The late-founder, Steve Hyland, was 21 when he opened the store. He invested $1,000 into the business, using it to visit Lieberman Records and buy boxes of records to stock the shelves of his new store. “My dad would always bring us home a different CD a couple times a week. So we always had like all the new music from the promos they would get,” recalled Taryn Hyland, Steve’s daughter.

Taryn and her brother, Brandon Hyland, grew up in the record store and started working at Down in the Valley as teenagers.The siblings took over Down in the Valley in 2016 after their dad died from cancer complications. “Most people have been to Down in the Valley once or twice, and it’s pretty cool to see a lot of people bringing their kids in here that have shopped in the past. It’s pretty amazing,” Brandon said.

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Throughout its 50 years, the store has been in three different locations.”Almost every day someone comes in and they go, ‘I remember the old location when it was across the street. Aww those were the times,'” Taryn said. Despite how much the industry has changed, the store is staying busy with the resurgence of vinyl records.

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“If you told me 15, 20 years ago that we’d be sitting here in 2022 and vinyl would be our number one category, I’d say you’re nuts,” said Scott Farrell, general manager. Farrell has been working at Down in the Valley for the past 25 years.

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“50 years is kind of mind-blowing, especially through some of the tough years. In the digital age, CDs declined and we really had to diversify. As you see our stores today, not just music. That’s one of the reasons that we were able to survive during those leans years in the late 2000s,” Farrell explained. The music and gift shop even sold waterbeds and plants for a time in the 80s.

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They had to adjust again during the pandemic, focusing more on online sales. Even though they’re back open, they’re still dealing with supply chain issues.

“It’s taking a long time to get records pressed. So stuff is out of print longer, when normally we would be able to order anything for anyone if we didn’t have it in stock or we’d be able to restock pretty quickly,” explained Steven Williams, music buyer and assistant general manager.

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Location

Down in the Valley

Store Hours:
Monday – Friday, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturday, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday, 11:00 am – 6:00 pm

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Golden Valley
8020 Olson Memorial Hwy
Minneapolis, MN

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doitinnorth shop/share gallery

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ICYMI