Dead Mall: Huntsville's Madison Square Walkthrough

[@glennweeks7176]

this was hard to watch...I have such great memories of this mall...it opened the year I moved to Huntsville 1984...closed and demolished in 2017. 33 years ...wow.

[@bigred2784]

Sad to see this mall go I will always have memories of this mall.

[@ubernoobly]

So many memories. Me and my brother used to love the little arcade and the food court was always good!!

[@bethmosher3598]

Awesome video. I was four when this Mall was built, about all of the most important memories and purchases of my life were made here. So sad to see it all go.

[@jonathanMallard]

omg thank you. I love dead malls they are creepy ghost towns and I can't explain my fascination

[@TJDrones]

I'm with ya on that, I watched them for over a year before I decided to make my own... More coming!

[@laid07]

Whos the chick? She's cute!

[@jakesims6249]

The city let me and two other friends in here just a month or two right before they started doing demolition on it. The only think that was in operation at the time was either belk or the JC PENNY store. We basically had the whole mall to ourselves and got to go almost anywhere in it. My first time being to the mall but it was one of the funnest days of my life!

[@nikoleledbetter9018]

This is one of the best dead mall videos I've seen. I love how in depth you were and named the stores that used to be there, instead of skipping around.

[@TJDrones]

Thank you for taking the time to watch and appreciate... I grew up with visits to that mall all through childhood (and occasionally as an adult), so I was familiar with many aspects of its history and changes. It was a project I was determined to give the proper treatment. I have a bit more raw footage from a later visit that I have hoped to compile into a "tribute" of sorts to MSM along with as much history and stock footage I can possibly narrate over, but this is not something I have started beyond collecting footage. I'm not done with this channel but I'm not sure the direction or the speed quite yet of anything further. Thanks for watching :-)

[@KicrFilmsRG]

Great video man! Enjoyed the commentary too, can't wait to see more!

[@joeycox2614]

This is VERY great for a 1st video! You did a FANtastic job and I will enjoy the rest of the future!

[@TJDrones]

thank you so much. I worked really hard to make sure my first video was watchable. I really appreciate the feedback, it keeps me motivated to try at some more video editing and vlogs in the future.

[@chefjerefulldangle4409]

really takes me back . kinda surrealistic. one of my first jobs was at the coffee tea and thee . wild times. also worked at peanut shack and candy candy. that old school mall scene is a thing ofnthe past indeed.

[@msjonesforestrangerlearning]

chefJere fulldangle my mom and I loved having coffee together there!!!❤️

[@islandtech1963]

i worked security there from a couple of months before opening and then for about 2.5-3 years. lots of memories, we used to drink beer on the roof after closing, got 'lucky' there a few times, and just crazy happenings in general when it was the social center of huntsvegas.

[@TJDrones]

Hahaha.... Huntsvegas, I lived in Las Vegas as a kid... I always loved that name for here once I moved to AL from L.A.... of course, when I told most people that I moved here from "L.A." (Los Angeles), they would say "oh, you mean Lower Alabama?" LoL

[@besilnetlydrawn8356]

hey! I hope you'll keep the dead mall videos coming. This was great to watch and thanks for sharing it with everyone. Hope to see more from you!

[@TJDrones]

Thanks, I do have more coming, a little raw footage already gathered, plus I bought an aerial drone with camera to capture more shots, I can't wait to get another full video up.

[@Falke615]

As someone that grew up in this mall in the early 90's, as well as someone that loves exploring dead spaces. I LOVE this! Who would have thought that this mall would become a nicer variant of The Mall that was in mid-town Huntville?

[@DevannB]

Great video bro, tons of memories, just bought one of the directory maps from the liquidation sale. Enjoy your first subscriber. Here's to many more.

[@TJDrones]

thanks so much man, I'm hoping to get a piece at the liquidation also. I had to film it before it was gone, I knew if the memories start to fade, the video will still be there to keep them fresh.

[@dougdouglas3696]

Good video. I was chilled to see Madison Square Mall in such decline. Born and raised in Huntsville, moved away in '88, have not kept up. Very sobering. Thanks for the video. P.S. Maybe slow your camera movement down just a bit. It was very frustrating trying to look at what you were describing when the camera had already moved on to the next shot.

