, "Innocent", and in the 1991 Pet Shop Boys music video for the song, "Where The Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You)".[5]