Exploring the Eastland Mall in Columbus Ohio in the Middle of the Night!

[@BeakerT714]

Christmas in the 80's was awesome! Born in 71. So sad to see.

[@angelareed7049]

I live in ohio the mall opened way I was born. The mall really old.

[@Pdasilva0324]

Closed right after Christmas 2022. There was a huge temperature swing and snow storm across Ohio at that time. On Dec 22 it was 60 degrees..on the 23rd it was -7 with wind chills -20 and a snow/ice storm. But the 27th it was in the 50s. The mall was supposed to close on 12/31 but the weather caused pipes to burst and flood so it closed a few days early. The same weather system caused 2 high rise apartments buildings near downtown Columbus to have all residents evacuate on almost no notice...on Christmas Eve..and residents were not allowed to go back. The buildings have been empty since and will be demolished sometime next year. Sad story really if you look it up. Eastland was definitely hanging on by a thread but that weather nailed in the coffin.

[@peaches3392]

This was a great mall back in the 80s. That whole area was the place to be. The Brown Derby Restaurant was great. Lazarus(Macy's)Department Store was wonderful, with a restaurant on the second floor over looking the mall. Great Channel, Thanks from San Diego.🌴

[@JockoBarbone]

Wow, I had forgotten all about the Brown Derby. Thanks for the reminder.

[@jdawg9137]

I remember watching Ghost Busters in the mall when it had a theater inside.

[@JockoBarbone]

@@jdawg9137 Yeah that really small theater. It had one MAYBE two screens. Every weekend there was a line of people buying tickets, out into the mall

[@JustGoogleIt87]

I can’t believe they left socials behind like that. You would think they could be sued for leaving critical information like social security numbers behind like that

[@irkalla100]

As a local, who went there quite a few times when it was open, this is amazing!

[@pateralus9]

I have great memories hanging out here shopping, eating, seeing movies, & playing arcade games at Aladdin's Arcade in the mid 80's to late 90's, always had a ton of fun at this mall. Honestly sad to see it like this. I miss the days of malls, I have to admit.

[@614ak47]

It really hurt the community when the mall left. So many memories 😢

[@vodalelore6033]

If you guys are spending any more time in Columbus there’s a pristine water park down the road still marked on google as Fort Rapids. It’s a pain to get into but almost no tags once you’re past the doors. Also the old abandoned bank in downtown cbus has an incredible lobby and untouched vault.

[@deborahchesser7375]

We rode dirt bikes there when is was a Hilton in the late 70’s early 80’s, truly sad how much has changed and not for the better.

[@olivius8891]

How did you get past sec in Fort Rapids? lol I've been wanting to go for months

[@ThinkerHaistTV]

Bank?

[@vodalelore6033]

@@olivius8891 just gotta turn the sneak up to 100

[@olivius8891]

@@vodalelore6033 Just went in a few days ago. City wants Jeff arrested so he stopped paying for security. XD

[@Saffrondarling]

This was the first mall I went to when I was a kid. Whenever I had doctors appointments at Children’s Hospital my mom would take me here. Even after Indian Mound Mall opened I would come here. I’m afraid this is where Indian Mound Mall is headed if it hasn’t closed already.

[@Lobsty74]

Honey! Grab the popcorn free4all uploaded!

[@daveburrows9876]

This is definitely the creepiest mall I've seen anyone explore, especially that flooded lower level.

[@AimbotSnipe]

I remember not finding a parking space during Christmas shopping time in the early 80's here.

[@tmwinkler]

So sad, you are seeing it after decades of decline. I remember going there on very rare occasions when there were fountains in the main areas, and so many stores. Funny how these under-the-roof mall were replaced by the outdoors city-scapes like Easton.

[@wilburross9709]

Strange how trends change. I remember watching Northland Mall go from an open roof (and colder than a mofo in the winter time!) to under-the-roof, then to being torn down.

[@dubmusik304]

I was one of the kids that won a power wheels vehicle in a raffle at this mall in the late 80s. We all drove in a little parade through the mall during the holidays, it's crazy how a place feels like it will be a thing forever.

