Skip to main content

Macy's sites field guide — Sacramento to Fresno

This field guide documents Macy's department store sites from Sacramento to Fresno. Each entry records the building’s original anchor tenant, architectural context, and current use.

Unlike a corporate history, this guide focuses on the physical remains of the stores themselves—the structures that still shape mall corridors long after the signage has changed.

Many of these sites began as standalone Macy's stores, while others occupied earlier department store anchors such as Weinstock's or Gottschalks. Together, they form a layered record of retail development across postwar California malls.

Sacramento (Arden)

Location: Arden Fair Mall
Role: Converted anchor
Architect: Unknown
Original anchor: No
Operational years: 1996–present
Predecessor store: Weinstock's
Current use: Macy's

Macy's inherited this Sacramento store when its parent bought Weinstock's in 1996.

Exterior photo of Macy’s department store at Arden Fair Mall, Sacramento, showing the building that was formerly Hale’s and Weinstock’s before Macy’s acquisition in 1996.
Macy’s at Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento, originally opened as Hale’s department store, later rebranded as Weinstock’s, before becoming Macy’s in 1996.

Sacramento (Country Club)

Location: Country Club Plaza
Role: Converted anchor
Architect: Charles Luckman & Associates
Original anchor: No
Operational years: 1996–2019
Predecessor store: Weinstock's
Current use: Vacant

Macy's inherited this store in 1996 when Federated Department Stores (Macy's parent) acquired Broadway Stores (parent of Weinstock's).

Exterior photo of Macy’s at Country Club Plaza in Sacramento, formerly a Weinstock’s department store, showing the Macy’s signage. The store closed in 2019.
Macy’s at Country Club Plaza in Sacramento, originally a Weinstock’s store before Macy’s acquired it. The store closed in 2019.

Sacramento (Downtown)

Location: Downtown Plaza
Role: Purpose-built
Architect: Unknown
Original anchor: No
Operational years: 1963–2025
Predecessor store: None
Current use: Vacant

Opened in downtown Sacramento on November 4, 1963. The store opened 113 years after Rowland H. Macy's first attempt at a dry good store in Marysville during the Gold Rush. It failed, so he returned to New York. Later, he came back, tried again in 1858, and succeeded. This venerable store closed in March 2025. 

Macy’s Downtown Plaza store in Sacramento, originally opened in 1963 and closed in 2025, shown as a longtime department store anchor in the city’s central shopping district.
Macy’s Downtown Plaza in Sacramento, opened in 1963 as a modern anchor for the city’s evolving retail core. After more than 60 years of service, the iconic store closed its doors in 2025—marking the end of an era for downtown shopping in California’s capital.

Citrus Heights (1)

Location: Birdcage Walk
Role: Purpose-built
Architect: Unknown
Original anchor: No
Operational years: 1979–1996
Predecessor store: None
Current use: Demolished/replaced by Target

Opened at Birdcage Walk in 1979. After their Sunrise Mall location opened in 1984, this store became Macy's Men's and Home. Closed in 1996 when Macy's acquired the Weinstock's store at Sunrise Mall. The store was demolished and replaced by Target.

Citrus Heights (2)

Location: Sunrise Mall
Role: Converted anchor
Architect: Avner Naggar
Original anchor: No
Operational years: 1984–2025
Predecessor store: Liberty House
Current use: Vacant

After acquiring the old Liberty House store, Macy's opened at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights in 1984. With Macy's still at Birdcage Walk across the street, they moved the women's wear sections to this location. Closed in March 2025.

Exterior photo of Macy’s at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, formerly the Liberty House department store before Macy’s acquisition in 1984.
Macy’s at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, originally the Liberty House store, which Macy’s acquired and opened in 1984.

Citrus Heights (3)

Location: Sunrise Mall
Role: Converted anchor
Architect: Charles Luckman & Associates
Original anchor: No
Operational years: 1996–2025
Predecessor store: Weinstock's
Current use: Vacant

A second store opened in 1996 in the former Weinstock's, and the Birdcage Walk location closed. Closed in March 2025.

Exterior photo of Macy’s at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, housed in the former Weinstock’s department store building, which Macy’s took over in 1996.
The second Macy’s at Sunrise Mall, opened in 1996 after replacing the Weinstock’s location, closed alongside the original store in March 2025.

Fresno (1)

Location: Fashion Fair Mall
Role: Purpose-built
Architect: Unknown
Original anchor: No
Operational years: 1983–present
Predecessor store: None
Current use: Macy's

Macy's finally came to Fresno with a new store at Fashion Fair Mall in 1983.

Exterior of Macy's department store at Fashion Fair Mall in Fresno, California, opened in 1983, featuring the store's original facade and entrance.
Macy's at Fashion Fair Mall in Fresno. The store marked Macy's expansion into the Fresno area.

