Toys “R” Us has opened a holiday shop at The Mall in Columbia, located at 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway, Space 1780, marking the only Toys “R” Us Holiday Shop in the Baltimore-Washington area.
The temporary store brings the brand’s signature toy selection and family-friendly atmosphere back to the region, featuring a wide range of toys, games, collectibles, and hands-on play experiences.
The pop-up opening follows news that Toys “R” Us plans to launch 10 new flagship stores, including one at Arundel Mills in Hanover, and 20 seasonal holiday shops nationwide by the end of the year. The brand also continues to operate smaller in-store shops within Macy’s locations across the country, including at Westfield Montgomery and Westfield Wheaton malls.
Charles P. Lazarus, a Washington, D.C. native, founded the company now known as Toys R Us. In 1948, he opened a baby furniture store named Children’s Bargain Town. Two years later, in 1950, he added a few select toys to his inventory. It wasn’t long before he realized that toys, unlike furniture, tended to break or quickly fall out of favor with children, prompting him to introduce a larger toy selection while scaling back on furniture.
Over time, the store moved to the Mid-Pike Plaza and later to the far left side of the plaza, remaining in that location until its closure after the 2013 holiday season. Ultimately, Toys R Us shut down all U.S. locations on June 29, 2019, marking the end of 70 years of operations.
