America's 10 Best Outdoor Malls For The Ultimate Shopping Expeirence

The news stories surrounding shopping malls aren't great these days. Often, the shopping mall, which was once a pinnacle of American life, is depicted as "dying," decaying physical monoliths that are slowly giving way to the convenience of online shopping. However, the shopping mall isn't "dying"; it's moved outside the fluorescent lighted corridors and into the sunshine. Outdoor malls are meticulously landscaped shopping bazaars that feature a top-tier lineup of stores and restaurants that share the same space with choreographed fountains and live music on a perfectly manicured lawn.

From coast to coast, cities all over the country have come to embrace the outdoor shopping experience. Whether it's chasing the Hollywood glamour in Los Angeles, taking a gentle stroll through a lush tropical oasis in Miami Beach, or shopping until you drop in a reimagined charming "Main Street" in Bethelam in the heart of the Midwest, the following destinations are not just malls designed for consumerism, but they have elevated the typical shopping experience into a true cultural event. So put on your chic but comfortable walking shoes for a tour of the best outdoor malls in the country.

Situated just a stone's throw from the towering rockets of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, an outdoor shopping mall that feels like a perfectly curated European village in the heart of Dixie. Bridge Street Town Centre is a 550,000-square-foot outdoor shopping paradise that is home to over 80 stores built around cobblestone walkways and lush landscaping to provide an exclusive shopping experience that you won't be able to find anywhere else in northern Alabama.

Bridge Street opened to the public during a time when high-concept, mixed-use "town centers" were being built all over the country, and, much like the outdoor centers that were built during this era, Bridge Street quickly became a hit with Huntsville shoppers. While the tenant mix of this perfectly curated outdoor center consists of mid-priced stores, a number of these stores can only be found here. Bridge Street is the only shopping center where stores such as LEGO, Anthropologie, and Apple, sit side by side under the Huntsville sun; and, in recent years, the outdoor center has expanded its entertainment offerings as well, with the center being home to Main Event, a huge entertainment palace home to laser tag, arcade games, and mini golf; and a Cinemark movie theater that looks like you're entering a Roman coliseum instead of a movie theater. Bridge Street is an outdoor mall where retail therapy meets a sensory-rich environment that is more than a shopping center, but a social gathering spot wrapped in European flair.

In 1923, J.C. Nichols opened the first outdoor shopping mall in Kansas City, Missouri, featuring distinctive Spanish architecture that made Country Club Plaza a center ahead of its time. Flash forward 42 years, and Staley Whitman built a tropical shopping oasis on the grounds of a former U.S. Army barracks in the serene beach enclave of Bal Harbour. That shopping center was named Bal Harbour Shops, and today, the outdoor mall stands as a defiant sanctuary of style. Because South Florida is hot and humid for most of the year, it would have been easier for Whitman to sell fashionistas on an enclosed mall complete with ice-cold air conditioning. Instead, Bal Harbour Shops was built as a breezy, open-air promenade that feels less like a shopping mall and more like a tropical botanical garden with a strong collection of luxury shops.

In fact, this was the first center dedicated strictly to luxury stores, and as other malls within the Miami area have upped their luxury offerings, Bal Harbour Shops continues to be the premier center where the "theater" of luxury is performed daily. From Bulgari to Valentino, calling the shops at Bal Harbour "stores" could be considered an insult. These are boutiques set within lush, palm-filled courtyards that are filled with koi ponds and waterfalls. No one goes to this lush, luxury haven just to shop; they go to feel like Miami royalty.

In a lot of ways, Santana Row can be considered the "living room" of Silicon Valley, with a decor of sleek, modern, sun-drenched architecture lined with perfectly manicured palm trees matching the area's tech-rich landscape. Sitting on the edge of San Jose, Santana Row isn't just a shopping center to separate consumers from their hard-earned money. It's a social gathering place, with the scent of expensive espresso filling the region's comfortable Mediterranean air. The upscale shopping center was named after Frank N. Santana, who served in the city's planning commission in the 1950s, a time when the shopping mall was coming into full bloom.

The land Santana Row occupies now was once the Town and Country Village, which, fun fact, was the site of the first Chuck E. Cheese restaurant. After surviving what could have been a devastating fire, Santana Row opened to the public in 2002, with its "village within a city" design attracting widespread praise. And, who could not love this sun-splashed outdoor shopping haven? Santana Row is the place to "see and be seen," with a store and restaurant lineup to match. You want chic athletic wear? Lululemon has you covered. Looking for a cute restaurant for a fabulous outdoor brunch? Meso Modern Mediterranean offers a sublime environment, complete with modern Mediterranean fare. Santana Row is a shopper's dream, a pedestrian utopia in a part of California that's dominated by suburban car culture. Santana Row changed this a bit, with a walkable outdoor mall that brings a kinetic energy an indoor mall wishes it had.

