A visit to American Girl
If you regularly spend time with a girl around the age of 8, you know all about American Girl. You’ve probably spent time going over the catalog in minute detail and know the back stories of every doll — Felicity, the girl of Colonial times; Addy, who fled slavery in Civil War times; Kit, the Depression-era wanna-be journalist; Julie, the 1970s doll who specializes in making 41-year-old moms feel old.
There are more — oh yes, there are more — and they all come with appropriate outfits (sold separately), accessories and book series that chronicle their era-appropriate plucky personalities. The special allure of the dolls? They’re well-crafted, wholesome, just expensive enough to be special and you just can’t find them at Target or Toys R Us. You need to get that all-important catalog or visit their website… or travel to one of their exceedingly rare stores.
You used to have to go to Chicago for that and, in recent years, New York City. As of last weekend, however, all you have to do is travel to… Natick. Yes, they’re calling it American Girl Boston, but it’s actually right at the Natick mall (I’m no longer contractually obligated to refer to it by that stupid name!).
So listen up, moms of Grafton. I have braved the American Girl store, cleared that path down the Mass Pike first so you don’t have to go there unaware. And I’m here to report that it is total and complete little girl crack. You’re definitely going to have to give the pre-Disneyworld pep talk: “You’re going to want everything, but we’re not going to GET everything, OK?”
Let’s start with the store’s location. It’s at the Natick mall, but it’s not accessible from inside the mall. Unless you’re one of the handful of people lucky enough to get around all the construction and the giant line that consistently surrounds the Cheesecake Factory to snag an actual parking space at the front of the mall, this means you’re going to have to parade through the mall, walk through Lord & Taylor, slip out a side entrance, dodge hungry customers around the Cheesecake Factory and finally find the American Girl storefront.
There are virtually no signs inside the mall that indicate any of this. We finally tackled a mother carrying a giant red American Girl bag and she let us in on the secret.
The store itself is two stories, with the first floor devoted to each of the historical dolls and Bitty Baby, the baby doll that serves as American Girl’s gateway drug for the younger set. The second floor has the “Just Like You” dolls — they come in a variety of skin tones, hair types and eye colors to match your girl — a bistro and a doll hair salon.
You heard me. I said doll hair salon. You can bring your doll along and for $10-$20, you can watch as they strap your doll into a tiny red barber chair for a fun new hairstyle. For $14, she can even get her ears pierced.
In the Bistro, they even provide a tiny chair that straps onto the table so your doll can be part of the dining experience. The place was mobbed when we were there — it’s already a popular birthday party destination, judging by the girls we saw — and I was surprised to see when I looked online just now that the set menu price is $16.50. Why is that surprising? It also notes the set price for the American Girl restaurants elsewhere — the same meal costs $14.50 in Atlanta or Dallas.
Throughout the store, glass cases contain dolls modeling various outfits and accessories (I love that Kit, who has to pinch pennies during the Depression, has some of the most expensive accessories, including a $250 tree house). My daughter happily wandered from case to case picking out her favorite outfits and pointing out wherever “Crystal,” her Just Like You doll (brown wavy hair with highlights, light skin, freckles, blue eyes she wishes were hazel), was on display.
She was actually a little overwhelmed by the whole place and we left with only a catalog and a mental list of the things she wants to find under the tree Christmas morning. We grabbed a quick snack in the regular food court after making our way back into the main mall (seriously, they have to set up a traffic cop in that parking lot before some little girl and her doll gets hit).
“We saw this outfit,” she mused, flipping through the pages for her favorites. “And this one, and this one. You know, I’m glad we didn’t bring Crystal.”
“Why not?”
She gave me her 8-year-old wise look. “Crystal doesn’t like crowds. I think she’d find it more fun to just look at the book.”
You are my hero!
Thanks for being such a trail blazing Mom!
I successfully dodged the opening day weekend request from my own daughter…
But …now with your little tip on the actual secret entrance it might actually be an enjoyable outing!
Thanks again…
Any moms want to avoid the crowds and play “hookey” on a school day morning? I’ll trade a “tardie” for a stress-less trip to the American Girl Store!
I had thought of that… I even checked the school calendar for early dismissal days. I came thisclose to delaying the trip for Veterans Day, but I’d have to skip covering it here… and that’s just too disrespectful!
Plus, I didn’t want to subject my 11-year-old boy to the incredibly girly experience!
Oh, and reservations are suggested for the Bistro, but there are no reservations at the doll hair salon.
Maybe I should reconsider my decision to not start up a mom blog again, sheesh…
Wow – sounds like you had a wonderful time. The AG Dolls are very expensive but they do provide historical context and have great books to help girls cope with growing up.
This discussion is making me vomit.
It’s a girl thing. You need to have one or be one to appreciate it.
I have one (only 3.5), and I think that’s why I’m about to vomit.
We need to MAN this site up a bit girl-friend…how ’bout a trip to the Pro Bass shop?
She’s the perfect age for Bitty Baby!
http://store.americangirl.com/agshop/static/bittybaby.jsf/title/Bitty+Baby/saleGroupId/0/uniqueId/93/nodeId/11/webMenuId/5/LeftMenu/TRUE
She and Bitty can have MATCHING OUTFITS, perfect for Christmas pictures!
Yeah, I’ve done it… don’t judge me…but I think most of the time I’ve bought them (and resold them) on eBay.
Um, yeah, how ’bout those Patriots?
AHAHAGreaterGrafton…you lose your job….and now you’re …shamelessly …promoting American Doll on your blog. I think you need to fess up here…are you on their payroll?
Bob C., any chance you would be up for a little hunting? I know a great parcel of land with pretty christmas trees and all.
I wish. If they paid me in dolls or doll clothes, I could at least take care of my daughter for Christmas!
They were the main sponsor for Working… With Kids for a while, but I think that was just a coincidence.
Darn it, I just realized another downside to getting laid off… I’m no longer going to get all the review copies of American Girl books and videos. For that matter, NO review copies of anything. And how am I going to get through late fall/early winter without access to all the movie critic’s Oscar screeners? Now I’m REALLY depressed.
So as a mother of all boys, I kind of wish for this type of outing. Clothes, dolls, etc. I was a tomboy growing up but it’d be fun to live vicariously through a daughter. Boys are cheaper despite the wheeled toys (and that never changes even as men).
Jenn,
You need to write a book! You’d be a hit.
And wouldn’t it be funny if this post ends up with the most comments?!?!
I’m in the process of writing one (hence the NaNoWriMo banner on the right) — can’t complain I don’t have the time anymore!
My 8 year old isn’t into American Girl dolls but she is obsessed with Polly Pocket! We have thousands of little rubber pieces of Polly Pocket clothes all over the house and mostly in the vacuum cleaner!
Loved the comment about the parcel of Christmas trees! I’m suddenly picturing a tree adorned with little ornamental targets!!
Ah! Just looked up the NaNoWriMo website. Can’t wait to see how it all turns out. 50,000 words? You can do it.