Ocean County Mall facts for kids
Center court during Christmas 2006
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| Location | Toms River, New Jersey, United States |
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| Opening date | July 20, 1976 |
| Management | Simon Property Group |
| No. of stores and services | 105 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 5 |
| Total retail floor area | 791,125 sq ft (73,497.9 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 (2 in Boscov's, JCPenney, and Macy's) |
| Parking | Parking lot |
| Public transit access |   NJ Transit bus: 67 Ocean Ride bus: OC 1, OC 1A, OC 2, OC 3A |
The Ocean County Mall is a large shopping center in Toms River, New Jersey. It first opened its doors on July 20, 1976. This mall is a popular spot for shopping and fun. It is managed by Simon Property Group. The mall covers a huge area, about 791,125 square feet.
You can find the mall on Hooper Avenue in Toms River. It is easy to get to from the Garden State Parkway. The Ocean County Mall is the only enclosed mall in Ocean County. It has many stores, places to eat, and a food court. During the summer, many tourists visit this mall.
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Discover the Ocean County Mall
The Ocean County Mall is home to many different stores. It has big department stores called "anchors." These large stores help bring many shoppers to the mall. You can find clothing, home goods, and more.
Big Stores You'll Find
The mall has several main stores that are very popular. These are often called "anchor stores." They are usually the biggest stores in the mall.
- Macy's: This store has two floors. It used to be called Bamberger's.
- Boscov's: This store also has two floors. It used to be a store called Stern's.
- JCPenney: This store has two floors. It was one of the original stores when the mall first opened.
- HomeSense: This store has one floor. It offers home decor and furnishings.
- LA Fitness: This fitness center has one floor. It opened in part of the old Sears space.
Ocean County Mall's History
The area around Toms River was growing fast in the 1970s. People needed a big shopping center closer to home. The Ocean County Mall opened to meet this need.
Early Days and Growth
The mall opened on July 20, 1976. It started with three main stores: Sears, JCPenney, and Bamberger's (which is now Macy's). There was also a movie theater called General Cinema.
In 1988, the mall added a small new section. This new part included a store called Stern's. Later, Stern's closed down and became Boscov's. Around the same time, the movie theater closed. This was because a new movie theater opened nearby.
Modern Updates and Changes
In 2003, the mall got a big makeover. They added new signs, floors, and lights. They also put in new seating areas for shoppers. A health center helped pay for some of the new seating. They even made a special walking path inside the mall. This path has numbers to show how far you have walked.
In 2018, the Sears store closed its doors. The mall managers, Simon Property Group, decided to use this space for new stores and restaurants. By 2020, new businesses opened in the old Sears spot. This included LA Fitness and HomeSense.
