Tysons Corner Center
Tysons Corner Center is a large enclosed shopping mall and mixed-use development in Tysons, Virginia, anchored by Macy's, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale's.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Tysons Corner Center is a major regional shopping center in the Tysons area of Fairfax County, Virginia, between McLean and Vienna and approximately 12.5 miles from central Washington, D.C. The property is one of the largest malls in the Baltimore-Washington region and is commonly called “Tysons I” to distinguish it from the nearby Tysons Galleria, sometimes called “Tysons II.” Its scale, location, transportation connections, and history of attracting first or early U.S. stores have made it one of the Washington metropolitan area’s most important retail destinations. The center opened to the public on July 25, 1968, as a 1.2-million-square-foot, one-story enclosed and climate-controlled mall. It was developed by the Lerner-Gudelsky partnership, established by Theodore Lerner and Isadore Gudelsky, following their earlier Wheaton Plaza project. The original complex was intended as a super-regional destination capable of drawing shoppers from across several states. Its initial department-store anchors were Hecht's and Woodward & Lothrop, while Lansburgh's opened in 1969 after a delay connected with a lease and zoning dispute. The completed center contained about 100 specialty stores and was organized around themed interior courts, including the Fashion Court, Fountain Court, Aviary Court, Clock Court, and Umbrella Court. The anchor lineup changed repeatedly as department-store chains were consolidated or failed. Lansburgh's closed in 1973 and its building briefly became a Lit Brothers location before reopening in 1976 as Bloomingdale's first full-line store outside New York City. The mall expanded vertically in 1988, adding a second floor and bringing in Lord & Taylor and Nordstrom. The Nordstrom opening was especially significant because it was the retailer's first location east of the Mississippi River. Woodward & Lothrop closed in 1995; its former space later became a JCPenney store, which closed in 2005. The building was then substantially rebuilt for additional mall space, an AMC multiplex, Barnes & Noble, and Old Navy. During the 2000s, ownership and management changes accompanied a broader repositioning. Macerich acquired Wilmorite Properties, bringing Tysons Corner Center into the Macerich portfolio. The property increasingly emphasized a combination of national fashion, luxury, technology, lifestyle, dining, entertainment, and specialty retail. It became a testing ground or launch location for several retailers, including the first Apple retail store in 2001, L.L.Bean's first full-line store outside its Freeport, Maine headquarters in 2000, Garage's first U.S. store in 2007, and early or first-format locations for brands such as Microsoft and Spanx. Some of these stores have since closed or relocated, but the pattern reinforced the center's role as a high-visibility retail market. Today, the mall contains approximately 2.1 million square feet of retail space across three levels, nearly 300 stores, two food courts, and a 16-screen movie theater. Its anchor and major tenant mix has included Macy's, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, AMC, Barnes & Noble, and numerous specialty brands such as Everlane, Fabletics, Untuckit, Oak + Fort, Intimissimi, Aesop, and Warby Parker. The former Lord & Taylor space has been the subject of redevelopment planning and, according to the supplied reference material, was selected for a large-format Dick's House of Sport project announced in 2026. The center is also part of a larger urban transformation of Tysons from a low-density suburban crossroads into a mixed-use business, residential, hospitality, and transit-oriented district. The Washington Metro Silver Line opened service to Tysons in 2014, with a station near the shopping center. Macerich's broader plans have contemplated new office, residential, hotel, and retail development around the mall, as well as improvements to the existing center. This combination of retail scale, anchor history, transit access, and mixed-use development gives…
History
Tysons Corner Center grew out of the regional development strategy of Theodore Lerner and Isadore Gudelsky, whose earlier Wheaton Plaza project demonstrated the potential of large suburban shopping centers in the Washington area. In 1962, the Lerner-Gudelsky partnership received approval for a major shopping-center project in the Tysons area after a contested Fairfax County vote. The proposed investment was reported at approximately $20 million. The site was then surrounded largely by farms and rural residences, but its position between Washington, D.C., and growing Northern Virginia communities offered an opportunity to create a multi-state retail destination. The center opened on July 25, 1968. The first phase contained roughly 1.2 million square feet and was planned as a fully enclosed, climate-controlled, one-story mall. Only 35 of the planned 100 stores were open on opening day, and two of the three intended department-store anchors—Hecht's and Woodward & Lothrop—were operating. Lansburgh's opened on October 19, 1969, after a delay related to litigation over a lease