Arizona's Dead Mall Gold | Retail Archaeology

[@RetailArchaeology]

Arizona's Dead Mall Gold covers three iconic dead malls in Arizona over the course of their twilight years. Arizona's Dead Mall Gold was originally released on VHS on November 5, 2021.

[@jamesfields2916]

The folks putting up the Christmas decorations would be like the band playing as the Titanic sunk and I mean that as a compliment.

[@ThisisDanBell]

That DEB store was like unreal. Great video, Eric.

[@RetailArchaeology]

Thanks Dan!

[@wolfgang1097]

I agree with ya; the pastel color scheme in the DEB store was really beautiful.

[@RetailArchaeology]

@matt yup 🙂 Almost 50lbs so far.

[@rwdplz1]

Think we figured out where the D went

[@wolfgang1097]

@@rwdplz1 really? Where?

[@spookerd]

What I love most about the American mall is that regardless of which one I see it can still give me a nostalgic feel for MY mall since so many of them carry the same themes, and vibes.

[@Nicole-rj4xz]

Mcm I’m

[@deletedwaffles]

For sure, the first mall reminds me of two other malls that I would frequent in my own city.

[@AutismFamilyChannel]

Definitely

[@Moonbeam143]

Seeing a place you spent your time in building memories die is always sad. And hearing those kids play while none were there is pretty spooky.

[@nicoledoubleyou]

Yeah I spent a lot of my teenage years in Fiesta mall

[@mincerstephen9137]

There's a bunch of videos about Chesterfield Mall in suburban St. Louis. It literally gets me depressed when I think of all the Friday and Saturday nights I spent there in my teens when there was an ocean of other teens in the mall.

[@katev7945]

@@nicoledoubleyouI did too 😞

[@deadmallmusic]

While visiting from out of town to see family, I got a chance to walk alone at night through Fiesta Mall in December 2016, and it shook me to the core. Totally bizarre experience that stuck with me. I ended up creating a music project called Dead Mall because of it :)

[@cookie5335]

Were u the only one in there

[@my3dprintedlife]

Thanks Retail Archaeology! Fiesta mall is across the street from Mesa Community College. Both of their parking lots make for a great place to learn to drive a car.

[@GTC7702]

Rad video. I loved all of the sound effects! They reminded me of my childhood.

[@douglasgriffiths3534]

I remember when these malls first opened. I lived across Southern Avenue in Indian Springs Village apartments at the time Fiesta Mall opened. I had just started my 23 year career at Motorola at the time, and spent a lot of time in that mall. I used to go into Phoenix and went to Metrocenter Mall as well, and Christown (Spectrum) Mall also. Those were the days. Now I live near Prescott, and our mall, Prescott Gateway, is dying too. (Jan Griffiths).

[@ghostballs1874]

Did you work at Motorola on Dobson and Broadway

[@douglasgriffiths3534]

@@ghostballs1874 No, that was SPS (semiconductor products sector). I worked at GEG (gov't electronics group), and TEO (tactical electronics) across the parking lot. Hayden and McDowell Roads. I went to SPS Price and Elliot, when there was a massive layoff at GEG/TEO. I was part of the engineering department, but a job (process engineer) was offered to me and I took it. ( at SPS).My dept. was not affected by the layoff though. I worked for Motorola for almost 23 years. Then in 2000, all US Motorolans lost their jobs when the company went offshore. In AZ, alone, close to 10,000 people lost their jobs. (Jan Griffiths).

[@Dantes-_-Inferno]

It has been 5 years since I’ve been to Prescott mall. I see your comment is a little old too. Is the mall still up today?

[@douglasgriffiths3534]

@@Dantes-_-Inferno Yes it is, but not as busy as it once was. Quite a few empty shops. I mainly go there for Hot Topic and Spencer's. (Jan Griffiths).

[@douglasgriffiths3534]

@@Dantes-_-Inferno Yes it is, but not as busy as it used to be. Nowadays, I go there mainly for Hot Topic and Spencer's. (Jan Griffiths).

