Westfield Topanga
A major enclosed shopping center and lifestyle destination in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Westfield Topanga is a large shopping center in the Canoga Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Originally opened as Topanga Plaza on February 10, 1964, it became one of California’s early major enclosed malls and has developed through repeated anchor-store changes, expansions, demolitions, and entertainment-led redevelopment. The property has approximately 1,588,050 square feet, or 147,535 square meters, of gross leasable area and serves the San Fernando Valley and the wider Los Angeles market. The original mall was developed by May Centers, a real-estate affiliate of May Department Stores. Its initial department-store anchors were May Company, Montgomery Ward, and The Broadway. The center also included distinctive experiential features, including a decorative indoor rain fountain and the Ice Capades Chalet skating rink, which operated in the southern portion of the complex before closing in the late 1970s. These attractions reflected the period’s effort to make enclosed shopping centers social and leisure destinations rather than purely retail facilities. The tenant and ownership structure changed substantially over subsequent decades. Nordstrom joined the center in 1984. In the early 1990s, May Centers became CenterMark Properties, and the business was sold in 1993 to a consortium led by Westfield Holdings, a predecessor of Westfield Group. The mall subsequently adopted the Westfield Topanga identity. The Broadway closed in 1996 and was replaced by Sears, while Montgomery Ward ceased operations in 2001. A major 2005–2006 redevelopment relocated Nordstrom, removed the former Montgomery Ward building, and introduced a two-story Target store. Robinsons-May was converted to Macy’s in 2006, and Neiman Marcus opened in 2008 in the former Nordstrom location. Westfield expanded the destination beyond the traditional enclosed mall with The Village at Westfield Topanga, an open-air retail and lifestyle district that opened in September 2015. The Village was later sold in January 2023 to Rams owner Stan Kroenke for a reported $325 million and was renamed Topanga Village. It continues to operate as a separate open-air retail and lifestyle destination, while adjacent Warner Center properties have been incorporated into a broader Rams-related redevelopment initiative. The former Sears space was subsequently transformed into an entertainment and dining district. This redevelopment includes Topanga Social, a food hall and retail-oriented venue, and AMC DINE-IN Topanga 12, a 12-screen cinema that opened on June 2, 2022. The theater combines movie viewing with in-seat dining. By 2023, the center had also announced or added a range of luxury, fashion, specialty, and youth-oriented retailers, including Hermès, Levi’s, Bottega Veneta, Dior, Saint Laurent, Swatch, Celine, Uniqlo, FYE, and Abercrombie & Fitch. Westfield Topanga remains positioned as a high-volume regional shopping, dining, luxury-retail, and entertainment destination. Its history illustrates the transition of American enclosed malls from department-store-centered formats toward mixed-use lifestyle, food, fashion, and entertainment environments. The center has also appeared as a filming location in several productions, including Divorce American Style, One Hour Photo, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Parks and Recreation, and The Last Man on Earth.
History
Westfield Topanga opened as Topanga Plaza on February 10, 1964, in Canoga Park, California. Developed by May Centers, a May Department Stores affiliate, it was among California’s first major enclosed shopping malls. Its original department-store anchors were May Company, Montgomery Ward, and The Broadway. The center also contained leisure-oriented features unusual for a conventional retail property, including an indoor Ice Capades Chalet skating rink surrounded by the original food court and a decorative rain fountain made from vertical monofilament lines and recirculated glycerine. The skating rink closed in the late 1970s. Nordstrom became the mall’s fourth anchor in April 1984. A major ownership transition followed in the early 1990s. May Centers was renamed CenterMark Properties in 1992, and in 1993 May Department Stores sold the business to a consortium led by Westfield Holdings, Ltd., an antecedent of Westfield Group. The mall’s ownership has remained associated with Westfield companies since that transaction, with the present-day Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield owning the property from 2017. Anchor changes reshaped the center during the 1990s and 2000s. The former May Company store became Robinsons-May in 1993. The Broadway closed in 1996, and Sears moved into that space from the nearby Fallbrook Center. Montgomery Ward ended operations in 2001 after the chain shut down. In 2005, Nordstrom moved to the Sears side of the property, while the former Montgomery Ward building was demolished. A two-story Target opened on the site on October 6, 2006. Robinsons-May was converted to Macy’s in 2006, and Neiman Marcus opened in 2008 in the original Nordstrom location. The Sears presence later ended as part of another redevelopment cycle. The closure of the Sears anchor was announced on January 28, 2015. In September of that year, Westfield opened The Village at Westfield Topanga, an open-air shopping and lifestyle district along Topanga Canyon Boulevard between Westfield Topanga and the largely inactive Promenade mall. The Village was sold in January 2023 to Stan Kroenke for a reported $325 million, renamed Topanga Village, and retained its open-air retail and lifestyle role. The adjacent Promenade property and a former Anthem office building have been associated with redevelopment into the Rams Village at Warner Center, including the team’s headquarters and practice facility. The former Sears area at Westfield Topanga was converted into an entertainment district. The redevelopment introduced Topanga Social, a food hall and retail destination, as well as AMC DINE-IN Topanga 12. The 12-screen cinema opened on June 2, 2022, offering assigned-seat dining with food prepared on site. The center also broadened its fashion mix after the pandemic period, with additions or announced additions including luxury houses, specialty retailers, and youth-oriented brands. Westfield Topanga has been used as a filming location in Divorce American Style, One Hour Photo, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Parks and Recreation, and The Last Man on Earth. Its continuing evolution from a department-store-led enclosed mall into a combined retail, luxury, restaurant, and entertainment destination reflects the broader redevelopment strategy used by large regional shopping centers.
