The Merle Hay Mall looked a little depressing. Keep in mind, I am a California resident visiting Iowa for some time. I also happened to visit on Veterans Day. On this day, this was such a depressing mall. There was barely any people for miles (exaggeration). Although there were some employee, the mall almost looked abandoned. They have all the classic essential stores that I love to go though, like Ross, Old Navy, and more that I can't remember because it didnt stand out enough.... read more

It is filthy beyond words. It looks as if it has not been cleaned for years. I've seen nearly abandoned malls that were immaculate compared to Merle Hay mall. I even called the mall office to complain. A robot voice giving no information and then disconnected. If you are looking to get COVID or worse from this clearly neglected mall, with also no apparent security of any kind, please visit. If not, BEWARE and STAY AWAY! read more

Certainly not the busy mall it used to be. 1983 to 2000 when I lived in the area this was the mall to shop at. Younkers, Montgomery Wards, Sears and all the great little boutiques were here. And Bishops was always our favorite lunch spot. Today, 2021 MHM is almost unrecognizable. All the above stores are gone. Kohl's and Target have moved in. Sear is being demolished for a new hockey arena. There are many empty store fronts. Those that are occupied have small companies or ones I have never heard of. Access during Covid is interesting. Some stores can only be entered from the outer doors and others from mall entrance only. A handful are by appointment only. Crazy. But it is clean. Parking, there's still plenty of spaces. read more

They filmed a TV show here, an oldie. "Merle She Wrote." This mall is actually quite large and futuristic, with some pretty cool areas. It seems really clean and well-kept. I was surprised because you wouldn't expect this kind of thing way out in Des Moines but there you go. The Kohl's here is really good, we love the selection, but the star of the show is the food court which has a bunch of locally-owned place, including Maid-Rite, as well as a good Tamale Place and a good gyro place and several others. read more

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Not generally a shopper but this mall is pretty good with a variety of options especially at Christmas time. Nice to go during the holidays.

Your typical every day urban mall. However on this trip the fire alarm was active and we were forced to wait in target. The alarm was over in about 15 minutes then we were able to go on into the play area and then to justice for my daughter to do some shopping. The play place was well-kept and clean my daughter always has a good time there. My preteen daughter went to justice by herself so unfortunately I can't review Justice. She said it was "ok" (to a kid it was probably great, bit what kid shows enthusiasm to a parent that does reviews?) From there I went down to Kohls. The walking path was well-kept and clean. I would rate this trip is a positive! read more

Merle Hay Mall - Shopping Centers Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

If you're looking for an indoor location to relax and get a bit of shopping done, but not looking for a specific store- Then check out Valley West Mall!! A movie theater and brewery (and pretty great food), kids area, Target, smaller and locally owned stores, and a food court all make this mall a bit different than the other malls in the area. It has a shape that doesn't flow as well as newer malls, but it's still a great place to go walk. It's far less busy than other malls, so it also feels less crazy. read more

Lots of interesting unique shops in one place, hard to find elsewhere. Cool RC car place that holds events. Neat movie theater that serves food and drink to your seat. Fun place to visit with friend or significant other :) read more

Who knew that Ben P. and I would come together Yelp-wise in Des Moines Iowa? The Merle Hay Mall has definitely seen better days, but the face of diversity here seems more social/economic, and sometimes with big pick up trucks! There's a Target and an Old Chicago on one end, an "classic" Sears on the other, and a fair amount of lonely mall in between. And when you combine the weird traffic patterns and the sometimes erratic Iowa driving patterns in parking lot snow/ice, hang on tight. read more

A good old Des Moines classic is how I feel about Merle Hay Mall! It's never to busy, (even around the holidays!) It's got Target hooked to it.. It's got a rad brew and view movie theater. It does not feel to fancy. The parking lot is not crazy. It's not to big to get around. It's got everything you would want out of a mall, without the glitz. read more

This is a great mall I have been going to this mall. Since the 80s they have lots of places to shop / look around hang out ETC.

The mall was really busy during the RV show. Good place to shop even though Kohl's and Target are the only anchor stores.

