Willow Grove Park Mall
A regional shopping mall in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, serving suburban Philadelphia.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Willow Grove Park Mall is a three-story regional shopping center in Willow Grove, an unincorporated community within Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, about 15 miles north of Center City Philadelphia. The mall stands at the intersection of Easton Road and Moreland Road, near Pennsylvania Route 611, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, SEPTA bus routes, and the Willow Grove regional rail station. Its location gives it a broad trade area covering eastern Montgomery County, parts of Philadelphia, and portions of central Bucks County. The mall opened on August 11, 1982, on the former site of Willow Grove Park, an amusement park that operated from 1896 until 1975. Developers Federated Department Stores and The Rubin Organization planned the complex as an upscale shopping destination with architecture and interior design inspired by the former amusement park. RTKL served as architect. The original department-store anchors were Bloomingdale's, Abraham & Straus, and B. Altman and Company. Over time, the center broadened its tenant mix beyond luxury and upper-middle-market retail, adding mass-market department stores, fashion chains, restaurants, entertainment, and services. The center has undergone several ownership and redevelopment changes. Federated sold its interest in 1984, while PREIT and the Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System acquired the mall in 2000. A major renovation in 2001 added Macy's, an 800-space parking garage, and a carousel near the food court. PREIT became the sole owner in 2003. Later redevelopment converted portions of the former Strawbridge's and Sears spaces into restaurants, specialty retail, a Nordstrom Rack, Primark, and entertainment uses. The mall also preserves elements of its heritage through a carousel and a mosaic installation depicting Willow Grove Park. The mall contains more than 120 stores and has historically included Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Primark, Nordstrom Rack, and Tilted 10 as principal anchors or major destination tenants. Other notable retailers and restaurants have included Apple, H&M, Sephora, Victoria's Secret, Build-A-Bear Workshop, GameStop, The Cheesecake Factory, Yard House, and TGI Fridays. A food court and sit-down dining complement the retail offer. The former fountain has been removed, while the carousel and scenic elevator remain recognizable design features. Willow Grove Park Mall has been described as one of the stronger-performing shopping centers in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Its position, tenant variety, transit connections, and large regional draw have made it an important retail destination and a significant employer in Abington Township. At the same time, its opening contributed to the relocation of several department stores from older retail corridors along Old York Road in Abington and Jenkintown, accelerating the shift of regional shopping activity toward enclosed malls. The property has faced the broader financial pressures affecting enclosed shopping centers. Sears closed its store in 2022, ending the company's final full-service Pennsylvania location. A planned Studio Movie Grill redevelopment of the former JCPenney space was cancelled before opening, although the space later received an entertainment use. Reference material states that the mall was offered for sale in 2026 after the maturity of PREIT-related debt and was subsequently under contract to a consortium including Namdar Realty Group, Mason Asset Management, and CH Capital; the current ownership outcome requires verification.
History
The site of Willow Grove Park Mall was formerly occupied by Willow Grove Park, an amusement park that operated from 1896 to 1975. After the amusement park closed, Federated Department Stores and The Rubin Organization announced plans in 1978 to develop a large enclosed shopping center. Abington Township approved the project in 1979 after the proposed number of anchor stores was reduced from four to three in response to local concerns about the project's scale. Willow Grove Park Mall opened on August 11, 1982. Its Victorian-inspired design referenced the amusement park that had previously occupied the site. Bloomingdale's, Abraham & Straus, and B. Altman and Company were the original anchors. Bloomingdale's relocated from a freestanding Jenkintown store, while the other department stores helped establish the mall as a major destination for the northern Philadelphia suburbs. In 1984, Federated sold its interest to the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. B. Altman closed in 1986 and the space reopened as Sears in 1987. Abraham & Straus closed in 1988 and was replaced by Strawbridge & Clothier, later known as Strawbridge's. PREIT and the Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System acquired the mall in 2000 from pension-fund interests managed by Lend Lease Real Estate Investments. A $25 million renovation completed in 2001 added Macy's as an anchor, built an 800-space parking garage, and introduced a carousel near the food court. PREIT acquired the retirement system's interest in 2003 and became the mall's sole owner. In 2005, a mosaic depicting imagery from the former Willow Grove Park was installed through youth arts and restorative-justice programs associated with the Abington Art Center and Abington Township. The closure of Strawbridge's in 2006 followed the acquisition of its parent, May Department Stores, by Federated. The former anchor was gradually subdivided. The Cheesecake Factory opened in part of the upper level in 2007. A planned Boscov's store did not proceed after Boscov's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2008. Beginning in 2011, the former Strawbridge's space was repositioned with Bravo! Cucina Italiana, an expanded Forever 21, Nordstrom Rack, and JCPenney. JCPenney opened in 2012 but closed in 2017 as part of a national store-reduction program. Nordstrom Rack remained in the upper portion of the former department-store footprint. Sears later reduced its occupied area to make room for Primark, which opened in 2016. Macy's added a Macy's Backstage concept in 2018. A proposed Studio Movie Grill redevelopment of the former JCPenney area received local approval but was cancelled before opening. Yard House replaced Bravo! Cucina Italiana in 2019. Sears closed in 2022, removing another long-standing department-store anchor. Tilted 10 opened in the former JCPenney space in 2023, adding an entertainment-oriented use. The mall has also been the site of several reported incidents. A small Forever 21 fire in 2006 caused a large evacuation without reported injuries. In 2011, a teenager was injured after jumping from a parking-garage level. In 2023, an attempted theft at the Apple Store and the suspect's escape attempt attracted viral attention after the individual vaulted over a railing and suffered serious injuries. Willow Grove Park Mall remains a major retail and transit destination in the Philadelphia suburbs. Its changing tenant roster illustrates the transformation of American enclosed malls from department-store-centered destinations toward mixed retail, dining, and entertainment properties. Reference material describes financial pressure around the property's debt and a possible 2026 sale process, but the resulting ownership should be independently confirmed.
