I grew up a Toys R Us kid. No, really! My mom worked at Toys R Us for 29 years and I grew up in that place. My favorite day of the year was “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” when I got to go in with her around 10 p.m. (since she worked midnights). I would work (and play) the whole night and afterwards, I got to pick out a new Barbie doll. It was awesome!
My son, Jordan, never got to experience the joy of Toys R Us, like many of your kids. When the store closed in 2018, Jordan was only two years old and he doesn’t remember the thrill of it. This is why I am so excited to show him the new shop at Macy’s this holiday season.
This year, Macy’s announced that it would offer Toys R Us in-store shops in their stores. Macy’s opened 11 flagship locations nationwide, including one at their State Street location in downtown Chicago. Their other Chicagoland locations include:
- Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook
- Westfield Old Orchard, Skokie
- Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg
- Hawthorn Center, Vernon Hills
- The Promenade Bolingbrook, Bolingbrook
- Louis Joliet Mall, Joliet
- Gurnee Mills, Gurnee
- Orland Square, Orland Park
- Fox Valley Mall, Aurora
- River Oaks Center, Calumet City
The stores range from 1,000-10,000 square feet. Every store has demonstration tables so kids can interact with toys, just as they used to at the previous store. There are also photo opportunities with a life-size Geoffrey, the store’s mascot, who’s sitting on a bench.
Be sure to take your kids and share your Toys R Us experiences with them by using our community hashtag #ShareChicagoParent on Instagram.
