Exploring the Cincinnati Mills Mall - Abandoned Yet Still Open

[@Num1shark]

I grew up in this mall. Watched it die and come back, die and come back. Each time more empty then the last.

[@criticalthinker1970]

Same here... Heck, my first job as a teenager was at Popcorn and Pretzel Fest. Sadly, watching the former Forest Fair Mall is almost a parallel for the world's deterioration since the 90's. Also, the large area with all of the areas boarded off to the left was originally a single store, Bigg's Hypermart.

[@leah4850]

I got my first (and only) perm at this mall in the 80's at a salon by the Bigg's. How is this place still around? And why? Now I want to go to there.

[@Num1shark]

@@criticalthinker1970 Going to Bigg's and then Time Out On The Court was one of my favorite things growing up in the 90s.

[@gageb4476]

When I was little, I saw a movie there, I used to go there with my family, last time I was there was about 3 months ago to explore

[@criticalthinker1970]

@@Num1shark We very well may have crossed paths.

[@kapppz]

I've heard that financial groups are rethinking these old malls by creating apartments out of the storefronts and then keeping the food, theaters and playgrounds thus making whole "towns" out of something currently obsolete. I would love an apartment like that.

[@SlimPickins_07]

I would move to one in a heartbeat. Would definitely help some that are socially awkward/introverts to just have that stuff "at home" with neighbors.

[@BuIIet]

Most are beyond repair with structural damage, and too expensive to maintain then on. Perhaps there are a few that have been taken care of enough to renovate in to something like this but I imagine it's more of a risk than an investor would want to make.

[@brieb402]

That actually sounds really cool, and a good way to repurpose large abandoned spaces like these.

[@abeck7929]

@@SlimPickins_07 Yes I agree. My son has autism and I think he would thrive in a small community such as this.

[@adaeze4873]

Yes this is happening to Richmond mall In Richmond heights Ohio

[@lisaclark1181]

These empty malls are so weird to me. As a 70s/80s kid and teen, malls were our lives. Never thought they would just die out.

[@Cargo_Bay]

@@sunnistrawberri malls aren't popular because the internet, amazon, and all-in-one places like target and walmart made them obsolete (or rather, not profitable enough to stay open). In big cities, they are still full of foot traffic to some degree, but mostly teens who have nothing better to do. People who are nostalgic for malls don't really shop there anymore to begin with. They just yearn for a simpler time.

[@Cargo_Bay]

@SPSF Productions depends what you’re buying and where from

[@francisphillips53]

Me either.. the mall where we live, used to have to drive around for half and hour to find a parking spot. Now.. just order online. Deliver to your door.

[@jamesmata2945]

Right its just really odd seeing them so dead. Well not so much no more since 19

[@tammybrown4901]

I went more in early 90s but it is very sad.im a 70s kid myself

[@Sergei_Ivanovich_Mosin]

I swear this place looks like it's flickering in and out of reality, just the tiny handful of people still walking around like nothing's wrong in an otherwise dead mall is surreal.

[@adotintheshark4848]

it will flicker one last time..fade from sight taking everything that's still inside with it.

[@Crazycartoonist8679]

No one being their reminds me of the backrooms

[@naomivought9317]

Have a mall in Buffalo like that. It is so freaking dead. With a couple stores left. It’s really odd sometimes when you’re just standing there completely alone in the food court.

[@UptownAlonzo]

That Kohl’s is still open , also a Bass Pro Shops right down the street from a county full of Trump Supporters, I say that to say there may be no use for the middle of the mall but the left and right wings still gain traffic. Not to mention restaurants right outside that are always packed like Red Lobsters (not surprising considering who I told you lives in this area). It’s also north of a dying black suburb called Forest Park, 513 strong 🖤❤️

[@m.jaquarius8365]

You do know that people especially elderly go there to walk/exercise. They can do this without being hit by a car, paying for a gym membership, or anyone harassing them.

[@co2144]

abandoned malls make me really sad for some reason. and that closing soon sign that that one store put up made me sad too because no one is going to see it so theyre just going to close having had little to no customers but they still chose to put up a sign

[@zoeyelh]

i feel the same. sad isnt it.

[@brookekuhlmann8021]

Well, these stores inside this mall have unfortunately been closed up for years, this “mall” hasn’t been a mall in 10plus years, I live around here, and it used to be hoppin back in the 90’s when it was Forest Fair Mall. But when they changed it to Cincinnati mills, it has never been “something” again, the way it used to be. But then, all of our malls around here are this same way. Not just due to Corona, this has been ongoing for the last 7-10 yrs in the Cinci area.

[@snakejones3847]

It is rather eeriely sad; But if you are going bust to never return, then I guess to go out with your dignity and self respect in tact, you would close like any other day, only this time, it would be your last to turn over the sign; "CLOSED" 😢😢 Long Live The Memories of Malls! 🙏❤️

[@TuLowProd.]

It's the past we lived in... slowly dissipating and dying... The future slwoly encompassing it and reshaping it into something that's merely an glimmer of what it once was...

[@me--5160]

Same

[@AnthonyWayn3]

I went here with my camera once and still got to stay in, i just took a friend with me to be my "model" and wanted the mall as a backdrop. The guard told me the reason they don't want videos etc is because the owner doesn't want footage and pictures of it looking abandoned online lol

[@Dark_Harmony]

LOL!

[@jasonmclaughlin4880]

A little too late for that. 😂

[@SpaceMango]

The fact that you can hear voices but not really distinguish any words or sentences in the echoing distance makes it even more eerie. I love it, i wish i could visit this place.

[@TERMINALFlamingOcean]

I love the colourful, early 2000s late 90s futuristic style! It’s really amazing how it’s been pretty much preserved

[@joeldaniels-akacringeevery7650]

same

[@PhilthySpectre]

It's a great time capsule of that pre millennial period, definitely

[@TERMINALFlamingOcean]

@@PhilthySpectre I love it!

[@sp1nda]

It's odd but so beautiful. So much thought went into decorating this strange mall.

[@TERMINALFlamingOcean]

@@sp1nda yes I love it!

[@vickysmith7644]

I watched this mall be built. It was beautiful when it first opened. It had rides inside the mall. A Ferris wheel a carrousel and other rides. Christmas was beautiful, it even had an ice rink inside from Thanksgiving until after Christmas. It is very sad this happened to this mall.

[@yt4870]

When was it built?

[@aprilleerose]

@@yt4870 late 80s

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

Really? That is so sad.

[@ToyotaCelicaDude1]

This is a beautiful mall, it's a big shame that it's in this condition, it has to be on the brink of financial collapse. If only there was a way to bring the mall era back. I miss seeing more of them around 😥

[@tomrogers9467]

“Filming in the mall is against the rules”. Well, you sure wouldn’t want to upset the hordes of shoppers by taking their pictures!

[@huestonmorgan2147]

You can’t even sit on any benches or seats in the mall or they’ll kick you out. You have to keep moving

[@tomrogers9467]

@@huestonmorgan2147 yes, there are more empty shops to not spend money in! Wait another year and there will be hundreds of abandoned or dead malls for Sal to show us. Now that we’ve all gotten used to online purchases.

[@andthe2become1flesh93]

You'd think they'd WANT ppl to promote the mall and spend time in it. You might mosey on over to one of the open shops and spend $$$. Maybe you're a developer interested in buying it. Mall cops were always the worst since the dawn of malls.

[@tomrogers9467]

@@andthe2become1flesh93 That’s because mall cops are frustrated losers who couldn’t make the cut to a “real” police force.

[@evanmcmaster3900]

@@huestonmorgan2147 i dont get why its even open then lol the anchors dont even use the mall entrances.

[@ClaireFiredragon]

Honestly walking around in a mall is great exercise. You'd be surprised how much you can walk just walking around a good few hours in a mall.

[@andthe2become1flesh93]

Right?! That's how I stayed fit as a kid in the 80s and 90s. 🙂 Lots of laps every weekend.

[@danielduncan6806]

Yep, because there is no other place to walk. Sidewalks are just so yesterday. And don't even get me started on parks!

