Burlington Mall: Is It a Dead Mall? I'm Honestly Not Sure... Burlington, Massachusetts.

Join me as I take a look at Burlington Mall in Burlington, Massachusetts. Is it a dead mall? I read online that it's doing pretty well, but it sure looked pretty empty when I was there. Let me know what you think in the comments!
This video was filmed in July 2023 on a Thursday around 11:00am.
If you liked this video, please give me a thumbs up, leave a comment and subscribe to my channel! Thanks!
Source of information:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burling...)
burlingtonretro.com/1965-1970/
burlingtonretro.com/burlingto...
patch.com/massachusetts/burli...
#deadmall #deadmalls #mall #massachusetts #shoppingmall #shoppingmalls #retail #burlington

[@KOTJBee]

The Burlington Mall used to have a Rainforest Cafe, Disney Store, and Burberry but not anymore.

[@michaelgrahamwongacutemadness]

I thought the Disney store came back i remember there was one at Arsenal mall

[@StaceyLaValleyLambert]

The Rainforest Cafe was where we celebrated my pregnancy with our now 13 year old boy.

[@John-gf7kj]

Rainforest cafe location was a Herman's Sporting Goods in the 80s

[@DigitalIslandboy]

I thought it had Lord and Taylor's too?

[@John-gf7kj]

@@DigitalIslandboy it did

[@jeremyanderson1139]

When I go there usually, it's pretty packed. The Burlington Mall is far from a dead mall as it's still thriving.

[@topgammar3763]

It looks dead to me.

[@pizzaface817]

idk if you mentioned it but Paul Blart was filmed at this mall for the chase scene

[@rl8429]

Primark & Sears did coexist in this mall at one point. Similar to South Shore Plaza, Sears reduced their store size to the first floor to make way for Primark. Sears made this joint venture with Primark for a few of their other locations before.

[@John-gf7kj]

This mall does very well and its usually very busy and very safe. I have been going there since I was a kid and now I take my kids there. A lot of cash flows through the mall to justify the high end stores and remodel - as example note that black SUV in front of you at the end of the video is a Aston Martin DBX ~150k+

[@riproar11]

By the looks of that Aston Martin with the douched-out matte black finish, the driver is someone of poor character to ever do that to an Aston Martin.

[@ThomasJones-ij6hv]

​@riproar11 so you leave your Asyton Martin stock? 😂

[@rl8429]

11 AM is when the stores barely open, no wonder there aren't that many people. Mall opens at 10.

[@SandraBugler-vq6co]

I used to roam that mall on my lunch break (always went over time allotted) when it was just one floor. I loved it. Then in the late 80's the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua was built. That was much closer for me.

[@owensweetland342]

I recall shopping here early 2000s. Filene's, Lord & Taylor plus 3 other anchor stores. Rainforest Cafe. Legal Seafood. A Coach store. Just a great place to shop.

[@dsandler92]

I go there all the time I live nearby busy on weekends Jordan Marsh was converted to Macys in 1996 never closed Mall was renovated the last few years they moved escalator near food court closer to mall and removed another escalator and squared the food court outside entrance that used to be round

[@rosemarykacoyannakis3702]

One minor note. I enjoy your videos but at some point could you document the directory plan, map, as it exist in the mall at the time of your visit. It gives us a quick lay of the land for the rest of your walk. Thanks.

[@kissmy_butt1302]

When I was there last the Burlington Mall changed it's hours. They do open the building an hour or two early before the stores open. A LOT of people will walk or run the mall for exercise, especially in the winter. I remember when it was one level. It became really crazy when they added the second floor. If you go there this time of the year and it is like the old days. Just jammed. Paul Blart Mall Cop was filmed there. Another movie had some scenes filmed there as well. Fun fact: There are a TON of movies in the last 20 years that have been filmed in Massachusetts. My favorite is The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. They tried to dress up Rockport Mass as a town in Alaska. It is so New England that it wasn't believable.