Chris Rock once observed that, for every town that has 2 malls, the malls can be categorized thus: the mall where all the white people shop, and the mall where all the white people USED to shop. Now, in Des Moines, one would think this observation would be invalid. And one would be wrong. Merle Hay Mall IS the face of diversity in Des Moines. As far as shopping goes? Puhleeze. I guess if I wanted a XXXL muscle tee shirt that said "No Fat Chicks" I could probably get one here. There's probably a Spencer's Gifts somewhere. I could get a "Where You At?" cellphone, but I'm not always sure where I am....at. The movie theater is pretty good, and always plays major Hollywood releases, the better to dull the pain that is living in Des Moines. And the parking is ample. So, 2 stars, for Hollywood crap easing the pain of existence, and parking. read more

It's a unique mall to me. I'm not used to seeing popular stores like Target or Kohl's in a shopping mall, so to me it's like one stop shop! It's got a unique food court, too; not just typical fast foods. In the end, the only store I bought anything from was Kohl's. Gotta get me some Hawkeye gear while I'm in Iowa! read more

This is a cool old mall. It is no Jordan Creek modern mall, but it is cool in a way that it has unique shops and a neat food court with BBQ, Vietnamese, Mexican, and other options. It has brew fix also which is a theater you can eat and drink at. Just a fun mall. Worth coming here from time to time. read more

This mall is kind of going downhill. Lots of closed businesses. It's clean and well laid out but it's a bit sad when there are more bared shops than open ones. It looks like with some of the upgrades that look very recent it may help draw new businesses in. I would recommend going during the day. At night it's swarmed with teenagers. And parking is a bit of a nightmare. Overall I prefer driving a little ways further and going to the malls in west Des Moines. read more

As far as the malls around Des Moines go, I only like Merle Hay Mall. I hate packed malls, filled with stores that don't really sell anything interesting or of substance. Merle Hay may not be as crowded, but at least the stores there sell things of substance. For instance, it has MC Sports, Staples, Target, a few shoe stores, Yonkers, Kohls... It has everything I need generally. I find very few times that I need to go elsewhere. And since I live in the area, it cuts down on unnecessary driving. I feel like the mall has been slowly in decline in some aspects for the past ten years, but it's still my favorite mall and it's the only mall at which I will regularly shop. read more

I guess for Des Moines standards, this mall is very middle-of-the-road. It's no Jordan Creek, but it's no Southridge. My evening stroll in the mall introduced me to an interesting layout, where I was made to feel I was finding something new around every corner, and I turned several to get to the other end. There are some vacancies here, but still plenty of stand-bys like Old Navy and Sears to fulfill basic shopping needs. It is undergoing renovation, but parts still look dated. It did not help there was an 80s soundtrack playing while walking the corridors. It felt like a strange timewarp at times lol! Not too busy and centrally located, which are positives. Flix Brewhouse recently opened, which I will definitely check out. I will be back! read more

This mall isn't what it once was but they're trying. They've done a lot of upgrades and have done some good things moving in the right direction. There are still a lot of empty store fronts but they do a pretty good job of keeping everything clean and keeping it a place that I keep coming back to. The addition of Flix Brew House was a huge addition to the mall that we've loved! read more

Hello! Just a slight update for this mall from when I reviewed it two years ago. It's been a grim month for Merle Hay Mall...it lost quite a bit of stores, those being PacSun, American Eagle, AT&T (they moved just outside the mall), Fred Meyer Jewelers, Brodkeys Jewelers (retirement), and Payless ShoeSource. I guess it all except AT&T were at the end of their leases and took off. Hot Topic renovated, Panda Express opened (yay!), Scooter's Coffee & Yogurt opened, and a few local places opened, but that's about it. The space between the mall entrance and Staples is still ready for someone to move in, and Sears still has not renovated their exterior. Not directly in the mall (but it will help), two brand new buildings opened up at the intersection of Douglas Ave. and Merle Hay Road. A new Burger King, Sun Tan City, Mattress Firm (they have seemed to just exploded with locations in Des Moines over the past year), Aspen Dental, U.S. Cellular, and Chipotle, have joined the intersection along with Verizon Wireless, Crown Family Dental, Quizno's, and of course, the mall. If T-Mobile opened a store at that intersection, it would be interesting, given that at&t, Sprint, Verizon and U.S. Cellular all occupy stores at that intersection. Anyways, that's all I have for now...I'll update as time goes by. Thanks! read more

They've really let this place go down hill. It shows potential with new stores, but I get disappointed every time I visit.

Well, this mall is okay if you compare with the other ones. Yes, it looks nice inside but store selection is slightly better than Southridge. Bargains are hard to find here and the only thing different is the wildlife refuge center that has adopted foxes, wolves, etc. I did find some bargains at Yonkers but haven't been here since. Location is a bit congested here and difficult to get in and out. People drive pretty fast when in the parking lot, too. read more

Best in and out Younkers in the metro. You can pack 10 feet away from the door. It's a one story store so you are basically in every department anywhere in the store. read more

It good convenient it's close by home also love going to valley west , Jordan feel to. It's a great mall to hang out with friends going shopping I love to do my husband does his in spurts. I always get him to come with me he buys me stuff he's a sweetheart best man I had been with. read more

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This mall is great for just waking around or when you have a quick Target run you need to make and then realize you also need to go to Old Navy and Ulta. It's too bad so many stores have left this mall but the addition of Flix has helped revive it a bit. I don't like to go to Jordan Creek because it's too big and busy and too far to drive so MH and Valley West are it for me. read more

Love going to warhammer! I always have a good experience there, in addition the mall is very clean and well kept.