[@thekid8907]

@@danielduncan6806 I mean, yes. But air conditioning is a plus 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@ClaireFiredragon]

@@danielduncan6806 Ah yes I love walking through parks and theme parks XD

[@sed6657]

@@danielduncan6806 yeah, I mean you could be rude and ignore the fact that weather can be too hot or crummy or someone can be disabled and have a tough time walking on sidewalks, as they’re often uneven. It’s not hard to be nice, dude, come on.

[@rachelle82]

I just visited this place thanks to this channel! :) I only live 2 and a half hours away. My husband and I visited just a few days ago. The bouncy house is open. They were having a party when we walked through the mall. And the arcade you can play games for $5 an hour. That little business is actually doing well to be in a dead mall! Kohl's closed last month. The last anchor store(the arcade) will be leaving in September 2022. They approved demolition for the mall. :/

[@bbreathe]

heartbreaking to see it finally go, september is just days away now. I hope you made good memories seeing what was probably the last breath of this place. it certainly had it coming but it's surprising how long it's lasted after it's "death". amazing!

[@spicydramarama852]

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17.

[@deronbellanger248]

Not true at all the last anchor store is bass pro, the arcade was inside the mall that’s the opposite of an anchor, and the demolition never happened it is still standing

[@Leonardo-vs5pb]

Visited the Cincinnati area today, passed this mall, and it still hasn't been demolished. Wonder what the plans are....

[@rayanderson5797]

This has got to be one of the most surreal ones. Somehow the three or four other people and the world's most unnecessary security guard just makes it feel even more empty.

[@onyxx7374]

oh come on he's necessary to the video plot hahaha

[@DatDenDude]

@@onyxx7374 it’s like a video game

[@finnheisenheim8274]

Easy paycheck.

[@volta5550]

This mall is in my hometown, down the street from where I grew up. I can’t tell you how fun this place was in the late 80’s/early 90’s. It was called “Forest Fair Mall” back then, and it was a HUGE deal. Always packed with people and stuff to do. Great memories, for sure

[@aprilleerose]

I grew up going there too and in my teen years it was “THE” place to go. I spent so much time there and it’s bizarre seeing it this way. Forest Fair Mall will always be a huge piece of my younger days.

[@nhmisnomer]

Oh wow, I thought this was Forest Fair Mall! I was the Special Events Coordinator who opened Parisian when the mall had its grand opening. It seems immediately after that two of our swankiest competitors closed. It was really weird working there while the mall seemed to have an uncertain future.

[@jeffsimmons318]

I grew up in Carthage, I miss forest fair mall

[@ender7278]

It's still called Forest Fair Village on Google Maps, but granted that could be user-generated.

[@dallaschrystian8651]

The best place ever!

[@Bonbon54220]

It’s really sad that there are hundreds of malls like this in the US. Seems like such a waste. That is one huge mall.

[@bobs6129]

Amazon

[@Taylor_xo]

Y’all need to have malls like Australian malls. I noticed a big difference when I went to malls in the US.

[@bobs6129]

@@Taylor_xo malls are finished here everyone shops online covid is going to be the nail in the coffin ⚰️

[@Qatari2007]

@@bobs6129 Idk about you, but in Australia malls are very popular. You cant shop online for much, such as clothes food etc, you need to pick that stuff yourself.

[@bobs6129]

@@Qatari2007 that makes sense we had good access to malls but everybody online shops here they'll deliver food here if you order it online even

[@gamepapa1211]

Let's all be honest here: this episode will nowhere be nearly as awesome without the looming threat of Segway Man. It's like survival horror game or something.

[@imcopes]

When i went to this mall a few months ago they had the good ole segway men patrolling.

[@gamepapa1211]

@@imcopes horror villains never truly die.

[@johndunn6756]

Paul Blart takes his job seriously!!

[@evelynsaungikar3553]

Imagine having that job!

[@ninjacats200]

I went back a month ago to check it out and now he has a bike so you cannot hear him coming.

[@AdventurersFortune]

For some reason, I really like the atmosphere of those dead but still open malls. Good work as always!

[@theRPGmaster]

Same. I wish I could go visit some, but I don't know if flying to the US would be worth it just to see some malls.

[@tannerdamm7087]

I live right by Gwinnett Place Mall which is the mall in stranger things I love going there because it is dead but you can see strangerthings studf

[@mariev3821]

I dont know....im almost think it be cool to just chill...too bad they can't turn it into a residential area

[@XX-zk2lf]

The definition is liminal space. I love it, too!

[@jazcena]

@@theRPGmaster definitely not worth it lol but if you ever happen to come here for some reason then you should visit one fs

[@peacelovesmile6619]

That dude shuffle running past you was a straight up NPC.

[@steelvenom330]

He was glitching through the wall later in the video

[@Rachel-ui9to]

@@steelvenom330 time stamp?

[@cerebrodelictivocarclubps4309]

Time stamp, please

[@peacelovesmile6619]

@@cerebrodelictivocarclubps4309 6:32

[@cerebrodelictivocarclubps4309]

@@steelvenom330 Time stamp

[@davidi6201]

We spent a ton of time there on the weekends in the mid 90's. Arcade, cheap movies, lazer tag, mini golf, there was even a two story children's ferris wheel in the food court. There were a few themed bars but we were too young to go into them. It was a real busy place back then. I have a lot of good memories from there.

[@MusicFromAnotherTime]

Do you remember the big marble machine by the ferris wheel too? Thing was sick.

[@theduffster1985]

I wish malls still looked like this architecturally speaking. It’s so fun and interesting

[@spicydramarama852]

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17.

[@monsterford8009]

Malls closing sucks they always helped me with depression, I could go and see people didn't have to interact just seeing people helped. Now Walmart closes early.

[@ASHERUISE]

I understand that feeling.

[@nd2jesus0in1me0]

I too feel that way brother 🤝😭

[@toon_on_24s]

Just walk thru and chill and just people watch ... I feel you man ..

[@Noquemacuh]

Bro same

[@Sprizys]

You have a Walmart in your mall?!?

[@WigglesthewormHLC]

The section next to the playground that was "blocked off" was a grocery store called Biggs. That arcade is awesome btw!!!! The place withheld bounce houses used to be called wonderpark. It was like a kiddie arcade/mini amusement park. It had a roller coaster, a big playground, and ride kinda like dumbos.

[@haileb.9498]

That coaster actually scared me as a kid😆

[@kaladurham7290]

Is this the mall that had the ferris wheel in it in the early 90s?

[@keithmay466]

The arcade is cool but the people in it are kinda creepy.

[@donlyphans7801]

A kid got diddled in that wonderpark, which contributed to its closing.

[@ariajoy9438]

@@kaladurham7290 yes

[@kalfis4083]

The style and design of this mall makes me so nostalgic. I miss busy malls and the early 2000s. The world just sucks ass now.

[@williamwilson8019]

I feel you arundel mills in Maryland still thrives but 2000s was the shit

[@actual_doge3221]

All we can do is try to repair the damage caused by the sickness. Then hopefully HOPEFULLY our descendants will know better.

[@thatsawesome2060]

@@actual_doge3221 that not the only case but more people already move Shopping online.

[@riproar11]

I was a teenager during the great mall days and it was a lot of fun to go with family or meet up and hang out with friends. By the 2010s I developed a distaste for consumerism and switched to wearing clothing that generally never goes out of style but looks handsome/manly and lasts. I could care less about going to malls now, even the giant ones in New Jersey. The Freehold Raceway Mall has a lot of vacancies and has a sterile vibe to it.

[@newnamepending7084]

We now live in the dystopia that some of the better Sci fi films made us fear.

[@CptPrice23]

There’s always something kinda sad about seeing an empty/almost empty shopping centre. Like I can imagine at one time, 15 - 20 years ago there would have been hustle and bustle and loads of open shops. End of an era I guess

[@Psyberdream]

I live in the area. I remember back in 99 it had big areas just empty. It's been on life support for years. Didn't help that the area around it went ghetto and all those issue started wandering around inside. If people don't feel safe they won't shop there. Viscous cycle.

