DEAD MALL - Independence Center - The Mall with 2 Vacant Abandoned Anchors (Independence Mo)

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Independence Center was a mall that was built in 1974, and has sadly been on the decline for awhile now. This is my childhood mall, and I have many fond memories of visiting this mall. I remember entering through Sears and going to the Fun Factory to play some arcade games. I remember eating the food in the food court, and riding the Carousal. Independence Center may not be completely dead, but it is very much dying. I wanted to take some good video of it before it inevitably disappears someday.

[@wyatthowell2315]

I think that empty shop you were looking at when you passed Sears used to be an Old Navy. There also used to be a JC Penny’s in there, which is likely what Dick’s Sporting replaced. You passed by an empty former Applebee’s out front. Also, Macy’s was the Jones Store up until the mid 2000’s. All this to say I probably spent too much time there myself.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

​@@wyatthowell2315at the time of filming I forgot that old Navy was even in the mall but then I remember going there with my mom when I was younger to get clothes for school and stuff. Ohh I totally forgot about the Jones store !

[@NetflixForeign]

Better designed mall than Oak Park imo. Oak Park tries to cram as much in as they can and it feels uncomfortable. The wide open space of Independence is much better. Cool to see the arcade on the ground level but shame it looks like all the games are Western Cheap Thrills garbage vs. Japanese. Be nice to see some stand up cabs too.

[@morganerickson439]

@@wyatthowell2315 Yep, that was Old Navy. The extension of Sears was on the lower level right below Old Navy.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

​@@morganerickson439yup you're right. Old Navy did have a pretty large tenant spot too.

[@BillHicksWasHere]

Kids today don't realize how lit this place was in the 80s and 90s. Playing demos on the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo kiosks at the bottom level of Sears while your parents shopped; grandma taking you to Fun Factory on an afternoon and polishing the day off with a cookie at Cookie Factory; the fishing toy sitting outside on a desk at K-B Toys; getting a Starter jacket at The Jones Store Co. and later working at Hollister or Abercrombie as a high schooler. Those days are long gone and I feel sorry for this generation who will never experience those. Nowadays it feels like a giant flea market, about to razed.

[@awfulfalafelwafflerofl2800]

Yep! I spent a lot of time at Sears and Fun Factory (and Aladdin's Castle when that was there). Also did a lot of looking at the back of boxes of computer games at Babbages.

[@NetflixForeign]

@@awfulfalafelwafflerofl2800 I loved Software Etc's store layout.

[@morganerickson439]

"giant flea market," is a PERFECT description!

[@kdospapaj]

This was my childhood in the early 200s

[@the_doctor_816]

Wow. Lots of memories here. This is where I saw Santa every year as a kid. Bought music at as a teen. I drive past it often but haven't been in it in years.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Same here. Before I filmed this video I don't think I had been in the mall since probably 2019.

[@eraser1103wastaken]

I went to the mall like last week

[@tristrapp]

I didn't even realize the carousel was gone until you said so. Now I'm sad :(

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Yea it was removed in 2019 and I was sad to see it go. I used to ride it all the time as a kid.

[@Deviant_Muffin]

I was so upset too. They put in this weird climbing jungle gym thing that nobody went into and it was just a void space. Now where the carousel once was, sits an arcade area.

[@blobofdespair]

My grandma used to take me here all the time. We always rode the carousel and even named one of the horses Trixie. Can't believe it's gone! Thank you for filming this. Weird piece of history.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

My grandpa and Grandma would take us to the mall as kids and we used to ride the carousel and go to the fun factory.

[@AlyssaWalinnn]

i live near here as well. glad you made a video about it. there’s also been several shootings at this mall, it’s sad how it’s turned into such a desolate place over the years.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

It's really sad. It's going down the same bath as bannister mall.

[@dwightrenfield2241]

And because of the same reason.

[@KennyMcCormick99]

Bro I live like 10 minutes away from this mall and it's far from dead... now it wasn't like it used to be in the 90s & early 2000s, but there are still plenty of people that go there.

[@arnoldziffel4943]

Same here. It’s in a coma, but it’s still alive. Maybe he went in there at 8:15 AM or something.

[@terra6084]

facts

[@bobbyrivera2951]

I live nearby too, and it is indeed dying. Yes we have a lot of second hand stores open, but actual stores that keep people coming in are almost gone. Once dicks or Dillard close the malll will be officially done for

[@williamrogers.]

I'll probably be going there to eat and shop tomorrow. Dillard's is get my business this weekend. Not dead Dude.

[@voxelcove]

I also live near the mall, it’s definitely not a safe place to be with the amount of shooting threats, but it definitely isn’t dead. Though I can agree it was more vibrant in the early 2010’s from what I remember as a kid

[@Turbofurby]

At 5:50 if my memory serves, that spot there next to Sears used to be Old Navy. I used to go to the Independence Center alot, but nowadays I only swing by to see the pet store or get popcorn from Tops.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

At the time of filming I completely forgot that an old navy was there lol. I do remember going to the old navy though with my mom for back to school shopping when I was a kid.

[@decodyg484]

Still have a shirt from there

[@chrisjohnson3227]

Worked for security at this mall for 8 years...wow! It really has changed. Hardly anything left of it. So sad. Malls were the greatest back in the day!

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Wow which years did you work at the mall? I agree sad how much malls have changed over the years and independence center used to be such a busy mall.

