Click to see all of the girls and their Amercian Girl dolls >>

Since it opened in 1998, American Girl Place on Chicago Avenue has been a magnet for young girls and their parents. Starting in October, the doll company will command an even larger presence when it moves across the street to Water Tower Place. Curious about its allure after a decade, we hit the aisles of the iconic doll emporium to find out what real girls really think. Turns out that even though the company was started, in part, to encourage learning about American history, girls are most interested in how their dolls look.

How old are you?
9-11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50%
6-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40%
5 and under  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8%
12 and over . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . 2%

Where are you from?
Midwest, outside of Illinois . . . . . . . . . 38%
Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22%
Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18%
Chicago suburbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16%
Beyond the Midwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6%

How much do you typically spend per visit?
$100-$200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44%
$50-$100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28%
More than $200. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20%
Under $50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8%

How often do you visit American Girl Place?
Once everyfew months . . . . . . . . . . . . 40%
First time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34%
Once per year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20%
Less than once per year. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6%

How many dolls do you own?
2-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42%
1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34%
5-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10%
More than 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8%
8-9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6%

What do you like most about your doll?
The way she looks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64%
Interests/hobbies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26%
Her story/personality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8%
She’s from the same state as I am. . . .   2%

How do you wish you were more like your doll?
I wish I looked like her . . . . . . . . . . . . 36%
I wish I dressed like her . . . . . . . . . . . 26%
I wish I could ski/ride
a horse/play an instrument . . . . . . . . . 18%
I don’t wish I was like my doll . . . . . . . 16%
I wish I had her story/personality  . . . . . 4%

Where do you take your doll?
I just play with her at home . . . . . . . . . 46%
I take her on
vacations/sleepovers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30%
I take her everywhere . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24%

Who is your favorite doll?
1. Kit and “Just Like You” dolls tied for first
2. Julie and Mia
3. Niki

Do you and your favorite doll . . .
. . . look alike?
Yes: 60%
No: 40%

 . . . have the same interests/hobbies?
Yes: 80%
No: 20%

 . . . have similar stories/families?
No: 60%
Yes: 40%

 . . . dress alike?
No: 65%
Yes: 35%

Poll answers are based on a survey of 50 girls on a recent Saturday in the store.

Photography: Anna Knott