Great Mall of the Great Plains: Opening Day

[@jwisit]

I met my wife at this mall. I wish I could go back in time and walk around once more.

[@NotTheAverageGamerz]

Craziest thing is that the mall didn't even last 20 years . I have fond memories of this mall and was sad to see it go . One of the places I liked to go to as a kid was Jeepers .

[@ThePoreproductions]

I too remember going to Jeepers!

[@runesofrude]

I was there when it was Zonkers

[@SCfancritic]

I worked there. Insanity. George the old train man weekday mornings with his conductor hat. Moms loved him, free rides to kids on the choo-choo train. Management less thrilled with the freebies lol. Stress. We didn't know any better. 16-17 year olds with safari hats

[@krlegacy5528]

​@@runesofrude me too

[@27.x]

This is such a bittersweet video. Burlington is the last remaining part of the mall, but sadly, it will also be shutting its doors for good at the end of January. I have countless memories from this mall, like riding the ‘Banana Squadron’ in Zonkers, having parties and meetups at Money Bizness, and watching the 4th of July firework display from the parking lot. It’s really sad to see the end of something that was once so wonderful and that we all share memories of.

[@krlegacy5528]

Agreed

[@duplexidemic]

Thank you so, so much for this. I loved this mall and didn't even know about the giant "techtainment" tower. It must of been removed quickly.

[@charlie5thumbs351]

The video quality is just wonderful. Almost like going back in time! 23 years ago and I was 23 years old when it opened. Truly amazing how fast the years go by!

[@heatherbooth6951]

They had no idea.. bless their souls

[@AlphaFlight]

What

[@wowhaha4871]

@@AlphaFlight The mall started struggling in the early 2000s, began declining in the mid 2000s, and closed in 2015

[@freekofnateture1618]

@@AlphaFlight I think heather is talking ab 9/11

[@zziz6137]

Amazing you have this video of great mall grand opening way back in 1997. crazy how successful the grand opening was and how quickly it fell apart shortly afterwards.

[@liamdalton2309]

The nostalgia this brings me is immense. Zonkers was so fun.

[@liamdalton2309]

Zonkers was like an indoor theme park if you didn’t know

[@wowhaha4871]

This mall had 12 anchors, 140 stores, and so many entertainment options. So much potential. How did it fail? This concept worked in most other metro areas. I guess it just didn’t work in Kansas City.

[@jakeyjake6642]

I think it was because it was on the Kansas Side. No one wants to visit Kansas. Even legends is struggling now

[@nomadcowatbk]

@@jakeyjake6642 isn't every mall struggling right now?

[@alekswhy88]

@@jakeyjake6642 no one wants to visit kansas??? Why lol? Waaaaay less crime in KS...safer malls

[@AlphaFlight]

It failed because of it's location. It was in Olathe Kansas, which was 20 miles from the nearest big towns. And Olathe ks is a industrial city that has a new jail lol.

[@wowhaha4871]

@@AlphaFlight I agree. The location wasn’t convenient for most in the area.

[@nomadcowatbk]

they expected crowds like that every day

[@ElectricCueball]

Wow... I wasn't even aware that half of these stores were ever a thing. My first visit to this mall was a few years into its existence, when a good chunk of tenants had left. It's actually kinda neat to take a trip back in time to see the sorts of potential this mall may have had. (For starters, I don't think I saw ANYONE in the food court during any of my visits there... it was always dark and empty in there. Gave me the goosebumps.)

[@allieraquelYT]

I don't recall the food court? We shopped there when I was tween age which would've been early 2000s and I believe it was starting to feel empty by then. We mostly visited for Jeepers that I recall.

[@ElectricCueball]

@@allieraquelYT I never got to visit Jeepers. My own first visit was back in 2000/2001; by then, I was only 9-10 years old. And it was just downright surreal to see all of those closed storefronts in an *enclosed* space, especially given all of the factors that were piling on top of one another. It was cold, dark, and practically silent in parts. And as time went on in the evening, it didn't get much brighter. I'm glad I had my dad with me.

[@jacobpro_]

25 years ago. I went to this mall a bunch with my family back in the day. We moved to KC in 1999. I was 5 years old. So this mall holds a lot of very early memories! Sad that it isn’t there anymore. Also disturbing thought-how many of the people shown in this video are still alive/have passed? A good 30-35% of the people you see in this video probably have died.

[@gaijinblow]

It's so weird to see people without cellphones, well, being on their cellphones.

[@mattjsherman]

Bugle boy. Wow, I had completely forgotten about that brand.

[@wowhaha4871]

I think Bugle Boy went out of business in 2001

[@kz1000ps]

What a great look at a moment in a TOtALLy rAdiCaL mall's life. And perfect video quality: no smearing or interlacing or fuzzed out blacks... thanks for this!

[@stopme5006]

i went here with my dad and cousins during summer in 2011, Now, I have an extremally faint memory of me just looking at the arcade machine at the area of where you enter, I never knew why I had this memory, but watching this made me remember it better.

[@Bchand1]

18:34 That maze screensaver

[@ThePoreproductions]

You talking about that computer screen behind the old lady? Yep.

[@cassiem1067]

I loved this mall and had so many fun times there. Thank for you sharing this video.

[@stacyr7032]

So mad they tore this amazing place down! It was my favorite place! Wish it was still there so I could go back. Ever since it was torn down, I refuse to even go to Olathe.

[@ian_silent]

Thank you for uploading this!

[@themariomularbros7610]

I loved this mall, we went here every weekend, this is amazing

[@wowhaha4871]

@@themariomularbros7610 It’s so sad that it closed. It had a lot of potential.

[@RKIII]

I’m planning on rebuilding this mall in my lifetime. I’m going to have my film studio be an exact replica of The Great Mall of the Great Plains. The crown jewel of Olathe, Kansas.

[@miata350]

I was there on opening day working in Hot Topic. I saw some people I knew in this video. Working there was a blast.

[@Proto_HYP]

Did anyone catch the kid in a white t-shirt and hat vaping in the Mall in 1999? @ 21:50 minutes. Whoa. Wow!

[@SugarFreeFanta]

lmao the dude asking some weird questions too, some of the people being uncomfortable is hilarious

[@AlphaFlight]

Now there's nothing in that spot of the mall now. Except the Burlington, Sad really. Toys r us

[@kotaowens6978]

So cool! My childhood ❤️

[@Shadowfax87]

Jeepers, Dickinson movie theatre and food court. 😥

[@gordonclay832]

What city is it located in?

[@nicks9844]

Olathe Kansas

[@maestro300]

Sounds like Garmin purchased the empty property this mall stood at. Possibly to build a new headquarters there some day.

[@beniciobaeza]

50:23 I need her

[@LucasPalYT-Official]

I moved to Olathe in 2001 and it was already past its prime. Just not a good location.