Published: March 8, 2008 · Last updated: September 22, 2026
Few places on the Peninsula have been reinvented as often as Tanforan. Over more than a century, the San Bruno property has served as a racetrack, wartime detention center, regional shopping mall, and transit-oriented retail center. Now, the 44-acre site faces another transformation through a proposed mixed-use redevelopment. Each chapter reflects the changing priorities of the Bay Area itself.
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| Tanforan Mall in the 1970s, showing the Sears anchor and the original enclosed mall architecture. |
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| Annotated Apple Maps view of San Bruno showing the location of Tanforan, positioned off I-380 at El Camino Real. |
From racetrack to retail center (1899–1970)
Before it was a shopping mall, the site was home to Tanforan Park racetrack, which opened in 1899 and became nationally known as a venue for thoroughbred racing. The racetrack is remembered not only for horses such as Seabiscuit, but also for its use as a temporary detention center for Japanese Americans during World War II.
A fire destroyed much of the grandstand in 1964, and the 40-acre property remained largely vacant for the rest of the decade.
By the late 1960s, neighboring Daly City was benefiting from Serramonte Center, which opened in 1968 and quickly became a major shopping destination on the Peninsula. San Bruno officials saw an opportunity to transform the former racetrack into a commercial center of their own, bringing new sales-tax revenue while serving the rapidly growing suburbs surrounding San Francisco International Airport.
The result was Tanforan Park Shopping Center, although most residents would simply come to know it as Tanforan Mall.
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| Artist’s rendering of Tanforan Mall, released in August 1971, depicting the planned design of the shopping center in San Bruno, California. |
Tanforan Mall opens
Developed by the Hapsmith Company of Beverly Hills, Tanforan Mall opened in the early 1970s and gave San Bruno a regional shopping destination of its own.
Sears, the first anchor tenant, opened on October 28, 1970. The mall held a preview opening on March 11, 1971, with approximately 40 stores. JCPenney followed on May 17, 1972, and The Emporium opened on September 28, 1972. The final phase arrived in 1974 with the addition of a United Artists theatre.
Together, Sears, JCPenney, and The Emporium formed the backbone of the mall. The two-story enclosed center offered more than 100 stores, a food court, ample free parking, and convenient access from Interstate 380.
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| Newspaper advertisement announcing the grand opening of JCPenney at Tanforan on May 17, 1972. The event marked the arrival of one of the mall’s major anchor stores. |
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| Newspaper advertisement for the grand opening of The Emporium at Tanforan on September 28, 1972. As a flagship anchor store, The Emporium brought fashion and department store elegance to the new mall. |
A prominent feature was a bronze statue of Seabiscuit, commemorating the site's racetrack history. Following the 2005 redevelopment, the statue was relocated near the mall entrance, where it remained a familiar landmark.
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| Mid-1970s postcard from Tanforan Mall, depicting the life-sized statue of Seabiscuit—the legendary racehorse who ran at the old Tanforan Racetrack. |
The back of the card reads: "This life size statue of Seabiscuit is located in one of the many Malls of Tanforan Park to commemorate the historic race track site the Center now occupies. Where former champions once raced, shoppers now enjoy the San Francisco Peninsula's most beautiful enclosed Mall."
The statue provided a direct connection between the new shopping center and its past as a racetrack, turning one of Tanforan's most famous historical associations into part of the mall experience.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Tanforan served shoppers from San Bruno, South San Francisco, Daly City, Millbrae, and communities throughout the Peninsula.
Reinvention and redevelopment (1990s–2005)
The first major changes came during the 1990s.
After Macy's parent company acquired Emporium-Capwell, Tanforan's Emporium store closed rather than being converted to Macy's. For a shopping center built around three traditional department stores, the loss of one anchor marked a significant change.
Target purchased the former Emporium building and opened on March 8, 1997, introducing a different kind of anchor tenant. The change reflected a broader shift in American retail as discount and big-box retailers increasingly replaced traditional department stores.
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| 1997 newspaper advertisement for the grand opening of Target at Tanforan, featuring special guest appearances by Barbie, Bozo the Clown, San Francisco 49ers fullback William Floyd, and “Days of Our Lives” star Bryan Dattilo. |
By the early 2000s, Tanforan itself was beginning to show its age. Nearby competitors such as Serramonte Center and Hillsdale Shopping Center had undergone major renovations, while changing consumer expectations favored newer retail environments.
In response, owner Macerich announced a $140 million redevelopment in 2003. Much of the original enclosed mall was demolished while major anchors, including Sears, remained open during construction.
When the center reopened in October 2005, it emerged with a new identity: The Shops at Tanforan.