[@DigitalIslandboy]

You're correct, the hall at the beginning was inside the Sears. Part of the Sears space also contained the Sears Tire/car maintenance shop where you could either service your car, service your yard tools like lawn moers, assemble your new bicycle, or put air in your bike tires etc. while you shopped or ate in the food court etc. My mom used to have them rotate the car tires before the winter while shopping.

[@TheJimbob1603]

They need some real stores ..... stores that sell stuff we need: a hardware store, a grocery store, a movie theater, post office, DMV office, a liquor store, a CVS; and a Walmart, Costco, and Home Depot could be the anchor stores. Throw in a realtor or two, a couple dentists, a 'quickie health-stop', a garden nursery, a car dealer, a hobby shop, and an internet cafe. I guarantee a mall with these stores would rock!

[@ruby055]

This Mall is fine. It's part of the 4 Malls that support Metro Boston including Natick, South Shore in Braintree and North Shore in Peabody. These 4 are pretty much ok. Natick will struggle the most because it's the furthest from route 128. It also has competition from Chestnut Hill and Dedham shopping areas

[@jimmyjay689]

Cambridgeside Galleria

[@felix121984]

True, Natick Mall is hard to navigate.

[@georgef551]

The pillars in the hallways used to have square trapezoid patterns on top of them where they meet the trusses, but those are not here anymore as I watch this. I guess they wanted to remove the "West Orange Pavilion" look to the place.

[@copyright-ur1sf]

10:18 there used to be a huge fountain about 15 feet in front of the escalators. The water jet would reach the 2nd floor. They took it out maybe around 1995. The photo at 10:08 looks exactly like a mini one that used to be in front of Sears. It also was taken out I'd say between 1995-2000.

[@DigitalIslandboy]

Yes. Burlington Mall had a HUGE water jet water fountain that I believe had smaller ones around it that would spray a while and then booooom the center one would blast upward.... I used to always want to see the center one spray again, and again, and again.

[@JG11099]

Yeah, that hallway at the beginning was build inside of what used to be the Sears space. Actually strangely enough, the women's restrooms down that hall are the are in the exact same place that they were located in Sears. They have the same layout and configuration and everything, they just built a new door on the opposite side of the room and updated the fixtures. Not very interesting I know, but it's something I noticed 😅

[@SevenFortyOne]

My company's office is about a mile up the road from that mall. I've always wondered what was in that mall but have never had time to check it out so thanks for sharing!

[@bikdav]

Great video. You are right about that entry way. It was a big SEARS store. I frequently visited that mall since my middle school years. I witnessed the second level being built. Usually on the weekdays, what you’re seeing is what it is. On the weekends, it’s far more crowded than this - even outside of the holiday seasons. I don’t remember a Stop and Shop there. But, I could be wrong. A lot of tenants have come and gone over years and for various reasons. But, that’s true of other malls. My memory is foggy concerning the water fountain, but I think it was about where you thought it might have been. By the way, if I remember correctly, Macys bought what remained of Jordan Marsh.

[@markwalsh6620]

The large water fountain in the hall was right in front of EU Wurlitzer ,Spencer Gifts and Friendly's Restaurant. I was there a lot back in there 70's ....Tx FB

[@Jacob-nu4nd]

I don’t know if it’s a common theme with Simon malls, but I know ours is extremely dark because they barely turning the lights on just like the food court in this video

[@Cotelw8345]

It is not a dead mall. Really busy on a Tuesday I want yesterday. Burlington is a major hub near Boston it should be okay. They are shifting high profile stores near where sears was to increase flow. The mall has the nicest Jc penny snd Macy’s besides North shore mall in the area.

[@pamelaaverrett5848]

Nice mall! Was that LED lights in the ceiling of the first section?

[@MattLong90]

PAUL BLART MALL COP WAS SHOT HERE.

[@SavSpdDemon]

Been to Burlington Mall countless times, it's really good.

[@EricFosterMedia]

I grew up around here and have been to this mall when it was 1 floor. Very cool to see it profiled.

