Walt Whitman Shops
Walt Whitman Shops is a Simon Property Group shopping mall in South Huntington, Long Island, New York, named after poet Walt Whitman.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Walt Whitman Shops is an enclosed regional shopping mall in the hamlet of South Huntington, on Long Island in New York. The property is named for poet Walt Whitman, whose birthplace and associated state historic site are located nearby. It is owned and managed by Simon Property Group and serves as a major retail, dining, transportation, and community destination for the Huntington area. The center opened in November 1962 as the Walt Whitman Shopping Center. Developed by Winston-Muss Corporation at a reported cost of $20 million, it was described as New York's first indoor shopping mall and initially contained approximately 75 stores. Its original department-store anchors were R.H. Macy & Company and Abraham & Straus, an unusual arrangement because the two retailers directly competed at the same location. The early design incorporated features intended to give the center a distinctive identity, including a Japanese garden, an aviary, and a sculpted mobile inspired by Whitman's poetry. The property was fully leased by January 1963, and a single-screen Century movie theater opened later that year. By the early 1970s the property was generally known as Walt Whitman Mall. Ownership changed several times: Winston-Muss sold it to N.K. Winston, Inc. in 1973, and Corporate Property Investors acquired it in 1976. The mall experienced two serious fires during the 1980s and early 1990s. A 1984 blaze destroyed seven stores, damaged 25 others, and caused part of the roof to collapse. A 1991 fire at the McCrory's store killed two people and injured 36; a worker later pleaded guilty to starting the fire by throwing a lit cigarette into a display of silk flowers. The McCrory's location did not reopen. The property underwent major repositioning during the 1990s. Federated Department Stores' consolidation of A&S into Macy's temporarily left the mall with two Macy's storefronts. One of those stores later closed, and Bloomingdale's replaced it as an anchor in 1998. That same year, Simon DeBartolo Group acquired Corporate Property Investors and assumed control. Simon subsequently completed an approximately $85 million renovation in March 1999. The project expanded the mall to roughly one million square feet, added stores and parking, and introduced marble floors, vaulted ceilings, skylights, a glass-domed central court, programmable advertising displays, and traffic-monitoring systems. Saks Fifth Avenue opened as another principal anchor, alongside retailers such as Williams Sonoma, L'Occitane, Sephora, and Brooks Brothers. By June 2000, reported sales were 18 percent higher than before the renovation and exceeded the national sales average. Further changes followed in the 2000s and 2010s. The Whitman Theater closed in 2002, and an Apple Store opened in 2003. Simon received approval in 2012 for an expansion adding approximately 72,000 square feet and 30 storefronts. Interior work was completed in 2013, and the center was relaunched in November under the name Walt Whitman Shops. The renovation replaced walls carrying quotations from Leaves of Grass with a bronze Walt Whitman statue at the new principal entrance. Urban Outfitters opened in August 2013. The mall has also faced operational and safety disruptions. In February 2014, a carbon-monoxide leak associated with Legal Sea Foods killed one person and sickened 28 others; nearby restaurants were evacuated, and the restaurant subsequently closed permanently. Another carbon-monoxide incident at Panera Bread in March 2016 hospitalized 10 people and was attributed to construction activity near the former Legal Sea Foods site. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the mall closed on March 19, 2020, and reopened on July 10. Lord & Taylor announced its closure in August 2020, and plans were announced in 2023 to convert that anchor space into medical offices. Walt Whitman Shops continues to combine luxury, department-store, specialty, dining, and service tenants. Its anchor and prominent retail history has…
History
Walt Whitman Shops began as the Walt Whitman Shopping Center, which opened in November 1962 in South Huntington, Long Island. Developed by Winston-Muss Corporation, the approximately $20 million project was presented as New York's first indoor shopping mall. It opened with about 75 stores and two major department-store anchors, R.H. Macy & Company and Abraham & Straus. The presence of both retailers created direct competition within one shopping center. Early design elements included a Japanese garden, an aviary, and a mobile based on Walt Whitman's poetry. The mall was fully leased by January 1963, and Century opened a single-screen theater there in May of the same year. The property became commonly known as Walt Whitman Mall during the 1970s. Winston-Muss sold it to N.K. Winston, Inc. in 1973, and Corporate Property Investors acquired it three years later. The mall experienced major fires in 1984 and 1991. The 1984 fire destroyed seven stores, damaged 25 more, and caused a partial roof collapse. In 1991, a fire at McCrory's killed two people and injured 36. A McCrory's employee later pleaded guilty to starting the fire by throwing a lit cigarette into a silk-flower display. The store was not reopened. Corporate Property Investors considered a substantial expansion