Toys “R” Us Is Coming Back to Springfield, and ’80s and ’90s Kids May Want to Make the Drive

The iconic toy store that defined childhood shopping trips for a generation is preparing to open a permanent location at White Oaks Mall, giving Quincy families another reason for a Springfield day trip.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. If you grew up in the 1980s or 1990s, there were few places capable of producing the same level of childhood excitement as walking through the doors of Toys “R” Us.

There were bicycles lined up in rows, entire aisles devoted to action figures and Barbie dolls, towering shelves of board games, Lego sets and stuffed animals, and, eventually, the video game section where Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis and other systems occupied a particularly important corner of a kid’s imagination.

And somewhere nearby was Geoffrey the Giraffe, the unmistakable mascot of a store whose advertising famously suggested that growing up was something best avoided for as long as possible.

For a generation that thought those sprawling toy stores had disappeared for good, something familiar is returning to central Illinois.

Toys “R” Us is preparing to open a new standalone store at White Oaks Mall, 2501 Wabash Ave. in Springfield. Mall officials have said finishing work is underway, with the store expected to open in the coming weeks ahead of the holiday shopping season. Unlike some of the brand’s seasonal locations, the Springfield store is expected to remain open throughout the year.

For Quincy-area shoppers, that puts a little piece of childhood within an easy Springfield day trip.

Remember when going to a toy store was the event?

For children growing up before online shopping, getting a new toy was only part of the experience.

You picked up boxes and turned them over to study the pictures on the back. You tried to determine exactly how much birthday or Christmas money you had left. You stared at the toys that were far outside your budget anyway.

Parents might have been thinking about prices and Christmas lists. Kids were imagining what everything would look like once it reached their bedroom floor.

That experience gradually became harder to find.

Toys “R” Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2017, and its remaining traditional U.S. stores closed during the company’s 2018 liquidation. Springfield had previously been home to a Toys “R” Us at 2701 Veterans Parkway.

For many adults who grew up with the chain, the disappearance was another reminder that the retail world of their childhood was changing.

Now the giraffe is coming back.

Not just a holiday pop-up

The Springfield location is part of a much larger Toys “R” Us comeback.

The company announced plans to add approximately 120 locations nationwide for the 2026 holiday season through its partnership with Go! Retail Group, bringing its U.S. standalone presence to roughly 160 locations. Toys “R” Us also operates shops inside Macy’s stores and other retail locations.

White Oaks Mall officials have specifically confirmed that Springfield’s location is intended to operate throughout the year rather than disappear after Christmas.

That means Quincy families could have a new destination for birthday shopping, Christmas trips and those occasional outings when the kids do not necessarily need a toy, but somehow everyone ends up looking at toys anyway.

The new stores are expected to carry a curated assortment of toys, collectibles and merchandise tied to major entertainment brands. Current Toys “R” Us expansion plans include familiar names such as Lego, Barbie, Hot Wheels and Pokémon, alongside newer characters and franchises.

A Toys “R” Us for a different generation

The new Springfield store will not necessarily be a carbon copy of the enormous Toys “R” Us stores remembered from decades ago.

Retail has changed considerably since the chain’s heyday.

The new concept combines traditional toy shopping with experiences designed for today’s customers, including collectors and adults who never completely lost their enthusiasm for toys.

White Oaks Mall is also slated to receive a Creator Studio, a space designed for content creators, influencers and toy companies to produce content, introduce products and host special events.

That may sound very different from the Toys “R” Us of 1992.

But perhaps that is fitting.

The kids who once raced toward the Nintendo aisle are adults carrying smartphones now.

Many of them also have children of their own.

A little nostalgia for Quincy families

Springfield is already a familiar destination for many Quincy residents looking for a weekend shopping trip or a day away from home.

White Oaks Mall remains one of the region’s larger shopping centers, and the arrival of Toys “R” Us gives families another reason to make the trip.

For parents who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, however, the first visit might feel a little different.

There is something unusual about taking your own child into a store whose name immediately transports you back to being their age.

Maybe they will head for Pokémon instead of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Maybe the hottest Christmas toy will be something completely unfamiliar.

Maybe they will never understand why their parents become strangely excited when they see Geoffrey the Giraffe.

Because for all the ways shopping has changed, there is still something special about a child walking into a store filled almost entirely with toys and realizing that, for the next little while, every aisle is worth exploring.

Eight years after the old Toys “R” Us stores disappeared, that experience is returning to Springfield.

And there may be quite a few Quincy parents who discover that the trip is not entirely for the kids.

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