[@yeahhoo86]

I live in New Hampshire, near another Simon Mall, Pheasant Lane, but use to live in Massachusetts, and frequented the Burlington Mall especially when my mother worked at the Macy's. The Burlington Mall is the crown jewel of Simon malls in the Greater Boston Area. The mall has always done well and is why they continue to re-invest in it. I would like to see Simon do much more to invest in its other malls such as the Pheasant Lane Mall (Nashua, NH), The Mall at Rockingham Park (Salem, NH) in and the Mall of New Hampshire (Manchester, NH)

[@btt449]

Where the food court is now, that use to be on the first floor and there was no second floor above it or that whole wing. Also there was an Eric Fuch's Hobbies right across from that food court where Legal Seafood entrance inside is.

[@DigitalIslandboy]

When I was going there last year (I worked in Lexington, MA) area the mall was a lot busier. Still lots of teens going inside esp. to the third floor food court (which was packed.) My main grouse is I can never figure out where the MBTA 350 bus picks up and drops off outside the mall. So I always have to walk around the outside of the whole mall to ask people where they saw the mbta pick up and drop off going in the correct direction. Usually I just cave in and order Uber or Lyft.

[@johnbonetti7458]

burlington mall is so nice, i always loved both burlington and natick malls when i lived in boston

[@GinaBoudreau]

I grew up not far from this mall. Obviously in the 80's-90's it was packed. I remember it well. Moved about an hour from here after getting married. The first time I went here in over 20+ years was about 2 weeks ago on a Sunday and it was packed. I just have lost to thrill of mall shopping now. Same stores, same crap. Maybe I'm getting old. lol I'd rather shop online. Sign of the times.

[@AWBOfficial994]

Correction: The Primark moved into the second floor of Sears, and the ENTIRE Sears closed in 2017-2018

[@lovewins4436]

Cambridge Mall has always been my favorite ❤

[@DigitalIslandboy]

Anyone who remembers Burlington Mall back in the day would remember. The other store the family *HAD* to hit up in Burlington which was a small distance from this mall was the "Building 19" discount clearance store.

[@TheNBAonTNT]

This is where they filmed Mall Cop

[@rl8429]

45:21 To the left was once the Sears Auto Center. It's now multiple shops and restaurants.

[@HarrisonHanson-hy7or]

This used to be a favorite mall for me mainly bc the N.Rack around the corner is AWESOME usually. But than the actual Nordstrom’s in that mall is just as crappy as the one in Braintree w Braintree being 1/2 the drive for me. Than Natick beat this mall out for me bc their Nordstrom’s is AHHHH-MAZING!!! plus there’s also a N. Rack around the corner of Natick mall. Your just there extremely early in the middle of the week too so I’d say that’s standard for almost any mall.

[@erikthorstensen5185]

As someone who lives in Burlington, about a mile from the mall. I'll tells a few things about it. The Primary opened above the Sears when Sears was still a thing. Like I said I'm from Burlington, and I have zero interests in that place anymore. Is way to high end now. I consider it the Lexington mall,in Burlington. Its a tourist trap on the weekends, especially in the winter. And I'm shocked the Johnny Rockets isn't there anymore. Since I'm commenting before I finished the video. The malls claim to fame. It was the primary filming location for the movie Mall Cop.

[@slapshot22]

Cinema I & II was located where the food court is now. Around the time they built the second floor, General Cinema (now AMC) Burlington opened across the street with 10 theaters, so they closed and gutted the old cinema. Waterstone's bookstore was on the first floor, and the food court was opened above it on the second floor. The original mall entrance there wasn't very big; I don't even remember if there was a food court at the time. I am surprised that there's no second-floor entrance to Macy's. But when Jordan Marsh was there, it actually had a third sales floor. I think it's just Macy's store offices now.

[@julietierney2516]

I hadn't been there for a long time. Went a few months ago - and it was really quiet.

[@madgoose2k]

This mall gets very busy. Extremely light day and time.

[@erikthorstensen5185]

If you do flea markets. Try the swap meat at New England Dragway in Epping New Hampshire. Usually the last Sunday of the month,unless there's a major event planned like the NHRA New England nationals usually in June.

