Exploring the Abandoned Richmond Square Mall (1990s Mall w/ Huge Movie Theater)

Opening September 22, 1966 as Richmond Mall, developed by famous mall developer Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr. Original anchors were Sears and JCPenney, alongside a Loews Theater and Woolworths. The mall included in-line tenants such as Richman Brothers, and Winkelman's. As of mid March 2015, the Macy's store was shuttered. On January 4, 2017, Sears announced that its store would be closing in March 2017, JCPenney announced they would close their location on July 31, 2017. The rest of the mall remained open until 2021.
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[@starwhisper7869]

My parents worked at this mall from the 1970's through the 1990's. I was born in the early 80's so this place was like my second home when I was a kid. I will miss this mall so much. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for recording this. This mall will always mean so much to me. I will never forget going to see my mom at Sears. Getting pizza at Scottos. Going to Woolworths. Going to the Loews theaters with my dad. Going to Diamonds restaurant to see my dad. I am beyond heartbroken that it's being torn down.

[@CoinHuntingDrew]

It’s about 70% torn down now

[@MISFITCHOWS]

Is this Westland mail?

[@JacobDean88]

Nice!

[@starwhisper7869]

Yea.... my mom told me that. 😭@@CoinHuntingDrew

[@starwhisper7869]

No. Richmond Town Square...which was originally called Richmond Mall@@MISFITCHOWS

[@kayfitzgerald309]

I once saw an abandoned mall turned into old people living area,and they made the walking areas of the mall look like little village, i think they even had little shops,etc! I think its a great idea,especially when your super old & cant drive! One stop living area! I will have to see if i can find it again & post a link! It was awesome! And No WASTE!!!😊

[@SharonJones-ql8oy]

Sounds like a good idea! Put these buildings to use.

[@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy]

Yeah I also seen it being a organized shelter for homeless people. The eye check and grasses store was converted into an actual medical office, granted they needed to build a vault room for the meds because you never know who is an addict or something and go nuts steal stuff ... They had everything in one place even quarantine rooms. Security staff continued to work too. So yeah not that different to what you said OP. But that was long ago. Nowadays USA doesn't care for people, most end up on streets or d--d. And also it really is sad to see that most of these buildings will end up torn down and be either just a foundation for some other construction suite or nothing at all ... And with that said all the things you see inside wont be recycled at all. So many metal, furniture, faucets, fixtures, etc wont be used. I wonder if they will also bother to preserve those granite and decorative stones too since they are expensive by default. I seen many of these places just torn down and for nothing ... or simply abandoned while if you enter you can get fined or even shot idk it's crazy.

[@0327babygirl]

I practically lived in malls, shopping, going to the movies, eating at the food courts, working part time, in the 70s, 80s, 90s and even in the 2000s..It breaks my heart that places such as "The Mall" are quickly dying out; at Christmastime, all the families shopping for their kids...Oh, brings tears to my eyes because the future generations will never know how beautiful it was..R.I.P. to all the malls..

[@overlyattachedbean1050]

Come to Canada. Theyre all alive and well here

[@dvferyance]

They aren't all gone.

[@mpatrickthomas]

I'm 59.Know EXACTLY what you mean

[@Jojo01171]

Now everyone just shops on Amazon without actually going into malls.. Also, it was a lot safer back in the day but now malls aren’t even safe to go to from all the shootings happening these days.. Tragic.

[@brandiwine8289]

I miss the days of the 90's malls, so nostalgic. And who can forget Orange Julius:) Great Job on this!

[@ella17734]

Loved Orange Julius!

[@brandiwine8289]

@ella17734 yes! I recently went to a mall that had one, and it was just as good as I remembered 🍊

[@DarkExploration]

Thank you !

[@Seroxm13]

80s and 90s were the peak of Malls. I miss going to them as a little kid all the time with my mom and older sister (in the 90s and 00s). They loved going to the mall so much! Even though I hated waiting for my mom to look or try on clothes, I still had a great time in malls. My nearby mall had a K-Mart which closed like a year ago. 🥹

[@brandiwine8289]

@@Seroxm13 definitely such good memories, I miss K Mart too, I guess I should say more the memories than the store itself lol. Yes, waiting for parents or siblings to try on clothes was so boring.

