Tile Floors, Long Walks, and the Echo That’s Still There
Valley Mall in Hagerstown still has that long corridor feel, bright tile underfoot, the light spilling down from a run of recessed skylights, and quiet music that breaks only when the space goes still.
It opened in 1974 with 90 stores, anchored by Montgomery Ward, Eyerly’s, JCPenney, and Pantry Pride.
The elevator that once led to a partial second floor with a magic shop, a tuxedo rental, and an arcade called TimeOut is gone.
In its place: a flat, open layout with kiosks framed by fluorescent lighting and white tile squares interrupted by darker bands.
Belk now fills the old Bon-Ton. Sears is gone, but Dick’s Sporting Goods and Meritus Health occupy the shell.
Today it’s Tilt Studio and Onelife Fitness where Macy’s used to be.
But the floor pattern? Still the same. For anyone searching for things to do in Hagerstown, Maryland, the Valley Mall is still open and thriving.
Opening the Doors – 1974 and the Arrival of Indoor Retail in Western Maryland
On August 15, 1974, Valley Mall officially opened its doors.
Developed by Shopco Development Company of New York City, the mall brought something new to Washington County: a climate-controlled, multi-anchor shopping center under a single roof.
It wasn’t the first in the state, but it was the first of its kind for the area, setting the pace for what would become a steady stream of enclosed malls in smaller urban corridors.
At launch, the mall featured six anchor tenants: Montgomery Ward, Eyerly’s, JCPenney, Peoples Drug, Carmike Cinemas 3, and a Pantry Pride grocery store in a nearby outparcel.
In all, there were 90 stores, which placed Valley Mall among the largest commercial hubs in Western Maryland.
Parking accommodated about 5,000 vehicles, a scale that suggested how far people might be willing to drive to reach it.
The early design included a clean rectangular layout with direct interior access to major tenants.
A second floor was added shortly after opening, but only in a partial wing. That level hosted smaller specialty stores.
Moving the Merchandise – 1980s Retail Turnover and Layout Tweaks
By the early 1980s, Valley Mall had already begun showing signs of commercial rotation.
Eyerly’s transitioned into The Bon-Ton within a few years of opening, bringing with it a department store layout that leaned harder into apparel.
Peoples Drug and McCrory’s were still open during that stretch, but their tenure would end in the following decade, replaced by smaller, more modular shops that could be turned over quickly.
The second floor, added shortly after Valley Mall opened, served a distinct purpose during that stretch.
It wasn’t expansive, but it carved out a quieter section of the building, slightly removed, almost self-contained.
Forum posts describe it as home to smaller shops: a Christian bookstore, a tuxedo rental, a music store, and a tee shop offering custom prints. An elevator connected that level to the main floor.
It wasn’t glass or panoramic, just a small box that opened between rows of square columns and acoustic tile.
Out back, the old Pantry Pride grocery store closed and was replaced by Martin’s.
Then Martin’s moved, and Toys R Us took over the parcel.
These shifts didn’t disrupt the main concourse much, but they redrew the edges of how far people walked and what they came for.
Gut and Remodel – 1995 Renovation and the End of the Upper Level
In 1995, the mall took on its most extensive interior renovation since opening. The partial second floor was removed entirely.
That meant no more elevator rides to the upper shops and no more dimly lit walkways leading to tucked-away displays.
Instead, the focus turned to a flattened, one-level layout with broader walk paths and wider storefront openings.
Ceiling lights were updated, and flooring was redone in long bands of polished tile that still define the look today.
There’s no physical trace left of the upstairs stretch, but references to it still show up in older photos and community posts.
That old elevator is mentioned often. People remember where it used to open, what you saw when the doors slid back.
And with the renovation came a quiet shift in pace.
Shoppers didn’t linger as much. They moved in straight lines, passed through anchor points, and left quickly when they were done.
Building the Wing – Valley Mall Expansion and Anchor Moves, 1999–2006
Between 1999 and 2000, Valley Mall in Hagerstown underwent a major expansion that redefined its footprint.
The project added a new wing anchored by Hecht’s department store, referred to in property updates at the time as “Hecht’s Valley Mall”, alongside a food court, Old Navy, and a 16-screen Regal Cinemas.
The new construction aimed to pull regional shoppers in for longer visits.
“Valley Mall expansion 1999” became a phrase used in leasing materials and commercial press, tied to the mall’s bid to keep pace with larger complexes across the state line.
Hecht’s carried housewares, formalwear, and accessories, filling the upper-middle segment that Bon-Ton and JCPenney had already touched.
Old Navy’s arrival drew in younger shoppers, often on quicker trips.
The new food court gave a central spot to what had once been hallway counters, fast food vendors, cookie kiosks, and soda machines now circled by shared seating.
Regal Cinemas became a draw all its own, especially on weekends, and reset the mall’s evening patterns.
In 2003, Sears made its move from Long Meadow Shopping Center into Valley Mall.
“Sears relocation Valley Mall” marked the end of one local retail chapter and the start of another.
Sears took over the former Montgomery Ward site, bringing tools, home appliances, and a warehouse-style layout.
The mall had grown, physically and commercially, but some corridors aged faster than others.
In 2006, Hecht’s at Valley Mall was rebranded as Macy’s.
This change was part of a broader corporate transition following the acquisition of May Department Stores (which owned Hecht’s) by Federated Department Stores (Macy’s parent company).
Federated began phasing out regional nameplates like Hecht’s nationwide that year.
Anchor Turnover and Replacements – 2016 to 2020 at Valley Mall
In April 2016, Macy’s closed its Valley Mall location. That anchor spot sat empty for less than two years.
In December 2017, it was announced that Tilt Studio and Onelife Fitness would divide the space.
Tilt Studio opened in September 2018 with arcade games and indoor attractions.
Onelife Fitness followed in January 2019, turning part of the former Macy’s into a gym with treadmills, free weights, and group classes.
Sears began its own wind-down in mid-2017.
The announcement of its closure surfaced on June 22, and the store permanently shut its doors in September of that year.
In 2020, Dick’s Sporting Goods opened in that same space, bringing outdoor gear and athletic apparel into the former Sears footprint.
The Bon-Ton store, once Eyerly’s, also closed in early 2018. Belk moved in by October that year, restoring anchor density on paper, if not in pace.
Leasing Shifts and Health Care Tenancy – 2023 Retail Exit, 2024 Repurposing
Old Navy announced its exit from Valley Mall on January 22, 2023.
The store didn’t shut down completely; it relocated to a nearby shopping center just behind the mall.
That detail matters. It wasn’t a market departure, but a square footage decision.
Meritus Health opened a full-service medical suite in July 2024 inside a part of the former Sears footprint. The move wasn’t just about walk-in patients.
It added physical therapy, sports medicine, urgent care, and pediatric services to a building that, just five years earlier, sold lawn equipment and work boots.
A family medicine office is expected to follow in 2025.
For Valley Mall, this wasn’t the first adaptive reuse of anchor space, but it was the first time health care moved into a former department store footprint on that scale.
The entrance still feels like a mall. The carpet lines, recessed lights, and corner-mounted security cameras have remained largely unchanged.
But now, instead of price tags and mannequins, there are blood pressure monitors and insurance brochures.
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