Menlo Park Mall facts for kids
The Center Court Of Menlo Park Mall on the first floor in April 15, 2017.
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| Location | Edison, New Jersey |
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| Coordinates | 40°32′18″N 74°22′43″W / 40.53833°N 74.37861°W |
| Address | 55 Parsonage Road |
| Opening date | September 1959 (renovated/enclosed in 1966-1967 and expanded in 1990-1991 and renovated in 2015) |
| Developer | Lomen Construction |
| Management | Simon Property Group |
| Owner | Simon Property Group |
| Architect | RTKL Associates Inc. (Dallas Texas) |
| No. of stores and services | 156 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 2 |
| Total retail floor area | 1,332,132 sq ft (123,759.1 m2) |
| No. of floors | 2 (3 in Macy's & Nordstrom) |
| Public transit access |   NJ Transit bus: 810 |
Menlo Park Mall is a large, two-level shopping mall located in Edison, New Jersey. You can find it on U.S. Route 1 and Parsonage Road. This mall is huge, covering about 1,332,132 square feet!
Simon Property Group currently owns and manages Menlo Park Mall. The main department stores here are Macy's and Nordstrom. You can also find other popular places like Barnes & Noble Booksellers and AMC Dine-In Menlo Park 12 movie theater.
History of Menlo Park Mall
How It Started
Menlo Park Mall first opened its doors in September 1959. Back then, it was an open-air shopping area, meaning it didn't have a roof over all the walkways. The mall got its name from the Menlo Park area in Edison. This area is famous because it was where Thomas Edison had his laboratory!
Between 1966 and 1967, the mall was completely enclosed. This meant a roof was added, making it a fully indoor shopping center. After this big change, it was officially renamed Menlo Park Mall.
When it first opened, the mall had several big stores. These included Bamberger's, Montgomery Ward, and a smaller JCPenney. There was also a two-level Woolworth store and even two grocery stores, ShopRite and Pantry Pride.
Originally, the mall was only one level. After it was enclosed in 1967, it didn't have many skylights. The lighting inside was quite dim, which was common for malls back then. The floors had cool patterns of orange, black, yellow, and white.
Big Changes and New Look
Over the years, some of the original stores changed. In 1972, Alexander's took over the Montgomery Ward space. JCPenney moved to a different mall in 1981. Then, in 1986, Bamberger's became a Macy's store.
A really big change happened when Alexander's closed in 1992. This allowed Menlo Park Mall to get the second Nordstrom store in New Jersey! To make space for Nordstrom, the mall needed a huge makeover.
Most of the mall was closed from 1990 to 1991 for a major renovation and expansion. It went from being a single-story building to its current two-story design. The new Menlo Park Mall was built with a unique angled shape, meeting at the center court.
The renovated mall got lots of new features. It added galleria-style skylights, fancy domed fountains, and shiny marble floors. There were also cool sculptures and dramatic lighting. The food court became a large, skylit area with trees and sculptures, designed to look like a "formal garden." This new design was created by architects from RTKL Associates Inc..
Along with the mall's expansion, two new parking decks were added. A large 12-screen movie theater, Cineplex Odeon, also opened, replacing an older, smaller cinema. This movie theater later became an AMC Dine-In Theater. During this big renovation, Macy's was the only store that stayed open. Nordstrom officially opened to the public at Menlo Park Mall on September 27, 1991.
Modern Updates
In the years that followed, more popular stores and restaurants opened near and in the mall. On March 9, 1997, a Target Greatland store opened right across the street. A fun restaurant called Rainforest Cafe opened inside the mall on September 17, 1998.
On January 27, 2003, The Cheesecake Factory opened its doors, offering many delicious cheesecakes and meals. In 2014, a burger place called Smashburger opened, and the food court got an upgrade.
In 2015, the mall went through another renovation project. During this update, some features like the central fountain and trees were removed. The food court's raised platform, sculptures, and trees were also taken out. The food court was then renamed the "Dining Pavilion."
On September 22, 2018, a special Disney Junior themed kids zone opened near Nordstrom. This area provides a fun place for younger visitors.
