Mall of Louisiana
A regional shopping mall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the largest mall in the state.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Mall of Louisiana is a regional shopping mall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, located between Interstate 10 and Bluebonnet Boulevard. Opened in 1997, it was developed by Jim Wilson & Associates and became the only regional mall serving the Baton Rouge market. The property combines enclosed retail space with open-air components, entertainment venues, restaurants, and large department-store and specialty-retail anchors. The mall opened with Dillard's, McRae's, Sears, JCPenney, and Maison Blanche as its principal anchors. Several of those tenants changed identity as department-store consolidation reshaped the American retail sector. Maison Blanche closed after a short period and was replaced by Parisian, which later departed. The former space subsequently became a Foley's store and then a Macy's location after Foley's rebranded in 2006. In 2005, Dillard's acquired the former McRae's location and converted it into a store focused on men's, children's, and home merchandise, complementing its women's store. Mall of Louisiana expanded beyond the traditional enclosed-mall format in 2008 with The Boulevard, an open-air area, and a nearby ten-tenant power center. Entertainment was also added to the property ecosystem. Rave Motion Pictures opened a 15-screen cinema next to the mall in 2006, and AMC Theatres acquired the theater in 2013. Later additions and tenant changes included Nordstrom Rack in 2015, Main Event Entertainment in the space formerly occupied by H. H. Gregg, and H&M in space vacated by Gap. A Blue Zoo aquarium opened in 2021, adding a family-oriented attraction to the mall's retail and entertainment mix. The property has also experienced the pressures affecting conventional department stores and enclosed shopping centers. Sears closed in 2021 as part of a nationwide store-closure program; it was the final Sears store in Louisiana. The former Sears building was subsequently acquired and redeveloped for Dick's House of Sport, a large-format sporting-goods concept. The new two-story store was announced for a 2025 opening and was intended to replace a smaller nearby Dick's Sporting Goods location. Today, the mall's anchor roster includes two Dillard's stores, Macy's, JCPenney, Dick's House of Sport, and Main Event Entertainment. Its positioning rests on regional scale, a broad department-store base, shopping, dining, family entertainment, and convenient access from Baton Rouge's major transportation corridors. Ownership and operating-company details are not established in the supplied reference material.
History
Mall of Louisiana was built and opened in 1997 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Jim Wilson & Associates developed the project as a regional shopping center positioned between Interstate 10 and Bluebonnet Boulevard. Its initial anchor lineup comprised Dillard's, McRae's, Sears, JCPenney, and Maison Blanche. The mall became the only regional mall in Baton Rouge and developed a broad trade area extending beyond the city. The original department-store configuration changed quickly. Maison Blanche closed after approximately one year and was replaced by Parisian, which remained until 2001. The former space later became a Foley's store in 2003. Foley's was converted to Macy's on September 9, 2006, following the wider rebranding of Foley's stores. In November 2005, Dillard's acquired the McRae's location from Belk and converted it into a Dillard's store serving men's, children's, and home categories, alongside the mall's existing women's store. Entertainment and mixed-use expansion became important parts of the property's development. Rave Motion Pictures opened a 15-screen cinema adjacent to the mall on July 21, 2006; AMC Theatres acquired that operation in June 2013. In 2008, the property expanded with The Boulevard, an unenclosed retail and pedestrian area, together with a ten-tenant power center. These additions broadened the mall's format beyond a conventional enclosed shopping center. Tenant turnover continued throughout the 2010s. Nordstrom Rack opened a roughly 30,000-square-foot store in 2015. H. H. Gregg closed in March 2017, and Smashburger announced plans for a location later that year. Banana Republic and Gap closed their stores in January 2018. Main Event Entertainment subsequently announced plans to occupy the former H. H. Gregg space, while H&M announced plans to use the former Gap locations. Main Event became part of the mall's entertainment offering in the following period. Sears announced in February 2021 that its Mall of Louisiana store would close as part of a nationwide plan affecting 32 locations. The store closed on May 2, 2021, and was the last Sears store in Louisiana. Blue Zoo aquarium opened on April 1, 2021. In July of that year, one of the aquarium's Burmese pythons escaped from its enclosure and was located inside the mall's walls two days later. In 2025, Dick's Sporting Goods announced that it would open a large-format Dick's House of Sport in the former Sears building. The proposed store was described as a two-story, approximately 100,000-square-foot location, with the retailer acquiring and converting the former department-store space. It was intended to replace a smaller Dick's Sporting Goods store located nearby. The current anchor lineup is described as two Dillard's stores, Dick's House of Sport, Main Event Entertainment, JCPenney, and Macy's.
- 2025
Dick's House of Sport announced for former Sears building
[1]Dick's Sporting Goods announces a planned two-story, approximately 100,000-square-foot House of Sport store in the former Sears space.
- 2021
Sears closes its Louisiana flagship location
[1]The Sears store closes on May 2, leaving no Sears location elsewhere in Louisiana.
