West Ridge Mall facts for kids
| Coordinates | 39°02′00″N 95°45′58″W / 39.03323°N 95.76619°W |
|---|---|
| Address | 1801 SW Wanamaker Road Topeka, Kansas 66604 |
| Opening date | March 2, 1988 |
| Management | The Woodmont Company |
| No. of stores and services | 125+ |
| No. of anchor tenants | 7 (4 open, 3 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 992,000 square feet (92,160 m2) |
| No. of floors | 2 |
West Ridge Mall is a large shopping mall located in Topeka, Kansas. It's a popular place for shopping and fun! The mall has three main stores, called anchor stores. These are Dillard's, Furniture Mall of Kansas, and JCPenney. West Ridge Mall is the third biggest enclosed mall in Kansas. Only Oak Park Mall in Overland Park and Towne East Square in Wichita are larger.
Mall History: How It Started
West Ridge Mall first opened its doors on March 2, 1988. It was built by a company called Melvin Simon & Associates. A famous TV star, Vanna White, even came to the special opening ceremony!
When the mall first opened, it had several big stores. These included JCPenney, Dillard's, and Sears. There was also a store called The Jones Store. A few years later, in 1990, another big store called Montgomery Ward opened there too. For entertainment, the mall had a movie theater called West Ridge 6. Inside the movie theater, you could even find a Baskin-Robbins for ice cream treats!
Changes Over Time
Over the years, some stores at West Ridge Mall have changed. In 2001, Montgomery Ward closed because the company went out of business. Another original restaurant, Old Country Buffet, closed in 2003. The movie theater, West Ridge 6, also closed its doors in 2005.
The building where Montgomery Ward used to be found a new purpose. For a short time, it hosted an exhibit for the Kansas International Museum. Then, in 2007, a store called Burlington Coat Factory opened in that spot. However, Burlington Coat Factory closed in January 2018.
In 2006, a big department store called Macy's took over The Jones Store. This brought Macy's back to Topeka after their downtown store closed in 1986. But Macy's at West Ridge Mall also closed in 2012. The space where Macy's was then became the Furniture Mall of Kansas in late 2013.