[@moose030406]

Bush, Obama and Biden have started the NWO

[@dwnsideupturtle]

The “boring” wing where it is walled off used to be Biggs grocery store. Went there often as a child with family. The checkout lanes exited out to that area of the mall, the whole storefront was open to the mall. Was so much fun going there as a child!

[@yandman26]

The sheer vastness of this place is staggering. When did it essentially close? It's extremely clean inside. There is something so beautiful, eerie and tragic about these empty spaces.

[@homestar92]

Arcade Legacy moved there in 2009 or 2010. By this point it was VERY dead, but unlike now the building was still in physically good shape. Us regular customers were scratching our heads at that move at the time, but the arcade has done quite well actually. The thing that propped this mall up is that unlike most malls, its anchors did well for a long time. The two that are left are still doing well, and Babies R Us stayed in the mall until the whole company went under. Another mall a few miles east up the highway (Tri-County Mall) is closing here in a few weeks and if you asked me in 2019, I NEVER would have believed that Cincinnati Mills would outlive Tri-County Mall.

[@ammagee]

@@homestar92 Wow, that's shocking to hear.

[@nhmisnomer]

At the time when this mall opened, the other malls closer to the city were overwhelmingly more conveniently located for shoppers. No one saw any reason to come out this far.

[@rickdeckard1075]

they want you to see it. like 9/11 it has metaphysical implications.

[@adamabel7437]

This is 5 blocks from my house. The sad part is they still decorate it for holidays

[@Ray-uu7sq]

i dont live too far away from it! how do they still manage to decorate it???

[@adamabel7437]

@@Ray-uu7sq I don't know how they afford it. But during Easter there will be eggs and decorations in the corridors. During Christmas will be trees and whatnot.

[@adamabel7437]

@@Ray-uu7sq there's still an active arcade in the building. That my sons and I go to

[@chloway420]

That's so depressing

[@back2beauty985rhgo]

Oh wow..creepy.

[@mrs.hopwinkle6034]

I'd love to see places like this converted into apartments, markets, etc.

[@0urlady0fsorr0wss]

They usually get demolished once the owners finally give up the property and turned into Amazon fulfillment centers like all dead malls

[@mildthing]

id like to see an indoor bike park, but that's just me

[@riproar11]

It used to be many markets and it all failed.

[@mrs.hopwinkle6034]

@@JaredG_WV English isn't my native language, but store and market means something different where I'm from. I've seen old malls converted into apartments on the higher floors, and more independent markets on the ground floor, and that seems to work well.

[@cjcorallo5775]

You mean, like a mall?

[@nyccollin]

An escalator doesn't stop working, it just becomes stairs.

[@danhalen2579]

Rip Mitch Hedberg

[@JasonFrankenstein]

Sorry for the convenience.

[@andrewhorsley745]

Ancient Chinese proverb

[@Rod-bp8ow]

Call that mobility either ways mr.collin, it has phases, it is designed to give light either ways, mecha or manual, it works wonders.

[@TMR147]

Haha well played my friend!

[@josephwildey5861]

Imagine the confused horror experienced by someone from 1989 viewing this video: “Where is everyone? Why are they wearing masks? What in the hell is a Segway?!”

[@punchline43]

Unless you mean like the Twin Pines Mall. But that would be 1985. I can totally hear Doc Brown saying "what the hell is a Segway?" not realizing he had still yet to invent it 😄

[@ARTSIEBECCA]

I dont know why that cracked me up🤣

[@rwdplz1]

"No Marty it's 2020 alright, but I can't imagine HELL being much worse!"

[@coleschowe7706]

Epic

[@urban_fox_cub_urbex]

you make no sense 1989 was 30+ years ago

[@kevinmaddox4198]

Can't believe I saw a Clair's. Got my ear pierced at one when I was 9. Now I'm 39. Time flies

[@drewharrison1840]

This makes me sad

[@duphasdan]

That weird point in a mall's lifespan where it is effectively dead, yet still open. A mall in its last throes of life before ending. One of two malls in Augusta Georgia was like this before it closed. It was the older of the two and was made back in the day when it was the edge of the city. The addition of the Bobby Jones highway and expansion of the city shifted traffic away from the place. The increase in crime and the apathy of the mall owners and the city drove remaining customers and stores away. In the end, there were basically one department store and five different shoe / sports stores that sold the same stuff despite being different stores. The last returning customers, the thugs that drove the normal customers away, never really purchased that much as they kept shop lifting. Thus ended the first mall in Georgia.

[@marchmadness4598]

regency mall lol

[@himhim3344]

Its always that same group of people that ruin everything

[@turner9605]

Owning a store there must be terrifying for the staff.

[@GrantsDad]

Would be pretty fun tbh getting payed to fuck around in a slow ass store in an abandoned mall I would definitely be armed regardless of any company policy though

[@oldenweery7510]

@@GrantsDad I don't know about that, 'cuz I worked for a few months in a factory that was noted for working tons of overtime in the summer. As one employee told me, "The hotter it gets in the summer, the longer we work." A guy would come around in the middle of the afternoon and make down-pushing motions with his hands, saying, "Keep it down; we want to work overtime." There was no question at that point, as we were working ten hour days and four on Saturdays. But the thing is, slowing down while trying to _look_ busy was a pain in the _gluteus maximus!_ I was racing a sports-car at the time and with the season looming, I knew I couldn't stay there, since race weekends were just that: registration and practices on Saturday and races on Sunday. I got sick, and while I was off I applied at the plant where my dad worked, then told the first plant that my doctor said the long hours were detrimental to my health, which was the truth. All I could remember was working---with that slowdown period every day---eating, sleeping, and getting up early to go back to work. The new place was real work, all the time, and I worked there for five years---three months for the old place. Stay safe.

[@GrantsDad]

@@oldenweery7510 I don’t really see the relation between that and a slow store in an abandoned mall I worked at an auto parts store that was open to 10pm and we would get really slow in the winter once it got dark there were hours without someone coming in and by that time there was no more work to do company policy there always has to be two people and thankfully the kid I worked with was my same age so we would do all sorts of dumb shit I could see it being boring if you didn’t get along with your coworker but we had a fun and got paid for it we would do all the work as soon as we get in fuck around in the store for hours then take out the trash and lock up definitely not a career but I’m still young

[@randomrazr]

@@GrantsDad there securitt gaurds

[@GrantsDad]

@@randomrazr yeah and you see how long it took them to notice people were filming in there lol I wouldn’t trust those clowns

[@dylanbarger9044]

The pigs you see with wings as decoration is a Cincinnati thing, they can be seen all over town, we have an annual marathon race called the Flying pig.

[@Etobeeshawn]

Being Cincinnati, I would've thought that flying turkeys would be a Cincinnati thing, not pigs lol

[@layplum]

@@Etobeeshawn Cincinnati used to be called Porkopolis lol

[@cumulus1234]

@@layplum yes with a lot of sausages, sauerkraut, weinersnitchel, etc.

[@timmmahhhh]

@@layplum you have to be old enough to remember the show WKRP in Cincinnati and the infamous turkey episode, it's worth the search.

[@mitrikgaduk347]

The little Arcade that could, keeping the 80s dream alive.

[@lovablepsychopaths8260]

They actually get a lot of business. They hold weekly events and are usually pretty busy on weekends. The mall is dead but the arcade is doing great (I haven't been there since covid though)

[@crowing7]

They better have stopped by there after filming. I am so damned tired of being stuck at home right now that going out to a pinball arcade in a run down mall sounds like paradise!

[@IzakPhineasAbney]

Multiple locations too. Including a Barcade

[@davidwebb3407]

That arcade is pretty great. It's 10 bucks to play all the games you want all day.

[@stateyourthesis]

Arcade Legacy is amazing. Their bar is cool too.