in the mid-1990s. The proposed project would have increased the mall's size by roughly 30 percent and added a second floor, approximately 80 stores, a food court, a multiplex cinema, and two parking garages. Local homeowners protested the proposal. During this period, Federated Department Stores' consolidation of A&S into Macy's briefly resulted in two Macy's locations at the property. The original Macy's eventually closed, and Bloomingdale's opened in 1998 in the former anchor space. In February 1998, Simon DeBartolo Group purchased Corporate Property Investors and assumed control of the mall. Simon completed an approximately $85 million renovation in March 1999. The redevelopment expanded the center to about one million square feet and added 32 stores, marble flooring, vaulted ceilings, skylights, a glass-domed central court, programmable advertising displays, and traffic-monitoring features. Saks Fifth Avenue joined Bloomingdale's and Macy's as a principal anchor, while Williams Sonoma, L'Occitane, Sephora, and Brooks Brothers were among the notable specialty tenants. The exterior incorporated text from Leaves of Grass, reinforcing the site's connection to Walt Whitman. Reported sales had risen 18 percent by June 2000. The Whitman Theater closed in 2002, and an Apple Store opened in 2003. Simon pursued another expansion in the 2010s, receiving approval in February 2012 to add approximately 72,000 square feet and 30 storefronts. Interior renovation was completed in summer 2013, and the property was presented as Walt Whitman Shops in November. The redevelopment changed the entrance design and replaced the Leaves of Grass quotation walls with a bronze Walt Whitman statue. Urban Outfitters opened in August 2013. Safety incidents affected the complex in 2014 and 2016. On February 22, 2014, a carbon-monoxide leak associated with Legal Sea Foods killed one person and sickened 28. Legal Sea Foods, The Cheesecake Factory, and Panera Bread were evacuated. The leak was attributed to a defective water-heater pipe, and Legal Sea Foods closed permanently later that year. On March 2, 2016, another carbon-monoxide incident at Panera Bread hospitalized 10 people; the source was associated with construction near the former Legal Sea Foods location. The mall closed on March 19, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened on July 10. Lord & Taylor announced the closure of its store in August 2020. In 2023, plans were reported to convert the former Lord & Taylor anchor into medical offices. The reference material also identifies Garage and Mavi Jeans as planned 2025 tenants. In March 2026, Saks Global announced a nationwide closure program that included the Saks Fifth Avenue store at Walt Whitman Shops. The center remains owned and managed by Simon Property Group and continues to operate as a regional retail and transportation hub.
- 2026
Saks closure announced
[1]Saks Global includes the Walt Whitman Shops Saks Fifth Avenue store in a national closure announcement.
- 2023
Medical-office conversion planned
[1]Plans are announced to convert the former Lord & Taylor anchor space into medical offices.
- 2020
Pandemic closure and reopening
[1]The mall closes in March during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopens in July.
- 2013
Property relaunches as Walt Whitman Shops
[1]A major interior redevelopment is completed, and the center adopts its current name and a new Whitman statue entrance.
- 2012
Expansion receives approval
[1]Simon receives approval to add approximately 72,000 square feet and 30 storefronts.
- 2003
Apple Store opens
[1]Apple opens a store at the mall.
- 2002
Whitman Theater closes
[1]The mall's single-screen theater ceases operation.
- 1999
Major Simon redevelopment completed
[1]An approximately $85 million renovation expands the mall to about one million square feet and adds Saks Fifth Avenue and numerous specialty retailers.
- 1998
Simon assumes control and Bloomingdale's arrives
[1]Simon DeBartolo Group acquires Corporate Property Investors, while Bloomingdale's opens in a former Macy's anchor space.
- 1991
Fatal McCrory's fire
[1]A fire at McCrory's kills two people and injures 36 others.
Products and positioning
A large, upscale regional shopping destination serving Long Island, combining department stores, luxury retail, national specialty chains, restaurants, and services in an architecturally prominent enclosed mall.
Department stores · 1962
Department-store retail
The mall's department-store offering has historically included Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Abraham & Straus, and Lord & Taylor. These anchors have provided broad assortments of apparel, accessories, beauty products, home goods, and other general merchandise, while changes in ownership and retail consolidation have repeatedly reshaped the tenant mix.
Fashion retail · 1999
Luxury and specialty fashion
Walt Whitman Shops has positioned itself above a basic convenience center through luxury and specialty fashion tenants. Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's, Brooks Brothers, Urban Outfitters, and planned or reported specialty tenants such as Garage and Mavi Jeans represent different segments of the apparel and accessories market.
Beauty retail · 1999
Beauty and personal care
The specialty tenant mix has included beauty and personal-care retailers such as Sephora and L'Occitane. These stores complement the department-store anchors and reinforce the center's upscale positioning.