[@alexpeeters4989]

True dedication of RA: Enjoying the countdown music and visuals

[@davidmeeker7481]

It is sad to see these monuments of retail fade into history. Grew up in the valley. Spent plenty of time ditching HS to go to 99¢ theatre at Valley West. I miss their 49 ¢ Tuesdays. Spent a lot of time at Metro in the 70 s. I remember the airplane lounge over the icerink. Sadly with all the development, the Valley is losing its identity. And sadly , the newcomers don't care about anything and all they know is the freeways and sports teams. Proudly , I have lived here before both.

[@parsifal40002]

So sad that malls are dying! I spent a lot of my younger years hanging out at shopping malls. It was fun just going window shopping at these places. I'm retired now and walk the remaining malls in my home town of Phoenix for excercise. I will miss them when they are all gone! Very sad!!

[@quito787]

Having a mall santa when the mall is that empty is incredibly sad

[@Idelia412]

I enjoyed the different times of each mall and how they got became dead. Thanks for sharing!

[@shibedrill9314]

Your videos are fantastic! I discovered your channel not too long ago and honestly, I love everything about it. From your experiences with the malls you went to, to music, to the non-shakey camera handling, commentary, as well as the history and progression of these places. Somehow, it feels like you're witnessing something turn from modern to ruins in front of your eyes. It's depressing but as you said, it's oddly comforting. It reminds me how things are always changing around us, like interests, ideas, and the love for something new. Some stores in the dead malls serve as "anchors" but I like to view them as anchors for your own memories. And I think you're doing the perfect thing by recording them because they won't be there anymore and maybe your memories too. I have a dead mall near me but I don't have many memories going there so it doesn't feel meaningful recording it. It does make me remember that lots of things close down too, like a pizzeria that I used to live close by, a bank on the corner of my street that turned into a Dunkin Donuts, etc. The world around you is evolving at this immeasurable speed. Time flies and sometimes you don't want it to.

[@bttfdmc1984]

Fun fact Fiesta Mall was used in the first Blue Collar Comedy tour movie filmed in 2003 for some of the b-roll footage the best way to see how it used to look during a busy day.

[@cantinadesigns1]

This was great. Great production value. Great cinematography. Great narration.

[@merhathaway4113]

I miss PV mall I worked across from it and had watched them demo it. One cube entrance is still there as of July 2022

[@rugbyplayer9100]

Back in August 2019 (well over a year since it had closed), I walked around Fiesta mall and took pics and all that (the bottom floor of the Dillard’s and a barber shop were the only stores opened) and when I walked back to my car, I was pulled over by the cops for suspicious activity. I explained to them that I watch dead mall videos and that I had no intention of doing anything illegal. They let me go and as I’m driving away, they had 4-5 cop cars behind me, along with dogs ready to attack if I ran away. They must’ve thought they caught some big criminal or something 😂

[@andysorensen1737]

When that friend came over and explained Fiesta Mall for you, did you ever think it’d lead to what RA is now?

[@gwildor8543]

Man, I’d have loved that KB Toys sign. The last Sears in Illinois just closed, and since Sears was a Chicago institution, its surreal. Great video!

[@georgemartin1436]

They attached a Walmart to a mall near me, killing it. Hard for "Bill's Bikes" to make it next to a Walmart giving bikes away.

[@jimdavis5849]

Great video... sure miss the malls and old arcades from the early 80s. I guess future generations won't even know what it's like to go somewhere to see all that awesome stiff in one place where you can actually see and touch something before you buy it.

[@cuddlesthetiger-mallsnmore]

Just watched it live. LOVED IT. Thank you, Erik and Mark!

[@laraoneal7284]

Ty for doing this content. Certain stores are so nostalgic for me. Always brought back memories for me. They were an escape for me from my dysfunctional childhood. It was just a safe place to go at the time for me.

[@StarlightPrism]

Airsoft inside a dead mall sounds so fun. Go-karts would be cool too, if enough space can be cleared.

