Things to Do at State Department Store
Complete Guide to State Department Store in Ulaanbaatar
About State Department Store
Walking into the State Department Store feels like stepping through a time fold in central Ulaanbaatar. The building dates to 1961, though the institution itself traces back to 1921, when Soviet planners helped establish the country's first large retail operation. Its angular concrete facade and wide glass entrance carry the unmistakable geometry of mid-century socialist architecture, and the interior still echoes that era in its terrazzo floors and broad central stairwells, even as modern signage and LED displays have colonized every landing.
The air inside is a layered thing: ground-floor bakery warmth, the dry woolly scent of cashmere on the upper levels, and a faint hum of fluorescent lighting that somehow becomes part of the atmosphere. Locals call it Ikh Delguur, and for many Ulaanbaatar residents it remains the default meeting spot, the place you tell a taxi driver when you have run out of landmarks to name.
What keeps the store relevant is range. A well-stocked supermarket occupies the lower level, where you can find imported European chocolates alongside Mongolian airag and dried curd. Upper floors move through electronics, homewares, Erdenet carpets, and eventually the souvenir and cashmere shops that draw most visitors.
A tourist information desk near the entrance and a currency exchange counter make it a practical first stop after landing in the city. The rooftop level houses a food court where the clatter of trays and the smell of fried buuz dumplings drift across the tables. For a building that predates most of the high-rises now crowding the skyline around Sukhbaatar Square, it holds its ground with a kind of stubborn, concrete dignity.
What to See & Do
Cashmere and wool shops
Mongolia produces some of the world's finest cashmere, and the department store gathers several brand shops under one roof. The texture is the tell: run a piece between your fingers and you will feel the difference from the blended tourist-market versions sold elsewhere in Ulaanbaatar. Gobi and Goyo are the labels locals trust. Expect neat glass-fronted displays, attentive staff, and the faintly lanolin scent of raw wool lingering in the corridors.
Souvenir floor
The uppermost shopping level is packed with painted camels, felt slippers, miniature gers, horsehead fiddles, and enough blue-sky landscape prints to wallpaper a yurt. It is noisy with browsing tour groups during summer, quieter in winter, and the selection is among the largest in the country. Traditional deel robes hang alongside illustrated books about Mongolian nomadic culture, and a few vendors sell hand-stitched leather goods that smell of tanned hide.
Ground-floor supermarket
One of Ulaanbaatar's better-stocked grocery stores sits below the main retail levels. It is worth a wander even if you are not buying: shelves of fermented mare's milk, vacuum-packed dried meats, and imported Korean snacks give a snapshot of the city's diet. The cold cases hum steadily and the checkout queues move faster than you would expect.
Soviet-era architecture
The building itself is worth a look. Modeled loosely on Moscow's GUM, the wide stairwells, squared columns, and mosaic-tiled landings carry a mid-century solidity that most of Ulaanbaatar's newer malls cannot match. Stand in the central atrium and look up: the layered balconies and strip lighting feel like a set piece from a different political century.
Rooftop food court
The top-level eateries serve Mongolian staples alongside Korean and Russian dishes. The steam rising from dumpling steamers fogs the windows in winter, and the tables near the glass offer a decent elevated view over the rooftops toward Sukhbaatar Square. It is a useful refuelling stop between shopping floors, and the noise level tends toward cheerful chaos at lunchtime.
Practical Information
Opening Hours
The store generally opens around 9:00 and closes at 22:00 on weekdays and Saturdays, with slightly shorter hours on Sundays, typically closing around 21:00 to 21:30. Individual shops inside may keep their own schedules, and the supermarket sometimes opens a bit earlier. Hours can shift around Mongolian public holidays, Naadam in July and Tsagaan Sar in late winter.
Tickets & Pricing
No tickets or entry fees. It is a public department store, so you walk in freely. The tourist information desk near the entrance can help with maps and directions if you are orienting yourself in Ulaanbaatar for the first time. The currency exchange counter on the ground floor is a convenient way to swap cash without hunting for a separate bureau, though rates tend to be slightly less favorable than at dedicated exchange offices.
Best Time to Visit
Mornings on weekdays are quietest, outside the June-to-August tourist season. Summer afternoons bring tour-bus crowds to the souvenir floors, and the whole building gets noticeably busier on weekends. Winter visits have their own appeal: fewer tourists, and the warm interior is a welcome break from Ulaanbaatar's bitter cold, which regularly drops below minus thirty.
Suggested Duration
An hour covers a focused souvenir and cashmere run. If you want to browse all floors, poke through the supermarket, and eat at the food court, allow closer to two hours. It pairs naturally with a walk to Sukhbaatar Square, so you might fold it into a half-day downtown loop.
Getting There
The State Department Store sits in Ulaanbaatar's Chingeltei District, roughly a ten-minute walk from Sukhbaatar Square. Most visitors approach on foot from the square, heading west along Peace Avenue, which is the city's main east-west artery. Taxis are inexpensive by international standards and widely available. Just say Ikh Delguur and any driver will know the building.
City buses run along Peace Avenue as well, and the stop nearest the store is well marked, though the bus network can feel opaque to newcomers. If you are staying in the central hotel district around the square, walking is the simplest option. The streets around the store get congested in the late afternoon, so allow extra time if you are arriving by car during rush hour.
Things to Do Nearby
The ceremonial heart of Ulaanbaatar. The Government Palace looms here, its enormous seated Chinggis Khaan statue watching over the plaza. It pairs naturally with the store. Ten minutes on foot, and the open space delivers a striking contrast to the tight commercial streets around it.
This museum occupies the building that housed the original State Department Store before 1961. Buddhist sculptures and paintings fill the galleries, including celebrated works by the seventeenth-century artist-monk Zanabazar. The irony stings. A department store reborn as a fine arts museum. Savor it.
A compact temple complex southeast of Sukhbaatar Square. Glass towers now crowd around it. The painted wooden beams and weathered prayer wheels feel startlingly still against the traffic noise outside. Pair it with the Zanabazar museum. One morning covers Mongolian art and religious history.
A thorough walk through Mongolian history. Prehistoric petroglyphs lead to the democratic transition. The museum sits northwest of the square. Give it a couple of hours. Context matters. Everything you see around the city starts making sense.
For a rawer shopping experience, head east. This large open-air market sells everything from saddles to second-hand boots. It is louder, dustier, and more chaotic than the State Department Store. Watch locals haggle over felt and leather. That alone teaches you plenty.
Tips & Advice
Tours & Activities at State Department Store
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