[@mrsgunsage01]

I hung out there a lot in the 80's and 90's. I remember when I was very young (early 80's) there was an AMC theater in the mall down by the Sears and across from the B. Dalton's. The first movie I remember seeing in a theater was a re-release of Snow White with my grandparents, then they took me to dinner at the Woolworths's restaurant (which was approximately-ish where the food court would have been in the modernized mall). That was a tradition until the Woolworth's closed... see a movie, get dinner. I'm not sure exactly when the AMC left the mall, but I do remember the last time I saw a movie there was the first time my friend and I were allowed to go alone. In the early 2000's Eastland had a play area for little kids that was Ohio State themed. We started taking our daughter there when she was about 18 months old and was stable on her feet, in 2007. My husband and I would get a coffee at Gloria Jeans' or a pretzel at Auntie Anne's and just sit and talk while she played for an hour or so. We'd go at least once a week and continued to do so until our son was about 3 ish. By 2012 we just didn't feel safe there anymore, and they closed the play area down. We saw no reason to ever go back again.

[@Southeast-Animatronics]

I remember going here all the time. Im real sad its getting demolished and im sad what they did with it. Its a mess now

[@Just_mykids_and.I]

It’s sad seeing it but at same time wish they would hurry and demolish it fast. Citizen app goes off so much about shootings or fights going on around there. My teens I use to catch bus there all the time

[@1991windsor]

I used to love this mall! Especially eating at Lazarus and watching all the shoppers walk down the mall as a kid. Lazarus was the best until Macy's bought them out.😢

[@KevinRichards-my5oj]

I never thought malls were creepy until they closed, became abandoned, & left in ruins.

[@Pdasilva0324]

Dead closed abandoned malls can be creepier, but what's creepier to me is when they are still technically open but empty of open stores and devoid of people. Especially some malls where some spaces may be dark and others lit up and muzak still playing in the background. It's surreal and very weird.

[@KevinRichards-my5oj]

@Pdasilva0324 imagine walking around in a dead mall thaz still open with no shoppers around & then that old 1950s song "Mr. Sandman" starts playing on the speaker.

[@Amber-ghini]

I grew up walking to this mall in the early 2000s. Sad to see it close and the area around it continue to decline.

[@AimbotSnipe]

There was a movie theatre right next to Lazarus (Macys) store years ago - actually in the mall.

[@deborahchesser7375]

If you remember Frenchy’s your as old as I am, what I’d give to be walking around there in the 70’s n 80’s again.

[@marksladoje8299]

Northland, Eastland, Westland, City Center Mall, Great Southern, and Tuttle Crossing were amazing places back in the day. What isn't being told is WHY they failed. In every instance the entire neighborhoods that surrounded them were demographically destroyed. Then, the infestation poisoned these once great centers of commerce and drove the good, law abiding citizens away. Next up on the hit parade: Easton Towne Center. The local media isn't allowed to report on the current crime wave. If your catalytic converter is the only thing you've lost you likely made out well.

[@PovlineCooking]

Hmm interesting one

[@jdawg9137]

Online shopping never helped either.

[@CheapVacationYT]

shut up lmao

[@Pdasilva0324]

Went here a lot in high school and college when it was still pretty much thriving. The decline started in the late 90s and really after 9/11. Columbus is a growing city with development bursting out in all directions from the metro area, especially north and east. The Eastland area declined rapidly from 2000-2020 as new retail and residential developments were built up a few miles to the east, then several miles. The same thing happened to all 3 original directional malls but this one held out the longest. Northland was demolished 20 years ago, Westland a year or 2 ago. This won't become the next Dixie Square..it will likely be leveled in the next couple years at most.

[@jacccccccck1475]

Tuttle mall in Dublin, Ohio is gonna be in one of these videos in like 5 years or less

[@deborahchesser7375]

That’s just mind blowing, countless great times there in the 70’s and 80’s.

[@TapeCity]

I remember going there a few times as a kid with my great grandma. She prefered to buy my shoes from the JCPenny there. There are plans to demolish the mall in the near future. Northland, Westland are gone and eastland soon join them, IDK if there ever was a southland mall.

[@blackscreenstories3704]

i remember going to a champs store there in 1993 and buying a Isiah rider jersey... couldn't wait to get back to school that Monday and flex😂

[@PovlineCooking]

Haha back in the day 👊

[@mrobviuos74]

I grew up going to the arcade at this mall. It was a pretty awsome place in its prime!

[@OttoMattak]

Aladins Castle, right next to one of the mall exits. Good times.

[@wilburross9709]

@@OttoMattak OMG! Aladin's! Bet I still have a token or two from that place if I looked hard enough!

[@coryprocise5354]

Used to go there all the time as a kid, especially at Christmas. Its too bad its gone.

[@anthonyc614]

I want to explore this mall one last time before they demolish it. I wish I knew where to get in at. I grew up in this malls surrounding neighborhoods. I remember going here when I was a young kid. I miss this place. I have to do a video of the inside it would be so cool.