[@deniseparish2358]

I remember going to the MetroCenter mall back in the 90s on school trips. Back then it was super busy. I took my kids there in April of 2018 to show them a real mall since we did not have one in our town and was so disappointed to see it as a dead mall. Since I lived 3 hours away, I did not know how much it had changed. The Anime store and Spencer's Gifts were still open and the kids enjoyed those stores (I had two teenagers). This was one mall I was sad to see demolished.

[@JazzyBabe56]

thanx so much for sharing this....loved that stone fountain - reminds me of the rocks up around the Georgian Bay area here in Ontario, Canada.....love your stuff - as always and your voice is so calming which makes it a joy to listen to as well as watch! ♥ ♥

[@EquuZombie]

Fiesta Mall was "The Mall" when I was a kid. Going there was always a treat. I haven't lived in AZ for decades but just seeing the entrance took me right back. RIP Fiesta.

[@smokey64synth]

hey man, just wanted to comment and say i found your channel about a week ago and absolutely cannot stop watching. the sort of sad but nostalgic feeling that the images of these malls give is really incredible, and getting to re-live the death of my childhood mall, paradise valley mall, was definitely an experience. you're doing great stuff!!

[@ZombieXee]

Thank you for this video. Metro center was my main childhood mall. My memories are from the original decor. The green carpeted seating areas and the circular tiles. It was good to see the old girl again.

[@AmbientWalking]

Your channel is so great. I love visiting whenever you drop a new trip. It's always so comforting. Thanks so much!

[@cherylmillard2067]

I worked at Metro Center in the early 80's at Kit's Cameras, there was a huge fountain to the right.

[@ajstone6226]

This channel is an absolute gem. Keep up the fantastic work. 💞

[@codyprine9200]

I grew up in the neighborhood across the street from collin creek mall. I witnessed the mall's high life of holiday shoopiong with people parking on the grass, or in our neighborhood just to shop there. I saw the slow decline to a mall's last holiday season with almost no cars in the parking lot. It was a strange experience to go from not being able to walk a few feet to completely cleraed out hallways, and seeing the closure of blocks of stores up to the demolition of the mall which they just finished. It is carazy to think something that big and popular could ever decline.

[@AutismFamilyChannel]

I find these “dead” malls intriguing from a business perspective. What stores survive vs. which ones don’t make the cut. Also it’s eerily nostalgic, I kind of like the mixed feeling you described.

[@mynamehappy]

Boy, Paradise Valley, what a beautiful mall. Something about that jack pattern in the beams and the parquet terrazzo really gives it a modern feel despite being built in the 70's. The architect was Rafique Islam if you google his name along with Paradise Valley Mall the Phoenix New Times has an article all about him and the mall. Apparently the design was inspired by the Navajo and other elements of the American Southwest.

[@californiaplant-basedeater2761]

I went to Paradise Valley as a kid when visiting my grandparents in Scottsdale. Went to the arcade, the movie theater, food court... Everywhere inside in Arizona is a paradise just to escape the heat, tbh. Great times

[@jamesfields2916]

A lot of folks get nostalgic about abandoned malls. I get nostalgic about abandoned sports stadiums.

[@AJ82778]

Great video, but really made me kick on the nostalgia afterburners. Mom & Dad used to pack my sister and I into the car and drive down to Metro Center from Flagstaff for the day. My grandmother (who lived in Scottsdale) used to take my sister and I to both Metro Center (which was a bit of a drive) alllll the way over to Fiesta Mall. Great times. Thanks for memories!

[@NicoleOyama]

Your comment about being in a dead mall resonated with me. I'd been to the Horton Plaza in SD when it was doing alright, to then weird stores popping up and then finally dead mall levels before it got super creepy!!

[@petejr1177]

Great videos of the now closed malls. I wish I visited them.