- 2023
Tilted 10 opens
[1]An entertainment center opens in the former JCPenney space.
- 2022
Sears closes
[1]The mall's Sears store closes after operating at the property since 1987.
- 2019
Yard House opens
[1]Yard House replaces Bravo! Cucina Italiana in a former department-store section.
- 2017
JCPenney closes
[1]JCPenney closes its Willow Grove store after being included in a nationwide closure plan.
- 2016
Primark opens
[1]Primark opens in space leased from Sears.
- 2006
Strawbridge's closes
[1]Strawbridge's closes after its parent company is acquired, beginning the subdivision and repositioning of its former anchor space.
- 2003
PREIT assumes full ownership
[1]PREIT acquires the remaining ownership interest held by the Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System.
- 2001
Major renovation adds Macy's
[1]The mall adds Macy's, a parking garage, and a carousel as part of a major renovation.
- 2000
PREIT acquires an ownership stake
[1]PREIT and the Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System acquire the property.
- 1987
Sears replaces B. Altman
[1]The former B. Altman space reopens as Sears.
Products and positioning
A large suburban Philadelphia regional mall combining department stores, fashion retailers, restaurants, entertainment, and heritage-themed architecture in a highly accessible suburban location.
Shopping mall · 1982
Regional shopping center
The mall provides enclosed, multi-level retail space for department stores, fashion retailers, specialty shops, restaurants, food-service operators, and entertainment businesses. Its tenant mix has evolved from a primarily department-store-led format into a broader combination of value fashion, dining, consumer services, and leisure.
Restaurants
Dining and food services
Dining is a major component of the mall's offer, including a food court and sit-down restaurants. Notable operators have included The Cheesecake Factory and Yard House, while TGI Fridays operated at the center before closing in January 2024.
Entertainment · 2023
Entertainment uses
The mall has increasingly used former department-store areas for leisure and entertainment. Tilted 10 opened in 2023 in the former JCPenney footprint after an earlier Studio Movie Grill proposal was cancelled.
Brand decisions
2023
Convert former JCPenney space to entertainmentStrategyBackground
The mall continued seeking non-department-store uses for a large vacant anchor footprint.
Action taken
Tilted 10 opened an entertainment center in the former JCPenney space.
Aftermath
The conversion diversified the mall's offer beyond conventional retail and dining.
2018
Approve proposed Studio Movie Grill redevelopmentOtherBackground
A large former JCPenney space required a replacement use after the department store's 2017 closure.
Action taken
Abington Township approved plans for an 11-screen dine-in cinema and bar.
Aftermath
The planned cinema was expected to open in 2020 but was cancelled before construction or opening.
2015
Lease part of Sears to PrimarkStrategyBackground
The mall needed to broaden its tenant mix while Sears occupied a large anchor footprint.
Action taken
Sears reduced its occupied area and leased much of the second floor to Primark, which subsequently opened in 2016.
Aftermath
The arrangement introduced a major value-fashion retailer while preserving a reduced Sears presence until its eventual closure.
2001
Undertake a major renovation and add Macy'sStrategyBackground
The mall sought to strengthen its regional position and update its facilities after nearly two decades of operation.
Action taken
The owners added Macy's, constructed an 800-space parking garage, and installed a carousel near the food court.
Aftermath
The project expanded the mall's department-store offer and reinforced its destination role in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Recent events
- 2026
Mall property reportedly marketed for sale after debt maturity[1]
M&A · Other
Reference material states that the property was put up for sale after a PREIT-related loan matured and was later under contract to a group including Namdar Realty Group, Mason Asset Management, and CH Capital. The final transaction status requires verification.
- 2023
Tilted 10 opens in former JCPenney space[1]
Product launch
Tilted 10 opened as an entertainment center in the former JCPenney area, providing a new non-retail use for a large vacant anchor space.
- 2022
Sears announces closure of its Willow Grove store[1]
Other
Sears announced that it would close its Willow Grove location, historically the last full-service Sears store in Pennsylvania.
- 2019
Yard House opens at Willow Grove Park Mall[1]
Product launch
Yard House opened in the former Bravo! Cucina Italiana location, strengthening the mall's sit-down dining offer.
- 2017
JCPenney closes Willow Grove location[1]
Other
JCPenney shut its mall store as part of a nationwide closure program involving 138 locations.
- 2016
Primark opens in former Sears space[1]
Product launch
Primark opened a large store in space leased from Sears, adding an international value-fashion operator to the mall's tenant mix.
- 2011
Former Strawbridge's space receives new retail and dining tenants[1]
Product launch
Bravo! Cucina Italiana, Forever 21, Nordstrom Rack, and a later JCPenney project were announced or opened in the former Strawbridge's space.
- 2006
Fire at Forever 21 prompts mall evacuation[1]
Other
A small fire at the Forever 21 store during the post-Thanksgiving shopping period led to the evacuation of approximately 6,000 shoppers. No injuries were reported.
- 2001
Macy's becomes a new anchor during major mall renovation[1]
Other
A major renovation added Macy's, a parking garage, and a carousel, expanding the mall's regional draw.
- 1982
Willow Grove Park Mall opens after redevelopment of former amusement-park site[1]
Other
The new enclosed mall opened with Bloomingdale's, Abraham & Straus, and B. Altman and Company as its original department-store anchors.
Sources2 sources
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