Target & Whole Foods · Prospect Ave: what's open early with kids

The new Prospect Ave plaza (the old Kmart site) is the town's best 8am indoor walk-around: Target and Whole Foods both open their doors at 8, with a Starbucks café inside Target and café seating at Whole Foods. My Gym's toddler classes start around 9:15 in the same lot.

Inside info

Both anchors open at 8am — a full hour before the Essex Green big-box stores across the street, so start here on an early morning.
There's a Starbucks café inside Target and café seating at Whole Foods — a coffee-and-roam without a separate stop.
My Gym is class-based (earliest toddler slots ~9:15, often Wed/Thu) — check the day's schedule before you count on it.
Directly across Prospect Ave from Essex Green — pair an 8am Target run here with a 9am Petco or Burlington walk over there.

8 AM · the anchors open

Two big, bright, stroller-friendly walk-arounds — a full hour before most stores.

8:00 AM, daily Browse & roam

Target — West Orange

Brand-new (opened 2026) in the old Kmart; doors at 8am with wide aisles, a toy section, and a Starbucks café inside — the easiest indoor walk-around before the play places open.

Free West Orange

8:00 AM, daily Browse & roam

Whole Foods Market — West Orange

Opened 2026 in the same plaza as Target; 8am open, café seating and samples, and plenty of room to roam with a stroller.

Free West Orange

9 AM · classes start

Morning toddler movement classes in the same lot.

Classes from ~9:15 AM Classes

My Gym — West Orange

Gym classes for 6 weeks to 8 years; the earliest morning toddler slots start around 9:15 (often Wed/Thu). It's class-based, so check the day's schedule.

West Orange

Built new in 2026 on the old Kmart site at 235 Prospect Ave, this is the freshest indoor option in West Orange for the pre-9am stretch. Target and Whole Foods both unlock at 8am — wide aisles, a toy section, cafés, and plenty of room to roam with a stroller — and My Gym runs morning toddler classes a few doors down. It sits directly across Prospect Ave from the older Essex Green center (ShopRite, Starbucks, Panera, Petco, the AMC), so the two plazas together cover a whole morning.

Common questions

What time do Target and Whole Foods on Prospect Ave open?

Both open at 8:00am daily, at 235 Prospect Ave in West Orange — an hour before most of the Essex Green big-box stores across the street.

Is this the same as Essex Green?

No — it's a separate, newer plaza directly across Prospect Ave, on the old Kmart site (235 Prospect Ave). Target, Whole Foods, and My Gym are here; ShopRite, Starbucks, Panera, Petco, Burlington, Five Below, and the AMC are at Essex Green. Together they cover a full morning.