[@sc00b3rt]

I prefer indoor malls over the newer shopping centers. Im sad so many of them are gone.

[@mpatrickthomas]

I'm 59 and the mall was the main hang out,a second home.I believe that's why depression is rampant now.Everyone shops online,and the mall was a wide open space to meet and talk with friends and strangers alike.Wal Mart is still busy,but it's all crammed in and not open like malls.The atmosphere was like a mini village.Great video.That is a huge mall.

[@50WTLYD]

That’s an interesting find. It’s crazy how malls close down. One or The malls in my city is still alive and booming with people in and out the mall. I’m glad it’s still around

[@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy]

I am from Serbia and in few towns where I know some of the old malls still exist today. They been rebuilt after the WW2 bombings and war times in general and ever since then they changed a lot inside but it's the same building and it's still a mall full of shops. My local mall was redesigned about 10 times in just 30 years and to think of being abandoned or torn down is otherwordly to me ... There are always great ways to repurpose a building. I seen in some places around the world where they repurposed a mall to be a shelter station for homeless people with medical and security staff fully working for years or repurposed as a healthcare place of sorts. Mini hospital etc. You can do so much with it. In my area there been lots of army bases that been bombed during the 90s wars with NATO and all of them been rebuilt and repurposed to be storage facilities, animal hospitals, stations for immigrants and other establishements, etc. The radiation levels were low or none since NATO missed these and bombed near by forests and fields and the building only suffered surface damage. Funilly enough they directly bombed abandoned facilies old ones from WW2 or even older, while actual army bases in use they missed. But then again this was only here, in other places they bombed everything however even civilians. From hospitals to schools, all sort of comercial buildings factories etc and even regular town blocks. So yeah given that my area was lucky ...

[@violetgotho6187]

this mall may be gone soon, but thanks to you it will live on forever in this video! thanks for sharing your trip for those who are not able to see these treasures before they are gone!

[@magzdilluh]

What you saw at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="2150">35:50</a> weren't wristbands--they were bank wrappers for the money. Twenty five $20 bills or fifty tens would be taped in those $500 bands. The office you were in had security stuff there but it was mostly for management to count out the daily deposit and cashier tills.

[@Liiibrasun]

This is so crazy! To think this mall was once filled with people and next an abandoned ghost town.😳

[@Ganiscol]

When shopping malls some 50 odd years ago began to squeeze out small-time shops, who would have thought that in the end some small-time shops would outlast shopping malls in the 21st century. Sure, online shopping also kills small stores, but some specialized ones or those in tight communities can still exist. Its almost poetic justice.

[@Happyland_Motel_Gamer_Cat]

I forgot to say in my comment and reading your comment, in the 70s malls were actually very small until the 90s when they were expanded. Life was good in the 70s and 80s, no online.

[@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy]

@@Happyland_Motel_Gamer_Cat Yeah no online but then again malls back then were sort of hubs of information. My local mall had everything you ever need and you could not only source things but also actually learn a heck of a lot from them too. In mid 90s we got the first online cafe at least far I remember that was basically the start of learning things outside of your realm. Many of us who started using internet was only as form of learning new things, nowadays people use internet for dumb things. It's really all going backwards, the tech is advancing but the people are lazier and more stupid then ever, exposed to lies and pointless content.

[@Happyland_Motel_Gamer_Cat]

@@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy And let’s thank the government in the late 90s and early 2000s for selling off all local government run businesses to private businesses off shore.

[@TheUluxian]

@@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy Once it got to the point where people were allowing themselves to be led by "influencers" who knew next to nothing, themselves, I began to abandon all hope for the future.

