The 25 Oldest Malls and Shopping Centers in America
Long before the suburban shopping mall, Americans were already shopping under one roof. The oldest property in this directory with a documented opening year, official website, and Wikidata identity is Reed Opera House (1869) — and the earliest entries on this list are opera houses, ferry terminals, and seaside piers that found second lives as marketplaces. The modern mall era begins further down the list with Bellevue Square Mall (1946), part of the first postwar wave of purpose-built suburban shopping centers.
Methodology: opening years come from Wikidata records for the 491 directory properties that also have an official site and no explicit inactive marker, using the July 11, 2026 dataset. Historic buildings repurposed for retail are dated to their original opening. Inclusion is not a guarantee of present-day operating status, so confirm with the linked official site before visiting.
- 1869
Reed Opera House
#1 · Salem, Oregon
Reed Opera House is a shopping center in Salem, Oregon. It opened in 1869. It is one of 7 shopping centers within 10 miles in the Salem area. It is open Mon–Thu 9am–9pm, Fri–Sat 9am–10pm, Mon 9am–8pm.
#2 · San Francisco, California
San Francisco's Ferry Building opened in 1898 as a Beaux-Arts ferry terminal designed by architect A. Page Brown, topped by a 245-foot clock tower visible from Market Street.
Hampton Beach Casino is a shopping center in Hampton, New Hampshire. It opened in 1899. It is the only shopping center in this directory within 10 miles. More information is available at hamptonbeachcasinonh.com.
- 1930
Merchandise Mart
#4 · Chicago, Illinois
Opened in 1930 as the world's largest building at the time, with 4 million square feet of space, Merchandise Mart sits where the branches of the Chicago River meet in downtown Chicago.
#5 · Cleveland, Ohio
Tower City Center is a shopping center in Cleveland, Ohio. It opened in 1930. It is one of 4 shopping centers within 10 miles in the Cleveland area. More information is available at towercitycenter.com.
- 1931
Wall Drug
#6 · Wall, South Dakota
Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota, began in 1931 and has grown into a sprawling roadside stop near Badlands National Park rather than a conventional shopping center.
#7 · Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue Square Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Bellevue, Washington. It opened in 1946. It is one of 13 shopping centers within 10 miles in the Bellevue area. It is open Mon–Sat 9:30am–9:30pm, Sun 11am–9pm.
- 1951
Ballston Quarter
#8 · Arlington, Virginia
Ballston Quarter is a shopping center in Arlington, Virginia. It opened in 1951. It is one of 25 shopping centers within 10 miles in the Arlington area. It is open Mon–Thu 11am–7pm, Fri–Sat 11am–8pm, Sun 12pm–6pm.
#9 · San Francisco, California
Stonestown Galleria has served San Francisco's West Side since 1952, sitting near San Francisco State University.
- 1954
Bayshore
#10 · Glendale, Wisconsin
Opened as an outdoor strip center in 1954 and enclosed in 1974, Bayshore has since reversed course into an open-air, mixed-use development in Glendale, Wisconsin combining retail, dining, offices, and apartments.
Numbers 11–25
- 11Cross County Center — Yonkers, New York1954
- 12Hillsdale Shopping Center — San Mateo, California1954
- 13Kahala Mall — Honolulu, Hawaii1954
- 14NorthTown Mall — Spokane, Washington1955
- 15Stanford Shopping Center — Palo Alto, California1955
- 16The Mall at Green Hills — Nashville, Tennessee1955
- 17The Village Mall — Gary, Indiana1955
- 18Harlem-Irving Plaza — Norridge, Illinois1956
- 19Westfield Old Orchard — Skokie, Illinois1956
- 20Arden Fair Mall — Sacramento, California1957
- 21Bayfair Center Mall — San Leandro, California1957
- 22Westfield Garden State Plaza — Paramus, New Jersey1957
- 23El Cerrito Plaza — El Cerrito, California1958
- 24Mayfair Mall — Wauwatosa, Wisconsin1958
- 25Northshore Mall — Peabody, Massachusetts1958