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Opry Mills

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Opry Mills
Opry Mills logo
Entry 4 to the mall, c. May 2022
Map
LocationNashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Coordinates36°12′11″N 86°41′34″W / 36.20306°N 86.69278°W / 36.20306; -86.69278
OpenedMay 11, 2000;
26 years ago (2000-05-11)[1]
Renovated2010–2012
Developer
ManagementSimon Property Group
Owner
Architect
  • Cooper Carry
  • Edwards Technologies
  • Scenery West
Stores200+ (at peak)
14 (at peak)
Floor area1,168,641 square feet (108,570 m2)
Floors1
ParkingParking lot
Websitewww.simon.com/mall/opry-mills/
Building details
Interior view (August 2016)
General information
StatusOperational
Construction started
October 1998; 27 years ago (October 1998)
Completed2000
Renovating team
ArchitectCooper Carry
Renovating firmSimon Property Group

Opry Mills is a super-regional outlet mall in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The mall was developed and operated by The Mills Corporation and the Gaylord Entertainment Company (now Ryman Hospitality Properties) until April 2007, when the Mills Corporation was acquired by Simon Property Group. It opened on May 11, 2000, on the former site of Opryland Themepark. The mall is adjacent to the Grand Ole Opry House and the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.

History

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The Picnic Park food court in May 2007, with a carousel that has now been removed

1997–2000: Development and opening

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Further information: Opryland USA

The current site of Opry Mills was originally the Opryland Themepark, a popular theme park which had its grand opening on May 27, 1972. In November 1997, the Gaylord Entertainment Company formed a joint venture with the Arlington, Virginia-based Mills Corporation and announced on November 4, 1997, that the entire property would close for two years for a $275 million redevelopment known as Destination Opryland. The property would include the Opry Mills Mall, as well as a marina on the Cumberland River near the General Jackson's dock, a TNN/CMT broadcast center with studio tours, a renovated Grand Ole Opry House (including a new stage design and new seating), and a revamped Opry Plaza that would feature retail, dining, and entertainment venues.[2] Following this announcement, Opryland Themepark permanently closed its doors on December 31, 1997.[3]

The mall began construction in October 1998, with the demolition of Opryland Themepark.[4] Opry Mills had its grand opening on May 11, 2000.[5] An estimated 100,000 people attended on the opening day alone, leading to approximately $3 million in sales. A survey of 3,100 visitors during the opening weekend (May 11–14) revealed that more than 30% were tourists or conventioneers traveling from more than 50 miles (80 km) away. These opening weekend visitors represented 47 states and 23 foreign countries, which supported Mills and Gaylord's claims that the mall would become a primary tourist attraction for Nashville. Original tenants included Regal Cinemas (operating as Regal Cinemas Opry Mills 20 & IMAX), Saks Off 5th, Rainforest Café, and Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World.[6] The architect for the mall was Cooper Carry, Edwards Technologies, Inc., and Scenery West.[7][8]

2000–2004: Early years

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The Mills Corporation held a 66.7% interest in Opry Mills, and the Gaylord Entertainment Company handled the remaining 33.3% during early operations.[9] In December 2002, Gaylord sold its one-third stake in the mall back to the Mills Corp. for $30.8 million in cash, as well as the assumption of $56 million in debt, giving Mills full ownership of the property.[10] In October 2004, German-based KanAm Grund Group acquired 50% of the Mills' shares in Opry Mills for approximately $158 million.[11] One month later, the mall's Jillian's was converted into Dave & Buster's amid a $47 million acquisition deal.[12]

2007–2018: Simon Property Group

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In February 2007, The Mills Corp.'s portfolio, including its 50% interest in Opry Mills, would be acquired by Simon Property Group and Farallon Capital Management for $1.64 billion, following the rejection of Brookfield Asset Management's offer to acquire The Mills Corp. for $1.35 billion. This was because The Mills Corporation was financially struggling by May 2006.[13] The acquisition was completed in April 2007, and The Mills Corporation was rebranded as The Mills: A Simon Company.[14][15]

2010 Tennessee flood damage

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Further information: 2010 Tennessee floods

Opry Mills temporarily closed in May 2010 after the water from the 2010 Tennessee floods reached as high as 10 feet (3.0 m) inside the mall. The entire property was remediated. In September 2010, restoration work was halted while litigation over insurance claims played out in court, and many of the mall's retailers sought locations elsewhere in the area, either permanently or until the mall was restored and reopened. Notably, in March 2011 and November 2011, it was announced that Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Borders Bookstore would not reopen. B&N terminated its lease, and Borders went defunct in the U.S.[16][17] The initial reopening date was set for August 2011, but that self-imposed deadline was not met due to the litigation.[18] The architect for the mall's reconstruction was also Cooper Carry.[7]

