DEAD MALL SERIES REMASTERED : Burlington Center Mall

Original Release Date : June 10, 2015
Burlington Center Mall Burlington, NJ
UPDATE : Mall has been completely demolished. Plans for a distribution center and retail are in the near future. The elephant sculpture/fountain by artist Zenos Frudakis was thankfully relocated to Burlington’s touristy waterfront.

[@KrystalKBeauty]

I don’t know what it is, but there is just something totally…. Mystifying? Is that the word? Lol anyways there’s something about these dead malls. I cannot get enough. Maybe it’s because I long for a simpler time. Was anytime actually more simple? Or were we just blissfully ignorant? I digress. Loving these uploads! I adore your work. Thank you for remastering all of this footage and sharing it with us.

[@billp4]

I actually like visiting them. They are very relaxing without the annoying kiosks with the wannabe carnival barkers and the peacefulness of it all. Usually there is a place to get a pretzel and a coke and "wedge up your keester" massage chairs to use.

[@TheBrandonn]

yes, it was definitely simpler

[@jareddrogose1470]

It was more fun overall and in general people had goals to have fun back in the day and they made it happen

[@paragon_moon8400]

I like how you put nostalgic music in the videos. It really adds a lot and brings back memories. Thank you for your hard work! 😊

[@trish2179]

This one and the older Burlington Center vids. I grew up going to this mall, Moorestown and Cherry Hill. The Center is gone now, the tore it down during covid in 2020.

[@joesabol9618]

Immensely grateful that you made it here, thank you

[@TheSssalas]

Thanks so much Dan. I have no idea why I like dead mall and abandoned houses/building videos, but I guess it could be worse. Ha. Your calm voice and interesting facts keep me coming back to yours. Cheers from Colorado my man!

[@CoolCatProductions-365]

This videos are classic, they never get old watching them!

[@zoejs7042]

im really glad you're remastering these gems, dan.

[@kristoferluck7095]

WOW!! Another amazingly remastered video! Love the vintage brick floor. Such a classic feature of these old malls. Thanks for remastering these Dan! We had a mall here in Chicago called the "Brickyard Mall" that had similar floors. That fountain is AMAZING!!

[@ItsJustJessOkay]

These videos definitely make me feel nostalgic for my younger days. As a Girl Scout, we had an event called the Mall Lock-In. There was a DJ, games and activities, they ordered a bunch of pizzas for all of us, and we got to wonder around one wing of our local mall here in Huntington, West Virginia. It was a creepy feeling being there after everything had closed, but I liked it in a weird way.

[@accastillo6046]

I would have been irrationally pissed off of you didn't mention Chopping Mall in your movie examples. I forget what episode it was but when you described the food court as "aesthetic as f*ck" 😂 to this day that puts a smile on my face.

[@_MaxHeadroom_]

I'm glad he is bringing the dead mall series back. I was so into it years ago around when he first started it but then he just completely stopped making them. That really sucked.

[@PcLover81]

With all due respect, I shopped at Burlington Center with my family from 1982 when it opened until 2018 when it closed. Even worked at the Sears for a little while in 2005. The Gangs didn't kill this mall, nor did Moonbeam. The fact is, The Rouse Company was the driving force behind this mall. They had the where with all and connections to get the stores in there and even still it opened in 1982 with about a 76% Occupancy rating. By the time Rouse sold the Mall in 99, Walmart came to town, and another open air center had opened next door. The company that Rouse sold the Mall to just didn't have the connections to bring the big name stores in there. I believe they lost the Mall which is how it ended up at auction where Moonbeam bought it for a really low price. While the gang incident in 2007 did scare some people away, some of us could care less. Moonbeam inherited a bad situation. That coupled with Sears and Burlington Township not agreeing on renovation plans, finals were never submitted and moonbeam found a buyer willing to give them a substantial amount for the mall and they sold it. It's sad that its not there anymore. I really would have loved to see somebody bring it back to it's former glory. That was my childhood mall.

[@JimGrimNY]

Dave did your family live off the road behind the Burlington Center Mall? I am the same age and used to go to Sears in that time frame.

[@matthewfarmer6830]

Can't get enough of your mall videos Dan, simply amazing. Your camera work does wonders. Thanks again.📹

[@lucast3006]

I’ve been loving these Dan! I’m pretty amazed at how good AI has gotten. I love comparing the intricate details of the Walmart cart and the brick work between the two versions; it’s simply stunning.

