A vintage view of the RIMROCK MALL "Monkey Wards." The store, which anchored the southeast corner of the complex, encompassed 97,000 square feet.
Photo from The Billings Gazette / Rimrock Mall

RIMROCK MALL in 1979, following completion of a new South Wing. A freestanding Convenience Center and World West Twin Theatre have also been built on the north end of the mall site. The Denver Dry Goods ("The Denver") store would be short-lived. It opened for business in October of 1978 (and was shuttered in late 1981).

After "The Denver" closed, the building was retenanted by J.C. Penney. This store held its grand opening in February 1982.
Photo from "This Was JC Penney" / David Delbert Kruger / Derek Miller

The mall as it stood at the turn of the century. Dillard's has recently rebranded the Hennessy's store. Montgomery Ward has just shuttered theirs. The Rimrock 5 Theatres inside the mall have been replaced by a new freestanding venue, built in the north parking area. 

We'll call this Merchandising Musical Chairs at Rimrock Mall. Between late 2000 and late 2001, the anchor store line up shifted so many times that it might take a diagram such as this to keep it all straight. Suffice to say, a conventional Dillard's was divided into a Women's and Men's "double header," with J.C. Penney moving from the south side of the complex to the north.
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