[@TylersNeighborhoodGarage]

I used to come here all the time after I got my license in 1987, it was jammed, each day, all day. The only arcade I remember back then was on the east side of the food court. Well, I guess all good things come to an end. When's it's replacement gets built, the customers will come right back, right on cue.

[@aaroncormier8411]

WhoSaidTyler that was a long time but boy you have a good memory

[@wolfpak8228]

WhoSaidTyler --shop on line killed malls I think

[@GameLifter]

Nice video! I visited here over the weekend and it was crazy seeing how dead it was.

[@TJDrones]

I went back about two weeks ago (roughly two months since I'd been there for this video).... Down to like 6 shops... Lost even more in just a little time

[@GameLifter]

Yeah, when I moved here in 2012 it was decent and it had a GameStop and the retro game store which is where I met most of friends here. It started going downhill soon after that.

[@TJDrones]

yeah, the retro game arcade was one of the only reasons for me to go there until it left

[@peulsar5417]

GameLifter

[@GreatWhiteRodeo]

The theatre's got some pretty sweet seating though. :) Such a striking difference between this mall and Parkway Place Mall.

[@TJDrones]

After Parkway City got replaced and turned into the Parkway Place, it eliminated the need for almost all of South Hunstville to ever have to go to Madison Square mall, that left only West of Huntsville - but then Bridgestreet came and took out that section of shoppers (and stores) about 8 years ago.

[@jonathanmitchell9886]

I met Angus Young at this mall (in the drugstore that later became an FYE) a couple of hours before an AC/DC show in August 1988. At fifteen, that was just about the coolest thing that could possibly have happened to me.

[@TJDrones]

great memory and story, glad you got to have that experience there 👍 appreciate you sharing

[@santuel]

I worked at the Sears for about a year when it was basically all but dead and the demolition was already planned. It was depressing to see what was the absolute peak of hangout places from my youth and my older brothers youth become what it was

[@christinacole5200]

Was watching this and at the Candy Candy part I realized that you're the TJ I got the pleasure of working with at MM!! Small world love the video!

[@TJDrones]

haha that's me :-)

[@DangerKennyB]

Crazy to think that as of this very moment, almost all of what you see in this video is gone, completely. The demolition has moved with blazing speed.

[@TJDrones]

I drove past the other day.... it's incredible

[@SentaiAce]

Enjoyed the video man!

[@TJDrones]

Thanks a lot!

[@CSXfan618]

There was also another Dillard's, as it was used as a men's store until the mid 2000s, and it last operated as Steve and Barry's.

[@ViaCJ]

Awesome bro

[@charlottesometimes2944]

Great job, I appreciated the Adam the Woo reference lol!

[@TJDrones]

Thanks so much! I'm hoping to make a dedication video to the mall and also some vlogs so please subscribe ... Adam the Woo was actually my FIRST channel to ever subscribe to when I first started watching KZbin a year and a half ago. He did a few abandoned places that I had gone to as a kid and he is a big Disney fan like me, so I want to do some myself finally, inspired by many of my favorite KZbin creators. I discovered the channel This Is Dan Bell, who has the finest playlist of Dead Mall videos on KZbin right now. He helped introduce me to the "vaporwave" music and aesthetic which is pretty cool. That is how I eventually discovered the background music I used throughout the video. But when I was replaying these clips for editing, it stuck out in my head that Subway video I reminded myself of Adam the Woo, so I slapped that little editing repeat together as a small, albeit unintentional tribute. I'm glad you understood the reference, lol, and I wasn't crazy for including it.

[@charlottesometimes2944]

+TJ Tyson That's funny, because woo introduced me to dans work, which lead me to the dead mall videos, which lead me to your video lol. you've got some natural talent I hope you get into doing the dead mall thing, you aren't obnoxious like half the stuff i run into. (coughexploringwithjoshcough). I have to watch his stuff with the sound off. Oh and P.S. if you haven't checked out Freshed Baked Disney you should, great updates on Star Wars land

[@TJDrones]

+CharlotteSometimes ...also a Freshbaked Disney fan here too, you will see a lot more to come in regards to that soon from me, but maybe on a second channel, all Disney dedicated (I will include a link to it when I do). I agree some of the people on here are better in small doses, or with the volume off all together. I only recently subscribed to Exploring WithJosh, his locations are top notch, but not my favorite personality either. I like Justin Scarred on LiveFastDiePoor. He's a great guy, but I can't binge on his work, but def enjoy a few at a time. One of my vlog ideas is simply to cover the other KZbin creators I enjoy, act as a hub or aggregator for all the creators I watch regularly and those like them/like me.