[@beergod40oz12]

This is amazing that you did this. Been a fan of these since forever. Thank you Dan 🙏

[@rachelle6339]

The fountain is beautiful, hopefully they preserve it in the outdoor shopping place.

[@wil7228]

Thanks again Dan , from beautiful downtown San Jose CA The heart of Silicon valley !!!!!

[@sharonhoyt2133]

It's just dirt now. I took pictures during the demolition...very sad...so many memories.

[@JimGrimNY]

I remember as a child riding my bike up in 1982, taking pictures of the construction happening and being so happy to be getting a mall so close to my house

[@FaceIntoKeyboard]

Growing up in South Jersey, Burlington Center was always dead last in terms of the local malls and there were quite a few of them in a relatively small area. You might want to check out Voorhees Town Center before it closes. It was originally built in 1970 as the Echelon Mall and was over 1 million sq feet and very popular at its height. I moved away a decade ago, but it sounds like it is on life support. It had a very similar vibe to BC. Edit: Similar vibe was because it was built by the same company!

[@frostxtelepath4075]

Cool info, I'm pretty sure Dan has been to Voorhees. I think it may of even been a two part video.

[@joesabol9618]

Was in there a couple Sundays ago, Boscov's was literally the only store still open

[@cameronmallory5807]

That movie was a classic. Bro can't forget weird science movie in the mall. The Porsche scene. Also ferris bueller day off also mall scenes.

[@thefives7ar]

Dan, you need to start doing some weird NJ type videos. Tons of stuff in the garden start with legend and history to cover. Movie wise another NJ classic is Mall Rats.

[@gmcenroe]

Another sci-fi movie that was filmed in a Texas mall is Logan's Run. Farrah Fawcett had a small part in that movie before she became famous.

[@jareddrogose1470]

I also loved Farrington's music. My guitar teacher there was epic They taught guitar lessons and other instruments too They taught Jazz, Classical, and other music too

[@Kromsmitesyou]

I love the dawn of the dead music in the beginning!

[@lilbluefoxie]

Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island NY had a lovely fountain with lights and high reaching water but it was removed sometime in the early 2000s

[@bbbeware]

every episode is my favorite episode

[@kittyprydex]

Me: Weird, why is there a car at an abandoned mall? Dan: *opens the door * Me: OH. It's... open.

[@7JANEWAY]

PS-I meant a lot of these malls, not lol of these malls. Sorry for the typo!!!

[@Modano1973]

What’s the name of the song that is playing at around the 9:10 mark when the elephant fountain is shown? I’ve been trying to track down the name of the song, but no luck so far. Love the choice of muzak used in the videos.

[@PianoHead26]

I love the opening music to this. Love! Yes, I loved that movie Night of the Comet. Chopping Mall scared me when I was a kid, I thought our mall has those robots lol. But then I worked at Sam Goody's in the same mall as a teen for a few years. I know what you mean about how weird and eerie it was closing when shoppers weren't around. :)

[@michaelschmitt3015]

I'm sad. One of the best memories of Burlington Center was surprising a mall Santa. My boys were preschoolers. We bought some cookies from a dollar store there. I went and gave them each a cookie and we took them to Santa. Sadly we couldn't afford to buy a picture package with him... smh

[@moparedtn]

You're absolutely right, Dan - the fountain alone is worth the trip.

[@johnnyf8227]

Glad to see you're feeling better. I saw this luckily and subscribed. Did you put your new account on your main page? I guess I missed it.

[@LadyPisces96]

To this day I don't know which is my favorite, but there are a few malls that catch my eyes more than others.

[@mystique77]

Man, you hyped up that fountain so much, but I finally saw it it so underwhelming. It's basically just an elephant statue being sprinkled with a little water.

[@yaywhewclips242]

Night of the Comet featured Chacotay from Star Trek Voyager. Legend of Billie Jean w/ Helen Slater, great mall movie

[@philiphowell1505]

Love all your work Dan, whatever you do, you have the gift of bringing a sort of art form previously unknown, but your style of presenting your fascinating insights and, oh I dont know, your manner, methods and you just have a talent for showing us how things are. The presentation of the orphanage was first class, especially with the song, On the old farmhouse verandah, I have to keep having my fix of that one, stay safe , you are a true entertainer.

