Hilldale Shopping Center
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedA partially enclosed shopping mall and lifestyle center on the west side of Madison, Wisconsin.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Hilldale Shopping Center, commonly known as Hilldale, is a retail and dining destination in Madison, Wisconsin. The center originated as part of the development of the Hill Farms neighborhood, an area formed from land associated with the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s agricultural activities. In the 1950s, the university’s Board of Regents developed plans to sell approximately 600 acres of University Hill Farms land to support Madison’s urban expansion. A 33-acre shopping-center site was subsequently organized through Kelab Inc., which was formed in 1958 to oversee the project’s operation. Construction was delayed by litigation brought by Glendale Development against the Board of Regents, Kelab Inc., and Hilldale Inc. The dispute prevented work from proceeding in 1960, but the United States Supreme Court declined to review the case in 1961, allowing the development to move forward. Hilldale opened on October 25, 1962, with Gimbels as its principal anchor. The property expanded in 1969 and again in 1985, and received another renovation in 1997. Its department-store history later changed as Gimbels became Marshall Field’s in 1986 and the store was converted to Macy’s in 2006. The center underwent a major ownership and physical transformation in the 2000s. Joseph Freed and Associates acquired Hilldale in 2004 and completed a redevelopment and expansion in 2006. The project added two multilevel parking ramps, freestanding restaurants and stores, townhouses, and refurbished interior spaces. The redevelopment also helped position Hilldale as a mixed-use lifestyle destination rather than only a conventional enclosed mall. In 2007, Sundance Group selected Hilldale for the first national location of its Sundance Cinema concept. Sundance Cinemas 608 opened on May 11, 2007, with six screens devoted to independent, documentary, and foreign-language films. The property encountered financial difficulty after the redevelopment. In 2011, the Wisconsin State Journal reported that Hilldale was in foreclosure and that a sheriff’s sale had been scheduled. WS Development purchased the shopping center in May 2012. Under WS Development, much of the property was converted from an enclosed mall into a more open-air format, reflecting the broader shift toward walkable lifestyle centers with restaurants, services, entertainment, and specialty retail. Hilldale’s tenant mix includes three principal anchors identified in recent descriptions: Macy’s, Metcalfe’s Market, and L.L.Bean. The center also includes approximately 60 specialty stores as of November 2024. Notable tenants and offerings have included the Apple Store, Anthropologie, lululemon, Cafe Hollander, Shake Shack, and bartaco. A Target store is adjacent to Hilldale but is not part of the shopping center. The former Sundance cinema operation changed ownership when Sundance Cinemas was sold to Carmike Cinemas in 2015; Carmike was acquired by AMC Theatres in 2016. The theater became AMC Dine-In Madison 6 in 2017 and closed in 2022. Hilldale also has a connection to Madison’s Brat Fest. From 1983 through 2004, part of the shopping-center parking lot hosted the Memorial Day weekend event, which used the site for grilling and seating. As attendance grew, Brat Fest moved in 2005 to Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center. Today, Hilldale operates as an active Madison-area shopping, dining, entertainment, and mixed-use destination, combining national retailers with local businesses and open-air public-oriented space.