exchange and favorable zoning treatment. Once completed, the mall included approximately 100 specialty stores, among them Jelleff's and Woolworth's. The original interior was arranged around five themed courts: the Umbrella Court, Fashion Court, Fountain Court, Aviary Court, and Clock Court. Although most of that original design has been altered, some back-of-house infrastructure survives. Escalators associated with the former Lansburgh's building remain in use in Bloomingdale's, and original passenger and freight elevators from the Woodward & Lothrop/JCPenney portion of the complex also remain operational as service equipment. Anchor turnover became a recurring feature of the property's history. Lansburgh's closed in 1973 when its parent company shut the chain. The building was temporarily operated as Lit Brothers from 1973 to 1975 and then underwent conversion into Bloomingdale's. That store opened in 1976 and represented Bloomingdale's first full-line location beyond New York City. The mall also accommodated a broad range of ordinary and upscale retailers, including the Hot Shoppes cafeteria, Woolworth's, Liz Claiborne, and A/X Armani Exchange. A major physical transformation occurred in 1988, when the mall gained a second floor and added Lord & Taylor and Nordstrom. The Nordstrom was the chain's first store east of the Mississippi River, reinforcing Tysons Corner Center's importance as a launch market for national retailers. In 1995, Woodward & Lothrop closed. Its building was converted into JCPenney, which operated until 2005. The structure was then gutted and expanded, creating additional mall levels and space for an AMC 16-screen multiplex, Barnes & Noble, and Old Navy. The property entered another important phase in the 2000s. Macerich acquired Wilmorite Properties, adding Tysons Corner Center to its ownership portfolio. Under Macerich, the mall was repositioned as part of a broader mixed-use strategy rather than treated solely as an enclosed retail box. The center attracted notable store openings: L.L.Bean opened its first full-line store outside its Freeport, Maine headquarters in 2000; Apple opened the first Apple retail store there in 2001; Martin + Osa and Cusp by Neiman Marcus arrived in 2006; MNG by Mango made a U.S. debut in 2006; and Garage opened its first U.S. store at the center in 2007. The property also hosted early or first-format locations for Microsoft and Spanx in later years. Physical improvements accompanied the tenant strategy. The Fashion Court received a glass elevator as part of the Tysons Future renovation program, opening on November 28, 2008. By 2013, the property had been assessed at $1 billion, making it the most valuable property in the metropolitan area according to the supplied reference. The mall's present-scale configuration is approximately 2.1 million square feet on three levels, with nearly 300 stores, two food courts, and a 16-screen cinema. Transportation and surrounding development have further changed the center's role. The Tysons district evolved from a suburban commercial crossroads into a dense employment, residential, hospitality, and retail area. The Washington Metro Silver Line opened to Tysons on July 26, 2014, with a station near the center and additional stations serving the district. Macerich's long-range plans contemplated millions of square feet of new office, residential, hotel, and retail space in and around the property over multiple phases. Retail turnover continued in the 2020s. Lord & Taylor closed in January 2020, and Macerich announced alternatives in December 2021 that included an office tower or a combined office-residential tower with retail space. L.L.Bean closed in January 2022, and its former area was divided into smaller inline stores. Apple relocated to a new mall unit in May 2023, while the center announced a broad collection of new and expanded concepts, including Everlane, Primark, Oak + Fort, Kendra Scott, Dr. Martens, Cotton On, CAMP, and new Apple and Lululemon formats. In 2026, Dick's Sporting Goods announced plans to use the former Lord & Taylor space for a large House of Sport store, indicating a shift from the earlier tower proposal toward a major experiential retail use.
- 2026
Dick's House of Sport announced
[1]Dick's Sporting Goods announced plans for a large-format House of Sport store in the former Lord & Taylor space.
- 2023
Apple relocates
[1]Apple moved to a new location within the center on May 19.
- 2022
L.L.Bean closes
[1]The L.L.Bean store closed on January 17 and its space was reconfigured for smaller tenants.
- 2020
Lord & Taylor closes
[1]The Lord & Taylor anchor closed on January 19.
- 2014
Silver Line opens to Tysons
[1]Washington Metro Silver Line service began in Tysons on July 26.
- 2008
Fashion Court glass elevator opens
[1]A glass elevator opened as part of the Tysons Future renovation and expansion program.
- 2004
Macerich acquires Wilmorite
[1]Macerich acquired Wilmorite Properties and added the mall to its portfolio.
- 2001
First Apple retail store opens
[1]Apple opened its first company-operated retail store at Tysons Corner Center.
- 2000
L.L.Bean expands beyond its headquarters store
[1]L.L.Bean opened its first full-line store outside Freeport, Maine.
- 1988
Second-floor expansion
[1]The mall added a second floor and opened Lord & Taylor and Nordstrom stores.
