Lost department stores of the Bay Area: Liberty House (1971

Lost department stores of the Bay Area: Liberty House (1971—1987)

Liberty House of Hawaii—yes, that Liberty House—had a brief, glittery moment in California between 1971 and 1987, all under the ambitious umbrella of the Hawaii-based Amfac corporation. But ask anyone who remembers, and they’ll probably bring up the same thing first: those glass elevators. Not just any elevators, mind you—these had mannequins riding up and down inside them, frozen in time like fashionable ghosts, floating through the atriums like it was totally normal to shop for blouses while being watched by a life-size plastic person in heels.

Glass elevators at Eastridge Mall in San Jose with mannequins posed inside, riding up and down at Liberty House department store, circa 1970s.

Liberty House’s iconic glass elevators at Eastridge Mall in San Jose featured mannequins riding in endless loops—elegant, eerie, and unforgettable.

For me, it was the Snoopy Shop. Tucked inside the Liberty House in Dublin was the stuff of childhood dreams. All I wanted was to convince my mom to buy a tiny outfit for my Snoopy doll—a corduroy jacket, a tennis sweater, anything with that pink-and-gold Liberty House price tag. It wasn’t about the brand. It was about Snoopy, and the soft, luxurious hope that maybe today was the day I'd walk out with something special.

Vintage 1975 ad promoting the Snoopy Shop at Liberty House, featuring Snoopy-themed products.

1975 advertisement for the Snoopy Shop inside Liberty House, showcasing fun and whimsical merchandise inspired by the beloved Peanuts character.

The strange thing is, I can’t remember much else. Liberty House always felt a bit like a dream you wake up from and immediately start to forget. Yes, I recall the signature pink and gold, and yes, the mannequins. But the store itself? It’s blurry. Maybe that’s because the real story wasn’t the store—it was the machine behind it. Amfac was a massive conglomerate with its fingers in everything: country clubs, pharmaceuticals, even potatoes. Liberty House began in Honolulu back in 1849, and by the late ’60s, Amfac was ready to conquer the mainland.

In typical ’70s corporate flair, they bought up Rhodes Western department stores, Joseph Magnin, City of Paris, and Baza’r, then launched Liberty House of Hawaii across California like it was some tropical retail invasion. Between 1971 and 1972, they opened five sparkling new stores around the Bay Area and Sacramento. But by 1973, the shine began to wear. Amfac merged its holdings under the Liberty House name, started closing weaker stores, and ditched Joseph Magnin altogether by ’77.

The flagship at Eastridge never even turned a profit—it quietly shuttered in 1978, leaving only vague memories and a few orphaned mannequins to ride those elevators into history.

Black-and-white 1978 photo showing the Liberty House sign on the storefront, with a notice announcing the store’s upcoming closure.

1978 newspaper photo of the Liberty House sign on the building, marking the store’s closure after years as a beloved, but under-performing, department store.

New stores popped up through 1981—Reno, Fresno, and beyond—but something never quite clicked. Maybe we couldn’t decide if we wanted to be more Newport Beach than Waikiki, or maybe San Francisco staples like Emporium-Capwell and Macy’s just had deeper roots. Whatever the reason, Liberty House began its retreat alongside Bullock’s by the mid-’80s. By 1984, both chains were nearly gone from Northern California, save for a couple of stubborn holdouts—like the Liberty House at Fashion Island in San Mateo, clinging to the dream like a lei at a luau no one came to.

On April 12, 1987, the party ended. The macadamia nuts, as they say, had gone stale.

Most folks remember the spectacle—the glass elevators and those gloriously weird mannequins. But for me, it’ll always be the little Snoopy Shop, and the thrill of a pink-and-gold price tag in my hand, even if it meant just window shopping.

What can I say? I was young. But Liberty House, for all its blur and brass, will always have a tiny, well-dressed spot in my heart.

1987 Liberty House farewell advertisement featuring a “Thank You” message to customers, marking the end of an era for the store.

A heartfelt 1987 ad bidding farewell and expressing gratitude to loyal Liberty House customers as the store closes its doors.

Scott Parsons

Liberty House stores

1. Liberty House Eastridge (1971-1978)

Opened on August 1, 1971 at Eastridge Mall in San Jose. The store was designed by architect Avner Naggar. During the entire run at Eastridge, Liberty House lost money on this store. It closed on January 28, 1978. Replaced by Emporium-Capwell, the store was demolished in 2005.

Vintage 1972 postcard of Eastridge Mall interior looking toward the Liberty House entrance, with Joseph Magnin store on the side and shoppers walking by.

1972 postcard showing the interior of Eastridge Mall, featuring the Liberty House entrance with Joseph Magnin’s storefront visible to the side, capturing the vibrant mid-century mall atmosphere.

2. Liberty House Union Square (1972-1984)

Opened on March 23, 1972 as the City of Paris by Liberty House. The City of Paris department store, a 122-year old San Francisco institution, was acquired by Amfac on March 23, 1972. The City of Paris name would be phased out by 1974 when liberty House replaced the store with a new building that opened on September 28, 1974. The adjoining building, and home to a famous dome and Christmas tree, became home to Neiman Marcus. The store closed in 1984 and was sold to Macy's.

1974 black-and-white rendering of the Liberty House department store in San Francisco’s Union Square, replacing the former City of Paris store.

A 1974 rendering of the modern Liberty House store in San Francisco, replacing much of the historic City of Paris building.

3. Liberty House Stonestown (1972-1974)

Opened on March 23, 1972 as the City of Paris by Liberty House. Closed in 1974.