[@Alicious_Al]

All for Anime is now at the Arrowhead Towne Center. 👍

[@cecilyanng]

I'm not from there or have ever visited those malls but your narration almost makes me cry. Utterly fascinating!

[@lisaholland9062]

Very soothing and relaxing voice, thank you for your videos!

[@Nyarlathothep]

We're moving near Niles, Ohio. I look forward to visiting Eastwood Mall. It's practically an enigma because it's doing so well.

[@AngelsOfAresED]

I watched a mall vid on that. Is it actually doing well nowadays?

[@kristianneclemente9489]

i love your channel! it’s comforting and it reminds me so much of nostalgic kpbs documentaries

[@mathewmclean9128]

Definitely a great video as I knew it would be. You and your videos are what got me hooked on photographing dead malls and documenting all these places that I go to. Thank you for another awesome video.

[@ScottJWaldron]

Great job on this! The only mall I can remember going to in Arizona was the Fashion Square in Scottsdale when visiting family. It is especially sad the Bill & Ted one was closed.

[@patrickshollywoodtv481]

When I lived in Phoenix in 2003 I remember buying a Ben Sherman shirt from the store the buckle at paradise valley mall. Still have it it was 39 dollars.

[@baneintherain]

I worked in PV Mall for many years. First at a kiosk that sold Pokemon Cards, then Suncoast Motion Picture Company, Sam Goody, EB Games. Went away for years, then came back to the Gamestop in the food court. So many memories and sad it's gone. I used to eat lunch right next to that fountain you filmed almost every day. Crazy.

[@AeoIian]

Love your videos! Honestly makes me fall asleep to your sweet voice haha

[@summerlaverdure]

10:34 are you sure it wasn't just ambience piped in through the mall sound system to make it sound more lively? public places do weird stuff like that sometimes, although for a mall this dead that would be bizarre to even keep the muzak running

[@brokenmn99]

The All 4 Anime store is currently in arrowhead towne center

[@MrAaronj83]

Fiesta Mall was the greatest dead mall at the end. Like we saw here you could walk through almost alone. I did it a few times. I went to the Vans and bought shoes and the guy asked me why I came to Fiesta. I said something like "Its fun to go to the dead mall." I also once walked through and entered at the playground entrance. The busiest part was the playground, the rest was empty. But it smelled terrible. Some kid just let go I guess. I had to run through but the families there didn't seem to care. worst Fiesta memory.

[@taimaishu-nao1922]

Interesting fact: the people that started that Glowgolf store opened the first one in Hawaii which they ran until a few months ago before returning to Arizona. They were amazing people and are deeply missed by everyone in Hawaii. Their store is still operating but is under new management.

[@bananajoe9951]

I used to work at Fiesta mall and the local Harkins 5 theatre in 2005-2007. We saw Avril here, and now I can't believe it's closed. It was always really busy when I worked here. Sadly, I remember there was a man who was stabbed to death in the bathroom near the food court. That's the first time I noticed the mall wasn't as busy. When I came back to visit the mall in 2014, it was even worse than I thought. I loved the Sarkura Japan cooks, they always gave me double meat for free because I was a poor college student. Bittersweet to see them stick it out as the last food court restaurant. I hope they are doing well. To think of all the things that have changed or disappeared or closed down in our lifetime, I can only imagine what our parents and grandparents feel/felt like. These videos make me want to mall walk and record just to catalog for future generations.

[@TheILLTechnics]

This shouldn’t, but does in fact break my heart 💔. Great video, thank you for documenting.

[@AzKarma2010]

Awww Fiesta Mall I worked there. It was the last place saw my ex-husband. That was my HS hangout. That’s so sad to see.

[@southvale]

all i needed was the opening and i subbed. thanks so much for this, this video was great and i'm looking forward to watching your other videos!!

[@vengeance1701]

.....50:45 and thereabouts is a muzakish sounding version of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me."

[@Jessicatt88]

I grew up going to metro and christown mall. Late 90s to 2000s was always packed with people.

[@katev7945]

I have so many good memories of Fiesta Mall growing up.