The soul of Boston is a mix of revolutionary grit and polished brick, with each brick telling a part of America's story. When you walk into Faneuil Hall Marketplace, that soul puts on its walking shoes and grabs a lobster roll. You would be hard-pressed to find another outdoor shopping area that is steeped in so much history as Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which opened in 1742 near America's oldest public park, Boston Common, and is sometimes referred to as the "Cradle of Liberty." The Marketplace sprawls across four historic buildings that are older than some U.S. cities. Start your historic shopping journey at the Quincy Market Colonnade, a shopping promenade housed in a Greek Revival building that's home to one of the best food halls in the nation.

It's a place where the fresh aroma of clam chowder and lobster rolls battle to win over the taste buds of shoppers. After you've gotten your fill of great New England cuisine, head over to the Historic Assembly, which is separated between the North and South Market that flank the central hall. The Assembly is home to a quaint mix of local boutiques and national brands. For a small break in the shopping action, head to The Promenade, open-air walkways that are home to street performers, musicians, and magicians. You never know what kind of performance you're going to run into in The Promenade. Finally, wrap up this shopping trip at Faneuil Hall, a historic meeting hall that's filled with Colonial history.

In 1999, Easton Town Center ushered in a new era for the American shopping mall, one that moved away from indoor monoliths to outdoor promenades that feel less like traditional shopping malls and more like a carefully preserved American village. Instead of walkways brought to life by a skylight, this outdoor center has manicured brick pathways to give a modern retail experience that doubles as the heartbeat of Columbus' retail and social scene. It wouldn't be a stretch to call Easton Town Center, situated not far from one of the Midwest's liveliest downtowns with an artsy aura, a "town within a city," with stores fronting tree-lined streets, numerous hidden squares, and a town square atmosphere that encourages hours of wandering and exploring as much as it encourages spending.

With the opening of Easton Town Center came retail stores that are exclusive to the Columbus retail market. This outdoor mall is home to luxury stores such as Gucci, Tiffany & Co., and Louis Vuitton, mixed together with first-to-market retailers like Apple and Crate & Barrel. Easton Town Center also has a bountiful array of restaurants serving every single cuisine you can think of, from authentic Mexican at Dos Hermanos to a late-night slice of pizza at Mikey's Late Night Slice. As a hub for Columbus' social scene, there are also several great entertainment venues, from trying to find a way out at The Escape Room, exploring the world of LEGOs at LEGOLAND Discovery Center, and, for a nightcap, grabbing a cold beer and doing the two-step at PBR Cowboy Bar.

Right in the heart of the high-speed sprawl of Los Angeles sits The Grove, a mid-century fever dream at the intersection of 3rd and Fairfax that basks in the golden glow of the Southern California sun. When you first set foot onto The Grove, it will feel like you're crossing a velvet rope into a cleaner version of the 1940s, complete with cobblestone streets, polished storefronts, and a double-decker green trolley that rolls gently along the tracks, offering refreshing respite for weary shoppers after a full day of walking. Part of the historic Farmers Market, one of L.A.'s oldest tourist attractions, The Grove opened in 2002 and has quickly become the hip place to see and be seen in Los Angeles.

The heartbeat of The Grove is the perfectly choreographed fountain, which dances every hour on a rotating playlist of old-school show tunes. While some people can see the fountain as a bit kitschy, there is something truly charming and relaxing about watching the fountain dance to Frank Sinatra songs. While The Grove is situated within the revived Original Farmers Market, the outdoor shopping center is home to several high-end retail stores such as Ray-Ban and Nordstrom, which makes The Grove the perfect place to be "spotted in the wild." This is a place where influencers stage the perfect photo shoot against the backdrop of the stunning Art Deco architecture, watch tourists marvel at the lack of humidity, and spot celebrities. This is an outdoor mall built on the "experience," with the tapestry of Los Angeles all coming together in a controlled, curated experience that other shopping areas would dream to have.

Dallas is a city of shopping malls, all competing with each other for the almighty shopping dollar. But if there is one mall that stands out from all the others, it's Highland Park Village, which feels a lot less like an outdoor shopping mall and more like a fancy home designed complete with a Mediterranean courtyard and bougainvillea drapes. Highland Park Village is an ode to "Old Money," an outdoor center that was built in 1931 as the nation's first self-contained shopping center. Named after the suburb it's situated in, outsiders would think that Highland Park Village would be another cookie-cutter, suburban strip mall; but once you enter, you'll feel like you're being transported into a lush, Spanish Mediterranean village with a Texas twang.