[@AlexisTwoLastNames]

never been to this mall, but this type of video/content floods me with emotions that feel like nostalgia. it is so weird and i know others have described it happening to them, too. experiencing consciousness as a human is frickin wild

[@missgg8]

I live in the area and I went to this mall two years ago with my sister and some friends. The nostalgia I felt was insane especially in the kid playground. The kohls wasn’t there. And we were able to sneak into the movie theatre it was super cool and creepy. Outside of the theaters it has signs that say “silence your pagers” lol. Anyway I have dreams that feel like this mall. It’s so liminal

[@corvettez06usa]

Flying Pigs are a symbol of Cincinnati. A lot of sausage was made here once upon a time and we were dubbed porkopolis.

[@CarterSauceFrey05]

Yup, my city is the queen of pork lmao

[@thehabob2010]

@@CarterSauceFrey05 and bacon to

[@CarterSauceFrey05]

@@thehabob2010 yess

[@NickTick]

Its because Kahns use to be here in Cincinnati.

[@honghong3153]

Eating meat. Bad luck.

[@kelleybrown840]

One of my first jobs was helping decorate this mall for Christmas, when only the first wing was open with biggs and the rest of the mall wasn’t built yet! It’s been crazy to watch this mall over the years as it continues to fall apart. I still shop at that Kohl’s location.

[@Knockout_Skill02]

Hey Kelley!, I bet it must have been nice to see this mall through the years, I’ve never seen any mall I’ve been to shut down and become abandoned, cause I’m as born in 2008, but I still feel sad ab that for you, like, from most likely feeling such Amazzzzement on the creative builders who build that colourful mall, I love the style of that mall, thx for the story!

[@Chris06Fusion]

You made that security guys day. Probably rarely has interactions.

[@OneHonestGuy]

I would call that... Job Security.

[@Golfing422]

There was a night club and a Ruby Tuesday restaurant. Me and my ex wife went to both on our first date in 2001. We were married for 15 years and our daughter is now almost 20 years old. Time sure flies.

[@bunnysweet6013]

What happened to your ex wife?

[@himhim3344]

Does your daughter have an insta?

[@Golfing422]

@@himhim3344 Who knows, she moved in with her sister in Milford and doesn’t see me much because I’m not to hip of the idea of her not working.

[@plasmar1]

abandoned yet still open.... sounds like a case of the 2020's

[@Celtic_Amy]

I live nearby and this mall isn't abandoned. Most of the stores closed years ago but The Kohl's store and the gym is usually open inside the mall. Before covid19 people used to go inside and walk around on cold days. It's also my understanding that Amazon uses the mall parking lot to park their delivery vehicles.

[@marcoparada6652]

@@Celtic_Amy , so....it's abandoned, but still open? Just like the title describes.

[@Celtic_Amy]

@@marcoparada6652 mostly abandoned LOL

[@margaretfogler1848]

It's really a case of poor decisions since it was in development.

[@drdrew3]

@@Celtic_Amy No reason to get hung up on semantics. “Abandoned”, “Dead Mall”. Same difference in a few months. Either way it’s fading into obscurity

[@dorkatron8929]

despite not knowing the building’s future, it’d make a badass convention center.

[@mm77curly]

Yeah! The building is so big and beautiful. Not sure if it would pass inspection with all the water damage though. :(

[@usmcgrunt_1944]

Or a huge indoor airsoft arena

[@ITAC85]

...if there wasn't water damage and other issues like that.

[@PseudoFiction]

the county is currently trying to secure state funds to demolish it

[@Trainy2]

It's pretty ironic that arcades were one of the first things to almost completely disappear from malls and now they're one of the only things left in some of them.

[@nd6286]

arcades are pretty fun. Sure you can play games at home but arcades just have that special somthin

[@Trainy2]

@@nd6286 Yeah, I go to a retro arcade at a local game store every now and then. There's nothing like playing a real pin ball machine.

[@reddy3400]

Arcades are not just 'arcades' that is why they are open.

[@eberbacher007]

@@reddy3400 ???

[@ajackson5955]

Yes, arcades used to be Big Business, but not anymore.

[@phoenixcoffey3839]

That arcade was great. All the games were set to free play and you just paid an entry fee of like $10 for the day. They also had a bunch of consoles of varying generations setup with games you could check out from the front desk. They're currently building a new location

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

Really? That was very cool. I remember back then when we paid like $5 got 50 tokens and were able to play a lot of games and win prizes.

[@ninjapistol14]

The first mostly abandoned place I went to. They still put up Christmas decorations! I hope you guys ate at the old spaghetti factory, it's really good!

[@Clay3613]

You live in Ohio?

[@ninjapistol14]

@@Clay3613 I live in kentucky, the mills mall is like 40 minuites from where I live

[@orangukey]

@@ninjapistol14 i am a 15 minute drive from it and there

[@lillibennett4511]

@@ninjapistol14 you live fairly close to me then, and yes the old time spaghetti factory is LIITTTT

[@ninjapistol14]

@@lillibennett4511 it's soooooo good

[@olucaszb]

This 90s design is the best. I love that it seems to be coming back these days.

[@TackyFlamingo]

It is? I haven’t seen anything that resembles it really

[@samdavidh]

I know right!

[@brucewill4817]

I haven't seen much 90s style but I've seen 80s and 70s coming back though, but I agree very fun designs

[@carexpertandy]

This whole renovation here was done in the early-mid 2000s.

[@mikehall3976]

@@carexpertandy and it looks the part beautifully. I remember going on a cruise in like 2010, and the arcade had this sort of color scheme. It's not quite 90s, but doesn't feel 2000's either… I dunno how to explain it. I love this sort of 2000's style - the rest of that decade was pretty bland.

[@JezebelRush]

It’d be so cool if they kept the anchors, reopened the food court, then turned the remaining store spaces into apartments/studios and rented them out

[@TheChipMcDonald]

it'd be cool if our economy hadn't been ransacked by the 1%.

[@qwipperty]

That would be the best way to do it. A mix of residential and stable business.

[@kennethbower6040]

Iv though about sorta your idea but do an assisted living community at one end and make the mall an assisted living open to public all in one town with everything under one roof ...

[@ingrid945471]

Omgosh that’s a genius idea it would totally save It!

[@adt3739]

There actually are malls in ny that have done this and aside from not having windows looking outside it is pretty awesome 😊

[@maqaroon]

At 11:51 in Dan Bell's video there's a shot of the same candy machines with the same amount of gumballs inside. That video is 6 years old and the mall was already abandoned back then. YT short idea would be for someone to go there and eat one.

[@IronShocker77]

The candies inside have probably already melted together

[@spicydramarama852]

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17.

[@alyssa_taylorsversion]

That would give you crazy food poisoning

[@ShadeATV]

@@spicydramarama852shut up

[@valoxsen6003]

Where? I don't see any candy machines at 11:51.

[@foxracing8973]

We have a Mills Mall here in St. Louis and its practically in the same state of abandonment. Makes me sad bc growing up as a 90s kid, malls were our life. Miss the days before social media when you actually got out, met people, did fun things, and just enjoyed each moment.

[@ashley2405]

I'm a St. Louis native too! The style of this mall reminded me of The Mills in STL so much! It's so sad to see the state it's in now.

[@currentdayandtime2637]

You're right malls were the place you hung out with your friends. Even bump into other people you knew occasionally. Social media with video games have ruined natural interaction unfortunately.

[@PlayButtonPone]

I believe it's closed/abandoned, they were going to turn it into a sports complex, but I don't know whether covid put a hamper to it.

[@janelawrence95]

Right?! In a small town all we had was a mall and movie theater to hang out at. Almost ever weekend friends would meet at the mall eat at the food court and walk around being kids.

[@maddieinwonderland3544]

My boyfriend and I got “banned” because the door upstairs where the movie theater had a door just open that lead inside and he just took a sneaky speak...turns out the Segway dude comes rolling up and told us to leave this was two years ago lol

[@TheClosetGamer]

Pretty sure you can come back by now. The security has cycled out at least 6 times since then.

[@georgeyreynolds]

or segway'd out

[@maddieinwonderland3544]

@Vincent Ludwig yes, he segwayed inside and scared him, it’s pretty cool in there but he literally rolled us out

[@Bands_R_My_Life]

@@maddieinwonderland3544 Did you ever try to go back there?