[@Ifyernotawakeyet]

A mall in my area had about 70% occupancy and it was torn down! Someone with a lot of money to throw around....now building god knows what on top of it. Already a large outdoor batting facility

[@lauram8404]

You should check out Emerald Mall in Attleboro Ma... It's a mall going down FAST!!!

[@karlimo4034]

Comando comes to mind as a great movie with scenes in a mall.

[@romeoslover817]

Pretty much all new malls opening in the 1970s had some sort of water feature. The unsafe mall situation due to gangs and violence is the main reason for discouraging shoppers. in our general Sacramento area.

[@randombrokeperson]

Is that why Sunrise Mall turned to dust? It’s been a long time since I’ve been (I live farther away now), but Arden and the Golden 1 Arena mall seem to be doing well enough. 2/25/22 ☀️ 6

[@ProtoMario]

That arcade is awesome.

[@jareddrogose1470]

That arcade was fun and at one point did have pool tables It used to be fun going from Holiday Rollerskating rink, Regal Cinemas next door, to Deb Victorias Secret Claires and Bath and Body Works to Macys then the food court the fountain the arcade and then go get electric guitar lessons good times

[@markmcnary1785]

The one i liked was the one where you went into that mall that was in a bad state pf disarray, where glass windows were broken and glass locked doors were broken into and the theaters were all messed up, there were coins all over the floor, things like that, it was all very spooky, and i thought you might have heard ghost voices in the darker places in that one mall.

[@lynnpayne9519]

I saw Night of the comet in a mall theater when it first came out. I am old. Seems like yesterday.

[@GiovanniCloud]

This was my childhood mall as a child (along with Moorestown Mall). It's such a waste of a beautiful mall. I'm glad that they saved the elephant sculpture, though. Next year would be its 40th anniversary.

[@realisticmentality]

My two favorite malls are gone Burlington and the Gallery in philly

[@GiovanniCloud]

@@realisticmentality At least we have photos and videos of our favorite malls before they were gone. We can still preserve their memories.

[@gregggoss2210]

@@GiovanniCloud, the Moorestown mall is still a thriving mall. Burlington center has been demolished.

[@mandyryan5151]

Dan, if you ever come to the Midwest, please come to Iowa. Visit Southridge Mall in Des Moines, Iowa. As a kid in the 80’s it was where I got my ears pierced and visited Santa. It is almost empty now. Extremely sad to see.

[@cdjxman]

Mall Rats was another great mall movie!

[@magsamost]

Speaking of the surreal feeling of malls at night after closing, my first date (I didn't think of it as a date but I found out later that he did lol) was at a mall after closing. Basically we were on a camping trip as a program for the older campers to basically go on field trips and camping and stuff, and we were at the campsite late at night, probably around midnight, and we were all riled up and there was no way we were going to sleep but also the campsite was super boring and we didn't want to be loud because there were adjacent campsites that were occupied. So the counselors decided to take us all out to the movies. We went to this movie theater attached to the local mall. The movie theater was open but the mall was closed so we entered the movie theater from outside and the exit to the mall was closed. The movie theater was weird because there was like one person working there and no other audience members (this was a pretty rural area). There were two movies playing, one was a horror and one was a comedy or something. Everyone in the group wanted to see the comedy except me and my friend and so we were in the theater alone. Our movie started earlier and ended about 45 minutes earlier and when we exited the theater the lobby was completely empty, no idea where the one employee had gone. So my friend and I stole some candy from behind the counter and lifted the gate that led into the mall. All the lights were out but there was moonlight coming from the big skylights so we could see okay. We spent the 45 minutes just eating candy and walking around the dark mall, sticking our feet into the fountain, etc. We got into a lot of trouble when the counselors found us but it was definitely memorable.

[@jebronlames7789]

So did you 2 do it or what?? Lol fun story, I bet you slept good after the crash from all that sugar

[@magsamost]

@@jebronlames7789 we were like 12 so no

[@eily_b]

Jackie Brown is also an excellent mall movie. And Mall Rats of course. Watching Jake's videos ( Bright Sun Film) I learned that "Moonbeam" does no good to dead malls... 15:43

[@tombillard5264]

dead mall would be a great name for a punk band lol

[@pamelaharnage]

I'm from Georgia. The Macon Georgia Mall has gone downhill because of fighting in the food court. There was no security guards there.