[@TheUluxian]

In my neck of the woods, we have a still thriving mall. Now I never really have a reason to go there, but a few weeks ago I went there for the first time in probably 30 years just to experience some "Christmas at the mall " nostalgia. It hit me right off when I had to circle the parking lot for 20 minutes just to find a space. But once I got inside, it was really a lot of fun. Lots of people, but not the overwhelming elbow-to-elbow crowds that I remember from back in the '80s and '90s. Immediately got taken in by those devils from Cinnabon. (Damn them for smelling so delicious and making me buy a box! The Fiends!). Picked up a few gifts. It really took me back. Oh, and others have commented that those were bank bands for wrapping money in the security room, but the reason the safe has two doors... Clerks and cashiers would have access to the first main door, and then they would drop their daily deposit bank bags in the top slot, (like a post office mailbox), where they would fall down into the bottom of the safe. The higher level managers or bank couriers would have access to the lower door to collect the bags and transport them to the bank.

[@KW973]

I gotta admit it that the music overlay at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1320">22:00</a> brought a tear to my eye. I grew up a mall rat son who had a mom who managed bridal registry at the mall department store Elder Beerman. Great stuff!!

[@calliewhatley2510]

Just stumbled across your KZbin content yesterday and I have binge watched since! I'm so addicted! I'd love to do some urban exploration and find some abandoned places. I'm in Louisiana so we definitely have a rich history! I love your love for architecture and the beautiful and innate and intricate designs they carve into the wood. You definitely have been to some amazing places!

[@kimmieandrews2491]

Loved this! It's sad that malls have gone out of business. Hopefully they'll come back! Thanks for sharing! ❤

[@chrisharlow6652]

Brings back lots of memories growing up as a kid shopping in the mall

[@drsauce216]

I grew up at this mall. It's soo surreal seeing it get demolished today.

[@furious3383]

Having seen this video of a vacant cinema complex like this makes me now want to visit and see a film at another theatre like this that is still in use.

[@gretchenblanchette3847]

Love this video! I miss the days of shopping in store. There is nothing like the physical aspect of experiencing something in person. It’s sad to see so many business buildings sitting empty. I love your commentary on color schemes and the time period of designs. Humanity used to put a lot of creativity into all aspects of life, I hope we will circle back around in the future. Your videos bring creativity and beauty into the world.

[@tmwinkler]

Those "wrist bands" were actually used to bundle cash. So those are really "retro" as no one uses cash any longer. So glad you made the projection rooms. Thanks for sharing!!

[@whohoohey]

70's and 80's for me in malls, at least I have the memories.

[@AlanizMichaelAndrew]

The internet fucked everything up, I miss shopping in malls. Great way to get out of the house and just get lost in shopping. We've gotten way too lazy and fat because of the internet. Sad to see places like this gone. :(

[@firemanfireman7228]

Our first mall was taking down many years ago And a bunch of stores built what they called scenter town mall In a large circle Many years later they built another Mall It almost died to One guy bought it and is determined to build it back up by giving people a cheaper rent It's a slow process and the mall is big He wants to keep it going and so far it's working out It still has a lot of empty stores stores in it Let's see how it works out Thanks for viteoing this mall it was beautiful Fireman 🔥🔥🔥👍

[@staceruit11]

I so LOVEEE a good abandoned mall video, totally smashed it with this explore, really enjoyed watching this! 😊

[@stickynorth]

Mindblowing! I get it when smaller older malls and theatres become abandoned but a 20-screen Regal? Yikes!

[@justinstandifer604]

The Regal Citrus Park 20 in Tampa, FL didn’t make it either. They couldn’t afford the rent anymore. Screens 1-10 on the 1st floor, & screens 11-20 on the 2nd floor. It was a double decker.

[@BoratWanksta]

AMC abandoned a 30 screen theater(I think called the Grand 30, correct me if I'm wrong on that name), in the Dallas area sometime in the mid or late 2010s. So I'd say abandonment of these bigger multiplexes is more common, than one might think. Regal shut down their 20 screen Lincolnshire theater, like a year ago. Honestly, I'm convinced we probably built too many of those bigger multiplexes in the US.