The redevelopment introduced contemporary architecture by Altoon + Porter, new national retailers, an expanded food court adjacent to the BART station, and a 20-screen Century Theatres complex that opened in 2007. Direct access to BART and proximity to San Francisco International Airport helped reposition Tanforan as a transit-oriented retail destination for the Peninsula.
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| Architectural detail at The Shops at Tanforan in San Bruno, showcasing the mall’s striking design elements—from sweeping curves to open skylights—that blended modern retail with airy, contemporary style. |
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| Tanforan after its early 2000s renovation, with packed walkways, bright interiors, and a renewed energy that returned the mall to its place as a bustling retail hub on the Peninsula. |
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| The food court at Tanforan, a central gathering spot for shoppers to relax and enjoy a variety of dining options. |
The end of the regional mall (2018–present)
Despite the success of the redevelopment, broader changes in retail eventually caught up with Tanforan.
Sears closed in 2018 as part of the chain's nationwide decline. Although JCPenney, Century Theatres, the Apple Store, and several restaurants remained popular destinations, vacancies increased and foot traffic declined during the late 2010s and early 2020s.
In March 2022, Alexandria Real Estate Equities acquired the property for redevelopment. JCPenney shuttered its location in 2025 following the company's ongoing nationwide store closures.
The current redevelopment proposal calls for a mixed-use, transit-oriented project incorporating housing, retail, life-science and office space, while retaining and remodeling the Century theater and Target. The project remains under review by the City of San Bruno.
The Tanforan Assembly Center Memorial, unveiled in 2022 beside the San Bruno BART station, already commemorates the Japanese Americans incarcerated at the site during World War II.
If the project moves forward, Tanforan's time as a regional shopping mall will come to an end, marking another transformation for one of the Peninsula's most historically layered sites.
Collection
San Francisco & Peninsula Malls
Shopping centers that shaped retail history across San Francisco and San Mateo counties from the 1950s through today.
Continue exploring
- Directory: Tanforan Mall (San Bruno, 2006)
- Westlake Shopping Center history — Daly City (1951—2005)
- Hillsdale Mall history — San Mateo (1954—present)
Comments
Tanforan opened with a great deal of fanfare and did well for the first decade or so. There was no Sears or Penney's in San Francisco proper, so you had to drive to Tanforan if you wanted to shop at one of those stores. The Emporium had large stores nearby in Stonestown and Hillsdale, and the Tanforan store was smaller and not very attractively merchandised, so I'm not sure if that store was much of a draw.
The closest mall was Serramonte, in Daly City, which featured Macy's and Ward's. Serramonte is a one-level mall where the north-south anchors are a very long walk from each other. Tanforan was 2-level and much easier to walk back and forth from end to end. Tanforan also had a decent food court, which Serramonte did not.
One oddity was that, while most shopping area centers were open weeknights from 9:30 until 9:30, in those days, Sears closed their stores at 9:15. When the mall itself opened, followed by Penney's and even the Emporium, they all kept to the 9:15 closing.
Penney's closed their Market Street store in in downtown San Francisco in 1971. They had a small store on Grand Avenue in South San Francisco which closed just prior to Tanforan's opening. Their Westlake store in Daly City, although smaller than Tanforan, stayed open into the 90's, IIRC.
It's nice to see the mall the way it is today. It's much improved . They just need some more high end stores like the Gap or Express. And maybe some childrens stores like Gymboree and the Disney store. Once the theaters open on April 18th. This mall will really take off. It's definately one of the most beautiful malls around and it's just been waiting for these theaters to open. They took a little longer that anticipated to be completed.
Why, yes, I do remember when that part of the mall's wing smelled of popcorn! There was a traditional sign out front which posted the movies playing (the letters were of the slide-in-the-marquee variety) and was blue, oval shaped. Much so in keeping to the racetrack motif.
The cinemas were one level down, accessible via escalator. There were distinct numbered signed (1, 2, 3, 4) in primary color above each of the theatres. I remember the stores that were at the cinema area of the mall; a Round Table pizza, Gingiss tuxedo rentals, and a Big 5 sporting goods store.
The lower level of the cinemas are probably repurposed as the lower level of Barnes and Nobles, from what I'm guessing on a recent reconnaissance mission of Tanforan. I can probably smell a faint hint of popcorn popping on that former Cinemas IV wing...
With a Century 20 theater opened up there in the mall, and the near by Century 7 theater closed up I wonder what will be opening up in it place next to Staple, Could it be a Frys, Walmart or a big chain retail that is new to the West coast for the first time, and is mostly in the mid west and east coast. Any news on that and what will take up CompUsa spot from the shooping center across the mall.