[@AWBOfficial994]

This is my childhood mall

[@TravelsByTransit]

I live in the Boston area. From what i've heard, it's one of the nicest malls that doesn't have all designer stores.

[@abandonedmass2333]

A dead mall hell no

[@CaptAztek1001]

This is a very thriving mall. It’s always busy when I come here.

[@blueapples]

A few quick comments ... Right now for the holidays the mall is very busy. One thing I give them credit for is they always have a very "authentic" looking Santa for kids to get their pictures with. Compared to most food courts, Burlington's has usually featured several eclectic choices, like a cupcake stand where you could get your cupcakes shot full of ice cream. The restaurant with Indian food has been there for years, and the last time I was there I saw a place that serves Korean street food. There's also the only Chick-fil-A in the surrounding area. There are a couple of restaurants that are accessible only from the outside of the mall, like The Friendly Toast. Where The Friendly Toast is (on the floor beneath the food court) there used to be a cinema. I disagree that the new wing has better ambience than the rest of the mall. The ceilings are plain and to me it feels closed off and a little claustrophobic. Because Primark is upstairs, though, they didn't have much choice.

[@Random62854]

26:30 Yes, there was a time where sears was single story. (Between 2016-2018) (Also, after “PRIMARK” Opened, “Sears” used that ugly 2010 logo. EDIT: It’s confirmed by “PRIMARK open during construction” at 1:01

[@paulkrafve109]

I think the Burlington mall is the best mall in Massachusetts

[@koops1732]

i love this place but it has felt quieter and more open from all the construction they've done

[@KNIGHTGAMER-rm2dz]

Sears at the Burlington Mall had a location on the bottom floor and Primark is where the second level Sears used to be! I was there in 2017 that’s what I saw!

[@copyright-ur1sf]

I don't remember that. How was the basement level accessed?

[@KNIGHTGAMER-rm2dz]

@@copyright-ur1sfactually looking back no I think it ended up just 1 story before it closed! I thought it had a basement level there but I guess I could be wrong!

[@PinkAgaricus]

At least Simon kept a dead space from making the section it was attached to decay at accelerating rate unlike other malls we still see empty Sears attached to either quickly or slowly killing off first the wing it's in, then bleeding into the rest of the mall. Also in that former Sears section they managed to keep the spirit of the original ceiling, despite it being very white. In relation to a comment I saw talking about Sears + Primark, we have a similar, but different situation with TJ Maxx and Ross having a similar flooring scheme TJ Maxx downstairs and Ross upstairs in the same wing. (This is in Pearlridge Center's [formerly known as] Uptown section.) lol Two competitors in the same wing...though I think TJ Maxx and Ross are targeted towards different demographics due to our first impression of the stores' names.

[@christopherpotter7204]

The massage place is really good.

[@popstar1964]

I miss the old 2 story fountain

[@abandonedmass2333]

Yes where you walked in was sears

[@brucesumter4327]

wow so cool video i thought your mom was go into store buy her new shoes flats ot hills look like this video was july 26 month ago larry Bird ahow be there?? ty for video

[@StaceyLaValleyLambert]

I remember when the Burlington Mall used to have a York Steakhouse and a Magic Pan restaurant.

[@TinyIslandMaine]

Bring back York Steak House 😊

[@raymondjones5909]

Not like it use to be after 2017 a lot of the stores have left but it does still hold a crowd throughout the year

[@StaceyLaValleyLambert]

Also, it was the coolest place to have your picture taken with Santa Claus in Massachusetts!

[@chhive]

It’s getting much better after the remodel. Without the remodel, the mall was in a decline. Many people would go to NH instead.

[@dlewis9760]

The concept of indoor malls will survive. The industry opened way too many of them because everyone wanted in for the "Easy Money". We baby boomers aged out and we drove the creation of these places. Not gone or retired we have less reasons to hit these places as frequently as we did in our prime. I expect it will be quality and not quantity that keeps some open. The consumer will just have to travel a bit farther.

[@jedi69outcast]

Seems like those same kids were screaming all over the mall 😂😂

[@fleabittenadventures]

Yes. They follow me everywhere.