[@TJDrones]

+CharlotteSometimes and we are planning a Disney trip in September, so I will have some footage of that shortly after.

[@charlottesometimes2944]

+TJ Tyson yeah I can't watch a whole lot of Justin at once either lol. and really the only reason I watch Josh is because you are totally right, his locations are just amazing. his was the first live footage of nara dreamland I had ever seen, it didn't even occur to me until a few weeks ago that I could look up video of urban exploring on you tube. I just obsessed over photos before lol

[@socialtitan3706]

Sad what happened to that place. Me and my family use to go there after eating out on a Friday night. Last time I was there I think only a dozen stores were open and only one restaurant was in the food court

[@ilovetvshows4801]

10:00 I LAUGHED @ the Adam the woo impression

[@TJDrones]

thank you :-)

[@bergyboyz3794]

So many memories

[@LTR1420]

Man this is sad. I remember being in the food court as a kid like it was yesterday. That was late 90's and early 00's. I will say though, they've done a damn good job with that area now. There's a Top Golf and abunch of other stuff now.

[@bigdoglucas]

wow i used to go to this mall when i was little and its pretty sad now there not many stores now but only a few stores left

[@TJDrones]

Same here. I lived in Huntsville for the last 23 years and have watched the continuous slide down. I counted only a dozen shops or businesses, and I know the capacity used to be over 100.

[@klaymonkey9073]

Such an iconic song. Who wrote it?

[@TJDrones]

Which one (like what minute/second of the video)? I put up credits at the very end of the video (i think in order of appearance)... but these are all Vaporwave artists, they sample a lot of other people's music, vintage vinyl and audio tape sounding stuff ("attention K-mart shoppers"). So a lot of the "original" original artists might not be as easy to track down as the one I sourced.

[@ARichardAlexanderProduction]

TJ Tyson that software place by sears was also a game stop

[@ARichardAlexanderProduction]

TJ Tyson and that closed off area was a Parisians and that Disney store was a inflatable store

[@rcgray2278]

I worked here for a year back in 2004, and it was already in a downward spiral. The mall was consistently filled with douche-bag teens who trashed stores (and I say that having been a senior in HS at the time). It got so bad that the powers-at-be implemented a Youth Escort Policy, but that ultimately did nothing. I finally quit, because it wasn't worth it. I hope someone buys the property and does something cool with it.

[@auntsarah16]

I lived in Madison from 1989-1995 while Dad was working for Red Stone/Boeing. My sibs worked at CPI. I think there was a Merri-Go Round...? Taco-Bell was the thing. Yeah seems like everything was bigger. And my sister getting my ears pierced. Still have vivid dreams walking in that mall. There was a couple times where I think I almost got kidnap.

[@mraiwa1000]

Pretty good camera work! The hit trends vaporwave really wasn't fitting.. Nice work though, really hope to see more for this channel!

[@TJDrones]

thank you, i'm working on more to come

[@iamvixxxx7768]

It's sad knowing that the only things left of the mall is JCPenney and sears I remember going there as a kid it was so fun and with the arcade some good memories 😢😢

[@SinisterShelby]

LOL. Feel the Bern 😂

[@ARichardAlexanderProduction]

Can I use this video if you don’t mind

[@Steve_Hunts96]

Are there other malls near this one? I'm trying to develop a theory as to why some malls are dying via stating a close distance between 2 malls killing one of them off. In Phoenix, that's the case with 3 of them (Fiesta, Metrocenter, & Powersquare), and I'm trying to see if the same exists in other places.

[@hondad-series9265]

Trainking922 online

[@santuel]

There's Parkway Place Mall that was a formerly dying mall that was revitalized a few years back. It's like a 20 minute drive from here. There's also an outdoor mall around the same distance the other way.

[@skid_pump1030]

DUDE THATS THE MALL WHEN I WAS KID!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

[@doug9066]

I've used these ecoatm at our mall.

[@SidRulz100]

Say, TJ Drones, what song did you use at the 0:13 mark?

