Sherman Oaks Galleria

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Lore & Background

The Galleria became famous in the early 1980s as being the center of the teenage mall culture and a well-known teenage hangout. Following on the popularity of the "Valley Girl" song, the TV show Real People hosted an Ultimate Valley Girl competition (referred to as "a nightmare" by contest judge Moon Zappa) at the Galleria. The 1990s saw business at the Galleria decline. In January 1994, the mall closed for 11 days for repairs following the Northridge earthquake. Although the mall reopened quickly, Robinson-May didn't re-open its south wing store for four years following the earthquake, and many smaller stores on that floor closed. Mall management sued to evict Robinson-May in 1998; R-M countersued. Closures continued through the 1990s until a gift and jewelry shop was one of the few remaining stores in 1999. The mall closed in April 1999 for a major renovation and reopened in 2002 as an open-air center. The only remnant of the original mall is the court where the Pacific 16 Theatres is located, which are on the uppermost of what was previously the southern Robinsons-May store. The majority of the remaining mall was turned into offices. In June 2007, the Pacific Galleria 16 Theaters changed into an ArcLight Cinemas. In April 2021, Pacific Theatres & ArcLight Cinema declared they would not reopen any of their 18 locations following the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2022, it was announced that Hertz Investment Group would move its headquarters to the Galleria.

In Their Own Story

The Galleria was featured in scenes in several films: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Valley Girl (aerial, exterior shots), Night of the Comet, Commando, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Albert Brooks' Mother, Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge, Walk Like a Man (1987), Innerspace, Chopping Mall, and scenes for the 2011 release Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Reader's Guide

The three-level mall was built on the site of Moses Sherman's original 1911 thousand-acre investment in the area, at the present-day intersection of Ventura and Sepulveda boulevards. Pacific Theatres' Pacific 4 opened in December 1980, and occupied the uppermost level of the mall. In 1993, Robinsons and May Company merged, forming Robinsons-May. Both stores in the mall were converted to Robinsons-May, the north store becoming a Men's and Home store, and the south store becoming a Women's and Children's store. The remodeling and new construction were designed by Gensler and built by Peck/Jones Construction, which in 2005 filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Additional tenants include 24 Hour Fitness, Burke Williams Day Spa, DSW Shoe Warehouse, DeVry University, Paul Mitchell, as well as several major restaurant chains, including Cheesecake Factory, P. F. Chang's China Bistro, Buffalo Wild Wings, Starbucks & Frida Mexican Cuisine. Warner Bros. set up offices in what was once one of the mall entrances. Several mortgage companies and financial services providers are headquartered within the center.

Did You Know?

• The mall opened on October 30, 1980 with two department stores: Robinsons and May Company.
• The 1982 song 'Valley Girl' by Frank Zappa and Moon Zappa mentions the Galleria by name, though it does not misattribute its location; the song's lyrics reference the mall without stating it is in Encino.
• The mall closed in April 1999 for a major renovation and reopened in 2002 as an open-air center.
• In June 2007, the Pacific Galleria 16 Theaters changed into an ArcLight Cinemas, which later closed in April 2021.
• The theater reopened in July 2021 as part of the Regal Cinemas chain with a $10M added IMAX, Regal RPX, ScreenX, & 4DX.