The Ultimate Mall Guide

Jessica Pupillo

With their shops, restaurants and entertainment options, malls have always made a go-to outing for families. Especially when it's cold or the weather is otherwise lousy, enclosed malls offer an outdoor escape and hours of fun. We analyzed and visited all of the area's malls* to bring you this Ultimate Mall Guide. We looked at the number and types of stores, unique stores, entertainment options, sit-down and counter food service, and safety* at each mall.

Click on mall name in the chart below for specific details on each shopping plaza.

Playing

Shopping

Eating

St. Louis Mills

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Features: Ice rink, go-carts, train, skate park, play area and more

Sprout Pic: Best Mall for Family Entertainment

Anchors: Books a Million, Cabela's, Children's Place, Marshalls Megastore, Sears Outlet, and more

Dining: Chevy's, Johnny Rockets, Tony Romas, food court

West County Center

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Features: Play area, Build-a-Bear

Anchors: Barnes and Noble, Dick's Sporting Goods, Macy's, Nordstrom, JCPenney

Sprout Pic: Best Place to Actually Shop

Dining: More than 20 eateries including McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant, Nordstrom's Cafe Bistro, Bravo! and more

Alton Square Mall

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Features: Library, play area

Anchors: JCPenney, Macy's, Sears

Dining: Olga's Kitchen and a few fast-food restaurants

Chesterfield Mall

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Features: Movies, carousel, bungee trampoline, play area

Anchors: Borders, Dillards, Macy's, Sears

Dining: Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen, St. Louis Bread Co., food court

Crestwood Court

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Features: Movies, crafting opportunities, live performances

Anchor: Sears

Dining: Bread and Honey Bakery

Plaza Frontenac

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Features: Movies

Anchors: Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue

Dining: St. Louis Sippery & Cafe, Cardwell's at the Plaza, Canyon Cafe, The Zodiac

Saint Louis Galleria

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Features: Movies, "Bodies the Exhibition"

Anchors: Dillards, Macy's (Nordstrom coming in 2011)

Dining: Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, food court

Jamestown Mall

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Features: Movies, play area

Anchors: JCPenney Outlet, Macy's

Dining: Mar's Best BBQ, O'Pestky's Pub and Grill, food court

Mid Rivers Mall

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Features: Movies, play area, arcade

Anchors: Borders, Dick's Sporting Goods, Dillards, JCPenney, Macy's, Sears

Dining: The Diner at Mid Rivers, Max and Erma's, food court

South County Center

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Features: Play area, The Little Gym

Anchors: Borders, Dillards, JCPenney, Macy's, Sears

Dining: Applebee's, Qdoba, food court

St. Clair Square

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Features: Mini train, carousel

Anchors: Dillards, JCPenney, Macy's, Sears

Dining: Olga's Kitchen, food court

* What is a mall? For the purpose of this guide, we defined a mall as an enclosed shopping center featuring at least one major anchor retail store.

* A Note About Safety: Each mall includes related information about either arrests made from the property or calls police responded to from the property (each call does NOT necessarily result in an arrest). Please note that this is just one measure of mall safety. The majority of arrests made at malls are related to shoplifting, and all malls maintain their own security services.

This article was published October 2010.