[@TJDrones]

it's not a song, per se... I'll try and locate the source and post it in the reply...it is a "vaporwave" clip - less than 20 seconds of a "song" that I mixed personally so it could loop a few times in a row so I could get the minute or so of opening footage to sync through all of it.... I will try and find where I found the vaporwave remix... and the original song that it was remixed from... but it is buried deep in my youtube history at this point... if you are a fan of the sound I highly recommend checking out more vaporwave on KZbin.

[@TJDrones]

it's not a song that you will find anywhere except here on youtube

[@thomasknight1190]

It's sad to see The shopping mall like that probably lots of people have lost their jobs where The shop selling items half price uk

[@char1737]

that music ! i love it as i do this video !

[@TJDrones]

Thank you, I've got more planned in the future involving vaporwave mixes

[@cmworkman94]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@jaywest3734]

I used to come here when I first moved to America. Do most of my shopping online now though :(

[@TyRoberts]

Me and my cousin took what ended up being our wives to that mall on our first dates, sad demise of that place, was still a nice mall when it closed, too bad.

[@jsharp1701]

19:13, you asked what that was. It was the American Greetings greeting card store.

[@walkert4134]

i remember when Americas funniest people filmed an episode there in the late 80's , and also the big ass wishing fountin that shot too the roof, i remember being like 5 and getting yelled at by a cop for trying to spit on peoples heads from the top floor, lol i was a shit head

[@kellireeves4527]

Funny!I used to work at Subway and couldn't stand the sight of Jared,even before the scandal.What blows my mind is nobody has come to get that toaster oven yet.Those things are EXPENSIVE.....anyway,eat fresh.

[@TJDrones]

Haha, that's what I was thinking, thanks for watching.

[@thecaptainprice5830]

more dead malls please

[@TJDrones]

Definitely! this was my first, but won't be my last; I'm collecting more footage. Thanks for wanting more.

[@cettevieenrose]

that music though 😂

[@TJDrones]

that moby wrap though :-) haha

[@cettevieenrose]

LOL. Great vid. You really captured the essence of the dead mall. Can't wait to see more!

[@sylvia4425]

What city & state is this?

[@bigal2338]

Sylvia Catalano Huntsville, Alabama

[@sylvia4425]

thanks, Pro.

[@kelserzz15]

The footlocker in my local mall left

[@TJDrones]

I was in the mall last week getting a few shots for a tribute video and they were closing down the footlocker... It didn't make it to the finish line... But Finish Line Shoes is still there.

[@kelserzz15]

TJ Tyson I meant to say finish line! Whoops haha. The footlocker in my mall closed down more than 5 years ago but our finish line closed down over a year ago

[@TJDrones]

kbriej7 haha, I guess neither one of them could make it to the "finish line"

[@kelserzz15]

TJ Tyson hahaha that's a good one 😂 I actually lol'd

[@davidjames666]

The mentality was to harass the teens because they were not spending money, but just loitering. Guess what!!! The kids grew up now, and do not have happy memories of their teen days getting kicked out at malls. So they do not shop there as young adults. When I was a kid, I have happy memories of my Christmas photos with a chance to sit on Santa's lap. As I grew up, I would walk the mall with my friends dreaming when I could buy a cd or a new fancy shirt. We would go to the food court, and split a soda, etc. even then we were harassed a little. As I grew up, I clearly saw that the mall owners had a policy against teens. My teens are like "why would I want to hang out at a mall" they Buh online, and will continue to do so till a mall has something new and exciting for them to visit.

[@lukeriddle5494]

speed it up to 2x and the video is actually decent

[@jriley1992]

And now it's gone :(

[@vr6swp]

Annnnd it's gone.

[@williamstraughan6385]

they built to may at one time then came Walmart and target

[@TJDrones]

Yup... Too many... Same thing is going to happen in these new developing countries, shopping malls are really big overseas like they used to be here, and they are building them at a pace even more rapid than we did in America, I bet in 20 more years, we will have a lot of foreign dead mall videos to watch.

[@joliethao3972]

I live in Alabama they torn down the mall into peaces they might turn it into a park

[@wolfpak8228]

Millions of dollars down the drain across the country

[@Southgate210]

And! And? I wonder why this mall closed? Two words! Obama! Hillary! Case Rested!