While much is said today about the need for entertainment in retail centers, Grapevine (Texas) Mills — one of the very first Mills centers — has been doing exactly that for two decades now. The 1.6 million-square-foot, Dallas–Fort Worth area center, which celebrated its 20th anniversary on Oct. 27, features a Sea Life Aquarium and a Legoland Discovery Center. Furthermore, the Simon-owned retail center underwent a $40 million renovation last year to help create a more upmarket environment.

Families use the center not only for shopping, but also to go bowling or to play basketball, said Trudy Cresswell, Grapevine Mills’ director of marketing and business development, speaking to Community Impact. “What we’re finding is, the shopping center is really becoming the family-focused entertainment venue,” Cresswell said. “It really becomes the pulse of the community.”

Grapevine Mills not only generates tax revenue — about one-third of the city’s annual base — it is also a powerful tourist magnet. Between local and international shoppers, the center draws some 13 million visits per year, according to Bob Farley, the city of Grapevine’s director of economic development. “It’s probably the most entertainment-heavy mall in the Simon portfolio,” Farley told the local newspaper. “To kind of enhance the shopping experience, almost all of the larger box stores have morphed into entertainment activities. It’s probably some of the best-performing space in the U.S.”

Meanwhile, Grapevine Mills is undergoing further improvement, including plans to redesign the food court and to add eateries.