[@maddieinwonderland3544]

@@Bands_R_My_Life yea I have lol. I live so close to it. The Movie Theaters seriously are so cool. I really want to go deep inside, everything is probably still in the theater, the screen.

[@arianna6917]

This unlocked a lot of weird memories I had of this mall. I’ve known I’ve gone to this one, but I could never picture it. Now I picture memories I didn’t know I have. Crazy

[@lisarowalt5537]

As someone who grew up in thia town and spent a good deal of my childhood and teen years there. I never could understand why it had so many ups and downs the last remodel was actually beautiful and it was much prettier than the tri-county mall only a few exits away. They had a small roller-coaster in there at one time. I full mini-gold course. The dollar-theater was awesome! My friends and I would be dropped off by our parents and we would go to the dollar store and play tag and security never bothered us. ***to explain the flying pigs though. You have to know a little history of Cincinnati. When the city was originally founded it has a higher population of pigs than humans and was called Porkopolis. No joke. So they have a flying pig marathon and the pig or the flying pig is a mascot of Cinti. One year artists were given pig stautes to paint however they liked and they were donated or purchased by different businesses. The pig nurses outside the hosp and the ballet pigs in tutus outside the theater were some of my favorites Thanks for going there and exploring. I havent lived there in about 10 years. I think it may have been open then? Kinda neat to see.

[@danielobrien1571]

Nice picture, happen to be a lady with very long hair? I find that quite attractive, please describe it?

[@zkoopa4445]

@@danielobrien1571 🤨

[@danielobrien1571]

@@zkoopa4445 I was complementing Lisa on her profile picture, and was curious how long her hair was. I have a passion for woman that let their hair grow luxurious lengths like Rapunzel's, the longer their hair the more attractive I find them to be. Do you not share my passion for woman that wear their hair long like that?

[@vengefulamoeba668]

One of the big problems with this mall was the county tax was too high and stores didn't like it so it was hard to keep tenants around. another was poor/corrupt management throughout the years. it also didn't help that several of the anchor stores went out of business fully not just in the mall. iirc the big walled off area around 11:30 use to be a grocery store. when i would stay with my grandmother on the weekends we'd go to this mall every time, we'd walk around, go eat lunch or see a movie then she'd go grocery shopping and then head back home.

[@kroneyt1493]

Shopping malls are gonna be an ancient relic in some time. They're all being closed and replaced with shipping warehouses and that's just sad.

[@yeethan7352]

Welcome to capitalism

[@ren6203]

Nah baby girl.

[@johnsilcox8]

Not all of them, just the lower tier ones. Shopping malls in the real estate biz are classed as A, B, or C based on how much revenue they generate per square foot of retail space. C are the lowest and those are dying. The A and higher end B's are still thriving and very profitable.

[@notofthisworld5267]

Good! Online shopping is better anyway

[@RobMathMiller]

@@yeethan7352 Actually it’s globalist socialist corporatism which has led to this and not genuine capitalism! Your believing what you were indoctrinated to believe by your public school teachers. Amazon and Walmart are part of the socialist oligarchy which is far from capitalism.

[@minniemin1324]

i grew up in this mall and still go there every once in a while. i remember when they were renovating it back in 2004 to its current look. it was so pretty. there are a few stores still open inside besides the anchor stores, like the retro arcade and children's bouncy house storefront. i'm pretty sure they keep the mall open for the mall walkers and they're just letting time wear it down. i remember going to showcase cinemas with a friend to see cloudy with a chance of meatballs back in 2009. I visited the claire's and bass pro a lot in my childhood. i had my 5th birthday party in the bouncy house store front (it was something different back then when i was a kid, don't remember the name). my dad took me to the glow in the dark mini golf place on my last day of 2nd grade. i went with my parents to the verizon store downstairs by the fountain a lot so they could get new phones and back then they only carried flip phones. i spent soooooooooo much time at that playground and it was PBS kids themed. my mom has a pic of me sitting on one of those huge flower pots on her old flip phone that she took back in 2007. those were good times and i really miss it.

[@hooray4skeleton]

I was actually at this mall in 2009 to see a movie with friends and it was already barren and decrepit by then, albeit a little less decaying and with 5 or so more stores in operation. I'm not sure if it was a stormy day or if it was at night when we saw this movie but I remember the mall interior being almost COMPLETELY dark to the point that footage/photos of it at daytime surprise me by how comparatively pleasant they make it seem. How this shell of a mall has been operating like this for well over a decade is a mystery to everyone.

[@cbassthefirst1343]

Well we're about burned out on using it for smuggling. This building generates massive revenue still.

[@jeremyk6456]

Wow this was my childhood mall that I grew up with! A couple notes , there were 2 theaters, 1 showcase cinema and a $1 theater downstairs... the wing they said was boring by the playground was actually a HUGE grocery store called Big's that took up that entire wing. So nostalgic now that I haven't lived there in close to 7 years

[@donkeyboy585]

Proper People vs Paul Blart... I was on the edge of my recliner

[@Chrisssy2112]

Now that’s funny 🤣

[@damxgopak457]

Hilarious!

[@JJ-wk5wy]

I lol' d everytime they said seguway guy

[@doclivewire4596]

@@JJ-wk5wy Segway guy is intensely serious about his job. I was part of a documentary filmed at the arcade in this mall and we wanted to get a continuous shot of the mall from the entrance to the arcade and Paul Blart shut that down fast. He made us put away all of our film equipment and practically escorted us all the way to the arcade to make sure we didn't get any footage of the mall. One day during filming they held a massive smash bros tournament at the arcade that spilled out into the main atrium and we spent the whole day wondering if we were going to get filming shut down. I totally get how these guys felt when I was up on the second floor taking photos of the tournament going on below and keeping one eye out for security.

[@Rod-bp8ow]

That calls for truth, stand up, you can do it always sir.

[@Shondafym]

When my mom told me they closed I was crushed as a kid in the 90s. That was one of the fun mall very kid friendly

[@jr22hon]

Yeah I remember when there used to be a ferris wheel on that main area by the food court

[@copperbeardedking1919]

@@jr22hon remember timeout arcade

[@MickeyNixonFilms]

OMG that new intro is sick!! That was insane, freaked when I seen the new clips!

[@lildavid81able]

que?

[@Glitterflickan]

Agree!!

[@TheRogueKiwi]

How did you comment 6 hours ago when the video is only 2 hours old?!

[@zombienic]

@@TheRogueKiwi supporters of the channel get early access!

[@Kian00]

Yeah, this channel has amazing editing quality.

[@testmonkey2535]

i really wish malls like this would make a comeback and be thriving and fun again, id have the time of my life somewhere like this

[@briannewman532]

I live right around the corner from this mall, and still sometimes go into the two remaining anchor stores. I remember what a huge deal it was when it opened, and it was initially MUCH more of a spectacle than you would have ever guessed by the way it looks here (there was once a two story entertainment complex called Bourbon Street with multiple bars and nightclubs that was extremely popular for a time). It went through several renovations that were supposed to revive it, but it began dying almost as soon as it opened, finally ending up in this "undead" state (it was even more surreal when there were still a few random stores clinging to life inside). Still, I have a lot of memories that happened here (my now 22 year old son playing at that playground as a toddler), and it's a bit sad to see it like this. I wish they would just tear it down.

[@vintagedoll4850]

I'm emotionally invested in this mall now and want it to come alive again. Oh the nostalgia

[@bambi3469]

I'm pretty sure its closed now

[@sponsnops]

@@bambi3469 it actually isnt, i just went to it yesterday

[@nickthomas181]

That's one Mall that excels in social distancing!

[@maryr6300]

🤣🤣

[@imcarlosjr4898]

💯💯

[@fernandasoares7645]

Lmfao 🤣

[@SpyderOne1981]

I remember going there a few times when I was a kid. Probably in the early/mid 90s, around 93-94 I think. Saw Jurassic Park for the first time in the cinema there, spent a lot of time in the arcade. That place was so overwhelming to a kid. So full of life. It’s sad to see it where it’s at now. Was once an amazing place.

