Raleigh's Crabtree mall is getting a new tenant. When it will open
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Escapology will open at Crabtree in early spring 2026 with 10 themed escape rooms.
- Mall owner Macerich is investing $60 million to renovate Crabtree.
- Crabtree will add Dick’s House of Sport and Five Guys, among others.
A new business coming to Crabtree will offer visitors a different experience.
Instead of a primarily retail or hospitality focus, the new tenant, Escapology, brings hands-on activities to the mall.
Escapology, an escape room franchise, will have 10 immersive games with themes including Batman and Scooby-Doo.
Each game combines storytelling, cinematic environments and team-based problem-solving. Participants select a game adventure and work together to solve puzzles to “escape” the room before time runs out.
Expected to open in early spring 2026, Escapology will take a 4,600-square-foot space on the lower level across from Crabtree Ale House.
This will be the brand’s third North Carolina location, following venues in Charlotte and Fayetteville. Escapology is also opening a location in Asheville.
There are several other escape room places in the Triangle, including Nerd Escape Room in downtown Raleigh and Game On at Boxyard RTP and in Cary.
Changes at Crabtree
The new owner of the Raleigh mall, Macerich, is completing $60 million worth of renovations across the property. Improvements include fresh paint and upgraded lighting, new lounge furniture and signs, upgraded stormwater infrastructure and an enhanced food court.
Not mentioned in Macerich’s initial announcement of changes planned for the mall was the removal of its retail merchandising units. Located in the center of walkways throughout the mall, these small retailers had to leave last year.
Five Guys, the popular burger chain, is joining the food court at Crabtree. But no restaurant tenants have been announced for the former Brio Italian Grille and Uncle Julio’s spaces.
The mall will also host the Triangle’s second Dick’s House of Sport, a retailer that allows shoppers to try out athletic equipment with features including climbing walls, golf simulator bays and batting cages. It’s taking the old Sears space.
Last year, Dick’s House of Sport opened at Durham’s The Streets at Southpoint.
This story was originally published January 22, 2026 at 3:35 PM with the headline "Raleigh's Crabtree mall is getting a new tenant. When it will open."