History
Hilldale Shopping Center developed from the transformation of University of Wisconsin–Madison agricultural land into the Hill Farms neighborhood. During the early 1950s, the university’s Board of Regents planned to sell roughly 600 acres of University Hill Farms land to accommodate the expansion of Madison. A separate 33-acre parcel was designated for a shopping center. Kelab Inc. was established in 1958 to direct the proposed center’s operation, while Hilldale Inc. was also involved in the development structure. The project faced a legal challenge in 1960 when Glendale Development sued the Board of Regents, Kelab Inc., and Hilldale Inc. The litigation temporarily blocked construction. The dispute was ultimately cleared when the United States Supreme Court refused to review the case in 1961. Hilldale then proceeded to completion and opened on October 25, 1962, anchored by Gimbels. Its arrival created a major suburban-style retail destination on Madison’s west side and formed part of the commercial infrastructure of the emerging Hill Farms area. The center expanded in 1969 and 1985, followed by a renovation in 1997. Its department-store anchor identity changed over time: Gimbels was converted to Marshall Field’s in 1986, and the store later became Macy’s in 2006. These changes reflected consolidation in the American department-store sector while preserving a major anchor presence at Hilldale. Ownership and format changed substantially in the twenty-first century. Joseph Freed and Associates acquired Hilldale in 2004 and completed a large redevelopment in 2006. The work introduced two multilevel parking ramps in front of the center, a group of freestanding shops and restaurants, townhouses, and renovated interior areas. The redevelopment broadened Hilldale from a traditional enclosed shopping mall into a mixed-use retail and lifestyle environment. Entertainment was an important part of that repositioning. Sundance Group selected Hilldale for the first national location of its Sundance Cinema concept. Sundance Cinemas 608 opened on May 11, 2007, with six screens focused on independent, documentary, and foreign-language films. The chain was sold to Carmike Cinemas in 2015, and Carmike was subsequently acquired by AMC Theatres in 2016. The Hilldale theater became AMC Dine-In Madison 6 in 2017 and closed in 2022. The property experienced financial stress after its redevelopment. In March 2011, the Wisconsin State Journal reported that Hilldale was in foreclosure and that a sheriff’s sale was planned for June of that year. WS Development purchased the center in May 2012. The new ownership moved the property toward a more open-air configuration, converting much of the enclosed mall format into a lifestyle-center arrangement. This strategy emphasized outdoor circulation, restaurants, specialty retail, and mixed-use elements rather than relying solely on enclosed department-store corridors. Hilldale’s historical role also includes its association with Brat Fest, a Madison-area food event. From 1983 through 2004, the shopping-center parking lot hosted the event during Memorial Day weekend. As the event became too large for the site, it moved in 2005 to Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center. The center’s current identity combines national and local retail. Recent descriptions identify Macy’s, Metcalfe’s Market, and L.L.Bean as its three anchor stores, alongside approximately 60 specialty stores as of November 2024. Other notable tenants include Apple, Anthropologie, lululemon, Cafe Hollander, Shake Shack, and bartaco. Target is adjacent to the property but is not part of Hilldale. The result is a partially enclosed, largely open-air shopping and dining destination serving Madison and the surrounding area.
- 2024
Hilldale described as having approximately 60 specialty stores
[1]Recent descriptions identify Macy’s, Metcalfe’s Market, and L.L.Bean as anchors and approximately 60 specialty stores at the center.
- 2022
AMC Dine-In Madison 6 closes
[1]The cinema operation at Hilldale closed.
- 2017
Cinema rebranded as AMC Dine-In Madison 6
[1]The former Sundance theater at Hilldale adopted the AMC Dine-In Madison 6 name.
- 2016
Carmike Cinemas acquired by AMC Theatres
[1]AMC Theatres acquired Carmike Cinemas, including the cinema business connected with the Hilldale location.
- 2015
Sundance Cinemas sold to Carmike Cinemas
[1]The Sundance Cinemas chain was sold to Carmike Cinemas, changing the ownership context of Hilldale’s cinema operation.
- 2012
WS Development purchases the center
[1]WS Development purchased Hilldale in May and subsequently pursued an open-air lifestyle-center format.
- 2011
Foreclosure proceedings reported
[1]A Wisconsin State Journal report described the property as being in foreclosure and identified a scheduled sheriff’s sale.
- 2007
Sundance Cinemas 608 opens
[1]The six-screen Sundance cinema opened at Hilldale as the first national location of the Sundance Cinema concept.
- 2006
Redevelopment completed and Marshall Field’s becomes Macy’s
[1]The major redevelopment was completed, and the former Marshall Field’s anchor was rebranded as Macy’s.
- 2005
Brat Fest moves to the Alliant Energy Center
[1]After outgrowing Hilldale’s parking lot, Brat Fest moved to Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center.