- 2021
Blue Zoo aquarium opens
[1]Blue Zoo opens on April 1 as a family-oriented attraction at the mall.
- 2015
Nordstrom Rack joins the tenant mix
[1]Nordstrom Rack opens an approximately 30,000-square-foot store.
- 2008
The Boulevard expansion opens
[1]The property adds The Boulevard open-air area and a ten-tenant power center.
- 2006
Foley's becomes Macy's
[1]The Foley's store is rebranded as Macy's on September 9.
- 2005
Dillard's acquires the former McRae's store
[1]Dillard's acquires the McRae's location and converts it into a men's, children's, and home store.
- 2003
Foley's opens in former department-store space
[1]Foley's opens in the former Maison Blanche and Parisian location.
- 1998
Maison Blanche is replaced by Parisian
[1]The short-lived Maison Blanche location closes and the space is taken over by Parisian.
- 1997
Mall opens with five anchor stores
[1]Mall of Louisiana opens in Baton Rouge with Dillard's, McRae's, Sears, JCPenney, and Maison Blanche as its original anchors.
Products and positioning
A large regional shopping and entertainment destination serving Baton Rouge and surrounding Louisiana communities.
Shopping center · 1997
Enclosed retail mall
The core Mall of Louisiana property provides conventional enclosed shopping-mall space for department stores, specialty retailers, services, dining, and seasonal or promotional activities. Its anchor base has changed over time as department-store operators entered, consolidated, rebranded, or closed stores.
Open-air retail area · 2008
The Boulevard
The Boulevard is an unenclosed component of the Mall of Louisiana property that opened in 2008. Together with a nearby ten-tenant power center, it extended the destination beyond the traditional enclosed mall and supported a broader combination of retail, dining, and pedestrian-oriented activity.
Entertainment · 2006
Family entertainment
The property has hosted multiple entertainment concepts, including a 15-screen cinema opened by Rave Motion Pictures in 2006 and later acquired by AMC Theatres, as well as Main Event Entertainment. Blue Zoo aquarium, opened in 2021, adds an interactive family attraction.
Sporting-goods anchor · 2025
Dick's House of Sport
Dick's House of Sport is a large-format sporting-goods anchor planned for the former Sears building. The announced concept occupies a two-story space of approximately 100,000 square feet and replaces a smaller nearby Dick's Sporting Goods location.
Brand decisions
2025
Launch Dick's House of Sport at Mall of LouisianaProduct launchBackground
Dick's Sporting Goods planned to move from a smaller nearby site into a substantially larger former Sears location.
Action taken
The retailer announced a two-story, approximately 100,000-square-foot Dick's House of Sport for the former Sears building.
Aftermath
The new anchor was scheduled to open on May 16, 2025, according to the supplied reference material.
2021
Redevelop the former Sears anchorStrategyBackground
Sears closed its Mall of Louisiana store in the context of nationwide store closures, creating a large vacant anchor building.
Action taken
Dick's Sporting Goods acquired and planned to convert the former Sears building into a Dick's House of Sport.
Aftermath
The planned conversion repositioned the former department-store anchor as a large-format sporting-goods and experiential retail destination.
2008
Expand into an open-air and power-center formatStrategyBackground
The property sought to broaden its conventional enclosed-mall offering with additional open-air retail and commercial space.
Action taken
Mall of Louisiana added The Boulevard and a ten-tenant power center.
Aftermath
The expansion gave the destination a mixed-format retail and entertainment profile.
Recent events
- 2025
Dick's House of Sport planned for former Sears site[1]
Product launch
Dick's Sporting Goods announced plans for a two-story, approximately 100,000-square-foot Dick's House of Sport in the former Sears building, replacing a smaller nearby store.
- 2021
Sears announces closure of its Mall of Louisiana store[1]
Bankruptcy
Sears announced that the mall location would close as part of a nationwide closure plan. The store shut on May 2, 2021, ending the presence of the last Sears location in Louisiana.
- 2021
Blue Zoo aquarium opens at the mall[1]
Product launch
Blue Zoo opened on April 1, adding an aquarium and family attraction to the mall's tenant and entertainment mix.
- 2021
Burmese python escapes from Blue Zoo enclosure[1]
Other
A 12-foot Burmese python named Cara escaped from an enclosure at Blue Zoo on July 6. It was found inside the mall's walls early on July 8.
- 2015
Nordstrom Rack opens at Mall of Louisiana[1]
Other
Nordstrom Rack opened a store of approximately 30,000 square feet at the mall.
- 2013
AMC Theatres acquires the adjacent cinema[1]
M&A
The cinema formerly operated by Rave Motion Pictures became part of AMC Theatres.
- 2008
The Boulevard and a power-center expansion open[1]
Other
The mall added an open-air area called The Boulevard and a ten-tenant power center, extending the property beyond its enclosed retail core.
- 2006
Rave Motion Pictures opens a 15-screen theater beside Mall of Louisiana[1]
Other
A 15-screen cinema opened adjacent to the mall, adding a major entertainment component to the property.
Sources2 sources
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