Mall Holiday Hours: Which Holidays Are Malls Open?
American malls are open on almost every holiday. The reliable exceptions are Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, when nearly every mall in the country is closed, and Easter Sunday, when many — but not all — close. Most other holidays are actually big shopping days, with regular or only slightly reduced hours.
These are general patterns across U.S. malls, not a schedule for any specific property. Individual malls — and the department stores, restaurants, and cinemas inside them — set their own holiday hours. For a specific mall, check the official website linked on its page in our directory.
Holiday-by-Holiday Guide
| Holiday | Malls typically… | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Open | Normal or slightly reduced hours; some malls open an hour late. |
| MLK Day / Presidents Day | Open | Regular hours — these are major sale weekends, not closures. |
| Easter Sunday | Many closed | The most inconsistent holiday of the year. Many enclosed malls close entirely; others run Sunday hours. Always check ahead. |
| Memorial Day | Open | Regular or Sunday-style hours; big sale traffic. |
| July 4th | Open | Usually open with reduced hours (often closing around 6 p.m.). |
| Labor Day | Open | Regular or Sunday-style hours; another major sale day. |
| Thanksgiving Day | Closed | Nearly all malls and outlet centers close for the day and reopen early on Black Friday. |
| Black Friday | Open early | Doors typically open between 6 and 8 a.m., often with extended evening hours. |
| Christmas Eve | Open, closes early | Many malls close between 5 and 7 p.m.; confirm the current property schedule. |
| Christmas Day | Closed | Major enclosed malls typically close. Some cinemas and restaurants with exterior entrances stay open. |
| December 26 | Open | Regular or extended hours — one of the busiest return-and-exchange days of the year. |
| New Year's Eve | Open, may close early | Many malls close an hour or two early, often 6 to 8 p.m. |
Why Holiday Hours Vary So Much
A mall's posted hours only cover its common areas and interior shops. Department-store anchors have their own exterior entrances and set their own schedules — an anchor may open earlier on Black Friday or stay open later on Christmas Eve than the mall itself. The same goes for restaurants, grocery anchors, and movie theaters with outside entrances, which is why you'll sometimes find a cinema showing films on Christmas Day inside an otherwise closed mall.
Outlet centers follow the same broad pattern as enclosed malls — closed Thanksgiving and Christmas, early Black Friday openings — but tend to run longer hours through the December rush. Open-air lifestyle centers and strip malls are looser still, since each store operates independently.
How to Check a Specific Mall
Holiday schedules are usually posted on a mall's official website a few weeks ahead. Every mall page in our directory links to the official site alongside regular hours, phone number, and address — browse malls by state to find yours.
Sources
These first-party examples support the broad U.S. holiday patterns above; they are not a substitute for the current schedule of a specific mall. Reviewed July 11, 2026.
- Mall of America holiday hours — property-level Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, and Christmas hours
- Simon Properties Thanksgiving closure announcement — operator policy for most domestic properties