Janss Marketplace

Janss Marketplace is an outdoor shopping center in Thousand Oaks, California. The property opened in September 1961 under the name Village Lane and is recognized as the first shopping mall established in Thousand Oaks. For many years it was the city's only shopping center, remaining the principal local retail destination until The Oaks opened in 1978. The center was later known as Janss Mall before adopting the Janss Marketplace name. The property combines anchor retail, specialty stores, food outlets, entertainment, and seasonal attractions. Its tenant mix has changed substantially over time, reflecting broader shifts in American retail. Current or recently identified anchors include Nordstrom Rack and Old Navy, while the center also contains specialty retailers, fast-food businesses, neighborhood restaurants, a nine-screen movie theater, and the Conejo Valley Art Museum. The reference material identifies approximately 39 businesses at the center as of 2026, although the precise tenant roster may change. Entertainment has been an important part of the site since its early years. The 854-seat Fox Conejo movie theater opened in May 1963 with a gala premiere of A Gathering of Eagles. The opening attracted entertainment figures including Lee J. Cobb, Barbara Eden, Gary Crosby, and Annette Funicello. The former theater's role illustrates the marketplace's original position as both a retail destination and a community leisure venue. Janss Marketplace has also experienced significant redevelopment and tenant repositioning. In 2015, Sears Holdings transferred 235 properties, including the Sears location at Janss Marketplace, to Seritage Growth Properties. The Sears store was reduced from approximately 171,000 square feet to 68,750 square feet, creating space for Nordstrom Rack, DSW, and Sports Authority. Sports Authority subsequently closed in 2016. Sears later announced in June 2018 that the Janss location would close as part of a nationwide program involving 78 stores; the store shut in September 2018. The former Sports Authority space was converted into a Dave & Buster's venue in 2018. Other notable occupants and attractions have included Toys "R" Us, which closed in June 2018, and the Reign of Terror Haunted House. The haunted attraction occupies approximately 25,000 square feet and operates around the Halloween season. Together with the cinema, restaurants, museum, and retail anchors, these uses give Janss Marketplace a mixed commercial and entertainment profile rather than a purely conventional shopping-mall identity. The center remains a locally significant retail complex serving Thousand Oaks and the surrounding Conejo Valley.

Janss Marketplace began in September 1961 as Village Lane, the first shopping mall in Thousand Oaks, California. Its opening established a formal retail and community gathering place in a city that was still developing. The center was subsequently known as Janss Mall and eventually became Janss Marketplace. Until The Oaks opened in 1978, it was the only shopping center in Thousand Oaks, giving it an unusually central role in the area's commercial life. Entertainment was part of the center's identity from an early stage. In May 1963, the 854-seat Fox Conejo movie theater opened with a gala premiere of A Gathering of Eagles. The event drew actors and entertainers including Lee J. Cobb, Barbara Eden, Gary Crosby, and Annette Funicello. The cinema helped make the property a destination for leisure as well as everyday shopping. In later years the site continued to combine retail, food, and entertainment, including a nine-screen movie theater, restaurants, and seasonal attractions. The center's retail composition evolved as department stores and specialty chains changed their formats. A major restructuring occurred in 2015, when Sears Holdings spun off 235 properties into Seritage Growth Properties. The Sears store at Janss Marketplace was included in that transaction. Its footprint was reduced from approximately 171,000 square feet to 68,750 square feet, with the released space used for Nordstrom Rack, DSW, and Sports Authority. This redevelopment reflected the broader move away from large traditional department-store footprints toward smaller off-price, specialty, and experience-oriented tenants. Sports Authority closed in 2016. Toys "R" Us closed its location in June 2018, and Sears announced that same year that its Janss Marketplace store would be among 78 locations closed nationwide. The Sears store shut in September 2018. Later in 2018, the former Sports Authority space was converted into a Dave & Buster's venue, preserving a substantial entertainment use within the property while replacing a sporting-goods retailer. The modern center is an open-air, mixed-use retail destination with national anchors such as Nordstrom Rack and Old Navy, specialty stores, fast-food outlets, and surrounding neighborhood restaurants. The Conejo Valley Art Museum is also associated with the site. The Reign of Terror Haunted House operates from a roughly 25,000-square-foot space during and around Halloween, adding a seasonal attraction to the year-round tenant mix. Reference material identifies about 39 businesses at the marketplace as of 2026, though tenant counts and individual occupants can change. Janss Marketplace therefore represents both an early suburban shopping center and an actively repositioned local commercial property.