[@uvchara]

its insane how many places there are to explore to be honest you would think more abandoned places would be destroyed but if you look for them there is a surprising amount of places

[@ninjapistol14]

I can't believe there are some store still in the mall. The ceiling is rotting and falling apart

[@loxsochic22]

This is bringing back memories!!! I remember the years and times my friends, cousins and I would go and spend hours in that mall way back when...this mall was the spot when it was alive, full of people and energy! I remember the ferris wheel! Omg! This is so sad to see what it looks like now. I'm shocked it's still open. Great for mall walkers though.

[@CodyBizz]

Cincinnati was once know as "Porkopolis" because of a large meatpacking industy in the city. This is why you see flying pigs in, and around Cincinnati.

[@brianjanson8433]

The city has a a running marathon that is actually called the Flying Pigs Marathon.

[@elijahvincent985]

Hopefully it isn't the turkey drop like 1978 had from a certain TV show. LOL

[@oldenweery7510]

You mean, J. K. Rowling didn't get her inspiration for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from that canopy? (Well, I suppose flying pigs is a better symbol for a city than the region in Italy[?] with its flying _penises!)_ LOL!

[@MrOldskool1974]

@@elijahvincent985 WKRP in Cincinnati! Ha ha yes.

[@hooray4skeleton]

Cincinnati is also one of the cities that got in on the "fiberglass animal art instillation" trend and had an event called the Big Pig Gig in 2000 where fiberglass pigs, which came in winged and nonwinged varieties, were decorated by artists and installed around the downtown area. The city in general got kind of goofy about flying pigs in the very late 90s/early 2000s.

[@brieb402]

Update & fact: In 2021, one of those security guards was convicted of threatening a woman with a knife while on duty, and had previously been convicted of killing kittens and storing them in his freezer. And to current date, there is another security guard on duty that is known to be extremely aggressive obsrssive about people filming/taking pics and regularly makes visitors feel unsafe. Half of the recent reviews of this mall mention their incidents him.

[@jillmatthewsphotography]

Yes I have filmed in here twice, as recent as this week. He is very aggressive and nasty. It says it’s “open”. People do walk the mall…why can’t I take pictures? The last time he came at me on a bike, said “get out immediately”. Which I started heading back out. He kept yelling at me to hold my camera and down. He kept saying “ DO NOT FILM Me”. Like why would I have any interest in filming him?

[@alb12345672]

@@jillmatthewsphotography Patrolling that huge vacant place could drive someone insane.

[@RemoWilliams1227]

@@alb12345672 orrrrr like many he went into security (probably because he couldn't do actual law enforcement) because he is a powerless bitch in every other area of his life and feels powerful yelling at people.

[@spicydramarama852]

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17.

[@uvyist]

Jesus Christ.

[@crazyash1999]

Such a weird experience, almost like an abandoned building with power still on but just barely being kept from becoming abandoned.

[@silasmcgee3647]

With water damage present in some areas I'm concerned that those hissing / buzzing lights they heard could be fire hazards

[@Mehrunes86]

@@silasmcgee3647 Could be a good igniter, for insurance😀

[@silasmcgee3647]

@@Mehrunes86 yeah for like... Literally two people

[@TheCoolDave]

Just give it a few years... they will be back when it is completely abandoned....

[@cup7566]

Am I the only one really loving the decor and design? It’s so weird I love it

[@minniemin1324]

it was sooooo much fun when it was in its heyday. it was "the mall" to go to back then

[@luvliesbleeding]

same. v dreamcore / weirdcore its dope

[@theRPGmaster]

@@luvliesbleeding I didn't know that's what it was called. Same vibe as "liminal spaces". I have no idea why I like it, or why my actual dreams are so similar to that aesthetic. I'm European by the way.

[@TackyFlamingo]

I like how... “bouncy”, I guess, it is

[@oopla20]

So many good memories as a kid in this mall back in like 2000-2004. Even back then this mall was pretty empty

[@connor4337]

My cousins lived in cincinnati during the time and I was always so jealous of them. last year I finally got the time to go down and see the mall and it’s the greatest thing i’ve ever done and I wanna go again.

[@IloveKingsIsland]

I remember when it used to have a movie theater and a arcade a very long time ago

[@bigbeast103]

Same. The glory days of my childhood.

[@marlysmithsonian5746]

Wow! I helped open that mall , that's ridiculous! It was the flagship store for other malls and had marble floors, we weren't to wear small heels that could scratch the floors!! Wow!! I worked for Clinique and worked the opening for 2 weeks, in Parisian. Huge grand pianos playing, many of us got to put on designer clothes and model. It was truly amazing. so sad to see it die out like most of Ohio.

[@RedLion88]

Most of Ohio is not dying out.

[@lmlmd2714]

I'm guessing the reason it's technically "open" is because of the lease agreements with the remaining anchors, which likely requires the landlord to continue to operate the mall. The leases for anchor stores would likely be marginal given the size of the mall, but just enough to justify continuing to make bare minimum provisions to call the mall "open". A single security guard doesn't cost much, and lighting is a minimal cost in the wider scheme of things. The water issues are likely due to maintenance probably being confined mostly to the anchor stores, with the rest receiving the bare minimum for the system to meet legal requirements for fire control and maintain functionality to the occupied stores, so minor leaks and failures are ignored. The whole thing reminds a bit of the "parliamentary trains" that run in the UK - unadvertised routes running maybe once a week in one direction only at some weird time, but legally required to meet the terms of franchise agreements train companies have with the government for other, much more popular, routes.

[@entertainme7523]

Ben Davis with Hillwood Construction Services said they are just beginning redevelopment talks with Fairfield and Forest Park but they hope to put light industrial buildings on the site that could have a value of $150 million and potentially produce 900 to 1,500 jobs. According to the funding application, the property is currently valued at $9.2 million, with $2 million of that on the Butler County side.

[@SSJ2LINK]

I live about 30 minutes from this places and I've visited several times. It's so surreal to be in there; especially remembering the mall being lively when I was a kid.

[@cbassthefirst1343]

Its painful

[@tayzonday]

Building code should require structures to be built that don't fall apart if they're abandoned or need to be repurposed.

[@meganszobonya5151]

Are you the chocolate rain man?

[@thesuburbanredneck4453]

This nations works for money, not people or safety unfortunately. I agree completely, though!

[@mapajune]

chocolate rain

[@yzer2464]

I feel like eventually no matter how much they try they would still fall apart

[@PurpleMintSam]

What up, Tay! Still killing it

[@squeakyknee]

I grew up around this mall and we still live in the general area. Stopping by on occasion throughout my (and it's life) and seeing it from it's thriving state when I was a kid all the way to it's crumbling decrepit state here is just surreal. You're very right about the movie theatre btw. They ended up showing movies as they left large theatres for $5 a person until they closed. You made this video/visit a bit after our final visit as the last time me and my spouse were there, Babies R Us was still opened. Arcade Legacy is gone now as well (relocated) and the mall, from what I hear, is set to be demolished sometime in the future. Always thought they should've just turned it into homeless housing or a nursing home or something. Would've been the perfect place for a zombie movie as well (maybe live action Dead Rising?) It's a shame it was left to decay.

[@ThomasPrettyman01]

"Hey no filming in the mall..." "This is a Mall? Could've fooled me."

[@PhDchick]

I find that when I roll up with my camera nobody anything to me. Heck, I was in a place recently and the security was like “did you get pho’s yo fiver there .”

[@troyevitt2437]

I HATE those so-called "First Amendment auditors"; they think "NO FILMING" policies, meant to preserve Public Sector clients' confidentiality, are up for debate, but I can't see any demonstrable reason to stop people from filming inanimate objects and areas.

[@0MeALot0]

Clearly someone still has some hope of selling it and filming the actual value is bad in their book, ignoring the fact that its 2020 and everyone buys online now. If no one visits the shops the restaurants have no hope too. They will need stores that actually sell stuff that people do not buy online, and for prices that make it worth while.... but lets be honest, the state its in no one will do this.

