BIGMallrat

Before Valley Fair became the massive, multi-level mega-mall we know today, it started as something much simpler—and, in its own way, more charming. The original Valley Fair was a small, open-air shopping center that began with a Macy’s store, which opened its doors on August 10, 1956. The surrounding outdoor mall followed soon after, officially opening on April 4, 1957. An aerial view with Macy's in the middle, from 1960. Back then, Valley Fair wasn’t about luxury labels or valet parking. It was about strolling steel-beamed promenades, visiting one of over 60 specialty stores, and catching a breeze between shops. There’s a grainy photo from 1961 that shows the promenade—wide walkways, low-slung storefronts, and a sense of openness that malls just don’t have anymore. A grainy view of the promenade from 1961. I came across a postcard that shows the original mall in full view, and though it’s postmarked April 23, 1985, it doesn’t have ZIP codes on any of the addresses—so it’s lik...