4. Liberty House Southland (1972-1983)

Opened on July 30, 1972 (grand opening July 2, 1972) at Southland Mall in Hayward. Designed by architect Avner Naggar. With lagging sales, Amfac announced the first round of store closures, including this location. Its final day was January 31, 1983. The location was leased by Emporium-Capwell, then again by Macy's.

Exterior photo of Liberty House at Southland Mall in Hayward, California, showing the store before it transitioned to Emporium-Capwell and later Macy’s.

Liberty House at Southland Mall in Hayward opened in 1972 with flair—later becoming an Emporium-Capwell, then Macy’s.

5. Liberty House Sunrise (1972-1984)

Opened October 18, 1972 at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights. It was designed by Avner Naggar. It closed in 1984 and was sold to Macy's.

Photograph of Liberty House department store at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, showing the store’s exterior in the early 2000s.

The Citrus Heights branch of Liberty House, opened in 1972 at Sunrise Mall, added tropical elegance to Sacramento retail.

6. Liberty House Mountain View (1974-1984)

Former Rhodes opened in 1974 at San Antonio Center. Closed in 1984.

7. Liberty House Oakland (1975-1984)

Former Rhodes opened in 1975 at 15th and Broadway. Closed 1984.

8. Liberty House Country Club (1975-1984)

Former Rhodes opened in 1975 at Country Club Centre in Sacramento. Closed in 1984.

9. Liberty House Concord (1975-1983)

Former Rhodes opened in 1975 at Park N Shop in Concord. Closed in 1983.

10. Liberty House Fresno (1975-1984)

Former Rhodes opened in 1974 or 1975 at Manchester Center in Fresno. Closed in 1984.

11. Liberty House Southgate (1975-1983)

Former Rhodes opened in 1974 or 1975 at Southgate Center in Sacramento. Closed in 1983.

12. Liberty House Golden Hills (1975-1983)

Former Rhodes opened in 1975 in Dublin. Closed early 1983.

13. Liberty House Reno (1979-1984)

Opened in 1979 at Meadowood Mall in Reno. Closed in 1984.

14. Liberty House Downtown Plaza (1980-1984)

Opened around 1980 in downtown Sacramento. Closed in 1984.

15. Liberty House Coddingtown (1980-1984)

Opened October 1, 1980 at Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa. At the same time, the mall put a roof on and remodeled. It closed in 1984 and was sold to Macy's.

Exterior photo of Liberty House at Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa, later rebranded as Gottschalks after Macy’s acquisition.

Liberty House opened at Coddingtown Mall in 1980. It later became Gottschalks after being sold to Macy’s.

1980 grand opening newspaper advertisement for Liberty House at Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa, promoting the new store launch.

A 1980 newspaper ad welcomes shoppers to the new Liberty House in Santa Rosa’s Coddingtown Mall.

16. Liberty House San Mateo (1981-1987)

Opened September 24, 1981 at San Mateo Fashion Island mall. Closed April 12, 1987.

Related post: Rhodes

Chandeliers, aviaries, and an ice rink: when Southland Mall was cool

Southland Mall in Hayward will always be the mall that defined my "mall senses." The swoosh of air as you opened the doors, the sound of birds chirping and water trickling, and the smell of popcorn with a hint of chlorine. Before it became Southland Mall, it almost had a different identity—“Palma Ceia” was the original name for this shopping destination in Hayward. But by the time the doors officially opened on October 22, 1964, the center had taken on a new name, one more fitting for the suburban sprawl it was set to serve. Southland wasn’t built from scratch—it was stitched together. The original Sears store had already been anchoring the area since November 6, 1958. With the addition of a new JCPenney and an enclosed corridor of shops, Southland Mall came to life as one of the East Bay’s most modern shopping experiences. The future had no doors Featured in the May 1965 edition of Architectural Record, Southland Mall was celebrated for a novel idea: an enclosed mall wit...

Randy said…

Liberty House also operated City of Paris's Stonestown branch, until closing it in either '74 or '75. Do you have the closing date of that location? It was later opened by Bullock's North (their 4th location) in November 1977.

6:03 PM

Scott Parsons said…

Hi,
I've been researching exact dates. Harder than I thought!
The City of Paris Stonestown opening and closing dates are sketchy. I'll keep looking!
Scott

9:05 AM

For sure 1974. In late 1973, Liberty House and Rhodes starting running combined ads and stopped listing all their locations. I finally found an October 1974 ad that listed their locations and it was minus Stonestown. I wouldn't at all be surprised if the closing coordinated with the opening of the new Liberty House in Union Square (when it moved from the old City of Paris location to next door).

10:56 AM

I'd agree with that possibility. Makes perfect sense. Of course, it's now the Macy's Men's Store. When Macy's had electronics, they had it on the entire 4th floor.

11:09 PM

Anonymous said…

Our local Liberty House was at Southland. My mom reminded me that in the center of that store there were glass display cases that featured life size mannequins wearing the latest fashions. The glass displays moved up & down, independently, around the escalators. Also my aunt worked there and I remember visiting with grandma to get a picture taken with Santa. We ate at the cafeteria (breakfast) and my omelette came with “yucky green peppers”. I was 6 or 7 at the time. 1978-79. Tangentially I remember watching the skaters carve the ice rink that was built in the basement level at Southland. There were circular window sills that protruded from the interior wall near the mall entrance and I was small enough to sit within the circle and watch “the big kids” skate. Oddly my final memory of that area was purchasing stereo wire at a Goodguys who took up residence where the skating rink once stood. That was probably 1988.(sigh)

10:28 AM

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