[@dongaradixie]

Beautiful mall, sad it's closed. Thanks for another great video!!

[@ThomasSoles]

I grew up with malls in the 80s. Metrocenter and Fiesta being the two I visited most. Spent many a fun weekend at both. Watched Metro change from the Bill and Ted's era, to the arcade addition where the ice rink was, to the quiet and slow death of the place. Watched Fiesta suffer the same fate. Spent time at PV mall in the early 2Ks as I worked nearby. I loved Horton's Plaza in the 90s,, when I was stationed in San Diego. It was a reminder of home after a deployment and allowed me to escape my world, even if for just a moment. And now they are all gone. It is almost heartbreaking. These wonderful places that were so loaded with nostalgia. I thought they would be a part of my life forever and they are all just distant memories now. It is really sad.

[@RadElectropow]

Oh man. Seeing that JCPenny elevator like that both unlocked some core memories and then shattered them.

[@HorologicRannygazoo]

This is a classic from the intro tribute to Huell Howser's California's Gold until the closing nod to Ubu. GREAT JOB!

[@VulcanLogic]

I used to love going to that Whataburger playground with the giant slides at Metrocenter in the 70s. That and walking over the ice rink on a hot day. So nice.

[@David-hy1dl]

I got the tape but sadly I haven’t dug up my vhs player really excited to watch this :)

[@Daehawk]

I really hate how places wont allow filming. I mean that first one was dead and mostly empty. Without these films none of this will ever be seen or seen again. its a time capsule. I wish all the stores and malls ive been to over my life were filmed and available to watch. All I have are my bad fragmented memories.

[@charliemartin-k7m]

Most of the time when I record in a place I use camera glasses but the good ones are not cheap.

[@Divesufferhead]

Love the PBS/California's Gold intro... channeling your inner Huell Howser

[@simonpetrus1981]

Eric, Interesting to see these malls at different points in time🤔. Good video and I also liked seeing how some parts of these malls can EASILY get vandalized once they are completely vacant. Good job documenting these places too👍🏻👍🏻.

[@nightfuryobsessed5488]

I grew up going to Metrocenter and Christown Mall, Christown mostly. Seeing Metro dead then flat out gone hurt, and Christown is following suit. Not sure how long we'll be able go inside so maybe one day I'll go and record there (or attempt to)

[@likemeordont5951]

I was born in Glendale, AZ, but raised in CA since 1967-ish. Raised by my grandma, her only son & his family lived in Phoenix. They spoke on the phone regularly. I remember overhearing one conversation they had. Beto, told her all about this mall that had just opened near his house. He said, it had an ice skating rink inside. The two malls near us, didn't having anything close to cool like that. They were just stores, food courts and one had a small cinema. The cinema did have like six little theaters, but it was a new concept, so I thought that was neat. That is until I heard about this ice skating rink. It fascinated me that it was in the middle of the desert. As a nine years old, I was confused. Until our next trip to visit my cousins. I stood at the railing on the upper level, looking down upon this ice skating rink, shrugged my shoulders and walked away. I was satisfied with the visual and had no desire to participate. I never went back to Metro Centre or is it Center? Either way, great video. I have one other story to share in a seperate post.

[@Kayyleeeeee]

I wish malls weren’t dying off. There was something about malls that feel like being transported to another world

[@southwestxnorthwest]

The last time I went to Fiesta Mall was in 1992 when I was 15; it was pretty busy back then and kinda cool. Same with Metrocenter, some time in the mid to late 1990s. Metro was huge; multiple levels and just sprawling in size. PV Mall was awesome back in the day; I’ll admit I was a mall rat here for a little while back in 1995. Zap Arcade was called “Superfun” back in the day. I can’t tell what food place is next to Zap but it used to be Hot Dog On A Stick. That Philly Steaks place across the food court used to be a Steak Escape that some of my buddies worked at; we would score free food from them all the time. I grew up a few miles away from this mall; sad to see it go but such is life.

