Northbrook Court

History

Northbrook Court originally opened in 1976 with Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, and Sears. I. Magnin opened later on. Homart Development Company a subsidiary of Sears financed the project. Architectonics, Inc. was the architect. The mall featured sculptures created by Charles Owen Perry which were named after historic figures in scientific research (Archimedes, da Vinci, Mercator and Cassini).

Sears closed in 1983 due to the company determining that the store's market too closely overlapped that of the nearby stores at Hawthorn Mall and Golf Mill Mall. It was converted into a prototype for JCPenney that same year, and then torn down in 1995 for a new Marshall Field's (later Macy's). In 1991, I. Magnin closed and was replaced by General Cinema which opened on November 22, 1996, with 14 auditoriums. It was converted into an AMC Theatres in 2002. A free standing Crate & Barrel home store on the northwest corner of the mall opened that same year. Crate & Barrel used to be where Arhaus is.

In 2007, Northbrook Court took down their traditional food court for a unique prototype, which has now failed. Most of the space was reallocated to Forever 21, leaving 4 spots for restaurants, originally housing Chinese Gourmet Express, Tony & Bruno’s, Subway, and Corner Bakery Cafe. A few restaurants came and went over the years and the only restaurant from this original group left is Tony & Bruno’s. The mall now features six sit-down spaces with four occupied currently: NM Cafe (originally named The Zodiac) (inside Neiman Marcus), California Pizza Kitchen, Di Pescara, and an outparcel P.F. Chang’s. The Claim Company and Stir Crazy closed and/or moved.

California Pizza Kitchen opened its doors on Northbrook Court's north side for the first time in August 2010. On May 16, 2014, Arhaus officially opened at the mall's east side.

On May 11, 2019, Macy's announced the closure of their anchor store, which was demolished for redevelopment.

On August 27, 2020, Lord & Taylor announced the permanent closure of all of its stores, as a result of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the end of April 2023, Brookfield Properties showed the new redevelopment plan, which included outdoor shopping in the current Neiman Marcus parking lot, and mixed-use where Macy’s was. No official start date has been announced and redevelopment has yet to begin.{{cite news |last1=Edquist |first1=Kaitlin

On February 18, 2025, Apple announced plans to close its store after two decades. The store closed on April 26, 2025. Along with the closure of the Apple Store, several other notable retailers closed in 2025, such as Lululemon, Forever 21, Sephora, Auntie Anne’s, Louis Vuitton, and the Lego Store.

Anchors

Current

• Neiman Marcus — Opened in 1976
• AMC Theatres — Opened in 2002

Former

• Sears — Opened in 1976, closed in 1983, replaced by JCPenney
• Lord & Taylor — Opened in 1976, closed in 2020, replaced by Shopper's Find
• I. Magnin — Opened in 1976, closed in 1991, replaced by General Cinemas
• JCPenney — Opened in 1983, closed in 1992, replaced by Marshall Field's
• Marshall Field's — Opened in 1995, converted to Macy's in 2006
• General Cinemas — Opened in 1996, converted to AMC in 2002
• Macy's — Opened in 2006, closed in 2019, building was demolished
• Shopper's Find — Opened in 2021, closed in 2022

Location

Northbrook Court is located on Lake Cook Road (Cook County Trunk Highway A50), between the Tri-State Tollway (Interstate 94/294) and Edens Expressway (Interstate 94/U.S. Highway 41). It is approximately 25 miles from downtown Chicago and approximately four to 12 miles from the nine communities that make up the North Shore and is accessible via public transit from them and the City of Chicago. It is only eight miles from Westfield Old Orchard.

Filming

John Hughes, who grew up in Northbrook, and attended Glenbrook North High School, used the mall for his teenage film Weird Science, a movie about two outcasts who create a girl, who in turn helps them stand up for themselves. The side of the mall used in the film for exterior shots is currently a California Pizza Kitchen and the former The Claim Company. The inside of the mall was also used; however, it has changed since the filming.

A scene from Ordinary People was filmed at the mall. Mary Tyler Moore’s character Beth Jarrett is shown shopping at Neiman Marcus and riding the escalator.

Bus routes

Pace

• 213 Green Bay Road (Monday-Saturday only)
• 422 Linden CTA/Glenview/Northbrook Court (Weekdays only)
• 471 Highland Park/Northbrook Court (Monday-Saturday only)
• 626 Skokie – Buffalo Grove Limited (Weekday Rush Hours only)

References

References

1. "Northbrook Court".
2. (28 April 2023). "Northbrook Court developers reveal conceptual master plan to community 'This is the start of the conversation'".
3. "Northbrook Court Directory & Map | Northbrook Court".
4. "Feb 13, 1976, page 55 - Chicago Tribune at Newspapers.com".
5. (July 15, 1983). "Penneys plans Northbrook store". Chicago Tribune.
6. (2008). "Northbrook". Arcadia.
7. (September 21, 1993). "Northbrook Mall To Get Field's". [[Chicago Tribune]].
8. (2006-11-19). "Northbrook Court Store Directory".
9. (2012-07-16). "Northbrook Court - Top Stores, Shops, Brands in Chicago, Illinois".
10. "California Pizza Kitchen Opens in Northbrook, IL at the Northbrook Court Shopping Center".
11. "New Arhaus Furniture Store Opens in Northbrook Court".
12. (May 30, 2019). "Macy's is quietly closing stores — see if yours is on the list".
13. "New Store Fills Lord & Taylor Space at Northbrook Court".
14. (16 June 2023). "Northbrook Court Business District Designation Report".
15. (February 19, 2025). "Another store at the once-popular Northbrook Court mall to close for good".
16. (2025-02-18). "Apple Store Permanently Closing at Struggling Mall in Chicago Area".
17. (January 23, 2025). "North suburban mall sees one of its few remaining stores close for good".
18. "Weird Science".
19. (January 6, 2025). "213 - Green Bay Road | Pace Suburban Bus".
20. (March 28, 2024). "422 - Linden CTA – Glenview – Northbrook Court | Pace Suburban Bus".
21. (August 4, 2025). "471 - Highland Park – Northbrook Court | Pace Suburban Bus".
22. (April 5, 2024). "626 - Skokie – Buffalo Grove Limited | Pace Suburban Bus".