[@chrisjohnson3227]

@@NotTheAverageGamerz I was there 2004-2012. Yeah it was crazy busy on the weekends! Black Friday and Christmas were absolutely insane. It was a great job. Walking around looking for trouble and shopping at the same time! Nothing better! Lol

[@morganerickson439]

This has been my closest mall since 2002. My kids used to LOVE the play area. They removed that and put in a for-pay ropes course that didn't last long. Now they have the arcade games. When you lose 2 of your 3 anchors, it's just a matter of time before the lights go out for good. This place is about 30-45% empty. Many stores there are low-quality. Store hours don't match the mall hours, so you never know what will be open. Certainly seems like mall management isn't too worried about keeping the lights on in this place for much longer.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

They only have Dicks Sporting goods and Dillards as their only anchors. Sears is temporarily filled in the bottom floor with a Spirit Halloween, but that will be gone after October. Macy's is I believe the largest space that's empty in the mall. So they only have 2/4 anchors. It's pretty bad. They also lost Old Navy which also was a large spot in the mall. It's sad how far this mall has fallen.

[@Monkey_Boy9602]

For quite a few years Banister Mall was the place to be! The boys and I would be up there all the time. Then I was almost jacked a few times, and decided that Independence Center was the new spot. Spent quite a bit of time in Suncoast and I even worked in Sears Automotive for a bit. Haven't been back in years. It's crazy seeing so few people and so many empty storefronts!

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

I remember going to Bannister mall as a kid and my mom would get mad at my dad for taking us there because of all the crime going on. It's sad that it no longer exists. I used to enter the mall through Sears and the automotive floor had a single water fountain in it that has the coldest water of any water fountain I've ever drank from. To this day I've never found a colder water fountain. Yea all the empty store fronts is crazy and I really wonder how much longer this mall will last.

[@chrishinkley5743]

I ggrew up in banister area til 89 when it started getting really bad miss that mall but indy was a good mall until the bus routes started going out there when blue ridge mall closed its pretty bad when ipd has to have a pd and holding cells for the crap that has happened there the last few years i live 5 miles from indy center havent been in 6 years last time it was empty but this is sad online shopping killed the malls

[@lashlarue59]

It wasn't just Bannister Mall that closed down; it was all those 20 or 30 stores and restaurants all around it that also died. It was like someone came in and totally wiped them off the face of the Earth. All that commercial activity totally gone and city government did nothing to try and stop it.

[@PharmNado]

So many fun memories as a kid! My grandma would regularly take us to the Applebees that used to be there, we'd always make it a point to visit the Disney store, the carousel, play area (large food items?), Borders Books. I even worked there in 2018 at Earthbound Trading Company which is somehow still hanging on. I really miss the 90s - early 2000s energy.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

The 90's and early 2000's were such good times at the mall. I used to go to independence center all the time with my friends and family. I really miss the carousel, fun factory, kb toys, going to Sears, and so many other things. I hadn't visited in probably 4 years and was really shocked to see so many vacant store fronts.

[@NetflixForeign]

Walden Books will always be my #1 mall bookstore with B.Dalton after. Barnes and Noble is fine but too big. It is a shame they beat Borders and everyone else.

[@devn_08]

I used to go here as a young kid, I remember the food court like it was yesterday. And the big carousel, that thing is iconic to the mall. And the play area

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

I remember riding the carousel as a kid and it's a shame that it was removed from the mall. It had been there for over 25 years.

[@aMissingPerson_]

I also have teenage memories of this place from the 90s. There was a Camelot music. Remember smoking in here. I think Aladdin's Castle was before Fun Factory or maybe im thinking of Bannister Mall or something. Also of my friend group, all the girls in it worked at the carousel at one time or another. There was a nut kiosk another friend worked at later on. Hot Topic and a Spencer's Gifts. I worked at the Applebee's and Brook Mays Music which was in the shopping mall nearby next to the bridal shop coming off 291 ramp. Not sure what still exists in there now, haven't been there in like 20 years.

[@hollyk461]

I grew up in this area in the 70’s-80’s. Lot's of memories of riding the Metro to the Independence Center. When I was a kid-these two entities raised me!

[@sharonc.2207]

The most special thing about this mall is the historic original glass elevator in Dillards. It has the parquet flooring and original interiors.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

At 14:19 I get a little bit of it, but it really is a nice elevator. I also really like that wood pattern on the floors.

[@maverekhicks]

Big reason why nobody likes going up there anymore is various shootings they have had there and parents not wanting their kids to go up there. Used to be fun to go up there with the boys and grab a bite to eat and go to the stores but now its just sketchy..:/

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

It's sad because thats also what happened to bannister mall.

[@OShackHennessy]

Exactly this we avoid that mall like the plague

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

​@@OShackHennessyit's only a matter of time before it loses the majority of its tenants.

[@JohnWilliamson-qd4px]

This Independence p.d. opened a station inside the mall to try to enforce security. Not exactly a sign of a happy, safe place.

[@maverekhicks]

@@JohnWilliamson-qd4px damn i didnt even know that. Sad…

[@hotkministry]

Grew up going here as a child. Many good memories there...