Products and positioning
A premier super-regional shopping and mixed-use destination serving the Washington metropolitan area, combining major department stores, high-profile specialty retailers, luxury brands, entertainment, dining, and transit-oriented urban development.
Department stores · 1968
Department-store anchors
The center's anchor tradition has included Hecht's, Woodward & Lothrop, Lansburgh's, Bloomingdale's, Lord & Taylor, JCPenney, Macy's, and Nordstrom. The current major anchor identity is associated with Macy's, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale's, supported by a large specialty-retail tenant base.
Fashion, beauty, and lifestyle retail · 1968
Specialty retail collection
Tysons Corner Center houses a changing mix of national, international, contemporary, luxury, beauty, accessories, and lifestyle retailers. Referenced tenants include Everlane, Fabletics, Untuckit, Oak + Fort, Intimissimi, Aesop, Warby Parker, Dr. Martens, Primark, Kendra Scott, and Cotton On.
Food and beverage · 1968
Dining and food courts
The mall includes two food courts and a broader restaurant and dining offer. Its historical food tenants included Hot Shoppes, which remained at the center until 1998.
Entertainment · 2005
AMC multiplex
A 16-screen AMC movie theater was developed in the former Woodward & Lothrop/JCPenney anchor area as part of a major conversion and expansion.
Sporting goods and experiential retail · 2026
Dick's House of Sport
Dick's Sporting Goods announced a planned large-format House of Sport store for the former Lord & Taylor anchor space. The concept is intended to provide a substantially larger sporting-goods and activity-oriented retail format than a conventional store.
Marketing campaigns
- 2014Transit-oriented Tysons redevelopment
Tysons · Northern Virginia · Washington metropolitan area
Macerich's broader development strategy connected the mall with new office, residential, hotel, retail, and transit infrastructure as Tysons evolved toward a more urban environment.
Outcome. Silver Line service opened in 2014, improving transit access while surrounding mixed-use development continued.
- 2008Tysons Future
Tysons, Virginia
A renovation and expansion program aimed at improving the mall's interior experience and integrating it with a broader mixed-use transformation of Tysons. A glass elevator in the Fashion Court opened as one visible element of the program.
Outcome. The program contributed to the center's repositioning as a modern regional and mixed-use destination, although the wider development vision extended over multiple phases.
Brand decisions
2026
Select Dick's House of Sport for the former Lord & Taylor spaceProduct launchBackground
Earlier redevelopment concepts for the vacant Lord & Taylor building focused on office or office-residential construction.
Action taken
Dick's Sporting Goods announced plans to open a large House of Sport store in the space.
Aftermath
The announcement shifted the proposed use toward experiential sporting-goods retail and continued the center's strategy of attracting large, high-profile formats.
2023
Apple relocates to a new mall unitGeneration changeBackground
Apple had operated the world's first Apple retail store at Tysons Corner Center since 2001.
Action taken
Apple moved to a new location within the center on May 19, 2023.
Aftermath
The relocation preserved Apple's presence while allowing a new store format and updated customer environment.
2022
Reconfigure the former L.L.Bean spaceStrategyBackground
L.L.Bean closed its Tysons store on January 17, 2022, creating another sizable vacancy within the mall.
Action taken
Macerich reconstructed the space into multiple smaller inline stores.
Aftermath
The decision supported a more flexible tenant mix and enabled the center to accommodate multiple contemporary retail concepts.
2021
Plan alternatives for the former Lord & Taylor anchorStrategyBackground
Lord & Taylor's closure left a large anchor building in a prominent part of the center.
Action taken
Macerich announced alternatives involving either a 330-foot office tower of approximately 540,000 square feet or a 400-foot office and residential tower, with retail space around the plaza.
Aftermath
The tower alternatives were later superseded by a large-format Dick's House of Sport plan announced in 2026.
2004
Macerich acquires Wilmorite PropertiesM&ABackground
The mall was owned by Wilmorite Properties during a period when Tysons was being planned for substantial mixed-use growth.
Action taken
Macerich acquired Wilmorite Properties and assumed the mall as part of its portfolio.
Aftermath
Macerich pursued a longer-term strategy linking the shopping center with office, residential, hotel, and other retail development.
1988
Expand the mall with a second floorGeneration changeBackground
The original one-story regional mall required additional capacity and a refreshed anchor lineup to maintain its competitive position.
Action taken
Tysons Corner Center added a second floor and opened Lord & Taylor and Nordstrom, including Nordstrom's first store east of the Mississippi River.
Aftermath
The expansion strengthened the center's super-regional role and increased its appeal to national department-store shoppers.
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