[@deborahchesser7375]

There used be so much on Hamilton from 70 to Refugee. 58 here so this kind of hurts, we rode dirt bikes over by Hilton(FortGarbage) in the late 70’s early 80’s

[@waltergabriel3694]

Didn't take long for that place to get trashed. It used to be 72 degrees all the time, that was the advertisement back in the day when the mall first opened

[@CheapVacationYT]

there also was a westland mall, that got abandoned too, but it got demolished pretty recently

[@chrisvenable9925]

I do security there for jimmy jazz. I was there when the mall got closed. Water pipe busted and that's when it was snowing and really cold. Went to work that day and the manager from Jimmy jazz told me the fire Marshal wouldn't let anyone in. All the store associates was packing all there stuff. Mall got closed. Miss working there

[@SomewhereRare]

Bro this A grade editing

[@Free4All]

@@SomewhereRare Eazy E knows how to dice them up 🔥 thanks for watching boys!!

[@DayrusBPB]

I see untapped potential there. A possible backroom zombie movie set/jail/indoor farming?

[@Lovekeya23]

They still have the school at the other end of the mall my friend daughter goes there

[@olivius8891]

Wow! You guys came just after I discovered the opening. When I came back for a true exploration, my preferred method of entry was left open! It probably was you guys? If you come again, please close it as most people think it is locked and I kind of want it to stay that way for people "in the know" who will respect the property for the art piece it is. Thanks! EDIT: It might have been whatever crew was assigned to pile all the miscellaneous junk in the middle of floor 1 since you all left.

[@christopherwilson4440]

I have been waiting for someone to do this. You guys were correct about the new shoe store. There was a car inside the mall hence the bumper. I tried to get some of the stuff from the auction. I enjoyed this one guys.

[@toricole7212]

I remember in 2018 maybe 2019 they thrived to make part of the mall into a school. I went there for a teaching training. It was weird to see desks in an old empty department store.

[@zac5562]

The FINSH LINE it’s really finished!⛔️

[@KadinBerner]

Yall should go to the shoppingtown mall in Syracuse NY

[@Just_mykids_and.I]

It’s so sad to see Eastland this way. I went In 2021 to finish line. Me and my nephew had someone one on one time together without my kids with us. Sad seeing all the malls closed. There wasn’t many stores up In 2021.

[@prenugget]

thats one way to get ur identity stollen

[@johngood9494]

Great video keep them coming

[@LegendOfTheFLame393]

Used to go there so much as a kid it sucks its been closed and probably going to be demolished

[@tinyungo1362]

Underrated, all i can say.

[@heathernikki43]

when i was real young my mom worked at Things Remembered, which did engraving, so i used to go here all the time. it's crazy to see it like this..

[@ckgun1]

if you go here be extremely careful people get shot over there all the time.

[@jaynelson2591]

We just went and got chased by a random guy and we found some stairs and hid and he tried to find us and once he went back out we went out the other side and heard him chasing behind us again and we found another exit and it Fr was spooky asf

[@Christian_jenner]

Is it hard to get into and is there any tips

[@Stafnee]

LETS GOOOO ANOTHER VIDEO

[@jas.o...73]

well alright

[@dieseldiesel9292]

I drive by this place every day on my way to work. Always wondered what it looked like inside.

[@ArkhamKratos]

Me & My Mom Use to Go There A While Back But Not anymore. I remember playing Dunk Hunt Game in this Mall A While Back!

[@eyebleached]

I did a beauty pageant in the food court in 2013 😂 Good times!!

[@4thlord51]

I have so many memories at that mall.

[@TT-hr9yd]

I live down the street from Eastland. 😢 It’s sad!! Nowadays it just looks the part of an eyesore!! I miss Eastland & hate the fact that it went down the way it did!!

[@Lowred5-xj3ns]

Another goated video these places are something straight out of the last of us or left 4 dead these places also give me like silent hill vibes because of how ambient and creepy they are (btw where do you think your going to explore next)

[@Free4All]

@@Lowred5-xj3ns appreciate that! We have a good one in store for next week

[@Lowred5-xj3ns]

@@Free4All can’t wait to see what you guys have planned

[@UptownWatta]

That school is in the old macys. Its been opem for years and still is. The flooded store was lazarus before they sold out to macys and bult the brand new macys, which is the school now

[@keekeec1013]

It was sad to see this mall close I have some good memories… I believe the part that was flooded was the old Lazarus part of the building that they had closed off for yrs

[@user-agreement-disengaged]

I have a pic of myself in that Spencer's Gifts right in front of that wall with the stars all over it from like 2018 that my mom had taken during one of our last visits to the place. I grew up going to this mall. So sad to see them let it go like this...