[@miintea7093]

I love watching "dead mall" content and I was really excited to see this one as this was my childhood mall where I spent so much time. I grew up with this mall through the years. In the very early 2000s I remember having a lot of birthday parties here. My parents took me here to shop and eat and I have a vivid memory of going to Build a Bear and getting makeovers at the long forgotten Libby Lu (does anyone even remember that place existed anymore?) with my cousin one birthday lol. This was the place to be and I always got SO excited when they'd take me here. I also remember when that arcade area used to be a giant children's playplace with a bunch of obstacles to jump and climb all over. I think they were all food shaped? I remember there being a giant squishy strawberry and a cupcake lol. My mom would sit back on one of the benches in the area where the parents sat and just turn me loose for a half hour. Lots of memories of riding that carousel, too. I did all my back to school shopping there as a tween/teen in the 2010s. I remember shopping A LOT at Hot Topic and a place called Wet Seal which is also long gone. In my high school and post-high school years as a 16-22 year old, I spent a lot of time there with friends. We'd just go and walk around for hours, grab Auntie Anne's, and shop. It was a very common hang out spot for us. One of my best friends got one of her first jobs in college at the Forever 21 in the mall and we'd go and bother her at work often. I'm 27 now and I haven't been there in probably about 3 or so years because I briefly moved to another state before moving back this summer. The last time I was in that mall was during the pandemic in late 2020 right before I moved, and it was of course quite eerily empty at that time. I haven't yet been back there since moving home, so it was really interesting to see a very recent glimpse of what it looks like now post-pandemic through this video. So cool to have something I grew up with be in a video made by someone else who also grew up with it! Thanks for letting me go on this long rant down memory lane lol, so much nostalgia 🥲

[@Kilocenterthoughts]

Anyone remember the old playground where you could climb onto a giant ice cream and hamburger? Good times.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Yes! I remember kids pushing each other off it lol so they could be the one on top of the hamburger 🍔

[@cheetosan]

god i miss those days

[@ProgSnob14]

Rip Rig Applebee's, KB Toy and The Carousel. That was the Trinity of my childhood mall experiences...almost weekly.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Hahaha that's the Applebee's that closed overnight right ?

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

The carousel shouldn't have been removed as well as the Fun Factory.

[@dashingwomble]

It was such a thriving mall when I first came to the US 🇺🇸, but I’m sure with the very high rent costs, and with fools causing so much trouble there over the years, it’s kept many visitors away from there. A shame that it’s dulling there. I used to go to Sears quite often, and the pet shop too. Great video 👍.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Glad you enjoyed the video! I always used to go to Sears with my dad and also the Fun Factory. Went there all the time in the 90's and early 2000's but now it's just a shell of it's former self.

[@unitysgamingcentre7775]

Man, Crazy to see some coverage of this. Independence has been in a sad state since I moved here. Pretty sad overall.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Timestamps 00:00 Information on Independence Center 2:02 Abandoned Sears 03:16 Mall Interior 04:49 Old Sears Sign still Lit up 07:23 Dillard's 09:09 Vacant Macys Wing 11:27 Peeking inside the old Macy's 12:43 Arcade and Food Court 14:19 Inside Dillard's 15:49 Exterior of Macy's and Dillard's 17:20 End and thanks

[@hellfirevannie]

i got actually so scared seeing this randomly in my recommended, but i guess it's not surprising because i live in grain valley i remember when i was younger absolutely LOVING this place, and for some reason, i still do- but it is really sad to see everything slowly close down

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

This was my childhood mall and it's so sad to see how far it's fallen. I wish it could go back to how it was.

[@questtempest3894]

i grew up playing on the rubbery play equipment they used to have where the arcade is now, and eating from the food court. i also remembering riding the carousel. it’s sad to see the mall going so downhill now

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Same here. It's sad to see how far it's fallen. It almost closed in 2018 when Simon property group deferred on their loan of 200 million. It only is still open because another company bought the mall.

[@crazytim7alexina489]

My mom used to work at that dillards when I was a little kiddo. It's strange to see how much it's changed. Once they took out the merry go round and the play area for kids the mall stopped having that alive feeling.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Yea the mall feels dead now like it could close up at any moment. I wish it could thrive like oak Park is.

[@NinjaMrPatrick]

I live 10 minutes north of here. Outside of the crime, everything inside is just too high priced compared to buying stuff online.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

@@NinjaMrPatrick probably a big reason why Macy's closed down was because everything is too expensive there and no one was buying it.

[@EweToobUsername]

First things first, you know most of Independence is back to going to Santa-Cali-Gon Days on the Square if you’re from here. The Center was rarely busy most of Labor Day weekend, even before they moved the start of the school year before the first week of September. So what used to be the LensCrafters was the Fun Factory at one point, the store on the other side that you thought was a part of Sears was actually Old Navy. I’m kinda surprised H&M and Pandora are still open, same with Bath and Body works. Dillard’s floor is as old as time itself. I’m also surprised that Vickie’s Secret and Champs are open. Macy’s was European Furniture but seemed like a scam when I went. I also remember Macy’s displaced a bunch of stores when they expanded to be that entire end of the mall. Other brands I’m surprised are in the mall - Zumiez, Earthbound, Aeropostal, PacSun, Hot Topic, American Eagle, and Journeys. The carousel going away sucked. I never see anyone in the arcade. They do put stuff in the parking lot though - festivals, bounce parks, and even the occasional circus.