The architecture of this center is truly spectacular, with terracotta roof tiles that provide the perfect deep burnt orange glow under the Texas sun. With its azulejo tiles and wrought-iron balconies that overlook the perfectly manicured walkways, you can be forgiven if you feel like you're shopping on Barcelona's famous Passeig de Gracia rather than a suburban outdoor shopping center in north Texas. It's not just the stunning architecture that will make you feel this way, but also the center's store directory. You don't come to Highland Park Village for bargains; you come here to shop for a legacy. With chic, high-fashion retailers such as Miu Miu and Chanel, mixed in with niche luxury retail stores such as Miron Crosby, this is the place you come to feel a little bougie for a day.

Few cities in the world possess the climate that San Diego is blessed with. Sunny most of the time, with comfortable temperatures and little humidity, the Southern California metropolis is the envy of cities all over the world. This is the perfect city to shop outdoors, and the premier place for it lies in the heart of Mission Valley: Fashion Valley, an upscale shopping paradise within a paradise.

Opened in 1969, this shopping monolith covers over 1.7 million square feet of land on the floor of Mission Valley, making it the largest mall in San Diego; however, it doesn't feel like a traditional suburban shopping mall. Fashion Valley is a perfectly landscaped shopping promenade where the salt-tinged ocean breeze of the coast flows through the corridors of high-end stores such as Prada, framed with lush tropical palm trees. The atmosphere is what makes Fashion Valley the iconic outdoor shopping mall that it is, with its alfresco architecture and airy transparency making the shopping experience a relaxed, leisurely activity instead of a hurried necessity. The open-air concept keeps shoppers firmly connected to the San Diego sky, capturing the luxury sophistication of Southern California without the pretentiousness. In a lot of ways, Fashion Valley is a mirror image of the city it's located in, and visiting is one of the best things to do while in Southern California. 

All across the country, abandoned indoor malls wilt under the sun, lifeless monuments to the consumerist palaces of yesteryear. North Hills Mall was destined to be on this path when it closed in 2003, but something remarkable happened. Instead of becoming an indoor corpse, it sprouted into one of the premier examples of how to transform a mid-century indoor mall into a thriving, vibrant mixed-use development. Today, North Hills is basically a "city within a city," basking in the glow of the Carolina sun as an open-air sanctuary where luxury meets Southern charm.

Gone are the dated, fluorescent corridors of the old mall, and in its place are lush commons that are greeted by a mix of sophisticated boutiques and shaded plazas, with the center broken up into four distinct districts: Main, Lassiter, Innovation, and Park. The Main District is where you find the open-air shopping center sitting on the bones of the old North Hills Mall. This was the first to be built, with mid-priced familiar chains such as Target operating in a more inviting, airy space that feels curated yet lived in. Sitting beside the Main District is the Lassiter District, home to a large Total Wine & More, and cute, local boutiques such as Voda that make shopping charming, with the Park and Innovation districts continuing the area's shiny new glass skyscrapers. The Old North Hills was needed for its time, a place for shoppers to duck the sweltering Southern humidity in the hopes of finding great deals. But its time has passed, and now, the new North Hills offers something different: a refined slice of the modern South.

On the fringe of the Pacific Ocean sits an open-air mall that is the king of them all. Ala Moana Center is a lot more than a collection of shops and restaurants; this is a temple of commerce, Hawaiian style. It may not jump out at you at first glance, but when you enter Ala Moana Center, you're entering the world's largest open-air shopping center, taking up a staggering 2 million square feet of prime Honolulu real estate, nestled on the outskirts, within walking distance from the crowds of Waikiki. Whatever store you're looking for, Ala Moana has it. On a budget but still want trendy fashion? Target and Ross Dress for Less are both here. Or, you want something a little bit more luxurious? This mall has you covered as well with anchors such as Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. In all, Ala Moana has more than 350 stores and restaurants for every budget, so no one feels excluded here.

Being located in paradise, Ala Moana takes full advantage of the climate, offering a shopping experience that trades in the claustrophobic nature of indoor malls for beautifully sun-drenched concourses with palm trees swaying steadily in the trade winds. This is an outdoor mall that allows you to breathe in the tropical air while engaging in retail therapy or just hanging out with friends. Not only is Ala Moana a shopping palace, but it's also one of the main social heartbeats for Honolulu, a place where you can go for brunch with friends at one of the mall's numerous restaurants, or take in a live hula performance at the storied Centerstage venue. Ala Moana is a place where the Hawaiian spirit and culture are celebrated.

Finding the 10 American outdoor malls that will create a shopping experience like no other took a lot of research, with the primary focus of this story looking at outdoor centers that contain retail diversity, diverse architecture and ambiance, and experience and lifestyle amenities that one can't find at an indoor mall.