[@princessmarlena1359]

I’ve heard some cities are trying to convert old malls into condominiums. They retrofit a lot of the old store fronts into micro condos as a way to gentrify.

[@rustynail6819]

Burlington Center Mall is an absolute hole. Nobody goes there..EVER!! How it's still open I have no idea. It has to be on it's last leg at this point.

[@SungtaeBookLover]

UPDATE : Mall has been completely demolished.

[@icecreamforcrowhurst]

Long gone but not forgotten.

[@7JANEWAY]

If there’s one store that’s in lol of these malls, it’s Bath and Body Works. In fact, have you EVER seen a BBW store that WASN’T in a mall???!!! Obviously their business model is to have their stores in malls. I’d love to ask them, how’s it working for you lately, with malls closing all the time???!!! I’m sure they would respond with their website. But to me, it’s a mark of a dead mall to have a BBW store one of the last ones standing.

[@romeoslover817]

we had one in a small shopping center in Davis, California. The shopping center had a Borders, a Gap, BBW, KIDS GAP and a couple of restaurants.

[@randombrokeperson]

There’s a B&BW in every shopping mall, outlet, plaza - I swear. Those candle sales really keep them afloat I think. 2/25/22 🌞 603

[@JimGrimNY]

If you look into it they've already filed for chapter 11 repeatedly and are constantly under performing and closing stores. BBW is living off tax breaks.

[@paddy9449]

Man' I DIG that GROOOOOOOOVY beat Baby!!!!!!!!

[@blipblip88]

Looks like our local mall, and the mall near where I used to live....It's astonishing that Burlington Coat Factory still proliferates in these spaces. Their "bargains" are twice that of competitor stores like Kohls or wal*mart. so odd.

[@NostalgicRewinder]

Holy Crap! You used the Dawn of the Dead 1978 background music!

[@timemerich]

very special people know the DeWolfe Library Music collection! 🧟‍♂💀🖤

[@thatmetalchiick]

a dead malls party. lol. yeah. Something about Dan's voice is so soothing. wish he would go back and do some new videos. I'm sure for 2022 there is more dead malls.

[@TheMissionRoom]

Goblin!!! Soooo good!

[@johnsomething567]

I was in a Institutional learning facility, sorry I missed this.

[@breeze-marky2673]

Jackie Brown movie has great mall scenes

[@kelcirose670]

What would you call this kind of music in the beginning?

[@pinkiepie1656]

Any update on that ‘exciting retail opening’. LoL:)

[@wil7228]

Love that fountain! Reminds me of junglebook

[@Coffeebeard]

I thought about this place like three damn days ago and then this.

[@101southsideboy]

another great mall scene is in the movie "Blue Brothers" when they dive thru the former DIXIE SQUARE Mall in Harvey ILL ( suburban Chicago )😁

[@Rlotpir1972]

You can find birds inside of quite a few malls. Check out these malls with birds: Plymouth Meeting Mall - Plymouth Meeting, PA Exton Square Mall - Exton, PA Montgomery Mall - Lansdale, PA

[@littlestevie2919]

Like mountains beyond mountains

[@billklement2492]

Dan, Interesting! If I didn't know better, I'd swear that was Columbia Mall. It seems like all malls of that era looked very similar, but this one particularly. I have no idea why I was in the area back in the 80s, but I do remember being in there. I remember the elephant. Back in the early 70s, my elementary school took a trip to Columbia Maryland on a field trip. They took us to an overlook and showed us what would become Columbia. Pretty cool! Are you old enough to remember Rockville Mall? I remember when it opened, they never had any real traffic. It was all concrete, probably called Brutalist architecture. It was dark and hard to get to. Really abandoned before it opened.

[@realisticmentality]

Just drove by BCM it's still a pile of rubble. Where's Petal?

[@JimGrimNY]

At what used to be the Burlington Waterfront straight to the end of 541 through town before you fall in the water.

[@kevinkevin6806]

I hope to meet you one day Dan !

[@robertmiller2104]

All my favorite Dan

[@totalblu]

Have you seen the movie “the phantom of the mall” I think that’s what it’s called and Morgan Fairchild is in it

[@antoniodelgado1516]

The Bigger Better Deal was what killed the malls. "Death by Internet"

[@realisticmentality]

Nah malls are still thriving gang activity killed this mall

[@PcLover81]

@@realisticmentality This Mall was in steady decline after The Rouse Company sold it in 1999 to a company that did not have the connections to get the good tenants in there to keep business going. While I agree the gang activity in 2007 didn't help things, the damage was already done. Not having a strong owner with good connections like Rouse had ultimately did this mall in.