[@kaiadavis100]

RIP to that Sears, worked there in high school & it was the very first job I ever had❤️ The mall definitely does not look the same, this is so sad to watch lol. So many memories there!! Back when people trusted their young middle school children to hang out with friends at the mall without worry of being shot, the mall used to be the place to be!! Everyone hungout there☹️

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

I used to always enter the mall through Sears and it's so sad to see it gone. I don't get how a company that used to be as big as Amazon went under like it did. Eddie lampert really destroyed Sears. I used to hang out at the mall all the time now I rarely go. I probably hadn't been to independence center since 2019 before filming this video.

[@ProgSnob14]

I love the weird noise the Dillard's floor makes if you slap your feet the right way.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Especially when you're wearing Crocs like I was 😂

[@catherinerose1607]

I can’t believe Dillards is still there. It was never busy from what I remember, and I haven’t been there in a long time.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

I can't believe it either. It's expensive and I haven't seen very many people in there whatsoever.

[@knoxfamily150]

We were there 2 weeks ago and it looked like a ghost town.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

What day of the week did you go and around what time?

[@gu244]

It's crazy how much malls in general have fallen, there are still bustling malls out there but not nearly as many as their used to be.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

@@gu244 It is crazy. There are a variety of factors that have caused malls demise and one of the biggest ones is that during the 70's and 80's they built too many of them too quickly. That usually meant that malls were competing against each other, and one would usually win out over another. Another reason is changing shopping trends. People like to shop at Walmart and Target now instead of going to the mall and buying the same thing at a higher price tag. The most obvious one is the rise of online shopping. The convenience of just hitting a few clicks online and having something shipped to your doorstep has definitely affected shopping malls.

[@gu244]

@@NotTheAverageGamerz yeah that's true, there were a ton of them back then.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

​​@@gu244we had the great mall of the great planes, bannister mall, Antioch mall, Metcalf south, blue springs mall, and some others I'm probably forgetting. So we had a lot in just our area.

[@ProgSnob14]

Oak Park is still hopping

[@gu244]

@@ProgSnob14 that's true, it is, but it's really the only one thriving in the KC area.

[@fiolaja]

I'm part of the Xtreme Wrestling Center/Kansas City Xtreme Wrestling in Raytown. We're a pro wrestling school and promotion. We were in talks to put our wrestling school in the Independence Center a few years ago. They wanted us to put on regular wrestling shows to help draw in crowds. Macy's was one of the spots they offered us. It was way too expensive. Even the tiniest location, we would only break even with sell-out shows every week. We had to decline. They told us they had grand plans to make the mall a huge entertainment spot. I guess that never happened.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Wow that's probably why there are so many vacant tenant locations in the mall. The rent sounds like it's crazy high, and there isn't the foot traffic to support all those stores.

[@alonespirit9923]

Has been at least 15 years since last time I was there - moved away from the KC metro area. I was in retail on and off from early 1980s till early 2000s & that's a thing about malls, the amount of rent which has to be charged to the tenant stores in order for the mall to cover its own maintenance, taxes, return on investment, utilities, and more, plus make a bit of profit, is an issue. and it isn't helped any when property development corporate suits decide, "Hey, it's a mall, we should make more profit from it."

[@kdw75]

They were crazy to take out the ramps. My cousins and I used to have so much fun running up and down them. Saw Austin Powers in the theater across the street. Had a hole afterwards in my ‘95 TransAms tire. My girlfriend asked why I didn’t just stick a pencil in the hole. I thought there was no way it would work, but I did and made it 45 minutes back home and still had air in the tire the next morning.

[@Train2589]

was waiting on this one to come out. my brother and i call it "the shooting range" now due to the amount of shootings that have occurred there within the past few years and will NOT step foot in there.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

It's going down the same path that Bannister mall did

[@12me91]

It hurts to see. Bannister was awesome..grandma lived a 5 minute walk away in the 90s. Saw Santa there every year I was old enough to until Out grew it. Now to see another innocent mall fall victim to crime.... ​@@NotTheAverageGamerz

[@GravaticBurst]

I hate how online shopping has crippled the brick and mortar shopping landscape.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Online shopping is a big reason why brick and mortar is failing. Also Target and Walmart pretty much sell everything so most people have no reason to even go to the mall anymore.

[@DaMemeManDan]

I remember 10 years ago how it was thriving, but now every time I go I get horribly disappointed.

[@zeusthefox1585]

Meanwhile nearby is the Oak park mall that does just fine. Independence center had alotnof memories for me..its kinda sad to see it so empty now.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Oak Park seems to be pretty busy. The food court is always packed and lots of people walking around. It's sad to see independence center with so many vacancies.

[@zeusthefox1585]

@NotTheAverageGamerz yeah. Same here. Last time I went in there I think was two years ago. I took my cousin to Build a bear for a Christmas gift.

[@ktwenter77]

Not as many shootings at Oak Park - nicer area overall.

[@Howlzffffdd]

I went there last Christmas for gifts. It was still pretty lively. It is a sketchy area so be careful and go before the sun sets

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Malls are pretty busy around Christmas so doesn't surprise me. Was it decorated well? I remember it being pretty well decorated in the 90's and early 2000's.

