It is anchored by Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Marshalls, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Ross Dress for Less, Saks Off 5th, and Target.

Land reclaimed, son and successor Lowell Dillingham initiated the Ala Moana Center project in 1948 and broke ground in 1957.

[3] Critics viewed Graham's unusual design, which oriented the mall away from the Pacific Ocean and included two levels for retail and parking, as a potential failure.

[2] A shopping complex and parking spaces were demolished just north of the mall in 2006 to make way for the Mauka wing, which was completed on March 7, 2008, and was anchored by Nordstrom.

[6] On February 23, 2012, Sears Holdings Corporation announced it would close its store at Ala Moana Center by early 2013.

On October 22, 2017, Target held its grand opening for its first store at a mall in Hawaii in the space formerly occupied by Nordstrom.

New designs reflected modern Hawaiian architectural principles, emphasizing the importance of the symbolism of various natural phenomena found in Hawaiʻi.

Despite these enhancements, the design of the center has been criticized for its overbuilt appearance and hodgepodge architecture, the result of years of modifications and expansions under different owners.

[12] Ala Moana Centerstage, a stage in the center of the shopping complex, is one of the most popular public amphitheaters in Hawaiʻi.