[@gavinisdie]

Its just several square feet of hangout space

[@ThomasPrettyman01]

@@gavinisdie yeah several of feets

[@ovm3359]

Local here, so figured I would give a little background on the mall for those interested: The mall started out being called Forest Fair Mall. It is located off of I-275 which is the ring interstate surrounding Cincinnati. The mall itself is located in an area called Forest Park. This location caused two major issues which combined lead to the state the mall is in now: The first issue is that the mall is located between what were two very well established malls ten minutes in either direction on 275. Northgate to the North and Tri-County to the South. While no malls are doing great anymore those two are still around... just hurting like all other brick and mortar. This first issue alone probably would have been enough to doom the mall. The second issue is a little more delicate. Around the time the mall was built the demographics of Forest Park were changing. What was formally a firmly middle to upper middle class area started becoming lower middle to low class area due to the colloquial term "White Flight." As with any area where economically depressed individuals live - crime soon follows. There were robberies, rapes, beatings and even shootings. The mall and the local government were too slow in stamping this out and the mall became known as a gang battleground. Whether these stories were true or racist fear mongering I do not claim to know. The first new owner's response lends some credence to the stories however. The mall rebranded Cincinnati Mills. The new ownership put an actual police sub-station in it as you showed, a strict dress code of no baggy pants or gang colors and no groups of teens allowed. But due to the stories the middle and upper middle class folks had already just stopped going there - why would they when they had two other good options not ten more minutes away? When I was a teenager in the late nineties my parents forbade me from going there so take that as you will. For a short time the mall was very nice again but the fatal blows had already been dealt and the new ownership hemorrhaged money. I still go to the Bass Pro all the time. It's the only store in the area with a great fishing section. Location matters is about the only "lesson" that could be learned from the Story of Forest Fair Mall. That being said the mall was one of the last dinosaurs before the asteroid hit. With the advent of online shopping it was on borrowed time regardless of the above issues.

[@TheCoolDave]

Ah, I was wondering what the back story was... if the location was really bad, and it sounds like it is... Just give it 2-3 more years (personally within a year)and it will join the word as an another abandon place... Unless one of the other malls close first, maybe they will have a shot ?

[@leighmarikian]

Fascinating! Thanks for adding the history.

[@ovm3359]

@@TheCoolDave I doubt it. The only reason it's still around at all is Bass Pro. Northgate is the next to go. Last time I was in there it was already 70% empty and that was a couple of years ago. The last I heard Amazon might buy Forest Fair to turn it into a fulfillment center. (Most people around here still call it Forest Fair btw.)

[@sewma3]

I stopped going to that mall in about 1994. I was very pregnant and had a one year old. My husband was getting us food while me and my son looked for a spot to eat. I found a spot but needed another chair. There was a group of teens at the next table and had an empty chair. I asked one of them if I could use the chair and she agreed. As soon as I started moving the chair, one of the boys grabbed it and told me not to take it. Being very pregnant and carrying my one year old, I said ok. He didn’t like that and picked up the chair and threw it. I got out of there quick, found my husband and had him return the food, then had security walk us out. Never went back again!

[@jeffm5056]

Tri-County Mall fell before Northgate. That was a surprise to me. Northgate is dying, but Tri-County is dead.

[@kate_is_great]

Malls especially stir weird feelings in me when I see footage of them abandoned. I think because I was a teen in the 80's and the mall was the place we all went. Where we hung out with friends, where I shopped with my mom for clothes and where she dragged me when I was small while she shopped for clothes. The eighties and nineties felt so safe to me. As a society we were wealthy and prosperous. (Wasteful and blind). Jump to today...I am middle aged. My parents died recently. I've seen my country struggle and start to fail over and over just like this mall. I am no longer safe within my childhood but alone, vulnerable and watching a pandemic pick people off around me. It's surreal, much like this mall. Great video, definitely stirred my emotions.

[@watershed44]

@Kate Zone Sad part is that we men allowed things to get to this point. Worst part is we've been invaded by people that have no interest in our heritage, culture, Constitution, values, and legally should not be here at all. This is probably the major issue in the USA today.

[@Rfk1966]

Same age, and we are days away from losing my dad. Such sad times compared with the optimism of those days in the 80’s. Sure, There was always the threat of nuclear extermination in the back of our minds and the other problems of the day. But Whatever we had back then, warts and all, was a shared communal experience.

[@nicoleh3211]

@@watershed44 “Mexicans are killing malls” faceass

[@homewardgaming2110]

After spending a good chunk of my teens and 20’s here, this makes me very sad. At one point there were 4 night clubs in here also. My sister was a bartender at one of them. So many memories flooding back watching this. Thanks for the video.

[@MrRobertRue]

I saw the mall, was it packed full?

[@derekmccord3798]

I love how you guys roll up in Cincy every now and then. The only mall with any survivability is the Kenwood Mall that has high end stores.

[@Snowwulf78]

Yes our only mall in Northern Kentucky just went into bankruptcy unless you count the Crestview Town Center but that is not a mall anymore

[@Blartflart2234]

The mall with the Cheesecake Factory will survive

[@mookalorian]

Northgate is hanging on by a fucking THREAD and that's Spencer's/Hot Topic and Xscape in my experience. Tri-County just kind of fell off the face of the Earth.

[@Blartflart2234]

@@mookalorian the thing about tri county is that there is actually a fair amount of business/new developments around it. But the mall itself is dead. There are more businesses in the parking lot than in the mall itself

[@Sn0teleks]

@@Snowwulf78 the Florence mall finally went bankrupt???

[@_twenty20]

That mall has such a strange feel to it

[@RangerRickTV]

It's beautiful.

[@julosx]

The closed anchor with flashing smoke detectors is creepy as hell.

[@Clay3613]

The madness of 90s commercialism for ya.

[@watershed44]

@@Clay3613 Many more middle class people with money back then. today hardly any.

[@iamstrong143]

It’s really not and people use it to work out now I used to and when the mall was active it was truly fun and they held dollar movies and had an grocery store and dollar tree

[@MichaelCKJ]

This mall was great back in the day. The food court or "Time Out" section was the coolest part of the mall. There were arcade games, carnival kiddie rides, carousel, dancing fountain and of course it was always crowded. When you were down at the very end after you passed the flags there used to be a Biggs Hypermarket, which really was the inspiration for the Walmart Supercenters. Media Play was always a favorite for me to go to. Books, music and movies galore. You were also right about the movie theaters. They were second run theaters showing the movies after they left the big screen. The theaters name was Danbarry Dollar Saver. This mall will be missed, there will never be another one like it......

[@rhondad9381]

Also, when it first opened, there was a whole entertainment section. It had maybe three bars, some full service restaurants. It was quite nice then. Not surprising that Kohl's is getting out soon.

[@chrisonYTtour]

The amount of these massive ghost town malls scattered across the country is incredible… it’s kinda hard to believe they were all once thriving retail destinations… does make for a great rainy weather running track though

[@taylorsharp5928]

I remember going there as a kid. Cinci gang represent. Flying pigs are a symbol of Cinci btw

[@Snowwulf78]

Yup being Porkopolis and all lol

[@nancymeehan421]

They had an art project where artists painted pig statues and the pigs were placed around the city. People would hunt for the pigs and take photos. Weird, I know but it was the 1990's .

[@taylorsharp5928]

@@nancymeehan421 Yep, we had one of the pigs at my middle school back in the day. There's still quite a few of them around the city too.

[@Killjoymedia]

Cincy gang rise up

[@nancymeehan421]

@@taylorsharp5928 one in the airport. But Cincy wasn't the only one. Atlanta had cows and Lexington had horses. Clearwater, Fl has dolphins.

[@kyleprysmont8748]

I’m surprised the security guard didn’t ask you to stop filling earlier, took me 2 minutes and one picture to get yelled at lol.

[@TravelwithAustin]

Yeah I watched a girl get yelled at for taking a selfie with the flying pigs as a background.

