Holiday Village Mall
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA two-level shopping mall in Great Falls, Montana, United States.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Holiday Village Mall is a two-level enclosed shopping center in Great Falls, Montana. Its origins date to the mid-1950s, when Don F. Robinson, Theodore J. Mitchell, and John T. Mitchell developed plans for a suburban shopping center serving the Great Falls area. The first tenant, an Albertsons food and drug store, opened in November 1959, and the center held its formal grand opening in January 1960. Early tenants included Hesteds, Rosana, Kops Music Mart, and Holiday Jewelry and Gifts. The property expanded rapidly during the 1960s. An enclosed wing and a 4B's restaurant were added in 1962, followed by a larger Hesteds department store later that year. A further expansion in 1966 introduced a Montgomery Ward department store and service center. In 1967, the center added a Buttrey-Osco food and drug store and a first-run movie theater. A fire temporarily delayed the opening of the new Buttrey-Osco section. Buttreys Suburban, another department-store operation, joined the tenant mix in 1969. Holiday Village Mall's later history has been defined by recurring anchor changes and the conversion of former department-store and supermarket spaces. Hesteds closed in 1975 and was replaced by Herberger's, while J. C. Penney moved into the former Buttreys Suburban location. Macerich acquired the mall in 1979 and renovated it. During the 1980s and 1990s, the property saw the rebranding of Skaggs Drug Centers as Osco Drug, the closure and demolition of the Fox Holiday Theater, the replacement of Buttrey-Osco by Sears, and the expansion of Herberger's. The 2000s brought another cycle of redevelopment. Albertsons closed in 1999, and its former space eventually became a Ross Dress for Less store, which opened in 2007 after delays. Scheels, a tenant since 1968, opened a larger remodeled store in 2007, while its former space was taken by Bed Bath & Beyond. Macerich sold the property to GK Development in 2006. CVS Pharmacy, which had acquired the former Osco Drug operation, closed its mall location in 2009; Big Lots later occupied the space. Sears closed in 2014, and a short-lived Sears Hometown Store operated there from 2015 until 2018. Hobby Lobby and PetSmart subsequently moved into portions of the former Sears space, while Harbor Freight Tools entered part of the former Herberger's area in 2019. The mall's tenant base has continued to evolve in response to changes in American department-store and specialty-retail markets. Bed Bath & Beyond announced the closure of its Holiday Village Mall store in 2023. The property remains an active regional shopping destination, anchored by Big Lots, Harbor Freight Tools, Hobby Lobby, JCPenney, PetSmart, Ross Dress for Less, and Scheels, according to the referenced encyclopedia material.
History
Holiday Village Mall was conceived in 1956 by Don F. Robinson, Theodore J. Mitchell, and John T. Mitchell as a shopping center for Great Falls, Montana. Its first store, an Albertsons food and drug operation, opened in November 1959. The center's formal grand opening followed in January 1960, with early tenants including Hesteds, Rosana, Kops Music Mart, and Holiday Jewelry and Gifts. The property developed into an enclosed mall through several expansions. In September 1962, an enclosed wing and a 4B's buffet restaurant were completed. A larger Hesteds department store opened two months later. Construction began on another expansion in February 1966, and the completed section added a Montgomery Ward department store and service center. A third expansion followed in 1967, bringing a Buttrey-Osco food and drug store and a 796-seat first-run movie theater. A fire damaged the new Buttrey-Osco store and briefly postponed the opening of that section. Buttreys Suburban opened in July 1969. Anchor turnover became a recurring feature of the mall's history. Hesteds announced its closure in November 1975, and Buttreys Suburban followed in 1976. Herberger's took the former Hesteds space, while J. C. Penney moved into the former Buttreys Suburban location. Macerich acquired Holiday Village Mall in 1979 and renovated it. Skaggs Drug Centers' pharmacy operation became Osco Drug in 1985 following corporate changes involving American Stores and Jewel Companies. The Fox Holiday Theater closed in January 1989 and was demolished in October 1990, with the site converted to additional parking. Buttrey-Osco announced its closure in 1989. Sears subsequently relocated from downtown Great Falls into the former supermarket location in late 1991. Herberger's expanded during the same period after acquiring lower-level space from Big Bear Sports Centers. The next decade brought further departures. Montgomery Ward announced in January 1999 that it would close after 33 years at the mall. Albertsons, the center's original tenant, announced later that year that it would leave. Herberger's planned a move into the vacant Montgomery Ward space in 2000. Osco Drug considered moving to a freestanding location but later abandoned those plans. After Albertsons' departure, Ross Dress for Less was selected for the former supermarket space and eventually opened there in April 2007. Scheels, which had operated at the mall since 1968, announced an expansion project in 2005. The initial proposal called for a new building on the former Herberger's site, but the plan was revised to remodel the vacant space. The larger Scheels store opened in February 2007, and Bed Bath & Beyond filled the former Scheels location in October of that year. Macerich sold the mall to GK Development in July 2006. CVS Pharmacy, which had acquired Osco Drug from Albertsons in 2005, closed its mall store in 2009 after opening a nearby freestanding location. Big Lots later replaced the CVS operation, opening in November 2011. Sears announced its closure in 2014. A Sears Hometown Store opened in November 2015 but closed in 2018. Hobby Lobby and PetSmart moved into the former Sears space in early 2017. The Bon-Ton announced in 2018 that its Herberger's subsidiary would liquidate all stores, and Harbor Freight Tools subsequently occupied part of the former Herberger's area in January 2019. Bed Bath & Beyond announced the closure of its mall store in 2023. Holiday Village Mall remains an active retail property with a changing mix of national chains and regional shopping services.