[@Howlzffffdd]

@@NotTheAverageGamerz not really I think there may have been a Christmas tree. I will say the parking lot lights weren’t working at all last year and it was already dark by 5:30 so we knew to be really cautious cause it was just me and my sister and mom walking back to the car with tons of bags in darkness. It’s sad that the increase in crime down there ruins the experience of going to the mall. I was surprised by how much was still open there at the time.

[@drvkc]

I actually went into the furniture store. It only used a small portion of the Macy’s. The rest of it was covered and blocked so nobody would sneak into the abandoned part.

[@CoreyMcArthur]

I was the last generation of teenagers who got to hang out here. So many memories.

[@meseyc]

It’s so sad, we were there all the time when I was a kid. My brother’s first job was there. Now we’re just counting the days until it closes.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

I remember going there all the time in the 90's and early 2000's. I can't remember the last time I went there ( besides making this video lol).

[@Sir4everKcRoyal]

I’ll say this, it’s a great place to walk when the weather is bad. But that’s really it

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Yes theres not much else going on at this mall. They desperately need to fill those massive anchor spots.

[@Sir4everKcRoyal]

@@NotTheAverageGamerzyeah. It’s tough to keep the doors open when it’s basically a free place to play Pokémon Go indoors

[@asparagusoffice]

back when I lost my foot during a summer, I went by the center for the first time expecting a big empty AC'd spot to wheel around in for exercise. unfortunately it was somewhat populated and remains so, which was a huge surprise

[@Deviant_Muffin]

The mall is dying but not dead, but you have to go with caution. Lethal shootings are the biggest problem. An uninvolved pregnant woman got caught wrong place wrong time last year and died. My family still goes to this mall sometimes, I drive past it each and every day (I work in transportation)... If they made smarter business decisions it would be better.

[@Howlzffffdd]

Yep, went last year for Christmas shopping and the parking lot lights weren’t working and it was about 5-6 p.m and it was already super dark out. It was only me my sister and mom so we were cautious walking back out to our car with all our bags.

[@mr.yujufudan8155]

This was the mall we went to growing up. I have a lot of memories here, but haven't been in probably 10 years. Oak Park is the only mall I know of in the area that seems to be alive and well.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

When I was a kid we constantly went to independence center, bannister mall, great mall of the great plains, and oak park. It's sad that most of those are gone now, and like you said Oak Park is the only mall that seems to still do well. Crown Center in downtown KC even seems way less busy than it used to.

[@scooter4196]

Thankfully Oak Park Mall is still going strong.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

I hope Oak Park continues to thrive for a long time

[@ahmadghosheh3104]

For now, there are lot of empty spots there.

[@davidbandler]

Only because there's slightly less crime, violence, shootings, and hood at Oak Park. None of the KC malls are close to the glory they had back in the 80s. The neighborhoods around them have completely changed, which is why the malls have declined.

[@Achoohorsey]

Eh Oak Park Mall isn’t doing a ton better. A lot of vacant or temp units that are empty and crime in the parking lot.

[@batterupman]

@@Achoohorsey I'd say having a near full parking lot pretty frequently versus Independence Centre's 8 or so cars on a good day is quite a lot better.

[@privilegejunkie]

I still go here every now and then. Usually for new shoes or to get my eye appointments done lol. The past 5 years have been brutal for the mall. I was in here a week ago and saw that a few of the fast food places also dipped. There is like one pizza place left and that's it.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Yea theres like 3 food places left out of the like 7 spots in the food court.

[@crutchddaddy95]

I miss fun factory.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

The fun factory was so much fun. There was this like Gundam/mech game they had in there with two of them side by side and my brother and I would battle each other for hours.

[@cannibawlz]

oh my god i went here a year ago, and it was so eerie and uncomfortable to walk around on a saturday and there just be no one. pair that with the outdated decor (looking at you carpet and nautical stars), and its just a strange experience. i planned to research it and forgot, so im happy youtube put this on my feed. :P

[@BethB2010]

After the carousel was removed they had that two story jungle gym type thing put in but they removed it either last year or the year before. If memory serves it was installed right before covid so no-one ever really got to use it. All of the arcade stuff was in the food court in front of the stand that used to be an Orange Julius. This mall really fell off when they banned teenagers from being able to hang out without an adult. Not to say a portion of the kids didn't deserve it... they were fighting and stuff. My best guess is the mall will probably be gone before 2030-2035. I imagine if Dick's gives up its lease everything else will follow suit.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

I remember my dad going to the mall and sending me a picture of that massive roap jungle course they had, but it must have only been there a short time as I never saw it in person.

[@papabear463]

Man your voice sounds familiar. I remember in high school that was the place to be. Always went in that Sears entrance. I remember working in a Burger King where the chick fa la is. Good times

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

l I live in Kansas City so who knows you may have met me at some point 😂. I always entered in the through Sears and have so many fond memories of this mall!

[@Squiddles_]

grew up coming here as a kid. unfortunately due to the macys closing and the crime skyrocketing in the last 20 years, it's been a long time since i was there. There's not many reason to go there nowadays that you cant find both cheaper and safer somewhere else nearby. still drive by it about every other week, but its really sad to think about. I am very glad that crown center in the city has kept up all these years though, Now thats a fun mall to go to.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Crown Center and Oak Park seem to do pretty well. Those are like the last two thriving malls around the area. It's sad that so many have shutdown ( bannister mall, great mall of the Great plains, Metcalf south, blue springs mall, Antioch mall.. etc. )

[@decodyg484]

I remember spending countless time looking for parking, and then losing the car after shopping. Every inch of walking space shoulder to shoulder with people

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

I remember that too. There used to be so many people that would go to this mall.

