Mayfair Mall facts for kids

Mayfair Mall is a big shopping mall located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, USA. You can find it on Mayfair Road, also known as Highway 100. This mall is a popular spot for people living in the Greater Milwaukee area.

The mall first opened in 1958 and has grown a lot since then. Today, Mayfair Mall has 164 stores. It also has several large "anchor stores," which are big shops that attract many visitors. These include Macy's, Williams Sonoma, Crate & Barrel, Talbots, Barnes & Noble, Nordstrom, and AMC Theatres. There is also one empty space that used to be a big store called Boston Store.

The History of Mayfair Mall

How Mayfair Mall Began

Mayfair Mall first opened its doors in October 1958. When it started, it had more than 70 stores. The mall was originally an open-air shopping area, about 960 feet long. It had two main anchor stores: Marshall Field's at one end and Gimbels at the other.

Marshall Field's opened in 1959, joining Gimbels, which had opened just before the mall was officially dedicated. The mall had three main walkways running across it, each decorated in a different color. There was even a central park area with trees, flowers, benches, and picnic tables.

Becoming an Enclosed Mall

In 1973, Mayfair Mall was advertised as a "new" mall. This was because it had been fully enclosed, meaning shoppers could walk around inside without worrying about the weather. An arcade called The Bazaar took the place of the old Central Park area.

Later, in 1975, an office tower was built on one side of the mall. Construction for a second office tower began in 1977.

Big Changes in the 1980s

Mayfair Mall got a big makeover in 1986, costing $15 million. During this renovation, The Bazaar arcade and a short-lived ice rink were removed. A new two-level area was built, which included a new food court where people could eat.

The upper level of the mall was also made bigger, adding about 78,000 square feet of new shops. After this expansion, the mall had 109 stores. A store called Boston Store, which was based in Milwaukee, took the place of Gimbels.

Growth and New Stores in the 1990s and 2000s

In 1998, a company called General Growth Properties bought the shopping center. They started another big renovation project. In 1999, a movie theater and a Barnes & Noble bookstore were added.

By 2000, more than 100,000 square feet of new retail space was added to the upper level. The second floor of the main open area was expanded across the whole mall, bringing in new restaurants and shops. The cinema also became a third main anchor store for Mayfair.

Mayfair Mall faced more competition from other shopping centers nearby, like Bayshore Town Center and Brookfield Square.

In 2005, a Crate & Barrel store opened right in front of the mall's main entrance. The movie theater, which was originally General Cinema, became an AMC Theatres after AMC bought the company. In 2006, Marshall Field's changed its name to Macy's. This happened as part of a big change where many stores became Macy's.

New Anchors and Closures

Nordstrom opened its doors at Mayfair Mall in 2015. This was the first full-size Nordstrom store to open in the entire state of Wisconsin. Nordstrom chose Milwaukee because it was the largest big city area without one of their stores.

Sadly, the Boston Store closed in 2018. This happened because its parent company went out of business and closed all its stores.

The Mayfair Collection

In the fall of 2015, a new shopping area called The Mayfair Collection opened very close to Mayfair Mall. This new area has stores like Nordstrom Rack, Old Navy, Dick's Sporting Goods, Whole Foods Market, and Versona Accessories.

The Mayfair Collection also has a Homewood Suites by Hilton hotel. There are plans for an apartment complex called Uptown at the District and several restaurants too. More stores and restaurants are still being planned for the future.