[@jareddrogose1470]

I was sad to see Deb go when Deb permanently shut down Malls aren't impossible to build or destroy people can always build and create I noticed from watching the video the designs are sometimes cool, but sometimes I wonder of that mall lacked a little comfort, like the benches we awesome, but where's the comfortable and relaxed seating lol there's way too many tiles in certain areas, raw paint jobs that weren't smooth in certain areas, and overall not modernized People paid so much money there over the years some of the stores there weren't Mall worthy they belong in the Plazas, Squares, Centers, Outlets, Courts, and Outdoor Shopping Areas I guess it does indeed depend on the Mall and the location... but usually money making malls that don't go out of business are fun and have stores that are worth having and keeping inside of them as well as that aspect of changing, replacing, adding, removing stores always needs to be hustles, bustled, and generated as a top priority

[@jerseytomato100]

You didn’t have to say “New Jersey” the pot holes were a dead giveaway.

[@MensAsses33]

You're so cute! Love your voice ❤

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

Blues Brothers, “This place has got everything.” Mall Rats. Mannequin.

[@UMAKEMESMILESWACKIN]

why no people??

[@jebronlames7789]

Would be cool to include pics of what was there back when it had life

[@JimGrimNY]

😂 lol, this video was 2015 when it did still have life. To see it with full stores and people you need a time machine because it was before 2000 and the internet.

[@TonyMuscolino]

I can't find your account on Vine.

[@randombrokeperson]

RIP Vine 😣😣😣

[@charlestonpinballarcade]

Dawn of the DAN!

[@michaelschmitt3015]

They just finished the demolition... not anything left but ground up bricks and vehicles.

[@neuralmodulator]

lol, I do that with the word 'vacancy' too :)

[@jaredtatchio2064]

Never heard this mall

[@realisticmentality]

It alway's had a eerie vibe to it even when business was booming. It was hot spot for gangs to hang out

[@blipblip88]

Like the Chinese Massage business..this mall deserves a happy ending.... Further thought: I should have bought Bed Bath and BodyWorks stock in 1990...

[@logann7942]

Yknow Burlington Coat Factory is MORE than great coats.

[@cameronmallory5807]

Look outside malls are struggling also to try to rebuild for outside shopping is a waste of money and time.

[@IP0Monsturd]

Schuykill Mall #1 episode.

[@dty3479]

This mall has always been dead in my opinion. Used to ride my bike there as a kid early 2000s and attended the radio Disney concerts. It couldn't compete with the bigger south jersey mall such as Cherry Hill

[@JimGrimNY]

Funny, but I did the same thing in the 1980's😅

[@LethaWolfStudios]

Oh yes, before we all knew how sketchy and fraudulent Moonbeam Capital Group is.

[@genekelly8467]

Very sad..but consider this: experts say that over 5000 malls will close over the next 12 years. The lost investment in these properties is probably in excess of $1 trillion. Losses like this reflect upon the increasing poverty of the middle class of the USA. This is the end result of spending trillions on our military around the world. Like the end stages of the Roman Empire

[@benjiespinosa4703]

Maybe I should go down to my local mall. It’s barely open bro. And it’s sad. I grew up there! Maybe I should go down there with a whistle, talk to all the occupants, tell em “we’re going to have a neighborly meeting in the food court at the blow of my whistle. When in blow my whistle that’s when we all meet” I’ll blow my whistle and not everyone would here it so I’ll just walk over to those people and say “hey the meetings started. Didn’t you hear the whistle”? Anyways. At the said meeting, I’d say “what do we need to do to get the word out about this mall, the word out this that this mall is BOOMING and what do I need to do as a consumer to promote you? Market ads all over social media about the rave of the local Ridgmar Mall” something to that affect.

[@OaksArmorial]

I thought I was looking at Columbia mall.

[@nole8923]

I long for the days when everyone wasn’t on their g-damned phone.

[@jebronlames7789]

I bet the "gangs" are the reason most malls close like you're vid i just watch in Baltimore with more security than shoppers, you said

[@Whatchamawhozit]

DAWN of the DEAD

[@harrybriscoe7948]

A t the least the elevator music is still workinh