[@mother3crazy]

My first girlfriend used to work at a store here in 2014 and I used to come and bother her to get her attention. We started dating and had a wonderful and beautiful time together. I used to pretend to get so upset when the mexican man who worked at Charlie's sandwiches would flirt with her. All good fun and I would go back in a heartbeat. Good times. Grew up going to this mall.

[@catysuewho]

this was my childhood/teen mall, so many memories there

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

same here! Its really sad to see it going downhill, and I hope it can eventually go back to being a great mall.

[@thefistoflove.]

Same

[@adamsmashups4839]

Some of my memories are Funtastic Toys,Spinnin' Discs.Record Bar,The big Christmas decorations that hung from the ceiling,..one of which I think was Snoopy,the cinema which was close to Sears,Hickory Farms.

[@jimstandefer1799]

They're also was a Bannister Mall I remember when there were a lot of shops just a number of years ago at the Independence center .

[@crazboi89]

Lol I’m in this video 😂 I’m at 3:51 in the black shorts and shirt to the right. How coincidental did I find this video!!

[@crazboi89]

And I’m at 7:22 😂 me walking in to Dillards

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Lol that's hilarious 🤣

[@NNNateMMMate]

Ill never forget going to the toy stores at this mall trying to get my parents to buy me all the Star Wars Phantom Menace toys. And watching police officers chasing shady people.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Didn't the mall have one of those phantom menace vending machines too? Those things were everywhere for awhile lol.

[@lhensley1599]

How sad! i spent so much time there as a kid.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Same here. It's really sad to see this mall dying like this. If they get some good anchors tenants and more shops, and fix up the mall a bit I bet it could come back. Oak Park mall is still doing well, and so I think independence center could too.

[@Geferulf_TAS]

Man I miss going here as a kid. Once upon a time.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

I used to come here as kid all the time in the 90's and 2000's. I really miss it

[@gbaker816]

@5:41 I think that was Old Navy?

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

You're right that was part of old navy. I forgot about them being in the mall 😂

[@glennoconnor2980]

Past KC area malls: Bannister and Blue Ridge, as already mentioned, Metro North, Antioch and let's not forget Indian Springs in KCK. I believe some of the newer 'outdoor' style shopping areas are the new norm. Places like Legends, Zona Rosa, etc. Of course, that seems out of a time warp since BR Mall was touted when it went from an outdoor style to fully enclosed decades ago. IC was one of my faves and I suspect I'm quite a bit older than many of you replying here. Sears was one of my 'hangouts' and let's not forget Gloria Jeans!

[@shakes.816]

Shoot and I'm 5 minutes from zona. It's definitely struggling as well.

[@NetflixForeign]

Absolutely hate Outdoor malls because whenever Winter comes you dread going outside the store. The least they could do is have a ceiling over the whole thing even if it was completely open still. One Japanese mall area I went to did that and while it could get cold at least it didn't get as cold as Outdoor malls do.

[@Howlzffffdd]

Zona rose is so crappy now. It’s fun to go every now and then but rent is so high so almost everything is gone now besides a few stores and places to eat

[@jasonnunez6411]

Back in the 90s it had a Disney store and a KB toys. I use to love going to that mall but now you may get shot for going or get your car stolen.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

@@jasonnunez6411 it's sad. It's having similar issues like bannister mall did.

[@jasonnunez6411]

@@NotTheAverageGamerz I think they should put the Royals stadium on a he mall property in independence.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

@@jasonnunez6411 I heard a rumor that they were thinking of doing that but it got moved to downtown KC. Not sure if they are still planning on building it or not.

[@jasonnunez6411]

@@NotTheAverageGamerz it’s up in the air. It was voted down for Downtown but I think it would have been passed if the y went with the mall location.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

​@@jasonnunez6411I know people didn't want it to be downtown as it's already crowded as it is whenever there's an event at the sprint ( I mean T-Mobile center).

[@ktwenter77]

I worked at the Sprint kiosk on the upper floor back in 2011, crappy job but enjoyed working at the mall!

[@leonsk1787]

I can't even remember the last time I even thought about going there lol

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Lol same until I went there to film this video 😂

[@IamtheEkco]

This is my childhood mall use to go up here all the time highschool 2015-17 with a bunch of friends good times but yeah it’s pretty dead now makes me sad

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

I think covid hit it pretty hard. It already wasn't doing great before that, but it's definitely going downhill even more. I don't see it lasting to 2030.

[@laronthelion8561]

to be fair, people in Missouri are going to the lake on Labor Day

[@morganerickson439]

Most people in Independence were possibly doing Santacaligon days, too.

[@Howlzffffdd]

Yeah I was gonna say nobody wants to be inside during Labor Day lol we all go down to Smithville lake

[@Oni_Codm]

Idk man I love this place

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

I love it too and have so many nostalgic memories of visiting when I was a kid.

[@Oni_Codm]

@@NotTheAverageGamerz oh yeah 100%. My friends and I still go there when there's nothing to do.

[@Qolos]

I felt like that mall was ruined after Simon overhauled to make it look fancier but got rid of the mezzanine.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

@@Qolos I believe that happened when they renovated it in 2004. It was like a 20 million dollar renovation.

