 An entrance to the Center; The four W towers face the four compass directions, with the ones most prominent in the picture being west and south. | |
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| Location | 250 Woodbridge Center Drive Woodbridge, NJ 07095 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°33′24″N74°17′57″W / 40.556666°N 74.299213°W /40.556666; -74.299213 |
| Opening date | 1971 (1971)[1] |
| Developer | The Rouse Company |
| Management | JLL Properties |
| Owner | JLL Properties |
| Stores and services | 200[1] |
| Anchor tenants | 4[1] (1 coming soon) |
| Floor area | 1,633,000 square feet (151,700 m2)[1] |
| Floors | 2 |
| Parking | Parking lot with 8,651 spaces[1] |
| Public transit |   NJ Transit bus: 48, 810, 815 |
| Website | www |
Woodbridge Center is a major two-level shopping mall located inWoodbridge Township, in theU.S. state ofNew Jersey, at the intersection ofRoute 1 andRoute 9. As of 2025, Woodbridge Center features a variety of retail stores, includingMacy's,Boscov's,JCPenney, andDick’s Sporting Goods as anchor stores. Additionally,Hollister,ALDO,Skechers, andJD Sports are among the specialty retailers operating within the mall.[2]
The land that Woodbridge Center now stands on used to be the location of Maple Hill Dairy farm and old clay pits.[3] The mall is owned and managed byJLL (Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.).[4] The mall features a fountain, carousel, train ride, and children's play area. Although most malls have afood court, Woodbridge Center's eating establishments are spread throughout the mall with their own individual seating areas and restrooms.[5]
The mall's proximity toStaten Island and the absence of sales tax on clothes inNew Jersey makes this mall, along with nearbyMenlo Park Mall inEdison, a popular choice for shoppers fromNew York City. The mall has gross leasable area (GLA) of 1,633,000 square feet (151,700 m2), making it the fourth largest of allshopping malls in New Jersey, behindFreehold Raceway Mall inFreehold Township,Westfield Garden State Plaza inParamus, andAmerican Dream Meadowlands inEast Rutherford.
The mall was developed by theRouse Company and opened on March 4, 1971, withAbraham & Straus,Ohrbach's, andStern's.[6] In 1978, the mall was expanded with a new wing to includeHahne's andJCPenney.[7] By 1987, the mall got a fresh new look through renovation.[8] The stairwell in the A&S wing next to center court was removed, new flooring was added, new lighting was added, the mall entrances were redone, and the fountains in front of A&S were either changed (the 2nd floor fountain) or removed (the first floor fountains). The Mall's current fountain is on the 1st floor outside of Macy's. (The fountains in front of Lord & Taylor and Sears have been disabled.) In 2003, the mall was expanded with a new 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2)Galyan's, the chain's first location in New Jersey,[9] which becomeDick's Sporting Goods in 2004.[10] Notable department stores that have closed include Hahne's (becameFortunoff nowBoscov's),[11]Ohrbach's (which becameSteinbach and laterLord & Taylor),Stern's (nowMacy's), andA&S (later Sears).[12] In 2024,Express filed for bankruptcy and announced the closure of several store locations, including its Woodbridge Center location.[13]
In October 2007, the carousel ride was relocated near the JCPenney. The train ride was also reconfigured to ensure both rides stay together at the same location. A toddler's play area, "Tiny Town", is located near the carousel and train rides.
Woodbridge Center offers various entertainment options beyond shopping. The mall features aDave & Buster’s, a carousel, train ride, and a children's play area.
In October 2019, Lord & Taylor announced that it would be closing.[14][15]
In February 2020, it was announced that Sears would be closing.[16]
In February 2024, Brookfield Properties sold the mall toJLL Properties.[17]
In November 2024, Accu Reference Medical Laboratory purchased the 124,000-square-foot (11,500 m2) site that had been the Lord & Taylor store, which will be repurposed as a medical lab and offices, bringing 300 employees to the site, once completed.[18]
Typically once a month, the Jersey Shore Toy Show hosts a mall-wide show where vendors can buy, sell, and trade their inventory. The show features 200+ tables of items, including Pokémon and Sports Cards, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh!, toys, action figures, die cast, Funko POP!, and comic books.[19]
On November 4, 1994, a woman was found abandoned at the Woodbridge Center. She had lost her memory and had no idea of her identity. It would be 14 years before she was identified asElba Soccarras.[20]
On March 8, 2012, police shot and killed a shoplifter in the Sears wing who had held a woman hostage.[21]
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