This field guide documents Liberty House department store sites across Northern California. 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 Liberty House stores, while others occupied earlier department store anchors such as Rhodes. Together, they form a layered record of retail development across California malls.
Early suburban rollout (1971–1972)
San Jose
The chain’s debut in the Bay Area. Opened August 1, 1971 with a 186,000 sq. ft. store at Eastridge Mall. It included the Eucalyptus Room restaurant, reinforcing Liberty House’s early emphasis on in-store dining. The store closed on January 28, 1978 and was replaced by Emporium-Capwell. It was later demolished in 2005.
Hayward
Opened July 30, 1972 (grand opening July 2, 1972), this was one of Liberty House’s earliest Northern California suburban anchors. The 180,000 sq. ft. store introduced a standardized format built around scale, spectacle, and dining, including the Anxious Grape restaurant.
Closed on January 31, 1983. The location was later leased by Emporium-Capwell and eventually occupied by Macy’s.
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| Liberty House at Southland Mall in Hayward opened in 1972. |
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| Macy’s at Southland Mall, Hayward (2025) — Once home to Liberty House, the store still bears architectural traces of its past, including ceiling fixtures where the iconic glass elevators once glided through the atrium. |
Citrus Heights
Rhodes had originally committed to Sunrise Mall, but after Amfac purchased Rhodes in 1969, the plan was changed to build a Liberty House instead. Opened October 18, 1972, this 180,000 sq. ft. store reflects the early standardized Liberty House suburban model. It included the Eucalyptus Room restaurant as part of the core retail experience.
Closed in 1984 and later sold to Macy’s.
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| The Citrus Heights branch of Liberty House, opened October 18, 1972 at Sunrise Mall. |
San Francisco transition layer (1972–1974)
City of Paris by Liberty House - San Francisco (Union Square)
Opened 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 in 1974 when Liberty House replaced the store with a new building that opened in 1974. The building, and famous dome, later became home to Neiman Marcus.
City of Paris by Liberty House - San Francisco (Stonestown)
Opened March 23, 1972 as the City of Paris by Liberty House. Closed in 1974.
San Francisco (Union Square)
Opened September 28, 1974 on the site of the City of Paris warehouse. Included restaurants such as The Plum and the Anxious Grape, positioning it as a full-scale downtown flagship.
Closed in 1984 and sold to Macy’s.
Conversion phase and Rhodes acquisitions (1974–1976)
Mountain View
Converted from Rhodes on September 13, 1974. Closed in 1984 and became JCPenney soon after.
Oakland
Converted from Rhodes on March 15, 1975. Closed in 1984. The store retained traces of its earlier retail life through adaptive reuse.
Concord
Originally a Kahn’s (1957), later Rhodes, then converted to Liberty House on May 10, 1975. Closed in 1983.
Dublin
Converted from Rhodes on March 15, 1975. Closed in early 1983.
Fresno
Converted from Rhodes in 1975. Closed in 1984.
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| Originally a Rhodes department store, later rebranded as Liberty House, this building at Fresno’s Manchester Center now serves as offices for CalTrans. |
Sacramento (Southgate)
Converted from Rhodes in 1975. Closed in 1983.
Sacramento (Country Club)
Converted from Rhodes on May 10, 1975. Closed in 1984.
Expansion into final suburban build-out (1979–1981)
Reno
Opened in 1979. Closed in 1984.
Santa Rosa
A 101,000 sq. ft. store opened October 1, 1980. After closure, the site moved through Macy’s clearance use and Gottschalk’s before demolition.
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| Liberty House opened at Coddingtown Mall in 1980. It later became Gottschalks after being sold to Macy’s. |
Sacramento (Downtown)
The final urban experiment inside a mostly suburban expansion phase. Opened March 1981 in downtown Sacramento. Closed in 1984.
San Mateo
Opened September 24, 1981. Closed April 12, 1987.
Closing phase
By the mid-1980s, Liberty House had exited Northern California entirely. Remaining sites were sold, repurposed, or absorbed by other department store chains, marking the end of its regional retail experiment.
Related stories
- Liberty House in Northern California (1971—1987)
- Newspaper Ads: Liberty House openings and expansion (1971–1987)
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