[@niccage6375]

If that one closes down, their will be only one mall in the KC area. At least the oak park mall is still doing well.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Ward parkway center still exists but that barely counts as a mall lol. Oak Park seems to be doing pretty well.

[@thekangaroo42]

That's sad. I haven't been there since 2012.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Wow that is along time. Do you live nearby ?

[@NW255]

my old local mall has only one vacant anchor and you can probably guess which one it was but besides that the mall is doing great. Which is surprising considering how poorly malls perform these days. Only one vacant anchor

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

That's great! We have like one local mall around my area that still doing well ( oak Park mall).

[@sarahpheenahenry4456]

Wow you're actually doing a cool video

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Thanks babe haha ❤️.

[@ProgSnob14]

Brutal 😂

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

​@@ProgSnob14😂😂😂

[@larrymeacham7810]

That mall had the best toddler play area of any shopping center in the greater Kansas CIty area. We along with a lot of other parents took the kids there. We would also get lunch and shop at the stores while we were there. We did a lot of shopping there. They made a huge mistake removing merry go round and the toddler play area by replacing it with an arcade. I do not want to take the kids to that mall because I don't want to tell them no on buying a $50ish game card to play some junky games. Also I witnessed crime on several occasions in the mall. There was a shooting at the Applebee's. Plus I have concern about crime out in the parking lot. We went from going quite often to now never going there.

[@slackingpacking]

It looks more depressing, than my visit in March.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

It's really sad to see it like this. I think if they got some good anchors it could have a resurgence.

[@wyatthowell2315]

Agreed - Target seemed to breathe some new life into the Ward Parkway Center.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

@@wyatthowell2315 oh yea ward parkway definitely is doing well with Target attached to it. If independence center could get a Target or something big like that it would draw more tenants to the mall and more customers as well.

[@SmplySilver]

@@NotTheAverageGamerz given the target and walmart right down the street, i really don't see either of them moving there or another grocery store coming in to compete. anything that *does* fill those anchor spots would probably just be life support instead of rejuvenating it.

[@Powersproductions130]

I live 10 minutes from here and haven’t been there in years. Between all the stores closing and the crime, there’s not really a reason to go there anymore imo.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

It's exactly the same thing that happened to bannister mall.

[@cookiezookie7286]

dawg dont call out my hometown like that

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Lol 😂. Wish the mall could go back to it's glory days.

[@jimstandefer1799]

And there used to be a place called the Blue ridge Mall where the Walmart is now on Sterling and 40 highway .

[@noahvoris3637]

So any locals from the area or who are familiar with the Missouri side of the Kansas City metro? Where do all of you shop or drive to if you want to go to the shopping mall? I guess downtown Kansas City with crown center isn’t too far away. I’m just shocked that the only shopping mall in that area is in this state… I would think it would be thriving.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

I'm from the Missouri side and if I go to a mall I usually go to Oak Park mall even though it's a bit of a drive.

[@morganerickson439]

I am 9 minutes from this mall. Was there just the other weekend looking at jewelry stores with my wife. I rarely go anymore, usually just at Christmas, if at all. Kids have grown and there is no play place anyways. Food court has died (no Orange Julius, Panda Express, just the Original Pizza and Charlie's cheesesteaks). All the stores you know and love have died. Mostly filled with places that you've never heard of or aren't the target market for. But to answer your question, I simply don't really go to malls anymore. Used to live 2 blocks from Oak Park Mall so would go there, but now it's farther than I want to drive. Go to Crown Center every couple years or so, but never felt compelled to go there just to shop. More of a "it's Christmas and we are close, so let's stop in" thing. I grew up in malls and worked for years in a mall (Southwest Plaza in Littleton, CO) so I have fond memories, but today's malls aren't the same. Or maybe I'm not the same. Probably both.

[@Howlzffffdd]

Used to be Zona Rosa but rent is so high there isn’t much down there anymore. Normally we drive down to the legends outlet mall or oak park there isn’t many malls around anymore worth going to

[@cosmicblur311]

There’s a big open air shopping area about 10 miles south in Lee’s Summit.

[@thelivingbranch]

we were their when new and loved it beat blue ridge mall big time

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

I can't believe blue ridge was demolished in 2005. Crazy that it's been that long ago. abandonedmo.com/blue-ridge-mall/ Found a website with pictures of it!

[@thelivingbranch]

@@NotTheAverageGamerz i worked at blue ridge after the army in 86 - loved bannister mall the best - record stores with lp's and more - super hot 80s chicks and cheap movies - those days long gone - annies sant fe best food

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

​@@thelivingbranchbannister was a really pretty mall, and it felt like a mall that was trapped in the 80's and I loved the whole look and design it had. I knew a couple people who worked there, but it all went downhill once it got a reputation for crime. It wasn't the crime itself that brought down the mall it was people's perception of it that made people want to not go there.

[@alonespirit9923]

I worked for a while at F. W. Woolworth at Blue Ridge Mall. Still remember the distinct diesel and dumpster fragrance of the delivery tunnel. Vaguely remember going to it as a child before it had a roof.

