Abandoned malls are definitely creepy, but they also hold equal amounts of fascination and allure.
From being filled with shoppers one day to being deserted the next,
here are ten “dead” malls that have interesting
stories. And if you’re a thrill-seeker, you can actually visit some of them!
Lincoln Mall, Illinois
After 41 years of making shoppers happy, the Lincoln Mall closed its doors in January 2015.
It was ordered to be closed due to several long-standing building violations including
exposed electrical wiring and blocked fire exits. Despite being abandoned, this mall has retained
an eerie sense of beauty. Surprisingly, it has been left untouched by graffiti and vandalism.
Although all the trees are dead and their leaves have long since withered away,
the bare branches of the plant life that once existed inside the mall
still stand. The branches reach out from huge black pots, as if beckoning you to come closer.
Apart from dead trees, you can see hauntingly empty storefronts, and debris scattered
everywhere. The most surreal part about the Lincoln Mall are its glass ceilings and frozen
escalators. They give the place an otherworldly kind of beauty, making you feel as if you are the
last person to have survived an apocalypse. Many billboards and posters advertising the shops are
still up, which just end up heightening the feeling of being the last person on Earth.
New World Shopping Mall, Bangkok, Thailand
This mall has an interesting history, and may very well be
cursed. It was open only for 15 years before shutting down because various misfortunes such as
fire, collapse, and unauthorized constructions seemed to befall the mall. In 2005, the mall
collapsed due to bad architectural engineering and irresponsible demolition of the upper floors
that were constructed without authorization. It resulted in the deaths of many nearby vendors.
The unfinished demolition also left the building at the mercy of the elements,
resulting in the ground floor being completely flooded. All of this water invited surprise
visitors- an outbreak of mosquitoes that became a local nuisance. The locals came
up with a brilliant idea to combat this problem- they introduced a school of fish! The fish began
multiplying and at one point, there were thousands of fish, including Koi, mango fish, and striped
catfish. This is the story of how the ground floor of an abandoned mall turned into a fish pond!
Unfortunately, in 2015, the “abandoned fish mall” went viral,
and all the fish had to be removed with nets due to safety concerns. But nature
seems to have found a way, and fish somehow began returning to the mall. All the plants
along with the beautiful fish and the rusted escalators make the mall
a great place to take pictures. There’s even mosquito and fish-themed graffiti on the walls!
Euclid Square Mall, Ohio
The story of the Euclid Square Mall isn’t a dramatic one, but it's certainly a sad one.
Opened in 1977, this mall found its demise in 2016 after a long period of decline. Within two
decades of the mall opening, one of the stores closed its doors and relocated to a larger space.
This marked the decline of the mall. Over the next few years, the vacancy rate increased
exponentially, touching 87% at one point! Soon, all the stores (except for one) closed, and
surprisingly, they were replaced with churches! But when the final remaining store announced that
it would be shutting its doors for good, it was decided that the time had come to say goodbye
to the Euclid Square Mall. In 2016, the mall was closed. Even though it was abandoned, the interior
of the mall wasn’t falling apart. In fact, it looked pristine- as if people had simply forgotten
to visit it one day. This would have been a great ghost mall to visit, but, unfortunately,
due to Amazon’s plans to build a fulfillment centre, the mall was demolished in 2017.
Rolling Acres Mall, Ohio
Ohio seems to be a popular destination to find “ghost malls.” Known for its underground nature,
this mall actually survived for quite a few years. It opened its doors for the first time all the way
back in 1975, and wasn’t closed till 2013. The main “anchor” stores were Sears and a J.C. Penny.
In fact, during the last few years, these were the only two shops that kept the mall running.
Rolling Acres mall remained very popular through the 80s with more than 140 stores open,
but in the early 90s, it began to decline. Many stores began relocating, and there was
additional competition from nearby malls. After its demise, it fell victim to criminal activity.
A homeless man was living inside one of the vacant stores, and another man was electrocuted
while trying to steal copper wires from the mall. The body of a supposed murder victim
was also rumored to have been found here. Apart from this, the mall also fell victim
to nature. Weeds sprouted out everywhere. Its insides become frozen during the harsh winters
of Ohio. The glass ceilings male the place look even more eerie. It was demolished by 2017,
and - you’ll never believe this - there were rumours of Amazon converting it into a warehouse.
Acropolis Mall, Mexico
In Ancient Greece, an acropolis was a citadel built upon elevated ground. Though there are not
many photos of this mall, its crumbling remains leave no doubt in visitor’s minds as to why it
was named after Greek citadels. True to its name, it has steep stone steps leading up to the main
entrance to mimic the feel of a citadel, and is actually located on top of the Lomas Verdes hill.
