The Mall at Rockingham Park
A major regional shopping mall in Salem, New Hampshire, and the state's largest shopping center by floor area.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Mall at Rockingham Park is a regional shopping center in Salem, New Hampshire, approximately 30 miles north of Boston and close to the Massachusetts state line. It occupies a strategically accessible location beside Interstate 93 and near the former Rockingham Park racetrack, which gives the property its name. With approximately 1,024,171 square feet of floor space, it is described as the largest shopping mall in New Hampshire and is one of the state's principal enclosed retail destinations. The mall opened in August 1991 with three anchor stores: Filene's, JCPenney, and Sears. Its anchor lineup changed substantially as department-store ownership and retail formats evolved. Jordan Marsh opened as a fourth anchor in 1994, but its stores were converted to Macy's in 1996. The former Jordan Marsh/Macy's space later became vacant and was redeveloped for Lord & Taylor, which opened its only New Hampshire location at the property in March 2012 after a renovation and conversion project. A separate Macy's anchor also changed over time: the original Macy's store that had occupied the former Jordan Marsh space closed in 2006, while the former Filene's location was converted to Macy's. The mall's Sears anchor was reconfigured in 2015. Dick's Sporting Goods opened on the second floor of the Sears building in October of that year, while Sears consolidated its operations on the first floor. Sears subsequently closed in 2018. A Cinemark Theatres complex opened in 2020 near the former Sears Auto Center site, adding a cinema and entertainment component that is physically separate from the main mall structure. Lord & Taylor permanently closed its stores in August 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving another major anchor vacancy. The former Lord & Taylor building later took on a nontraditional role within the wider property. Casino Salem opened there on July 9, 2025. According to the referenced account, Churchill Downs acquired the casino one week after opening and became its majority owner. Churchill Downs subsequently announced an estimated investment of approximately $180 million to $200 million for a renovation of the casino building, together with a planned name change to Rockingham Grand Casino. The renovation was expected to be completed by mid-2027. The property is managed by Simon Property Group, which also holds a 28.2% interest according to the referenced March 2015 account. At that time, the mall was identified as Simon's highest-grossing center, with reported annual sales of $2,105 per square foot. Because that figure is historical and the available material does not provide a current operating measure, it should not be treated as a present-day performance indicator. The mall's identity is therefore best understood as a large New Hampshire retail and entertainment complex whose tenant mix has been repeatedly reshaped by department-store closures, adaptive reuse, and the addition of cinema and casino uses.
History
The Mall at Rockingham Park developed as a large enclosed regional shopping center in Salem, New Hampshire, near Interstate 93 and the former Rockingham Park racetrack. Its location places it within the commercial orbit of both southern New Hampshire and the Boston metropolitan area, while its proximity to the Massachusetts border broadens its potential customer base. When it opened in August 1991, it became the state's third shopping mall and launched with three major anchors: Filene's, JCPenney, and Sears. The property's anchor strategy changed as the American department-store sector consolidated. Jordan Marsh joined the center in 1994 as a fourth anchor. Two years later, Jordan Marsh stores were converted to Macy's. The mall later experienced additional Macy's changes: the existing Macy's anchor that had originated as the Jordan Marsh location closed in 2006, while the Filene's anchor was converted to Macy's. These changes left the property with a continually evolving mix of department-store spaces rather than a fixed original lineup. In 2012, Lord & Taylor renovated and occupied the vacant former Macy's/Jordan Marsh anchor, opening in March as the retailer's only New Hampshire location. The move represented an adaptive-reuse effort that restored a major anchor function to the property. The Sears building was subsequently reconfigured. In October 2015, Dick's Sporting Goods opened on its second floor under an arrangement with Sears, while Sears reduced its footprint to the first floor. Sears ultimately closed the anchor in 2018. The center continued to diversify beyond traditional retail. In 2020, a Cinemark Theatres complex opened near the site of the original Sears Auto Center. The cinema is separate from the principal mall building and added an entertainment use to the wider commercial property. That same year, Lord & Taylor permanently closed its stores in August, a development associated in the referenced material with the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The former Lord & Taylor space later became the site of Casino Salem, which opened on July 9, 2025. The casino's opening marked another significant change in the property's use, extending the complex's role beyond shopping and cinema. The referenced account states that Churchill Downs bought the casino one week after its opening and became its majority owner. Churchill Downs later announced a planned investment of approximately $180 million to $200 million to renovate the casino building, along with a change of name to Rockingham Grand Casino. The work was expected to finish by mid-2027. Simon Property Group manages the mall and held a 28.2% interest according to the March 2015 information cited in the reference material. That account also described the property as Simon's highest-grossing center at the time, reporting annual sales of $2,105 per square foot. Since the figure is historical, it provides context for the mall's earlier commercial performance rather than a current financial measurement. Overall, the history of The Mall at Rockingham Park is characterized by large-scale regional retailing, successive anchor replacements, adaptive reuse of department-store space, and increasing integration of entertainment and gaming uses.