[@batterupman]

The problem is that they also let basically EVERY shop that wants in into the shop even though they shouldn't. That one anime figure and plush shop they have in this mall? Was there last time I went, don't know if it still is. It sold exclusively bootleg junk.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Oh that shop has moved around to like 3 different spots in the mall over the last couple of years lol. It is all cheat stuff that they are trying to sell at a higher price tag.

[@batterupman]

@@NotTheAverageGamerz Like I walked in there late last year, only to see blatantly bootlegged nendoroids and stuff like 'Tattoo Goku' and I can only wonder... how is this place STILL in business?

[@AddableStone13]

@@NotTheAverageGamerz was it called “20th Century legends”? Or am I thinking of a different shop in the same mall?

[@FinleyHarrison-hy2sm]

Are there any malls left in KC haven't been there in awhile?

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Oak Park Mall, Crown Center, Ward Parkway, and Independence center are the only ones left.

[@Elvengem]

so now this mall is on its way to becoming obsolete too? Maybe they shouldnt charge so much rent to the merchants or maybe the taxes are too expensive,or it doesnt have a good reputation? there is a way to save it and keep it strong and not close.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

They have to fill those anchor spots even if it means renting for lower than they want to. If they could fill lets say the macy's with a Target or something like that it would bring a bunch more people to the mall.

[@loveandrockets4life]

5:52 that was most recently an Old Navy

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

@@loveandrockets4life yes you are right. I had completely forgotten old navy was in that spot.

[@Rikarikun]

oh I've been there. I went there once for the pokemon qualifiers they held there one year.

[@Accountnolongerused824]

I live at cornerstone and I always go to it and it’s far from dead

[@AddableStone13]

5:30 - 5:44 That was the Old Navy

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

I had totally forgotten about old navy when I was filming lol.

[@Majjikyne]

I worked at this mall for like five years-I grew up in this mall. It’s rotting from the inside out lol sears pipe burst during winter and flooded so much of the lower levels yet we were still operational even tho sewage smell permeated the entire thing. It really turned to shit since that skater store left (not zumez the other one)

[@12me91]

Sad to see what's happening to the mall and surrounding area as crime flows in. Dad got our first HDTV at that sears. every lawn mower he bought until about 2010 or so came from that sears. Got my first soldering iron from it. heck I met my wife there for crying out loud. But now... Ugh crime is killing the mall. Gangs of feral teens that start fights and shooting because their parents use it as free daycare

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

My dad would buy all his tools from that Sears and the same goes for lawnmowers. That Sears was our like primary entry point into the mall. I believe we bought a massive CRT from there as well in the mid to late 90's. Yea the crime is definitely going to kill the mall. It's the same thing that happened to bannister mall. Once a mall gets the perception of being unsafe then it's all downhill from there.

[@MichaelStewart-y3u]

I LIVED IN K.C AREA DURING THE HEY DAY OF MALLS. BANNISTER MALL IN MY OLD NEIGHBORHOOD IS A PARKING LOT. MAINLY BECAUSE OF CRIME..KMART GONE TOO. ARMED SECURITY GAURDS MADE NO DIFFERENCE..WELCOME TO THE NEW AMERICA. THANKS DEMOCRATS .

[@Alice-ct6ex]

We live in a red state sir what do you mean? Go talk to your kids who haven't spoken to you in years 😭

[@JohnWilliamson-qd4px]

It's the rise of online shopping and younger generations preferring to hang out in cyberspace, you MAGA punk.

[@JurassicGamer2]

man i rember going here alot when id visit my dads on weekends

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

My dad used to take me to independence center all the time when I was a kid. I really miss the fun factory that used to be here.

[@stoneagemom]

Why would anybody go to this mall. A pregnant woman was shot in the head while enjoying a cookie in the food court. She and her unborn child died days latter.🙁

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

That's sad and that's what becomes the problem. Once a mall gets a reputation for violence it goes downhill rather fast just like bannister mall did.

[@zeusthefox1585]

​@NotTheAverageGamerz Very true, Bannister was really cool when I was little....but then crime started to get out of hand..

[@wolfen216]

It's a dangerous place anymore sadly. Always heating of shootings inside, in the lots or around the place. Plus nothing there I would ever want. My grandparents took me only for the sears or lens crafters.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

I used to go to this mall with my grandpa, and he would take us to the fun factory and also to ride the carousel. Like you said it's a bit dangerous at this mall. I remember reading about a fight with up to 500 teens in the mall that happened a few years ago and some pregnant lady being killed in the food court.

[@unitysgamingcentre7775]

Feel like the jackson county tax assessment debacle is a big reason for the stagnation out here, People are very upset here in independence and consumerism is very much down after we've had thousands of dollars taken illegally.

[@MrMosebysLobby]

god I didnt realize how dead it got vs when I went last year. I remember they had a funcoland if I remember right and a kids play area like Kids Quest in Ameristar Casino. I was like 5 and used to go into it when mom shopped. My ass walked out the back door of the store into the front of independence center and no one noticed. I walked into the front of the mall and back around and until I came in through the front and was playing skiball is when the teen noticed I got out somehow. Distinct memory of that. shocked no one even cared or security came. Hell 2015 when I was here damn near weekly this place still had 90% of their stuff. Merry go round, original kids area, the shops, and yoki. then it all went to hell after covid. I was in florida and came back to see it. It looked just as bad as the northside jacksonville fl mall

[@HeatherTr]

Is the cookie store still open?

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Great American cookies? Looks like they are still there.