[@justinstandifer604]

@@BoratWanksta There was a big theater boom in the late 90s to early 2000s. All 3 Tampa, FL AMCs were built in that time period. Same with the Regal that shut down.

[@nicoletanis3703]

Great video of this abandoned 1990 Mall, that's awesome. Thanks!

[@chayychayythebaddie8340]

Hands down 👏🏼 Devin you are the greatest explorer on KZbin!! Love your channel! Been watching you since 2022 and can’t get enough of your content. Keep it up bro.

[@hi.panorama]

I was born in the early 1990s. I think I missed the craze for shopping malls. I admit that I don't like them - I don't like crowds, I don't like the rush of consumerism. Anyway, what I do almost compulsively is look out of the now defunct shopping centres outside my country. After seeing dozens of explorations from such places and reading hundreds of commentaries, I think that these shopping centres are much more than just a collection of shops. They are a symbol of certain times, a symbol of leisure activities for people a little older than me. It is a symbol of a certain era. Certain behaviours characteristic of a certain generation - I am thinking of those spending time in shopping centres outside of school. Shopping centres as a meeting place for young people. It's something simply iconic. I understand that in good online shops this relic of the past even had to go. What I cannot fathom is why no one cares about these places, why no one tries to adapt them to the requirements of modern times, but immediately decides to demolish them. After all, these are not ordinary buildings that today do not fulfil the function entrusted to them years ago. After all, they are cultural symbols.

[@cjbree]

I sure do miss the malls. You do a good job of documenting them. I enjoy all your videos.

[@UrbexAndChill]

No Black Friday Sales In This Mall

[@mikejohnson3406]

Glad you posted a new video. Awesome 😊

[@madkinski]

This mall was built in 1966. Like most malls, it’s not a “1990s” mall, just many of the remodels were finished in the past 25 years.

[@siliconinsect]

Original decor for Richmond Mall was burgundy carpeting and cigarette smoke. Remodeled when I was a kid around 1993.

[@starwhisper7869]

I miss that carpet. I miss decorating a Easter egg decoration that they'd hang from the ceiling. I miss KB Toys! @@siliconinsect

[@fran-kittyayers5329]

Wow, thankyou for taking me on your journey, so many memories for so many people, all the best 👍 from England 🇬🇧

[@sneakerfreak2002]

Love the keyboards in the intro. Has that late 70s early 80s sound that started appearing in that era. The movie Christine soundtrack came to mind

[@anthony_leckie]

Always nice to see a new explore from you.

[@virginiaannprescott2015]

Thank you for showing a part of my childhood and my children's. This is so sad to see this happening always took my children to the mall at Christmas and when ever we was in Richmond

[@starwhisper7869]

What was your favorite store at Richmond Mall in Ohio?

[@tyronesmith4622]

Wow super cool! I’m from England but I love these abandoned American Mall videos :)

[@bigbluegr8ness383]

The internet brought a lot of good things but it also took away amazing things in our lives that we unfortunately won't be getting back and malls are definitely one of those things we'll all miss going to just like video rental stores 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@stevarino1989]

God, the 90s. My decade. Lol. I was too young to really take it all in, but I love how these dead malls are basically 90s time capsules. It’s also really depressing how the power is on inside and even a fire alarm is going off.

[@joeuk3995]

Always great videos. Not exactly 90's mall when it was partially open until very recently 🤣 that being said great content

[@nathanroberts3065]

Great video man. Love your content

[@Happyland_Motel_Gamer_Cat]

The security vehicle gives another layer of the human abandonment.

[@explores40]

Cool explore it’s a shame malls end up going out of business over the years.

[@zuzek96]

Used to love coming here with my family back in the day!!

[@ruger8412]

You can feel the memories. Its kinda weird but im a 80's & 90's child this kinda brakes my heart. Im surprised you didn't see a radio shack!

[@sunlightangel87]

According to the article I read, the last store here closed in May of 2021.

[@TheJillianRussell]

In the cinema safe room, those aren't wristbands, those are wraps for wrapping money (paper bills) to be prepared to be deposited at the bank they would have dealt with. I worked in the main bank of a casino in my time and we had to do the same thing as I was dealing in millions of dollars a day.