- 2007
Scheels opens a larger store
[1]Scheels opens its remodeled, larger mall location.
- 2006
GK Development becomes owner
[1]Macerich sells the shopping center to GK Development.
- 1979
Macerich acquires and renovates the mall
[1]Macerich acquires Holiday Village Mall and undertakes renovations.
- 1967
Food, drug, and cinema additions
[1]A Buttrey-Osco store and a 796-seat movie theater are added.
- 1966
Montgomery Ward expansion opens
[1]A new expansion adds Montgomery Ward and a service center.
- 1962
First enclosed expansion
[1]An enclosed wing, a 4B's restaurant, and a larger Hesteds store are added.
- 1960
Formal grand opening
[1]Holiday Village Mall holds its formal grand opening in January.
- 1959
First Albertsons store opens
[1]The first store at the shopping center opens in November.
- 1956
Shopping-center plans are conceived
[1]Don F. Robinson, Theodore J. Mitchell, and John T. Mitchell develop the idea for Holiday Village Mall.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping center serving Great Falls and surrounding communities through a diversified mix of department stores, off-price retail, specialty stores, home and hobby merchandise, sporting goods, pet supplies, and tools.
Sporting goods and outdoor retail · 1968
Scheels
A major sporting-goods anchor that has operated at Holiday Village Mall since 1968. Scheels moved into a larger remodeled space in 2007, strengthening the mall's role as a destination for sporting equipment, outdoor products, apparel, and related merchandise.
Department store
JCPenney
A department-store anchor serving apparel, accessories, home goods, and general merchandise. J. C. Penney moved into the former Buttreys Suburban location during the 1970s anchor reshuffle.
Off-price apparel and general merchandise · 2007
Ross Dress for Less
An off-price retailer occupying the former Albertsons space. Its opening followed Albertsons' departure and was delayed before the store finally began operating in April 2007.
Arts, crafts, and home décor · 2017
Hobby Lobby
A specialty retailer of craft supplies, fabrics, seasonal merchandise, home décor, and hobby products. Hobby Lobby moved into part of the former Sears space in early 2017.
Pet supplies and services · 2017
PetSmart
A pet-products retailer offering food, supplies, and related services. PetSmart joined the mall's tenant mix in early 2017 as part of the reuse of the former Sears area.
Tools and hardware · 2019
Harbor Freight Tools
A tools and hardware retailer that opened in a portion of the former Herberger's building in January 2019.
Discount general merchandise · 2011
Big Lots
A discount retailer that replaced the former CVS Pharmacy location in November 2011, adding general merchandise, home products, consumables, and seasonal goods to the mall's offering.
Brand decisions
2006
Sale from Macerich to GK DevelopmentM&ABackground
Macerich had owned and renovated the property after acquiring it in 1979.
Action taken
Macerich sold Holiday Village Mall to GK Development.
Aftermath
GK Development became the mall's owner; no further ownership details are provided in the reference material.
2005
Scheels expansion planStrategyBackground
Scheels had operated at the mall since 1968 and sought a larger store to support its expanding sporting-goods business.
Action taken
The initial plan to build on the former Herberger's site was changed to a remodeling project using the vacant building.
Aftermath
The remodeled, larger Scheels store opened in February 2007, and the former Scheels space was later occupied by Bed Bath & Beyond.
Sources2 sources
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