I went to Merle Hay Mall today with the kids, including baby who is 3 weeks old. Baby A was hungry, I asked the cleaning crew if they had a nursing room at the mall. He had to ask his manager, he came back and said that they only have family restrooms. Why in the world would I want to nurse my baby in a bathroom?? I finally found some comfy chairs and fed him in front of everyone. I was covered up but still got a few looks. If my baby is hungry, I'm gonna feed him. *****Please consider having a nursing room for nursing mothers. read more

Moderate size, known stores, nothing too impressive. Just your regular ole mall. Visiting in July '14, lots of construction by Younkers. Hopefully the upgrade will be the pick-me-up this mall needs! read more

This mall is not bad, but it is very small and does not offer too much compared to many other malls. I usually only come here if I am nearby and am not willing to drive west to the larger malls. I have never had any issues in this mall. It is not a very fun mall to do browsing because it is pretty limited. read more

Good basic mall. Target, Sears, Younkers, Kohl's are all anchored here. Also has Deck the Walls, Gamestop, etc. Mall is clean and up to date. Food court selection could be a bit better. read more

MAJOR RENOVATION GOING ON!! Wow can't wait to see the finished product. Now of they could censor those who shop there. Or enforce a dress code. read more

Decent mall. The Brewhouse is really amazing! However, it needs a few more up to date stores and a whole re-do on the food court. Love the Kohls and Target... two of my favs. I visit this mall on a semi regular basis. read more

I was doing my Christmas Shopping at Merle Hay and came across a three piece music group singing Christmas songs in front of Younkers. WOW!!! These people were awesome! It gave a very cool/warm feel and was amazing to listen to. They were also nice. I requested a song which they played and then went home to get my daughter who is in hs band. When we got back they were done but said they would be back tomorrow. Were coming back tomorrow to hear them and do more shopping. Way to go Merle Hay! read more

I like this mall, there are a lot of great stores in here! I like that there is a Target, Ulta and Kohls connected to it! It has your other great mall stores like Bath and Body Works, Victorias Secret, Hot Topic and some other unique shops too! They also have a big bounce house area that I didn't have a chance to look into. They have Brew Flix house that I would like to check out sometime. Their is an Old Chicago in the mall and some other places in the food court that looked pretty good. I wish I tried a Gyro or a tamale while I was there, but had already eaten. I took my daughter to see Santa, we were there on a Wednesday early afternoon time and there was no line. He greeted her at the gate with a hug and walked her back to sit with him. He was very sweet! We had also gone to see Santa at Valley West and that Santa did the pictures and was done (there were no other kids in line) they also didn't like that I was taking pictures on my phone at Valley West! The mall appeared clean and the restroom that we used was nice. The children's play area looked clean and my daughter liked it. I will definitely shop here again! read more

So I went to change my son on changing table, first one had blood all over it, went to another it also had blood. Tried 3rd, it had poop on it . read more

It's not sad at all, but this mall is hanging on by a string. I took a walk through this mall and saw a shop that tattoo's, a wildlife exhibit that has wolves and other creatures(smells like piss), a shop that sells smoking accessories and swords, and a space dedicated to selling old DVD's and movies. To top it off, I saw a bungee cord play area that had a 18 month old bouncing in the air 25 feet, I am sure that will do wonders for that kids brain development. All of this lends itself to a mall desperate to fill tenants at the cost of major mall stores. Sears (a cornerstone store here) as a company is just about dead and each time I drive by this mall I wonder when I won't see the Sears sign, and that may be the nail in the coffin. What can you do though? This mall is average and a place to go if you don't want to deal with the price, time, and people of Jordan Creek. You can get in and out quickly, but give this place on it's current vector 3 years and you won't even have that need to stop in anymore because you won't have any stores worth going to. The food court is horrible, you have a handful of non franchised places that are never visited, just a bunch of guys standing around staring at you outside of Taco John's. The cornerstone stores like Sears, Target, Younkers, and Kohls are not updating their spaces, which should scare the management here. Could be worse, they could have a church in it like the mall across town! read more

Those of you who remember Merle Hay Mall in it's heyday, no pun intended, can understand my sadness upon walking into Merle Hay Mall today. The mall is smaller and yet emptier. There are random stores that don't seem to think they need displays or signs. They would be right - with so few stores to visit, just seeing an occupied spot is enough to draw attention. The anchor stores carry the mall, but I would love to see the mall restored to it's former glory. Let's see what the end of this current construction project brings. read more