- 2026
Rockingham Grand Casino renovation announced
[1]Churchill Downs announced a major renovation, an estimated investment of approximately $180 million to $200 million, and a planned renaming of Casino Salem as Rockingham Grand Casino.
- 2025
Casino Salem opens
[1]Casino Salem opened in the former Lord & Taylor building on July 9.
- 2020
Cinemark opens and Lord & Taylor closes
[1]A Cinemark Theatres complex opened near the former Sears Auto Center, while Lord & Taylor permanently closed its stores in August.
- 2018
Sears closes
[1]The Sears anchor store closed.
- 2015
Dick's Sporting Goods added to Sears building
[1]Dick's Sporting Goods opened on the second floor of the Sears building, while Sears consolidated on the first floor.
- 2012
Lord & Taylor opens
[1]Lord & Taylor opened its only New Hampshire store in a renovated former department-store anchor space.
- 2006
Macy's anchor closes and Filene's becomes Macy's
[1]The existing Macy's anchor formerly associated with Jordan Marsh closed, while the Filene's anchor was converted to Macy's.
- 1996
Jordan Marsh converted to Macy's
[1]The Jordan Marsh stores were converted to Macy's locations.
- 1994
Jordan Marsh added as fourth anchor
[1]Jordan Marsh opened as the center's fourth anchor.
- 1991
Mall opens
[1]The Mall at Rockingham Park opened in August with Filene's, JCPenney, and Sears as its three original anchors.
Products and positioning
A large regional shopping, dining, and entertainment destination serving southern New Hampshire and nearby communities in northern Massachusetts.
Retail property · 1991
Regional enclosed shopping mall
The core offering is a large enclosed shopping environment serving southern New Hampshire and nearby northern Massachusetts. The property combines department-store history with specialty retail, dining, services, and customer circulation across approximately 1,024,171 square feet of floor space.
Entertainment · 2020
Cinemark Theatres
The Cinemark complex opened near the former Sears Auto Center site in 2020. It operates as a separate entertainment facility associated with the broader mall property and adds cinema programming to the center's retail and dining mix.
Gaming and entertainment · 2025
Casino Salem
Casino Salem opened in July 2025 in the former Lord & Taylor building. Churchill Downs later became its majority owner and announced plans to renovate the building and rename the operation Rockingham Grand Casino.
Brand decisions
2026
Plan to rebrand and renovate the casino buildingStrategyBackground
Churchill Downs announced plans following its acquisition of majority ownership in Casino Salem.
Action taken
The company announced an estimated investment of approximately $180 million to $200 million, a planned rename to Rockingham Grand Casino, and renovation work targeted for completion by mid-2027.
Aftermath
The planned project would further shift the former department-store anchor from conventional retail toward gaming and entertainment.
Announced renovation investment. $180 million-$200 million planned investment (Announced in 2026; expected completion by mid-2027)
2025
Churchill Downs acquires majority ownership of Casino SalemM&ABackground
Casino Salem opened in the former Lord & Taylor building on July 9, 2025.
Action taken
One week after opening, Churchill Downs bought the casino and became its majority owner.
Aftermath
The casino was slated for a future rebrand and substantial building renovation.
2015
Reconfigure the Sears anchor for Dick's Sporting GoodsStrategyBackground
The mall and Sears adjusted the department-store anchor's footprint as the retailer's role in the property changed.
Action taken
Dick's Sporting Goods opened on the second floor in October 2015, while Sears consolidated its operations on the first floor.
Aftermath
Sears later closed the anchor in 2018, while the property continued to add nontraditional retail and entertainment uses.
Sources2 sources
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