• 2018

  Major tenant turnover

  [1]Janss Marketplaceen.wikipedia.org

  Toys "R" Us closes in June, Sears closes in September, and the former Sports Authority space becomes a Dave & Buster's venue.

• 2016

  Sports Authority closes

  [1]Janss Marketplaceen.wikipedia.org

  Sports Authority closes its location at the marketplace.

• 2015

  Sears property enters Seritage portfolio

  [1]Janss Marketplaceen.wikipedia.org

  The Sears property is included among 235 assets spun off by Sears Holdings into Seritage Growth Properties, followed by a major store downsizing.

• 1978

  The Oaks opens in Thousand Oaks

  [1]Janss Marketplaceen.wikipedia.org

  The opening of The Oaks ends Janss Marketplace's period as Thousand Oaks' only shopping center.

• 1963

  Fox Conejo theater opens

  [1]Janss Marketplaceen.wikipedia.org

  The 854-seat Fox Conejo movie theater opens in May with a gala premiere of A Gathering of Eagles.

• 1961

  Village Lane opens

  [1]Janss Marketplaceen.wikipedia.org

  The property opens in September as Village Lane, becoming the first shopping mall in Thousand Oaks.

A community-oriented open-air shopping and entertainment center serving Thousand Oaks and the Conejo Valley, with a mix of national retail anchors, specialty shops, restaurants, cultural programming, cinema, and seasonal attractions.

• Shopping-center retail · 1961

  Retail stores

  Janss Marketplace provides a multi-tenant retail environment rather than a single proprietary product line. Its identified anchor and specialty tenants serve apparel, off-price department-store, accessories, and general shopping needs. Nordstrom Rack and Old Navy are among the prominent retail names associated with the current or recent tenant mix.

• Food service

  Dining and fast food

  The marketplace includes fast-food businesses and is surrounded by neighborhood restaurants. These food-service uses support the center's role as a local destination and complement shopping and entertainment visits.

• Entertainment · 1963

  Cinema and entertainment

  Entertainment has been part of Janss Marketplace since the Fox Conejo theater opened in 1963. The property is associated with a nine-screen movie theater and later gained a Dave & Buster's venue in the former Sports Authority space, broadening its entertainment offering.

• Seasonal attraction

  Reign of Terror Haunted House

  Reign of Terror is a large seasonal haunted-house attraction located at the marketplace. It occupies approximately 25,000 square feet and operates for tours during and around the Halloween period, giving the shopping center a distinctive seasonal draw.

• Cultural venue

  Conejo Valley Art Museum

  The Conejo Valley Art Museum is located at Janss Marketplace and adds a cultural and exhibition function to the site's retail and entertainment uses.

• 2018

  Replace a former sporting-goods space with entertainmentStrategy

  Background

  Sports Authority had closed its location, leaving a large retail space available within the marketplace.

  Action taken

  The former Sports Authority premises were converted into a Dave & Buster's venue.

  Aftermath

  The conversion increased the property's emphasis on dining and entertainment alongside traditional retail.

  Source

• 2015

  Downsize Sears and redevelop released spaceStrategy

  Background

  Sears Holdings transferred the property to Seritage Growth Properties as part of a portfolio separation involving 235 locations. The existing Sears footprint was considered oversized for the evolving tenant mix.

  Action taken

  The Sears store was reduced from approximately 171,000 square feet to 68,750 square feet, allowing space for Nordstrom Rack, DSW, and Sports Authority.

  Aftermath

  Sports Authority later closed in 2016, while Sears ultimately closed in September 2018. The changes contributed to continued tenant repositioning at the center.

  Source

1. 1Janss Marketplaceen.wikipedia.org