Linking a few flickr galleries tbh.Having been in one myself, it seems so surreal. A place that was thriving years ago could be so DARK and empty.

I've been in one in Saint Augustine. It is not the biggest mall, but I'm sure it used to have quite a few popular stores in it. Now it just has a few random stores that no one knows about. There is also one in Crystal River that is similar. It actually has potential to have popular stores in it, but it just has random stores in it as well....

The mall closest to me is still fairly populated at all times.

I don't think they're going to truly die. People are still going to want to physically shop even with online shopping as an option. Malls just have to learn to compete in the new business environment.

I bet it would be really creepy hanging out at an abandoned mall.

yes omg it's so depressing
there's like an extension school in there now next to clearance stores

I see some of those were I live, all of this due to the shootings from the past 5 years (I live in Mexico so yeah), it's kind of sad that many of them were forced to close.

Welcome to Crestwood Plaza/Crestwood Court!









I grew up frequenting St. Louis malls, but I can only remember being in Crestwood a few times. I believe the mall is entirely closed to the public at this point, but I did go with a friend in 2012(?) just out of curiosity, and it looked like it does in the pictures above. I'm pretty sure all the anchors were closed, no "real stores" were in operation, and we were the only "shoppers" in the place. Struggling malls in St. Louis have started leasing out spaces to local "artists" for mere pennies. The entire experience was very creepy.

The mall is in such an awkward location. It doesn't have easy access to any interstates, or even an important thoroughfare. Crestwood itself is a sleepy suburb that would have been thriving in the 1960s (when the original "open air" mall was constructed), but is now considerably less active and less affluent. And Crestwood didn't do enough to compete with other nearby malls that got major renovations in the 1990s and early 2000s. Crestwood looked horribly dated, even when it was still turning a profit.

I've read about this one before. I heard they were planning to demolish the whole thing.

That's pretty sad.
Can we talk about dying store, KMart? Whenever I step into one it's like stepping into the 90s/ early 00s.

In North Carolina, there are a few dead malls worth mentioning.

In the Research Triangle Area, you had North Hills Mall in Raleigh and South Square Mall in Durham. North hills was actually one of the oldest malls between DC and Atlanta. Both malls were doing pretty well until the early 2000's when two new malls (Southpoint and Triangle Town Center were built).As a result of Triangle Town Center, Raleigh's other mall, Crabtree started upscaling a bit attracting high end tenants exclusive to the area (Crate & Barrel, Apple, ETC.) leaving North Hills Mall dated and in a pretty ****ed up position. As for South Square in Durham, Southpoint already opened up with pretty upscale tenants putting South Square in an uncertain position from the Get go.The day Southpoint opened TWO (out of 3) anchors left South Square Mall along with most of the inline tenants.North Hills had two anchors but one of them left for Triangle Town center.The last anchor at South Square tried to stay but ended up closing and the mall ended up getting demolished in 2003 for a SuperTarget and Sam's club.North Hills OTOH managed to keep its last anchor BUT like South Square, the rest of North hills mall got demolished (same timeframe) but for a lifestyle center featuring a Target and Movie theater. The JCPenney is still in the same building as when it opened.

In the Triad you had Carolina Circle Mall in Greensboro, but I don't think a new mall really affected it as much as the perception of crime did.It too got demolished and a Walmart sits in that Mall's place.

In Charlotte, you had Eastland Mall, In 2001 the mall was doing fine but the opening of Northlake off I-77 and NC24 in 2005 really hurt that mall.Belk Abandoned Eastland in favor of Northlake and Dillard's downgraded their store into a clearance center. SouthPark's upscaling (Complete with Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus did Eastland NO favors whatsoever. Long story short, Eastland turned into a crime filled area and low budget stores started to move in.A Burlington Coat Factory and Fred's lasted briefly in one of the former anchors but it was NOT enough to sustain the mall.The mall closed permanently in 2010 and despite (failed) attempts to repurpose the mall, the mall was demolished last year pending redevelopment. (A film studio was supposed to go there but that fell through). Today the lot sits Vacant

The mall i live next to is dying one store is even selling the fixtures for less than 50$ yes they are SELLING the mop they used and the bucket for 1.50 theyre also selling the clothes racks its sad af.

Yeah I have. There used to be a mall here that was pretty much done and me and my friend would go there bc the only restaurant that was still open in the food court had the beeeeeest nachos. All that was left open in that mall was Claire's, some bridal store, and Mervyn's. Probably a few more but I can't think of them. The only people who went there were old people who used it to exercise.

I work in one of the biggest malls in my area . And during the summer and holiday it was busy ..

It's slow season now but it still gets busy

I'll talk.

Kmart stores, simply put Couldn't keep up with the retail HELL known as Walmart, or Target who had a 'Cheap Chic' mantra.As much as I, and others, talk **** about Walmart, their stores were at the least CLEANER, and less dated looking than their Kmart counterparts while charging lower prices.To elaborate on this, Walmart will remodel some of their stores and give them a paint Job.Most Kmarts I seen STILL had the Triangle Decor from the 90s with the OLD, decrepit, mismatched looking ceiling tiles and flooring from 1970 Target could get away with charging higher prices because they have a better atmosphere, nicer looking softlines, and better PR team.All three of which Kmart lacks sorely. It's truly a shame that Kmart bought out Sears because they're dragging that chain down the tubes.

There were 4 malls in my town but 2 died after the first year

There is 1 that is pretty over-populated and other which is becoming a flop

Behold, the mother of all dead malls, DIXIE SQUARE MALL of Harvey,Illinois.



Many people who follow retail history take interest in this place.Opened in 1966 with department stores JCPenney and Montgomery Ward (Now defunct, Sears-like chain for those out of the loop). Things started to go downhill in the 1970's when crime in the area went up, leaving people to stay at home rather than go to Dixie Square. By 1976, one of the anchors, Montgomery Ward, had already closed their location, as did a number of other stores in the shopping center. This mall lasted a good 12 years before finally closing down for good in 1978.

Some attributed this to a classic case of White Flight.

Shortly after the closure, the mall was used very briefly for a chase scene in The Blues Brothers and a school, but the most interesting part would have to be the 20-30 years of decay that went on AFTER the mall closed. It was an eyesore, but it felt so surreal.