[@cubehire3653]

I've been going to the Burlington mall for decades. It was certainly better when it had the giant anchor stores Felines, Sears, Lord and Taylor and Jordan Marsh. It's still has Jordan marsh sort of speaking with Macys. That mall would be hurting without that store. It is a sin what happened to Sears but that's another story. As I understand it, the Burlington mall and the surrounding shopping areas were all gravel pits repurposed into shopping areas. There used to be a busy movie cinema located at the mall I hated to see that go. I was shocked to learn that there was a Stop & Shop there before my time. I remember as a teenager visiting the records stores and the Spencer gifts store with all the black light posters. There was a really good sporting goods store that also closed. I hope the malls survive in some form. I don’t want to be left with only Walmart, Target and Amazon.

[@erikthorstensen5185]

The cinema closed in the late 80's I believe.

[@caseykasemrocks]

was this the mall where Paul Blart: Mall Cop was filmed?

[@darkmya19]

yes one of them they filmed in other malls in massaschuetts

[@larryk731]

Not dead at all. Not busy due to time of day

[@arosenweig]

Jordan Marsh became Macys in March of 1996.

[@erikthorstensen5185]

Before the mall,it was a sand and gravel operation.

[@Cotelw8345]

I like this mall still has the old Jordan marshals look to Macy’s from the outside. 3 story Macy’s.

[@Cotelw8345]

Crate and barrel is right next to the mall.

[@Patriot64]

In the 70's and 80's, Burlington Mall was the place to shop. It was so crowded, finding parking was practically impossible, especially at night. I have excellent memories of it. It was a good place to be and it was SAFE for everyone!!!Look at the historical pictures. Men, woman and kids were all dressed very well. I miss those days 😐

[@felix121984]

Wow Burlington Mall was not even a luxury Mall then !

[@Patriot64]

@@felix121984 I know. It was an awesome, Safe place to shop.

[@bigrobotnewstoday1436]

I've been to this mall and there are times when there are a lot of people. I would not say its a dead mall but there are times of the week and year when there is a lot of traffic. There are only a few malls that are still doing good and this is one of them. I know the Natick Mall does good also. But that does not mean every store is doing good.

[@BethAbustan]

I'm exausted watching the video! There is no place to stop and rest!

[@TheJimbob1603]

The acreage was probably more profitable when it was a sand & gravel pit.

[@SandraBugler-vq6co]

Simon Malls all seem to have issues with escalators and elevators.

[@madmerlot841]

Not dead but it don't look that healthy store-wise. Simon doing its usual spectacular job maintaining doesn't help give it that unhealthy vibe.

[@philcatania3892]

Not many people with bags?

[@BethAbustan]

They need a movies theater,and arcade!!

[@m-ok-6379]

Burlington Mall is solid.

[@MichaelFougere]

Pretty busy for 11:00 am

[@Ocean-Shark007]

I don’t like the new changes to the malls I like how they used to look in the 90s Burlington Mall use to have a huge water fountain inside back in the 90s but it’s gone now, I also remember when there use to be smoking locations in the mall my parents would smoke walking in the mall that now gone a lot has change since the 90s

[@Cotelw8345]

You should go to the North shore does not look like other Simon malls.

[@888life]

Def not a dead mall. I've been to plenty of dead malls in the area, and this is not one of them. The attendance is definitely down from its hay day. Although a lot of their storefronts are unused and boarded over but that mostly has to do with rent prices and the loss of brick and mortar stores as a staple of retail. A lot of money still flows thru there and it's pretty crowded with the most annoying people, suburban families from rich neighborhoods.

[@Mummifications]

Mall is not dead. My store sees 1,000+ people a day on the weekends. It's dead on week days.

[@PaceyAndPumpkin]

Definitely not a dead mall.

[@abandonedmass2333]

Saying this is like saying enfield is thriving 😂

[@abandonedmass2333]

Saying its a dead mall

[@jimmyjay689]

Not even close..lol

[@philipsandulescu5947]

Anyone here because of Mall Cop?

[@sKid-ez7zn]

Compared to malls in the 1980s all malls are dead now