Fresno (2)

Location: Shops at River Park
Role: Converted anchor
Architect: Unknown
Original anchor: No
Operational years: 2009–present
Predecessor store: Gottschalks
Current use: Macys

Opened at The Shops at River Park in Fresno, in the former Gottschalks, in 2009.

Modesto (1)

Location: Vintage Faire Mall
Role: Purpose-built
Architect: Unknown
Original anchor: No
Operational years: 1980–present
Predecessor store: None
Current use: Macys

Opened at Modesto's Vintage Faire Mall in 1980.

Present-day exterior of Macy's at Vintage Faire Mall in Modesto, California, a department store that has operated at the mall since 1980.
Opened in 1980, Macy's at Vintage Faire Mall became part of a new generation of regional shopping centers that reshaped retail across California's Central Valley.

Modesto (2)

Location: Vintage Faire Mall
Role: Converted anchor
Architect: Unknown
Original anchor: No
Operational years: 1996–present
Predecessor store: Gottschalks
Current use: Macys

Opened in 1996 when Macy's took over the former Gottschalks store, which had moved across the mall to the former Weinstock's.

Photo of Macy’s department store entrance at Vintage Faire Mall in Modesto, California, originally opened in 1996 in the former Gottschalks building.
Exterior view of Macy’s at Vintage Faire Mall in Modesto. This location opened in 1996 when Macy’s took over the former Gottschalks store, which had relocated across the mall into the old Weinstock’s building.

Stockton

Location: Sherwood Place
Role: Converted anchor
Architect: Unknown
Original anchor: Yes
Operational years: 1965–present
Predecessor store: None
Current use: Macys

Opened at Sherwood Manor Shopping Center (now Sherwood Place) in Stockton on August 5, 1965. With it came a separate auto center and restaurant.

Roseville

Location: Galleria at Roseville
Role: Purpose-built
Architect: Unknown
Original anchor: Yes
Operational years: 2000–present
Predecessor store: None
Current use: Macys

Macy's opened at the Galleria at Roseville on August 19, 2000.

Tracy

Location: West Valley Mall
Role: Converted anchor
Architect: Unknown
Original anchor: No
Operational years: 2010–2026
Predecessor store: Gottschalks
Current use: Vacant

Opened at West Valley Mall in Tracy, in the former Gottschalks, in 2010. It closed in January 2026.

Related post


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

San Mateo Fashion Island — the mall that arrived too late

San Mateo Fashion Island opened in 1981 at the height of the American mall boom. Anchored by JCPenney, Montgomery Ward, Bullock's, and Liberty House, the project represented decades of retail thinking: build a bigger mall, add more department stores, and shoppers would come. But Fashion Island arrived at a turning point. Within just a few years of opening, two of its four anchors had abandoned the Northern California market entirely. Meanwhile, nearby Hillsdale Mall reinvented itself, attracted the Peninsula's first Nordstrom, and captured much of the attention Fashion Island had hoped to command. The result was one of the Bay Area's earliest major mall failures—a shopping center that opened at the peak of department-store dominance only to discover that the retail landscape was already changing beneath its feet. 1970s origins: from Bay Meadows to high fashion The concept for what would become Fashion Island mall in San Mateo began in 1972, when Bay Meadows Jockey Club ...

Southland Mall — the Bay Area's first enclosed shopping mall

Before Southland Mall opened in 1964, Bay Area shoppers moved between stores under the sun and rain. Southland changed that. As the San Francisco Bay Area's first enclosed shopping mall—and at the time the largest enclosed mall in the western United States—it introduced a new way of shopping: climate-controlled, comfortable, and designed as a destination rather than a collection of stores. Inside were features that felt futuristic to mid-century shoppers: indoor fountains, aviaries filled with chirping birds, soaring chandeliers, and eventually even an ice rink. Southland wasn't just a place to buy things. It was an early showcase for suburban California's new indoor lifestyle. 1957–1963: From Palma Ceia to Southland The story of Southland Mall begins in December 1957, when ground was broken on a new project named Palma Ceia Shopping Plaza. The developer, Branden Enterprises, was also responsible for the adjacent Palma Ceia Village, a 1,400-home suburban housing developm...

Top 10 largest malls in Northern California (2025)

Looking to explore the biggest shopping destinations in Northern California? Here's a ranked list of the 10 largest malls in the region, based on Gross Leasable Area (GLA)—which usually includes in-line tenants, common area, and anchors. GLA figures are sourced from mall operators and industry data, though slight variations may exist due to rounding or differing definitions. Whether you're a retail enthusiast, real estate researcher, or mall nostalgia buff, these are the heavyweights of Northern California shopping: Top 10 largest malls in Northern California 1.  Westfield Valley Fair  - San Jose 1,960,000~ sq. ft. Valley Fair Mall, the largest mall in Northern California, is a luxury retail destination—just minutes from Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino. Visit Westfield Valley Fair 2. San Francisco Centre - San Francisco 1,500,000~ sq. ft. A flagship urban mall combining historic architecture with luxury retailers. Now facing a wave of tenant closures and vacancy. Vis...