What are the opening hours?

Monday 8am - 10pm Tuesday 8am - 10pm Wednesday 8am - 10pm Thursday 8am - 10pm Friday 8am - 10pm Saturday 8am - 10pm Sunday 8am - 10pm

College Grove Center (Marketplace at The Grove)

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San Diego, CA
College Grove Center (Marketplace at The Grove)

The first shopping mall in San Diego and one of the first shopping malls in the US. Opened in 1960, renovated in 1988 and again 2000. 🛒🛍 Penney and J.J. Newberry.

Opened in July 1960, College Grove Center was the first shopping mall in San Diego and one of the first in the United States. Encompassing roughly 635,000 leasable square feet it was initially anchored by the largest Walker Scott store in the county, along with a J.C. In the late 1980's the mall was given a major renovation and renamed Marketplace at The Grove. The renovation added the Mann 9 Theaters in the place of the Walker Scott and The Grove Bowling alley, among other notable anchors. The mall underwent another, more massive, renovation in 1999 that saw everything between the (then) Longs Drugs store and the (then) Grove bowling alley demolished and rebuilt. Wal Mart was added as a major anchor along with Sam’s Club, which took over the area occupied by the Mann 9 Theaters. The center was also given back its original name, College Grove Center, as a part of the renovations.

11/27/2025

: The Rubio's / building (that was a Blockbuster when College Grove Center (Marketplace at The Grove) was renovated in 1989) is the only building on the property that retains the mall's re-design from the 1989 remodel.

All the other buildings either got their own design (Kohl's, Chase, etc.) or were updated (to the 2000 remodel style when the shopping center was renovated in 2000, but this building still keeps the re-design, retaining how the entire mall looked with following the 1989 update.

(A.I. was used to remove vehicles with potential personal information, from the first three photos.)

10/29/2025

"It's a sad thing that happened here." -
Resident speaks to 10News – ABC San Diego KGTV to reflect on the tearing down of the original 1960s structure, as well as the additions made during the 1989 renovation, of "Marketplace at The Grove", in 1999, to make way for a new, big-box/power center type of shopping center, which returned the complex's name back to "College Grove Center".

10/22/2025

3 logos, across 65 years. 1960‐1988, 1988-2000 and 2000-Present.

Which do you like the best?

06/10/2025

The Grove Bowling Center building was added as a part of the 1988 renovations. When the center was renovated again in 2000, it was converted into a 24 Hour Fitness, along with a Subway, Jamba Juice, Verizon and Sushi Restaurant.

Along with the Mann 9 Theatres, the Grove Bowling Center remained open and popular even as the The Grove began to lose other tenants. 🎳🎳🎳🎳

08/18/2024

A pamphlet and gift bag handed out at the March 2000 reopening of College Grove Center (Marketplace at The Grove).

08/11/2024

July marked College Grove Center (Marketplace at The Grove)'s 64th birthday! 🥳🎈🎂🎈 This opening day article was done by the The San Diego Union-Tribune!

08/10/2024

December 16th, 1988, opens as a part of the newly renovated Marketplace at The Grove shopping center! 🎬📽🎟🍿

Address

3450 College Grove Avenue
San Diego, CA
92114

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 10pm
Tuesday	8am - 10pm
Wednesday	8am - 10pm
Thursday	8am - 10pm
Friday	8am - 10pm
Saturday	8am - 10pm
Sunday	8am - 10pm

Telephone

+15629381722

Website

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Grove_Shopping_Center

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