c/abandoned-mall-stories

Had to choose between the food court stairs or the escalator at an abandoned mall in Ohio

The escalator was totally dark and creaking, so I picked the stairs and ended up sliding down a pile of old dropped ceiling tiles halfway down. Anyone else ever take the wrong route in a dead mall and regret it instantly?

Hit up the old Crystal Mall in CT last weekend, the food court fountain still has pennies in it

Torn between saving the food court sign or the old tile floor

Went to explore that dead mall over in Springfield last month. Had to pick one thing to bring home since my truck bed was small. I ended up taking a chunk of the neon food court sign instead of prying up the 1970s terrazzo tile. The sign looks cool on my garage wall but now I keep wondering if the tile would've been worth the extra 2 hours of work. Anyone else struggle with what to grab when you only have limited space?

Counted 47 dead food court chairs in one abandoned mall

I was exploring that old Northridge Mall in Wisconsin last weekend, the one that's been closed since 2016. Got curious and started counting the chairs still left around the food court area. Ended up at 47, which sounds random but it hit me how each one had a story of someone eating lunch or sitting with friends. Makes you wonder how many people sat in those same spots before the place shut down. Have any of you ever counted something weird like that in a mall you've explored?

Hit my 50th abandoned mall last weekend and it felt weird

I was counting on my phone notes and realized the old Meridian Mall in Ohio was my 50th explore. That number just snuck up on me, never thought I'd see that many empty food courts and dead escalators. The Meridian one had this faded arcade sign still hanging, brought back memories of playing there as a kid. Anyone else keep a tally of their mall visits and get surprised by the total?

That time the escalator pit flooded mid explore

I was in an old mall outside Cleveland last spring, the one with the sunken food court. We were about 45 minutes in when I heard water running somewhere below. Turns out a pipe burst right above the escalator pit and water was pouring down into the basement level. I had to wade through about 2 feet of muddy water to get my gear bag back. The whole place smelled like wet carpet and rust for weeks after. Has anyone else had a surprise flood ruin a good explore?

The old food court fountain at Metro Mall finally gave out last month, flooded the whole lower level

I went back there to take some photos of the carousel and walked into ankle deep water. Security guard told me the pump for that giant fountain finally corroded through after sitting dry for like 8 years. Now the whole lower level is closed off. Has anyone else had a cool spot get ruined by something random like plumbing or vandalism?

Debate: should you call security on kids exploring, or just let them be?

I was at the old Galleria in Akron last month and found this group of teens taking photos near the food court. I told them to watch out for loose tiles on the second floor, but then I wondered if I should have told mall security instead... what do you all do when you run into other explorers, do you rat them out or just wave and move on?

I finally stopped using my phone flashlight for mall exploring

Used to always just rely on my phone light when I hit up old malls at night. Last month I went to the dead Lakeside Mall in Michigan with a buddy who brought a proper LED work light. The difference was night and day, I could actually see the tile patterns and old store signs clearly. Now I'm ordering a decent flood light online, anyone got a brand that holds up well in dusty spaces?

Pro tip: the graffiti in Chapel Hills Mall tells a better story than the shops ever did

I was reading a post last week where someone said the paint tags are just vandalism ruining the explore experience, but I spent 3 hours photographing that big mural on the second floor near the old escalator. The layers of paint go back to 2016 with different crews adding every year, and it shows how people actually used the space after the stores closed. Does anyone else think the art is the main draw, not the empty stores?

I spent all day in the old Northridge Mall last month and the food court was way creepier than the anchor stores

I finally got into the Northridge Mall that's been sitting empty since 2015. Everyone talks about the big department stores being spooky but honestly the food court gave me the worst chills. All those fake plants still hanging from the ceiling covered in dust and the little fountains dried up with trash everywhere. Had to tap out after 20 minutes in there. Has anyone else found the smaller areas way more unsettling than the main stores?

Drove 4 hours to explore the old Franklin Mall in Indiana and a security guard gave me solid advice

I was filming inside the Franklin Mall near Indy last month and a retired security guard walked up on me. Thought I was in trouble but he just said I should focus on the ceiling tiles and floor patterns instead of the big anchor stores because those get cleaned out first. He was right, the small random details like the old RadioShack sign tile work are way more interesting. Has anyone else gotten random tips from locals that changed how you explore?

