Tysons Galleria: origins of a fashion and retail landmark
The land that became Tysons Galleria was contested before it was even paved, with a 1963 zoning fight shaping what could rise on the Tysons II tract and who would profit from it.
Developers Lerner Enterprises and its partners secured the property after The Rouse Company lost its bid to build high-rises there, a dispute that dragged on until a final transfer.
In 1981, Lerner bought out its partners for $21 million, clearing the way for a major project across from Tysons Corner Center along Virginia Route 123.
The mall took shape as the retail component of a broader office and hotel plan called The Corporate Office Centre at Tysons II.
Its scale and design positioned it differently from Tysons Corner Center, though the two properties faced each other across the highway in the Washington suburbs.
Anchors were signed early, including Macy's, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue.
The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner rose beside the shopping center, with direct access tying the hotel to the new retail concourse.
The staged opening in 1988 unfolded with Macy's leading the way on September 1.
That day brought an outdoor parade and ceremony in the parking lot, marking the first major tenant in the project.
The full center, branded as the Galleria at Tysons II, was scheduled for October 6 but opened one day later after a permitting delay.
Shoppers entered on October 7, 1988, walking into an enclosed mall designed for fashion and luxury retail.
The twin anchors, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, joined Macy's to complete the lineup.
The debut established Tysons Galleria's presence as part of the larger Tysons II vision, alongside its corporate offices and the Ritz-Carlton connection.
Finding its lane in the early 1990s
By 1992, the polished mall that had opened four years earlier was showing gaps.
Visitors passed shuttered storefronts where leases had lapsed, and some of the names on the directory matched those already trading at Tysons Corner Center across the road.
Reports that year placed annual sales at about $260 per square foot, trailing other large centers in the region.
Pressure mounted on the developers to shift course. In May 1995, Homart Development Company laid out a plan that carried both a new name and a new image.
Tysons Galleria replaced the original branding tied to Tysons II.
The $20 million overhaul promised to reimagine the mall, giving every floor its own theme, pulling in more restaurants, and toning down the bare-bones interior.
The plan was less about widening the cavernous concourse and more about creating the intimacy of a European street.
The pace faltered in early 1996 under permit and scheduling setbacks. Construction teams worked in increments while owners decided which elements of the remodel would advance.
Signs of motion came in lighting and finishes and storefront tweaks, though the heavy work of the remodel was still stalled.
Neither fully past nor fully future, the center moved with its struggles toward the vision Homart had published.
Late 1990s to early 2000s: big draws and resets
In October 1994, a new draw opened inside Tysons Galleria when FAO Schwarz introduced a two-level store of more than 40,000 square feet.
By May 1995, coverage noted its arrival as one of the few large-format retailers added during that period.
The toy chain brought oversized stuffed animals, elaborate displays, and its recognizable branding to the concourse, giving the property a new kind of traffic that smaller fashion boutiques could not match on their own.
The momentum did not hold. On November 19, 2001, Right Start announced it would acquire a portion of FAO Schwarz.
Stores excluded from the deal were slated to close after the holiday season, and Tysons Galleria was listed among them alongside Georgetown Park.
The closing underlined how even marquee attractions struggled with national chain restructuring, leaving large gaps in the leasing plan just as the mall was trying to maintain its higher-end image.
Another experiment followed a few years later. In May 2004, Tiffany & Co. launched a new brand called Iridesse, focused entirely on pearls.
Tysons Galleria was named as the first site in the chain and opened on October 8, 2004.
The shop carried strands, earrings, and other jewelry in a format that Tiffany promoted as distinct from its core stores.
2010s ownership and anchor changes
On August 28, 2018, Brookfield Property Partners completed a $15 billion acquisition of General Growth Properties.
Tysons Galleria was included in the transaction and transferred into Brookfield's retail portfolio, placing oversight of leasing and redevelopment under new management.
In January 2019, Macy's announced the closure of its Tysons Galleria store.
The anchor, operating since the mall's 1988 debut, entered clearance sales that winter and vacated the building later in the year.
The exit left Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue as the two remaining original anchors.
Brookfield had acquired the Macy's parcel in 2016, securing 2.6 acres and the multi-level box.
With the closure complete, Brookfield advanced a redevelopment plan that divided the former department store into multiple spaces.
Concepts under review included home furnishing showrooms, restaurant tenants, and entertainment venues.
The strategy moved away from reliance on a single anchor and toward a diversified mix of uses.
2021–2022: former Macy's wing rebuilt as a multi-tenant zone
By 2021, Brookfield was working to reinvent the Macy's space with a different slate of tenants.
Arhaus, which had been housed at Tysons Corner Center, chose the moment to open a bigger showroom within Tysons Galleria.
The relocation underscored the mall's pivot from department store anchors to brands centered on home and lifestyle.
Entertainment became part of the plan as well. Bowlero Tysons debuted on October 16, 2021, occupying two levels of the redeveloped wing.
Once devoted to shopping, the site was reconfigured with bowling, games, dining, and rentable event space.
Press releases and news stories described the opening as a major chapter in turning the box into a more diverse attraction.
By early 2022, additional tenants were confirmed.
On March 17, 2022, Crate & Barrel and its sister brand CB2 opened new showrooms in the same wing, bringing in more home furnishings and design options.
Alongside Arhaus, these stores created a concentration of home-focused retailers within the repurposed box.
Reports also noted plans for a cinema to join the lineup, further diversifying the space.
What had once been a single large department store floorplate was reintroduced to shoppers as a series of individual destinations.
2023–2024: food court returns and fast-casual adds
CMX CinéBistro opened at Tysons Galleria on February 2, 2023, after construction delays pushed back its original launch date.
The 44,000-square-foot theater includes eight auditoriums with more than 800 seats, all equipped with leather recliners and Dolby Atmos sound.
Guests can order from a full-service menu and bar, with in-theater dining offered alongside traditional concessions.
Built as part of the redevelopment of the former Macy's wing, the venue brought a large entertainment use into the mall's mix and remains open today as a dine-in cinema operated by CMX.
By July 2024, Tysons Galleria was working to replenish its food court, which had thinned out in previous years, with new fast-casual names.
Rabbit Taco took a spot on the third floor on July 3, serving Mexican street tacos.
The lineup expanded again in August. Char'd opened its doors on August 18, 2024, after first being announced a month earlier.
The halal burger spot added a mix of counter service and dine-in seating, broadening options beyond the standard chains already in place.
Its arrival gave the mall another modern food concept while filling a visible space in the upper concourse.
As 2024 wound down, Scolapasta opened in soft-launch form on November 21 on Level 3, centered on pasta made in-house.
That was the third big arrival in six months of food court renewal.
2025: active buildouts and one major restaurant move
In January 2025, Bowlero Tysons announced it would rebrand under the Lucky Strike Entertainment name.
The venue kept bowling lanes, arcade games, and event space, but the change altered its identity inside the redeveloped Macy's box, continuing the wing's push toward mixed leisure and retail uses.
Luxury retailers used 2025 to manage expansions.
Louis Vuitton and Cartier each operated from temporary third-floor locations while permanent boutiques were under construction nearby.
On August 20, 2025, Maggiano's Little Italy confirmed it would shut down its Tysons Galleria location on September 23. The closure marks the end of nearly thirty years at the mall.
The restaurant is relocating to Tysons Corner Center, where work is already underway on a 2026 reopening.
The move gives up a sizable, high-profile corner of the Tysons Galleria that had consistently pulled in diners.