The mall is as much of a community builder as a place to shop

by Maureen Callahan

When Oakbrook Center opened in 1962, it had been specifically designed to give shoppers a park-like setting in the middle of upscale stores. Plots of beautifully manicured lawns surrounded a poured brown stone path. Classic wooden-slat benches offered shoppers a place to pause with the relaxing sound of falling water from the system of fountains and canals that wound through the property. Everywhere was the scent of fresh flowers. Friends and co-workers stopped to catch up as they passed each other on the way to the next department store or boutique.

Oakbrook Center was intentionally designed to be a national model showcasing what a beautiful and unique shopping destination could be. Malls, while becoming ubiquitous to the suburbs at that moment in history—with even greater steam in the 1970s and 80s—primarily consisted of indoor stores crammed together amidst planters of plastic greenery, inescapable food court scents, and Muzak in the background of it all.

“Give the lady what she wants!”

– MARSHALL FIELD

The builders and designers of Oakbrook Center had a much greater vision- to bring to life the biggest shopping center in the Midwest and one of the biggest in the country at the time. But even at 110 acres and over a million initial square feet under the roof of retail space – it was never just about size but also distinctive architecture and an elaborately landscaped plan. They also proposed offering the finest shopping facilities available to consumers anywhere. But that was just the beginning of the distinct, proposed mall.

Shopping finishing touches are being put on, including the installation of the Sears sign.
Photo courtesy of Pleasan Family.

They succeeded! The ground-breaking ceremony on Arbor Day, 1962, saw the beginning of the realization of this vision. Heavy hitters such as Stanley Field, nephew of Marshall Field and Director of Marshall Field & Co., and Charles Kellstadt, President of Sears, Roebuck & Co., as well as Paul Butler and the mayors of Oak Brook and Oakbrook Terrace, were present the day the plot of farmland at the northeast corner of Route 83 and Butterfield Rd., became Oakbrook Center, a new concept to the retail shopping world.

Since the beginning, Oakbrook Center has fulfilled many needs for a town without a central business district. In addition to clothing, jewelry, shoes and other department store finds, the original mall had a Walgreens, as well as a grocery store. Shoppers could drop their cars off for service at Sears while they had lunch at The Magic Pan crêperie or Henrici’s. Banking could be taken care of as well as doctor and dental appointments in the adjacent professional building. Since the beginning, Oakbrook Center has brought community to the town.

There’s an atmosphere about Oakbrook Center that literally reinvented the idea of an urban retail experience. Something about being able to walk outside the entire time one shops offers a sense of freedom. There’s a carefree feeling about floating from department store to boutique to restaurant en plein air.

The seasons were distinct and memorable in the outside setting. Locals recall strolling next to immaculately laid-out tulip beds surrounding the fountains in the spring while shopping for Easter clothes and shoes. This mall was amazing in warm weather, as Wednesday evenings saw entire subdivisions of neighbors sitting together on the grass outside the gazebo – a mall landmark – listening to bands, often locally sourced, but sometimes names as big as Frank Sinatra Jr., as the kids licked oversized Häagen-Dazs ice cream cones. The Father’s Day auto show each June attracted car enthusiasts to wander through rows of shined and polished antique cars displayed on the concourse outside Saks Fifth Avenue.

Anything needed for back-to-school shopping could be found at Oakbrook Center, and everyone knew it. The latest styles and trends were all waiting to be acquired before school opened, complete with fashion advice from well-trained salespeople. The yearly art show brought in artists from across the country to sell unique paintings, jewelry and other one-of-a-kind pieces each September. People sometimes came to walk the mall on warm evenings even after the stores had closed.

Shoppers check out jewelry at an exhibit at
Oakbrook Center in July 1971.
Photo by Quentin Dodt

Shoppers dashed quickly from storefront to storefront in search of holiday treasures – and sometimes had the unexpected luck of finding the perfect gift as they ducked into a store for a brief reprieve on a bitterly cold day. At night, the outdoor mall became a fairyland of twinkling lights all lit up for the holidays. Even window shopping at that time of year was magical, with stores competing for the eye of the passerby through elaborate holiday displays.

While each store had its own brand of panache, the beacon of style, service and elegance was the anchor store, Chicago’s own Marshall Field & Company. Marshall Field himself built a wildly successful business and trained staff to act on his motto, “Give the lady what she wants!” From gifts to wedding registries to special occasion clothing, the iconic department store maintained this reputation during its 152-year run as the classiest of its kind until it sold to Macy’s in 2006.

But Field’s wasn’t the only game in town. The other upscale stores each had their own unique style- Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor, I. Magnin’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bonwit Teller, with its distinct lilac-adorned cardboard shopping bags, hold an infinite number of memories for area residents, with Nordstrom joining the action in the early 90s.

Shopping malls were safe places for middle and high school students to roam around, socialize, and find their tribe before social media. Oakbrook Center was no exception. Middle-aged residents remember the milestone of their first job here at the mall during their high school years, partly because of its accessibility along the Pace bus route. Students forged friendships working side by side with kids from other schools.

Much has come and gone in the five-plus decades since Oakbrook Center opened. Lots of memories have been made here. Oakbrook Center holds many memories in the hearts of area residents who grew up frequenting this shopping center. It truly remains a gem among malls worldwide, with new retailers, restaurants, and other entertainment companies constantly joining the scene.

Oakbrook Center March 4, 1962
Photo from the Chicago Tribune Archives.

1966 Oakbrook Center