On April 12, 2011, mall officials announced that a financing deal had been reached to resume reconstruction of Opry Mills. In March 2012, Simon Property Group acquired full control of the property's management by buying out Farallon's stake in the Mills portfolio for $1.5 billion.[19] The mall reopened on March 29, 2012,[20] after two years of repairs,[21] with some of the anchor retailers opening sooner. The property was given a facelift during the remediation and a modern relaunch campaign, including a new and modernized logomark, featured upon its reopening. The reopening also included a reorganization of the tenant mix and neighborhoods, converting them into "themed zones" that included Fashion, Children's, and Entertainment.[22]

Simon Property Group had been awarded $200 million in insurance coverage from the flood, but in May 2018, the Tennessee Supreme Court let stand a lower court's ruling that stripped $150 million of that coverage, as the mall had been built in a known flood zone.[23]

2019–present

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In October 2019, new stores arrived at Opry Mills, including Vans Outlet, Helzberg Diamonds Outlet, Samsonite Outlet and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.[24] In March 2020, all Simon properties in the U.S., including Opry Mills, closed temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[25] The mall reopened two months later under strict social distancing restrictions, while also celebrating its 20th anniversary.[26] In September 2020, it was announced that Bed Bath & Beyond would close permanently at the end of the year.[27]

In late December 2025, Fit2 Run (first location in Tennessee), JD Sports, Pono, and Royal Diamonds (first location in Nashville) opened at Opry Mills, and the mall's Boot Barn was expanded. The Steve Madden store was remodeled.[28] Tennessee's first Slick City Action Park opened at the mall in late January 2026, alongside AJ's Restaurant. Karl Lagerfeld and OFFLINE by Aerie would open at the mall in April and May 2026, respectively.[29]

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Main entrance to Opry Mills before flood in June 2005 (left) and after flood in April 2013 (right)
  • The mall as viewed from the highway - July 2017
    The mall as viewed from the highway - July 2017

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Hartmann, Stacey (May 11, 2000). "Mills CEO hypes mall's fun factor". The Tennessean. p. 1E, 3E. Retrieved September 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Pinkston, Will (November 5, 1997). "Attention, shoppers: Opry Mills wants you". The Tennessean. Gannett. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  3. ^ Snyder, Eric (January 19, 2012). "Memory lane: Opryland timeline, gallery". American City Business Journals. Advance Publications. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  4. ^ "History of Gaylord Entertainment Company". FundingUniverse. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  5. ^ "Opry Mills construction and grand opening". The Tennessean. Gannett. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  6. ^ "30 PERCENT OF OPRY MILLS VISITORS TOURISTS, COMPANY CLAIMS". Nashville Post. May 22, 2000. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  7. ^ a b "Opry Mills". Cooper Carry.
  8. ^ "Opry Mills". Live Design Online.
  9. ^ pdf.secdatabase.com/636/0000912057-01-527781.pdf
  10. ^ "[PDF] THE MILLS CORPORATION" (PDF).
  11. ^ "$158M Buys 50% of Opry Mills". benefitspro.com. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  12. ^ Desgre, Marie (May 24, 2004). "[May 24 - 2:17 p.m.]OpryMills Jillian's to be bought". Nashville Post. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
  13. ^ "Mills to be acquired by Simon and Farallon for $25.25 each". CBNC. February 16, 2007. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  14. ^ "Simon, Farallon bid $1.56 billion for Mills". Reuters. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  15. ^ Pristin, Terry (February 17, 2007). "Simon Property Appears to Have Won Battle for Mall Owner". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  16. ^ "Barnes & Noble wants out of Opry Mills". NashvillePost. March 11, 2011. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  17. ^ "The end of Borders and the future of books". Bloomberg. November 10, 2011. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  18. ^ Snyder, Eric. "Opry Mills mall won't reopen for at least a year, owner says", "Nashville Business Journal", September 16, 2010
  19. ^ "Simon Property Group announces two strategic acquisitions". Simon Investors.
  20. ^ "Gallery: Opry Mills Mall before and after". Nashville Business Journals. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  21. ^ "Opry Mills reopens to grand ceremony". WAFF. Huntsville, Alabama. April 23, 2012. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014.
  22. ^ "How Opry Mills recovered from devastating flood". The Tennessean. May 1, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  23. ^ "Court upholds cutting $150 million in Opry Mills flood coverage". The Associated Press. May 22, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  24. ^ Alfs, Lizzy (October 10, 2019). "Opry Mills adds four new tenants to mall lineup". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  25. ^ "Arundel Mills Operator Closes All Locations Across US | WBAL Baltimore News". www.wbal.com. March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  26. ^ Grigsby, Karen. "Opry Mills opened 20 years ago today. Now it's reopening again". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  27. ^ "Nashville Opry Mills Bed Bath & Beyond closing". USA Today. September 22, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  28. ^ "Opry Mills adds seven new stores, including five first-to-market brands". Williamsonsource. December 29, 2025. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  29. ^ "Opry Mills debuts new shops, eats, and Tennessee's first indoor slide park with more coming this spring". SumnerCountySource. April 4, 2026. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
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