- 2023
The Village becomes Topanga Village
[1]The open-air district is sold to Stan Kroenke and renamed Topanga Village.
- 2022
AMC DINE-IN Topanga 12 opens
[1]A 12-screen dine-in cinema opens in the redeveloped former Sears area on June 2.
- 2015
The Village at Westfield Topanga opens
[1]Westfield launches a major open-air retail and lifestyle expansion adjacent to the enclosed mall.
- 2008
Neiman Marcus opens
[1]Neiman Marcus opens as a new anchor in the former Nordstrom location.
- 2006
Target opens and Robinsons-May becomes Macy’s
[1]The redeveloped former Montgomery Ward site receives a two-story Target, while Robinsons-May is converted to Macy’s.
- 2001
Montgomery Ward closes
[1]Montgomery Ward shutters as the chain exits operations.
- 1996
Sears replaces The Broadway
[1]After The Broadway closes, Sears relocates from Fallbrook Center into the former anchor space.
- 1993
Westfield-affiliated ownership begins
[1]CenterMark Properties is sold to a consortium led by Westfield Holdings, a predecessor of Westfield Group.
- 1984
Nordstrom becomes a fourth anchor
[1]Nordstrom opens at the mall in April.
- 1964
Topanga Plaza opens
[1]The center opens on February 10 with May Company, Montgomery Ward, and The Broadway as its original department-store anchors.
Products and positioning
A major regional shopping and entertainment destination combining department stores, luxury retail, specialty fashion, dining, and cinema services.
Shopping mall · 1964
Regional shopping center
Westfield Topanga provides enclosed retail space for department stores, luxury brands, specialty fashion, beauty, electronics, home goods, and other consumer categories. Its approximately 1.59 million square feet of gross leasable area supports a broad regional tenant mix serving the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles.
Food hall and entertainment · 2022
Topanga Social
Topanga Social is a food-hall and retail-oriented entertainment venue created in the former Sears area. It forms part of the property’s shift toward dining and experiential uses alongside conventional shopping.
Cinema · 2022
AMC DINE-IN Topanga 12
AMC DINE-IN Topanga 12 is a 12-screen movie theater with assigned seating and in-seat dining. Food is prepared on site and delivered to patrons during screenings.
Open-air retail and lifestyle district · 2015
Topanga Village
Originally called The Village at Westfield Topanga, Topanga Village is an open-air retail and lifestyle destination next to the enclosed mall. It was sold separately in 2023 and continues to operate as a shopping, dining, and leisure district.
Brand decisions
2023
Sale of the Village districtM&ABackground
The open-air Village component was separated from the core Westfield Topanga ownership structure.
Action taken
The Village was sold to Stan Kroenke and renamed Topanga Village.
Aftermath
Topanga Village continued operating as an open-air lifestyle and retail destination, while broader Warner Center redevelopment proceeded nearby.
Reported purchase price. $325 million (January 2023)
2022
Conversion of the former Sears space into an entertainment districtStrategyBackground
The former Sears anchor created a large redevelopment opportunity within the mall.
Action taken
Westfield introduced Topanga Social, additional retail and dining uses, and AMC DINE-IN Topanga 12.
Aftermath
The project increased the property’s emphasis on food, entertainment, and experiential visits.
2015
Launch of The Village at Westfield TopangaStrategyBackground
Westfield sought to extend the traditional enclosed mall with an open-air lifestyle component along Topanga Canyon Boulevard.
Action taken
The company opened The Village at Westfield Topanga in September as a complementary retail, dining, and lifestyle district.
Aftermath
The district later became a separately owned property known as Topanga Village.
2005
Redevelopment of the former Montgomery Ward areaGeneration changeBackground
Montgomery Ward had ceased operations, creating an opportunity to replace an obsolete anchor building.
Action taken
Westfield demolished the former Wards building, relocated Nordstrom to the Sears side of the mall, and prepared the site for a two-story Target.
Aftermath
Target opened on the redeveloped site in October 2006, while the anchor lineup became more diversified.
Recent events
- 2026
Saks Global announces closure of Neiman Marcus at Westfield Topanga[1]
Leadership change · Other
Saks Global announced the closure of 12 Saks Fifth Avenue stores and three Neiman Marcus locations nationwide, including the Neiman Marcus store at Westfield Topanga.
- 2023
Topanga Village sold to Stan Kroenke[1]
M&A
The open-air Village property was sold for a reported $325 million to Rams owner Stan Kroenke and renamed Topanga Village. The property continued operating as a retail and lifestyle destination.
- 2023
Luxury and specialty retail additions announced[1]
Product launch
Following the pandemic-era lockdown period, the center announced or added retailers including Hermès, Levi’s, Bottega Veneta, Dior, Saint Laurent, Swatch, Celine, Uniqlo, FYE, and Abercrombie & Fitch.
- 2022
Former Sears space becomes an entertainment and dining district[1]
Product launch
Westfield redeveloped the former Sears anchor area with Topanga Social, additional retail and dining uses, and AMC DINE-IN Topanga 12, which opened on June 2, 2022.
- 2015
Westfield Topanga opens The Village expansion[1]
Product launch
Westfield opened The Village at Westfield Topanga, an open-air retail and lifestyle district positioned between Westfield Topanga and the largely inactive Promenade mall.
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