Home goods · 1999
Home and lifestyle retail
Home and lifestyle merchandise has been represented by tenants including Williams Sonoma, alongside the home departments of the major anchor stores. The category broadens the mall's role beyond apparel and supports gift, kitchen, dining, and household purchases.
Restaurants · 1999
Dining and food service
The property includes restaurant and prepared-food offerings, with historical tenants including Legal Sea Foods, The Cheesecake Factory, and Panera Bread. A Legal Sea Foods location operated adjacent to the mall before closing permanently after the 2014 carbon-monoxide incident.
Controversies
2016
Carbon-monoxide incident at Panera Bread
Ten people were hospitalized after a carbon-monoxide leak at Panera Bread, reportedly originating from construction activity near the former Legal Sea Foods location.
2014
Fatal carbon-monoxide leak at Legal Sea Foods
A carbon-monoxide leak attributed to a faulty water-heater pipe killed one person and sickened 28 others. Several restaurants were evacuated, and Legal Sea Foods later permanently closed.
1991
McCrory's fire and employee guilty plea
A fire at the McCrory's store killed two employees and injured 36 people. In 1993, a worker pleaded guilty to starting the blaze by discarding a lit cigarette into a display of silk flowers on styrofoam.
Brand decisions
2026
Saks Fifth Avenue closure included in national programOtherBackground
Saks Global announced a nationwide reduction involving Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus locations.
Action taken
The Saks Fifth Avenue store at Walt Whitman Shops was included among the announced closures.
2023
Former Lord & Taylor space targeted for medical officesStrategyBackground
Lord & Taylor had announced the closure of its anchor store in 2020 amid pandemic-related retail disruption.
Action taken
Plans were announced to convert the former anchor space into medical offices.
Aftermath
The proposal would diversify the property's use beyond traditional department-store retail.
2013
Rebranding as Walt Whitman ShopsStrategyBackground
The property had historically been known as Walt Whitman Mall and underwent a substantial interior renovation.
Action taken
The center adopted the Walt Whitman Shops name and introduced a bronze statue of Walt Whitman at its main entrance.
Aftermath
The rebrand reinforced the mall's connection to the nearby poet's birthplace while presenting the expanded center as an upscale regional destination.
2012
Expansion and modernization approvedStrategyBackground
Simon pursued another physical expansion to refresh the mall and increase its retail capacity.
Action taken
Approval was obtained to add approximately 72,000 square feet and 30 storefronts.
Aftermath
The interior work was completed in 2013, followed by the Walt Whitman Shops relaunch and a redesigned main entrance.
1998
Simon acquires mall ownerM&ABackground
Corporate Property Investors owned the mall after earlier ownership transfers and redevelopment planning.
Action taken
Simon DeBartolo Group purchased Corporate Property Investors and took control of the property.
Aftermath
Simon carried out a major renovation completed in 1999 and repositioned the center with expanded space and higher-end tenants.
Renovation cost. $85 million (1999)
Recent events
- 2026
Saks Fifth Avenue location included in announced Saks Global closures[1]
Leadership change · Other
Saks Global announced the closure of 12 Saks Fifth Avenue and three Neiman Marcus locations, including the store at Walt Whitman Shops.
- 2023
Medical-office conversion proposed for former Lord & Taylor space[1]
Other
Plans were announced to repurpose the former Lord & Taylor anchor location as medical offices.
- 2020
Mall closes during COVID-19 restrictions[1]
Regulation · Other
Walt Whitman Shops closed on March 19 during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened on July 10.
- 2020
Lord & Taylor announces store closure[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
Lord & Taylor announced that its Walt Whitman Shops location would close in the aftermath of pandemic-related business disruption.
- 2013
Walt Whitman Shops relaunches after expansion[1]
Other
Following an approved expansion and interior redevelopment, the mall adopted the Walt Whitman Shops name and unveiled a new entrance featuring a bronze Walt Whitman statue.
- 1999
Simon completes major Walt Whitman renovation[1]
Other · M&A
Simon completed an extensive renovation and expansion that added stores, upgraded architectural features, and brought Saks Fifth Avenue and other prominent tenants to the property.
- 1984
Fire damages Walt Whitman Mall[1]
Other
A major fire destroyed seven stores, damaged 25 others, and collapsed part of the roof. Most unaffected stores reopened relatively quickly while damaged areas underwent repairs.
- 1962
Walt Whitman Shopping Center opens with competing department-store anchors[1]
Other
The indoor shopping center opened in November with R.H. Macy & Company and Abraham & Straus as its principal department-store anchors.
Sources2 sources
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