[@sethadling3043]

Our generation is gonna be one of the last generations with malls like these Edit: I did not expect to get such a reaction from this comment

[@wheezy_mads]

Idk. Some malls are still doing great, and won't close down for a long time. The King of Prussia mall, for example, I don't think will close anytime soon. Even with online shopping replacing some stores, and there will be fewer malls, I don't think they will cease to exist entirely anytime soon.

[@oreopudding3133]

Place your bets now, how long till physical stores are extinct

[@GunplayIsntGameplay]

By the time our generation ends this stuff is gonna be a museum while all the shopping goes online sadly. Amazon and electronics/gaming/phones etc... is currently killing off retail stores. Kids would rather want the next gaming system or phone than toys from ToysRUS.

[@user-nj9ll6em8k]

Na destiny type malls will adapt . It has go carts in shit. vr gaming cafes in some shops.. what have you

[@terraliberalis6948]

i think it depends on where the mall is situated, here in Vienna, Austria EU, the Wien mitte mall (where you have to go when using the city airport train) is in the middle of the city and with excellent rail (rapid trains) and 2 metro/ubahn/subway lines - also the Donauzentrum next to the skyline of Vienna will still has its existence in the future i guess, because of access to the u1 line, but then there are malls (like the G3 shopping resort in the northern outsirkts of Vienna) , which are only/de facto eaccessable with cars, they will gonna die out I giuess and hopefully turn into warehouses for online shopping (in order to reduce the waste land effect a bit^^)

[@scotth1423]

I remember when this mall first opened (called Forest Fair Mall back then). Inside, it was one of the most beautiful malls you could find, with fountains, fancy handrails & staircases, etc. Sad how it has fallen - looks like a cheap carnival now.

[@SynchroSk8]

We HAVE to be getting near the end of this mall... especially with the Pandemic, you’d think that they would shutter it. Wild. Thank you for documenting it.

[@gavinisdie]

I think it should stay open as a recreation area tbh

[@garrylearmonth9313]

Theres plenty of social distancing ............... you could open it up as a covered park and still be fine

[@BlargGargle]

Not really much business for them to lose...

[@Vogurt]

@@BlargGargle Simply having the lights on is just lighting money on fire.

[@FuhrmanFamilyVlogs_24]

I used to work there in the late 80's and early 90's. Sad that the place is in the shape that it is in.

[@Ky-yd9bi]

Part of the reason it closed was the nearby high school. The bad students used to go to the mall and bully people, fight each other, and intimidate shoppers.

[@jasonmclaughlin4880]

That’s the exact reason why some of the better malls we had here in Indianapolis have gone down hill. Nobody wants to shop/be around a bunch of riff raff. It’s fully taken over 2, closed 2, & working on the remaining 2 decent ones left.

[@drfoodstamps1604]

Really😂😂😂😂 are you talking about the Winton hills thugs. Gtfoh

[@southerngirlsociety]

Same situation in Merrillville, Indiana (Lake County, Indiana / town next door to Gary). So sad.

[@blackwidow7076]

Lol I loved those days aka forest fair

[@AyeCarumba221]

I believe your theory may have contributed. There are other malls where a murder or a crime of one sort or another contributed to the downfall of the mall. People don’t comprehend how one incident can ruin an entire system.

[@gothicquitezzz]

This mall is now closed due to neglect with fire code conduct among other things. Who knows if it will reopen. Used to come here as a kid all the time and play on the PBS kids playground while my parents shopped at Biggs.

[@mplscorrupt6125]

I would love to see malls come back alive again .

[@tybarker5038]

Depends which one you go to. I’ve been to 3 recently that were all booming. Especially in Houston and Las Vegas.

[@mplscorrupt6125]

@@tybarker5038 that’s nice to hear

[@0urlady0fsorr0wss]

The one near me is still alive and bustling since covid has slowed down

[@mplscorrupt6125]

@@0urlady0fsorr0wss that’s awesome

[@xCkillaxC]

@@tybarker5038 yeah I live in Vegas and the Fashion Show, Galleria, and outlet malls still get packed. However, they don’t get nearly as busy as they once did and there’s still a few malls that have died here.

[@brxxklynn1202]

Ah, I miss this mall. I was there a lot when I was younger. I remember crowds of people would go there. I had one of my birthdays there at the bouncy house part of the mall. The food there was gross but I didn’t care. I loved it. I also loved the small playground. Im gonna go cry now lol.

[@evelynnn5579]

Lol I went to a b-day party at the bouncy house part of the mall once. It was fun lol

[@flipnotrab]

When I was younger I worked at a toy store in a mall. Manager was really nice and easy to work with so all the employees had a great relationship with him. On break we were allowed to hangout in his office and one time he showed me the lease for the store. $18,000.00 a month! Store wasn’t that big and since we counted the draws and credit card slips everyday, we knew what the store took in money wise but not profit wise. Manager said “So if you owned that hat store over there, think of how many hats you must sell to cover say HALF the rent we pay...” That kinda hit home and it was then I realized malls would fail within the next 15 years.

[@wonderjack1455]

oh man i love going to places like this. still open but abandoned with just a few store. makes you wonder how does it look during its heyday. probably swarmed with people and lively. that always gets me nostalgic and sad

[@lisaknell1809]

I worked in malls from 1986 until 2009. They were fun places to work back in the day especially for a young person. I used to visit a lot of Cincinnati malls as my district manager was based there and I used to travel and work in her stores when extra management was needed. A lot of great memories.

[@tfpvlogsandvids1339]

This is incredibly heartbreaking. Not sure why, it's just so bleak and sad.

[@kaanzagra1327]

Yes me too. I always watch abandoned videos but this one makes me sad. I’m not sure why not so many people come to this place because I never been there. I live very far away from this place. I live in Turkey but it seems like it’s far away from the city. That’s why I’m thinking not so many people coming to this place but If they build apartments, houses, residences, hotels and business centres I’m pretty sure that more people will come to this mall. Also AVENUE BODRUM mall is in a same condition. It’s nearly abandoned and still open but let’s think positive. I’m pretty sure it will go back to normal after the pandemic day.

[@leesuschrist]

It's actually kind of crazy when you think about what an incredible waste of resources these huge malls are/were.

[@waynemangan9925]

How are shared structures such as office buildings and apartments less efficient. A shared indoor marketplace is far more efficient for the retailer than a stand alone structure. Of course that goes out the window when it's unoccupied.

[@RK-zf1jm]

On Bright films channel he covered an abandoned mall that was built in 2001 and demmolished in 2019 wow thats some great fucking planning there

[@craftpaint1644]

It's a customer service/hospitality thing - interaction with employees, holding something in your hand while deciding to buy it, you don't get that with Amazon or Etsy. Edit : I don't need malls, but visiting a physical store isn't bad.

[@leesuschrist]

@@craftpaint1644 yeah, i totally get the importance of actually being able to hold a product in your hand when making a decision to buy it, but the fact that they heat, cool, and maintain these massive indoor spaces, just so people can feel comfortable while pissing their money away on stuff they don't need is kind of ridiculous in my opinion. Some of the malls I've been to are extremely massive inside for no reason at all.

[@nancypatricia511]

The aesthetic of this mall is kind of cute. The playground, theater, skylights, and fun decor would make a great place to live as a self-contained community/village. It could house doctors, dentists, beauticians, and other services as well as grocery and specialty stores, a post office, and anything else that a small community might need with apartments possibly where the large anchor stores were located. Don't know if that was feasible around the time that business was declining. But it is an interesting perspective. Those huge anchor stores had downtown locations all over America where people either lived or worked close enough to walk to them to shop. Then they all left and moved out to the shopping malls on the outskirts of the cities and people had to make special trips on the weekend to patronized these stores. If these malls could be repurposed into small. enclosed villages where people could live, shop, work and socialize without having to drive all over the place, it would take things back to where they were before so many cities lost their core. It is just a thought. At this stage of the game, it would be quite an undertaking just to figure out if it is feasible and if the interest is there. In reality past, housing should have been in the mix from the very beginning.

[@RealSasquatchWatch]

i was 8 when this mall was opened and every store was filled, they even had a supermarket inside (Biggs). I last recall us going around xmas time, it being very cold, and the entire place being very very packed. It was heaven.