The Mall at Rockingham Park is the largest shopping mall in the state of New Hampshire,[1] with 1,024,171 square feet (95,148.6m2) of floor space. The mall is located in the town of Salem, about 30 miles (48km) north of Boston.[2] The mall is adjacent to Interstate 93 and the former Rockingham Park race track in Salem, and was the state's third shopping mall to be built. The mall now contains 144 stores. The mall is anchored by Macy's, JCPenney, Dick's House of Sport, and Casino Salem. The mall is managed by Simon Property Group, which owns a 28.2% interest. As of March 2015, the mall was Simon's highest grossing center, with annual sales of $2,105 per square foot.[3]
History
The Mall at Rockingham Park opened in August 1991 with three anchors - Filene's, JC Penney and Sears. A fourth anchor, Jordan Marsh, opened in 1994. All Jordan Marsh stores converted to Macy's in 1996. The Mall at Rockingham Park is located close to the Massachusetts state line and draws many customers from that state, because New Hampshire has no sales tax on most goods. Its success caused the Methuen Mall, across the line in Methuen, Massachusetts, to close in 1997.[citation needed] It was replaced with The Loop, a "big box"-style center. The Mall at Rockingham Park also caused the adjacent (and older) Rockingham Mall to convert into a "big box" center, as Salem could no longer support two shopping malls.
In 2006, the existing Macy's anchor store (formerly Jordan Marsh) closed, and the Filene's anchor store was converted to Macy's.
In 2012, Lord & Taylor renovated and converted the vacant Macy's/Jordan Marsh anchor, opening its only New Hampshire store in March 2012.[4]
In October 2015, Dick's Sporting Goods opened on the second floor of Sears, as part of a deal with the company, while Sears consolidated on the first floor.[5][6]
The Sears anchor store closed in 2018.[7][8] A Cinemark Theatres complex opened in 2020 near the site of the original Sears Auto Center, which is separate from the rest of the mall.
All Lord & Taylor stores closed permanently in August 2020, as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]
On July 9, 2025, Casino Salem opened in the former Lord & Taylor building. One week into its operation, Churchill Downs bought the casino and became the majority owner.[10] In 2026, Churchill Downs announced they would be investing approximately $180 million to $200 million in a facelift of the casino building. The new development will feature 825 historical racing machines, 32 table games, a 900 seat live entertainment venue, and additional dining and guest amenities designed to elevate the overall experience. Churchill Downs also announced that Casino Salem would be renamed to the Rockingham Grand Casino. Renovation work is expected to be finished by mid-2027.[11]
The Mall at Rockingham Park has also welcomed an expanded Aerie, now open and featuring OFFLINE by Aerie, the brand’s active wear line designed for real life. Lululemon also expanded its store at the mall.
The center of the Mall at Rockingham Park is a circular walkway on both floors. In the center of this circle, there is a staircase to travel between floors. From this center, there are two major corridors at approximately a 140° angle. The longer corridor, which goes almost due north of the center, leads to Dick's House of Sport at the end, and the entrance to JCPenney partway along the corridor. The shorter corridor leads southeast, with Macy's at the end of this corridor. The central circle also connects to a food court.
Parking and surrounding roads
Route 38 surrounds most of the Mall at Rockingham Park. From Route 38, there are several entrances. Exit 1 northbound on Interstate 93 has a ramp that provides quick access to the mall; southbound, Exit 1 also provides access, but it is not as direct.
Between the mall and Route 38 to the east is a parking lot with two levels. The upper level provides access to all parts of the mall. A smaller parking lot on the southwest side of the mall leads to the southern half; there is another lot north of Dick's Sporting Goods and one east of Route 38 that was intended for the now-defunct racetrack.
Gallery
The mall food court as seen on January 1, 2014. The carousel has since been removed as part of a renovation.
References
↑Rathbun, Robert Davis (September 1, 1992). "Shopping Centers and Malls". Retail Reporting Corporation. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
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