Appreciation post: The weird little food court at Tilton Square Mall in Ohio

I drove 3 hours to check out Tilton Square Mall near Cincinnati last Saturday, expecting just another empty shell. But the food court area still had this old neon sign for a place called 'Pizza King 33' that was still flickering, even though the whole mall's been closed since 2019. That little sign made me realize I'd been too focused on the big sad empty spaces and not enough on the tiny details that give these places their own personality. Has anyone else found a random working display or sign in a dead mall that made you stop and look closer?

I always thought flash photos were fine until I ruined a food court shot

For years I'd walk into abandoned malls with my DSLR and blast everything with flash, thinking it was the only way to get clear detail in those dark spaces. Then I visited the old Franklin Park Mall outside Toledo last September and took a picture of the 1980s taco stand counter with all its tile work. When I got home and saw the harsh shadows had wiped out every bit of color and texture in the original Formica, I finally understood why everyone here talks about ambient light being better. Has anyone else had a similar moment where they realized their technique was actually making the photos worse?

Stumbled onto an old food court sign in a mall near Dayton that creeped me out

I was poking around the lower level of the Dayton Mall antiques wing last month and found a giant 1980s Mr. Doodle's sign leaning against a wall, the paint all peeling and the clown face scrubbed off. Has anyone else run into weird leftover decor like that in spots that aren't even abandoned just forgotten?

Rant: The old food court fountain in the Sunrise Mall was still full of pennies

We were in there last Tuesday and the water was black, but you could see hundreds of coins at the bottom. Did anyone else find weird stuff people left behind in these places?

I was reading an old newspaper from 1987 about the Sunrise Mall in Sacramento.

It said the food court had a full time fountain cleaner who worked every night. I found the article in a box of stuff my grandma gave me. Has anyone else come across a weird old job that used to exist in a mall?

The one thing people always forget to check in old malls

I've been in maybe a dozen dead malls across Ohio and Michigan, and every single time I see explorers post pics without checking the old directory boards near the entrances. Last week at the shuttered Fairview Center, the faded map still showed a 'service corridor' behind the food court that led to the roof access we were looking for. How many other spots are we missing by not looking at the original blueprints left on the walls?

Ran into a security guard at the old Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights who just wanted to talk

I was exploring the old Valley View Center in Dallas all wrong for years

I always brought a huge backpack with a DSLR, three lenses, and a tripod, thinking I needed pro gear for good photos. Last month, a guy I met there, Mike, just had his phone and a small flashlight. His pics of the empty food court fountain were way clearer than my blurry shots. He said, 'Man, all that gear just slows you down and makes you a target.' I realized I was focusing on the equipment, not the exploration. Now I just take my phone and move quicker. What's the simplest setup you guys use for a quick trip?

Got chased by a guard dog at the old Sunrise Mall in Corpus Christi last year. Now I always bring a can of pepper spray, but some friends say that's overkill. What's your safety rule?

PSA: I was a total idiot about getting into the old Sunrise Mall in Corpus Christi

For years, I'd always try the main entrance doors first, thinking they'd be the easiest. Last month, I saw a security guard's truck parked right out front, and it hit me. I was making it obvious. The real way in is through a busted loading dock door around back, behind the old Sears. I've been going in that way ever since and haven't seen a single patrol. Anyone else have a spot like that they kept missing?

I finally went back to the old Northgate Mall in Seattle after five years

Everyone talks about how these places just get worse and more trashed, but I saw the opposite. In 2019, the food court was a total mess, with busted tiles and graffiti everywhere. I went again last month, and a lot of the spray paint was gone, and someone had cleared a path through the fallen ceiling panels in the main hall. I think a local film crew or maybe urban explorers have been keeping it somewhat tidy for shoots (I found some fresh footprints and a dropped lens cap). It felt less like a dump and more like a quiet, empty building. Maybe people are starting to care for these spots instead of just wrecking them. Has anyone else seen a place get cleaner over time, not dirtier?

Rant: I just counted and I've been inside 27 different dead malls across the Midwest.

That number hit me when I was looking at my old photos from the Sunrise Galleria in Ohio, and it made me realize how many of these places are just sitting there rotting, so has anyone else kept a tally and been shocked by their own count?

Warning: the old Sunrise Mall in Mesa has a serious pigeon problem now

I went in last fall to shoot some photos of the empty food court (you know, the one with the big broken fountain) and the noise from the birds in the ceiling was unreal, like a constant flapping and cooing that made my skin crawl. The floor was covered in about an inch of droppings in some spots, which really ruins the vibe of a place that's supposed to be about quiet decay. Has anyone else run into a biohazard level of birds at a spot they were trying to explore?