The entrance is surrounded by columns, and the name of the mall was written in a font that looked
like it was inspired by ancient hieroglyphs. Rather than being a traditional mall,
the Acropolis was built to be more of a bazaar with open-fronted kiosks.
Even today, the kiosks remain, although covered in graffiti. Unfortunately, the mall was open
only for a mere four years. There are many rumours as to why this is. Some say that the partners were
involved in money laundering, others say that the mall went bankrupt. But the real reason may
have been the area where it was located, which had significant air pollution, which could have been
off-putting for the shoppers. Nevertheless, this greek-inspired mall was one of a kind.
Cloverleaf Mall, Virginia
Opened in 1972, this mall had quite a good run till it closed its doors in 2008. Being the
first regional mall in the town of Richmond, it was very popular during its time, and had major
departmental stores such as Sears and J.C. Penney. But the 90s brought around a sudden change in the
fashion scene, and attendance began falling at the mall. It also began to face competition
from the new Chesterfield Towne Centre. In the early 1990s, two incidents happened
that pretty much ensured the abandonment of the mall. Two mall employees were shot and killed in
the stockroom, and a woman went missing from the bottom of the parking lot. Both of these mysteries
were never solved. Shortly after these incidents, stores began relocating. The mall somehow survived
till 2008, when it was forced to close its doors. For a brief moment in time, this mall was the
centre of activity. But like all good things, it had to come to an
end. It was finally demolished in 2011, and a Kroger Marketplace sits in its place now.
The New South China Mall, China
Built on former farmlands, this mall is the largest abandoned mall in the world. Built with
the intention of becoming one of the greatest malls in the country, and having every amenity
that a shopper could want, this place remained mostly vacant right since its opening. News
websites called this mall one of the new wonders of the wall. With space for over 2000 stores,
and all its wonderful features, it is not hard to guess why. The mall featured an indoor canal with
gondola rides, an Egyptian sphinx, and even an indoor rollercoaster! It had seven areas, each one
featuring the culture of a different place such as Amsterdam, Egypt, Venice. The cherry on top
was the first ever Teletubby themed park! Well, nobody can say that China doesn’t go all out.
But the location of the mall ruined it- it was set miles away from the city,
and there was almost no public transportation to get here, so vendors stayed away from this
place. Moreover, most of the occupants in that area were migrant workers who neither had the
time nor the luxury of visiting malls. As a result, many developers backed out, and the
mall became known as the largest ghost mall. However, a couple of years ago, renovation
began. The focus this time was on catering to the middle class. It seems that there is some
hope for the mall after all, since it seems to be doing very well after its re-launch.
Crestwood Court, Missouri
The opening of this mall traces all the way back to 1957. It was the first major mall in the St.
Louis area, and one of the first to have more than one departmental store.
In the early 2000s, the mall began declining. Many stores started closing their doors due
to a decline in sales. Apart from this, the mall was also located in an area with no major routes
going to it. Dillard’s shut shop in 2007, which marked an important point in the mall’s demise.
In 2013, the mall was closed officially. Since then, the site has remained vacant,
and Urbanstreet has decided to plant prairie grass to make it a little picturesque
and prevent further decline of the site.
Hawthorne Plaza Mall, California
You might recognize this mall from one of the scenes from Gone Girl. Built to breathe some
life back into the city of Hawthorne, this mall lasted a mere two decades,
closing in the late 1990s. It gained popularity after its closing. The dilapidated building
invited quite a few photographers, luring them with its eerie charm. Many famous movies
and music videos have been shot at his mall, including “The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift,”
and Beyonce’s “Superpower.” Even Taylor Swift and Travis Scott’s videos have been shot here.
Apart from being used as a shooting spot, parts of this abandoned mall are used for parking, and
even as a dumping ground. There were many plans to revitalize the mall, but none of them ever
came to fruition. Now the building just stands there, waiting for the next film to be shot.
Dixie Square Mall, Illinois
Not only is this mall famous for featuring in the movie ‘The Blues Brothers,’ it also achieved
fame for becoming the centre of attention of a cult of urban explorers who were hell
bent on covering the mall’s deterioration. This mall has quite an interesting story.
It was only in operation for 13 years, but has stood abandoned for more than double that time.
Known as the pride of Harvey, Illinois, it opened in 1966 with more than 50 stores.
But soon after, the crime rate in that area began increasing. In the 1970s,
there were several incidents. A woman was shot near the mall, and a teenage girl was
strangled to death inside the premises. Due to the increasing crime rates, and economic decline,
the mall lost many stores and eventually closed its doors. All attempts at rejuvenation failed.
It stood there, vacant, for over 30 years, falling prey to murders and drug activity.
Finally, after a series of fires, the mall was finally demolished by 2012.