[@kayfitzgerald309]

Fire Extinguisher Devin!! A fire hydrant is outside 😅

[@leet7489]

insane how intact a lot of it is

[@timebong8366]

The malls were a hangout spot to get the girls back in late 70s and 80s. Doing it mostly at the first indoor mall in America, South Dale mall in Edina, Minnesota. That place is going instinct slowly too.

[@MercuryLeo555]

Hello, I like when you put up videos with abandoned malls. Luckily all the malls I used to go to are still standing. Glad for that. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Have a great day. 🙂

[@funwithdollsandmore2426]

I hate seeing abandoned malls I love going to malls me and my mom would go the mall a lot when I was really little

[@CoinHuntingDrew]

Grew up going here all the way to the last week it was open.

[@DyingInPlainSight]

Those were money bands for stacks of cash that made it easier to count and deposit at the bank. Awesome video and nice find. As an 80s kid it sadens me that malls are dead. So much nostalgia for me going to malls and spending all day with your friends goofing off.

[@marylutyger675]

Movie theater looked very art deco

[@courtney5416]

it’s sad knowing that this mall is probably all torn down by now

[@mariafabiano1744]

That movie theater was so awesome!

[@ricj7517]

Another interesting video guys 👍

[@furious3383]

One malls will make a comeback. For those that are already currently dying off and being either repurposed, or outright being replaced other existing malls are only being motivated to thrive more. At least to avoid giving way to their online competition.

[@pathartsock9161]

In Arizona several of the long time malls have closed down and it is so sad to see happen. Some of the malls are a bit scary to go to with all of the shootings and such. I love to see you explore these malls, it's kind of ominous to go through this place when it is empty, it seems as though you could almost get lost. When you put your hand under that blower in the bathroom, I would of jumped out of my seat if that thing had turned on. Thank-you for what you do, I totally enjoy every minute of it. Those things you called wrist bands were probably the paper they wrap around stacks of paper money after it was counted.

[@PinkAgaricus]

Speaking of Arizona, I thought this was Metrocenter at first because of the food court shape with the skylight in the middle. In the still that they used for the thumbnail.

[@benderrodriguez5425]

Just leaving a comment here for the algo.

[@Craigalicioususa]

It's in great shape for a mall in the 90s.

[@teddyslibrary]

Me and my homegirl Keekee went to that Lens Crafters as the mall was in the ICU!

[@lilyflower0616]

I’m cracking up at the “that’s a little dramatic for me” with the inspirational quotes.. I thought the same for a movie theater staff

[@renardfranse]

Better watch out for that security vehicle HAHAHAHAHA

[@henkdouma8448]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="2152">35:52</a> Those aren't wristbands but they're to put around a stack of dollar money to keep them together. All of the same denomination and with the total of the number on the band for easy transfer to the bank. Off course the bank would re-count it again.

[@Darkspire94]

Watch out for the rolling giant

[@Rizki_Railfans]

Can't wait for it

[@Robbie-E1971]

Awsome mall love the video thanks

[@carolsherman1768]

This mall took so much money to maintain and keep running.... There are mansions like this too. Nobody wants to buy them because it takes so much money to keep them up. The mall is so beautiful though. Such a waste to tear down. 😢

[@michaelmorin6235]

great editing and music

[@rossincognito273]

Bravo excellence

[@jasongibson3496]

Thank You so much for showing us this mall and the history behind it. I honestly do not understand, why the local city councils across the country buy the mall back from the developer and try to reopen the mall or demolish these empty malls and use the land for something else. Leaving something behind and letting it rot year after year, I am pretty sure probably embarrasses the city and the county as well. By the way, I think the guy who showed us what the inside of the mall looks like is really beautiful and gorgeous. I would like to tell him he has a good heart and cares about people. To him and everyone one on this post Happy New Year and Merry Christmas With Love - Jason.

[@rolfsinkgraven]

Shopping online also kills malls, very nice explore thnx.