[@JustGoogleIt87]

Man that’s wild I spent my whole life going there and to see like that is heart breaking and that’s a kids footlocker with the bugs hoop I think

[@Lovekeya23]

Good memories at eastland

[@slackingpacking]

I’ve heard recently they began cleaning up the entire mall. Demolition seems to be coming soon.

[@Free4All]

@@slackingpacking unfortunate.. was a cool place to explore. Thanks for watching!!

[@slackingpacking]

@@Free4AllI agree. I’ve been here a few times. Did you see the arcade games in the back of the rainbow store?

[@christopherwilson4440]

Tropico had good food. I think they were Puerto Rican or Dominican.

[@mz_marmar89]

Their food was really good and the owner is very sweet!

[@JustGoogleIt87]

It was huge to me when I was a kid but Lazarus is macys

[@SamStar100]

I only live about 45 minutes away from this mall and I never got to see what it looks like today since all the other explorer videos are a few years old. That shoe poster at 4:57 looked very cool and I was like I would take that and then later I saw him holding it.

[@ec6933]

Lived next door for 36 years, didn't know it was flooded now!

[@brandonminkos6518]

Spent a lot if time in the 90s here😊

[@darrellallen5327]

Yeah and we all know why like everything else

[@brandonminkos6518]

I even knew that was sears that was flooded and creepy , remember my mom buying our washer and dryer there 😢

[@mz_marmar89]

That was the old Lazarus at the opposite end.

[@PovlineCooking]

Get The Skateboard Out Then Boys 👊🔥😎

[@cypherinferno5029]

Great vid, hey what is the name of the music playing in the background?

[@orlandosumlin]

How did you get in???!

[@DaveRhoades-t1m]

It's a shame that whole area used to be hopping it had everything even Lazarus had a bar in the basement called Charlie's

[@carlavision6143]

Really enjoyed your video. Sad that people have to grafiti the abandoned mall.

[@Free4All]

@@carlavision6143 thanks so much! It is very unfortunate people have to vandalize

[@carlavision6143]

@@Free4All you're welcome!

[@mrobviuos74]

I thought this mall closed LONG before 2022? I remember it being closed by around 2010.

[@gigakuma]

Underground Journeys did airbrush designs on clothing I think.

[@jdawg9137]

They sold alot of sneakers an shirts, mostly Vans. My kids always wanted Vans so we'd stop in there.

[@gigakuma]

@@jdawg9137 Ohh thnx for the correction. I just assumed it was similar to a store that was in Northland mall in Columbus.

[@JayOnEarth12321]

yooooo, who misses the Food Court? rip Eastland Mall ✌ - J3

[@christopherwilson4440]

Lazarus became Macy's

[@zac5562]

4:58 Nike Air Force One 😉

[@empressvogt]

What was the piece of paper your friend was holding?

[@Free4All]

@@empressvogt he found a map of the mall. We were using it to locate stores throughout the mall.

[@empressvogt]

@@Free4All Ah okay.

[@TheFlagFilms]

encounter any squatters?

[@Free4All]

We didn’t see anyone but those 4 people when we were leaving

[@ianbramlett1172]

Who here remembers sugar bear?

[@matthewcamdenparanormalohio]

i am new subscribers

[@foolonthrn]

Too bad you couldn't come and do the Salem Mall but those morons tore it down

[@Anirudh-am29]

Hello

[@Free4All]

@@Anirudh-am29 hello, thanks for watching!

[@DM-ye5qo]

Too many hoods and gangs that hung out there. Just a bunch of punks looking to start trouble. Quit going there years before they closed.

[@shawnrussell1786]

Y’all are in a bad part of town.

[@tracysweet3676]

I would have given you a like, but you got a folder with copies of peoples ID and just threw the pages all over. Not cool. Leave it where you found it. Respect.

[@Free4All]

@@tracysweet3676 1) it’s technically illegal for them to leave personal information like that in there. 2) place is getting demolished soon, what do you think is going to happen to all those “folders” then? Best thing we could’ve done is carry them out and properly dispose of them. But no way we’re carrying all of those outside of a mall we aren’t even supposed to be in, in the first place. Thanks for watching!

[@UptownWatta]

Urban Explorers are supposed to take anything smh... put the plans back

[@Free4All]

@@UptownWatta we didn’t take them. We were just using them to locate stores throughout the mall. Thanks for watching!

[@UptownWatta]

@@Free4All gotcha!

[@billygribble9939]

Columbus in a nutshell..."teen problem "