Opened in October 1971, the mall features 1,129,035 square feet (104,890.8 m2) of gross leasable area, with approximately 80 stores and restaurants, as well as a food court.

The mall sits in the core of a shopping district that is shared by the city of Goodlettsville and the Nashville neighborhood of Madison.

[5] The mall's first expansion phase opened in November 1978, with a new parking area and 55,000 square feet (5,100 m2) of retail space, which included 22 stores and 74 supporting shops.

During a tornado outbreak on May 18, 1995, part of the Rivergate Mall's roof collapsed, injuring more than a dozen people.

[11] With the threat of competition from nearby Opry Mills, CBL renovated the mall in 1999, adding new carpeting and a new entranceway.

[15] By 2008, the Streets of Indian Lake was nearing completion in nearby Hendersonville, attracting many upscale retailers, causing a decline in shoppers at the mall.

Another existing tenant, shoe retailer Foot Locker, added a new store with an additional 1,000 sq ft (93 m2) in the fall of 2017.