Products and positioning
A Madison lifestyle shopping center that combines department-store, grocery, outdoor-apparel, specialty-retail, restaurant, entertainment, and mixed-use offerings in a partially open-air environment.
Department store anchor · 2006
Macy's
Macy’s is one of Hilldale’s principal anchor stores. The location occupies the historical department-store role formerly held by Gimbels and later Marshall Field’s. Its presence provides broad merchandise coverage within apparel, accessories, beauty, home, and related department-store categories, although the available reference material does not specify the store’s exact current assortment.
Grocery anchor
Metcalfe's Market
Metcalfe’s Market is a local grocery anchor at Hilldale. It adds everyday food shopping and specialty-market functionality to the center’s retail mix, helping distinguish the property from a center focused only on discretionary shopping. The reference material identifies Metcalfe’s as one of Hilldale’s three principal anchors but does not provide additional details about the location’s individual departments.
Outdoor apparel and equipment anchor
L.L.Bean
L.L.Bean is identified as one of Hilldale’s three principal anchor stores. The brand generally centers on outdoor apparel, footwear, equipment, and lifestyle merchandise; the supplied references specifically establish its anchor role at Hilldale but do not detail the precise local assortment.
Lifestyle-center tenant mix
Specialty retail and dining collection
Hilldale’s specialty offering includes national and local retailers, restaurants, cafes, and services. Notable names cited in the reference material include Apple, Anthropologie, lululemon, Cafe Hollander, Shake Shack, and bartaco. Together these tenants support Hilldale’s positioning as a mixed retail-and-dining destination rather than a conventional enclosed mall.
Cinema and entertainment · 2007
Sundance Cinemas 608
Sundance Cinemas 608 was a six-screen theater opened at Hilldale in 2007 as the first national location of the Sundance Cinema concept. It emphasized independent, documentary, and foreign-language films. After the Sundance chain was sold to Carmike and Carmike was acquired by AMC, the venue operated as AMC Dine-In Madison 6 before closing in 2022.
Marketing campaigns
- 1983Brat Fest at Hilldale
Madison, Wisconsin
From 1983 through 2004, part of Hilldale’s parking lot was converted during Memorial Day weekend into a grilling and seating area for the event that became Brat Fest.
Outcome. The event outgrew the parking lot and moved in 2005 to Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center.
Brand decisions
2017
Rebrand the cinema as AMC Dine-In Madison 6Generation changeBackground
Following Carmike Cinemas’ acquisition by AMC Theatres, the former Sundance cinema at Hilldale was integrated into AMC’s operating portfolio.
Action taken
The theater adopted the AMC Dine-In Madison 6 name.
Aftermath
The venue continued operating under AMC until its closure in 2022.
2012
Acquire Hilldale through WS DevelopmentM&ABackground
The property was reported to be in foreclosure in 2011, with a sheriff’s sale scheduled.
Action taken
WS Development purchased the shopping center in May 2012.
Aftermath
WS Development converted much of the center from an enclosed format to an open-air lifestyle-center configuration.
2007
Launch Sundance Cinemas 608Product launchBackground
Sundance Group selected Hilldale for the first national location of its Sundance Cinema concept.
Action taken
A six-screen theater opened on May 11, presenting independent, documentary, and foreign-language films.
Aftermath
The theater later changed ownership through the sale of Sundance Cinemas to Carmike and Carmike’s acquisition by AMC, before closing in 2022.
2006
Redevelop Hilldale as a larger mixed-use retail destinationStrategyBackground
After Joseph Freed and Associates acquired the property in 2004, Hilldale was positioned for a substantial redevelopment intended to broaden its physical and commercial offer.
Action taken
The project added two multilevel parking ramps, freestanding shops and restaurants, townhouses, and refurbished interior areas.
Aftermath
The redevelopment expanded Hilldale beyond a traditional enclosed mall and created the basis for its later lifestyle-center positioning.
Sources2 sources
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