[@BOBSBOWLINGSTUFF]

The "wrist bands" you found in the theatre office were used for wrapping around stacks of bills after counting them. So, for example, the red $500.00 ones you touched (in the fourth slot) would be for 25 - $20.00 bills. the green $200.00 ones (in the second slot) would be for 40 - $5.00 bills, the purple $2000.00 ones (in the sixth slot) would be for 20 - $100.00 bills, etc. The orange ones (in the third slot) would have been $400.00 ones for 40 - $10.00 bills, and the yellow ones (in the fifth slot) would probably have been $1000.00 ones for 20 - $50.00 bills. The first slot might have been missing the bands for the $1.00 stacks of money.

[@wazthatme]

I remember going to that mall as a kid its kind of creepy seeing it like this

[@WhittyPics]

Looks like a nice place back in its day

[@bearprower]

I work near a still active mall/shopping area with a ton of pine trees and some wooded areas nearby. I've actually had to stop on the off ramp from the freeway to avoid hitting deer

[@mikehamilton9450]

Nice video thank you

[@keithchristie66]

Not sure what the attraction is but I was locked in from start to finish. Entertaining and interesting. Your channel is awesome. 🙏🙏👏👏🙏🙏👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@deannaclaire6920]

Homeless people can literally set up shop at this mall and nobody would ever know .

[@ryanmartie1244]

at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1550">25:50</a>...my first thought was...please try the hand dryer lol. Thank you and cool explore!

[@paramoreparks9960]

I could still smell every area you walked into. It stays with you.

[@AJsketchy]

I love the *aesthetic* of the movie theater

[@johnburke1317]

Nice video 👋

[@ranaecambell5889]

So sad they are being phased out thanks for. The explore

[@seanspring8991]

Grew up in this area. There were 3 malls within 15 miles of each other. Richmond Mall, Euclid Square Mall, and Great Lakes Mall. The only one left is Great Lakes Mall.

[@rustyshacklefordrefined5756]

Beachwood place too.

[@AR20231]

I wish you could explore the empty movie theater and sears by me in Michigan lol 😂 a lot memories in those places

[@michaelmorin6235]

excellent

[@thesnapperkeeper]

Cool video

[@susangallegos6359]

Wow what a shame good things do come to a end... My Dad's words he once said....now just memories....😮

[@BrittneyAMcCubbin]

Many think online shopping is what killed shopping malls. But that’s not the case it was the overbuilding of mall’s in 70’s thru 90’s that killed them. What were seeing now is an over due correction in retail space needs.

[@whatdidijustsee9338]

Wow looks so old school ❤

[@ulitkabob7567]

😂

[@ulitkabob7567]

😂

[@starwhisper7869]

If you think that's retro then wish you could have seen the two theaters that were attached to that building in the 70's/80's/90's. The 'indoor' theater as I called it was small.. I think it only had like...4 screens.. maybe 6... and in front of the windows above the entrance was these cool black and white drawings. The 'Outdoor' theater more connected to the edge of the building had.. maybe 15 to 20 screens. I saw the movie 'Hook' in the indoor theater. My dad was friends with someone that worked at the theater so we went to that place a LOT.

[@dakotawolf6832]

what a bummer that int shopping is closing stores down our mall is still up and running but i going to miss malls and soon all the malls will shut down going to miss it and int shopping is going to hit food stores are going to shut down its going to bite hard

[@victoriaschachter1072]

That was my mall!! Back in the day it was called Richmond Mall. I used to walk there during the 70s during the summer when I was in school. This is not what it used to look like. the escalator up to nowhere in the middle of the mall that whole store was never there. it was the main entrance. Teddis. The food court was never there. on the right hand side it was Loews's East 1 then 2. that whole building of extra theaters was never there

[@SonicPandora274]

i wouldve jumped to mars if that hand dryer turned on

[@kendallkidd20]

Paul Blart- Defunct Mall Cop

[@flatlandsline1968]

Hey the proper people explored this mall a few months ago.

[@g00zik97]

no way i would leave these optometry posters hanging in there