The story
Woodfield Associates, formed in 1967 by Taubman and Sears' Homart division, broke ground in 1969 and opened the mall on September 9, 1971 with 59 stores; by 1973 it had 189 stores and 1.9 million square feet. Taubman pioneered the upscale regional center with skylights, terrazzo floors and brass railings. A 1995 expansion added Nordstrom, and later renovations in 2015 and 2017 modernized the interior and food court. It remains the largest shopping mall in Illinois with about 234 stores.
Everything that was here
- 1971–present · still open
Woodfield MallShopping Center
The largest mall in America on opening day, built on 191 acres of prairie farmland by a joint venture of Sears and A. Alfred Taubman.
See the map in 1972 → - 1971–2021
SearsRetail Store
Vincent Price gave hourly lectures in this store's carpeting department on opening day 1971; fifty years later it was the last Sears in Illinois.
See the map in 1972 → - until 2020
Lord & TaylorRetail Store
One of Woodfield's anchor stores, shuttered by the pandemic.
See the map in 2020 → - 1971–2006
Marshall Field'sRetail Store
Half of the mall's name honors this store's founder.
See the map in 1972 →
Nearby history
Legoland Discovery Center
Veridian
Schweikher House Museum
Rolling Meadows Historical Museum (The 1950s House)
Volkening Family Farm
Meridian Banquets and Conference Center
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