[@waltcraig8098]

When Metrocenter was being built it was for a brief period the largest mall in the country. That status didn’t last long, some other mall that is probably also closed replaced Metrocenter’s status. The store you described as JC Penney’s with the elaborate external elevator, was originally called Liberty something but it didn’t last long and became a Diamonds which became a Dillards which became a Penney’s.

[@Mr.Plant1994]

Our local dead mall put state offices in an anchor, encouraged using the store fronts as office space and added an aquarium. They also now have a post office.

[@victorgonzalez9294]

Awesome video, Eric! Great job!

[@trenttss]

You should do a video on Flagstaff Mall. It goes through waves of being a dead mall and not. I think the city of flagstaff can't afford to let it go.

[@nole8923]

Wow, Metrocenter mall opened in 1973. The stone and Chattahoochee walls near the entrance was a dead giveaway. Stone walls are making a comeback but I doubt Chattahoochee ever will. The chemicals used to bind the Chattahoochee together are noxious. Great video!

[@emmy5697]

I used to go to the foothills mall in Tucson every weekend. It was always packed! Now there’s only 2-3 stores left and the movie theater :/ it’s so sad

[@tytylookup]

Great video and I love you featuring the outside architecture! I think you should do more “outside” building videos!

[@graydtx]

Loved it, Erik! Thanks 👏 👏

[@alyxgraff9121]

After finally finishing the entire documentary I'm glad I got to see footage of all these places before they shut down but I'm a bit sad that I never got to visit them when they were still open. I would have loved to just wander around & observe the amazing architecture in these malls. That's true especially for the Metro Center Mall. Also I'm glad that this special documentary was uploaded online since the only way to watch it originally was to buy a VHS tape that can no longer be purchased anywhere. So thank you Eric for letting the rest of us see this grand tour of shopping centers of the past in its entirety.

[@alfiepancakezz]

had an awesome time watching the vid with premiere chat!! great video :))

[@Kung.Pao.Kitty.]

LOL Huell Howser would definitely approve. Thank you. That was awesome!❤️

[@rejectedjeepers7317]

Really enjoy your channel and background info you give. Our local mall was only saved because post office moved into one end. Everything else sadly has left and my childhood jobs too. Miss the fish tank with divers feeding the giant native fish in it.

[@TominoCabana]

This is a great way to look at how the malls changed during the times recorded

[@papa.pilly.]

Nice! Thanks for posting can't wait to watch. Wanted to get the vhs but blew it super excited!

[@CreepyUncleIdjit]

First dead mall I ever visited was Hawthorne Plaza in California in the 90s. Been closed for decades, but it's still standing.

[@HotDumpsterCrab]

I watched this because I like liminal spaces and all of the complex emotions they evoke. I didn't sure expect to get choked up though. I loved going to malls when I was growing up. Seeing them die off like this is like a punch to the gut. BOOM! Your childhood's over! BOOM! You're getting older! There are fewer and fewer places to gather and things to do in the world. I miss the simple excitement of being at that lively mall where people are together and having fun.

[@StarWarsThrowbacks]

The last time I was at a mall in AZ was The Mall at Sierra Vista. It was depressing.

[@craigjensen6853]

Yeah that mall has turned pretty lame.

[@jameshaning]

I worked nearby and used to get lunch nearly every day at Fiesta Mall back 2 decades ago. Crazy how much things can change over the years.

[@TheoMcAllister]

Really cool video! I remember one mall that opened when I was a kid and went dead only a few years later. Its anchors are still open, I was pretty surprised to learn that from their website, and they seem to rent the remaining shops as office space.

[@Epiphanystone]

We have this exact mall in Richmond VA. It’s Regency Square. It must have been built by Sears as well. It’s literally the same exact mall😂. They’re clones. It’s a dead mall too.

[@SpookyDollhouse]

Absolutely love the Star Child styled logo! Cute!

[@TheCrawfordaz]

Awesome Gold recap loved the footage thanks for doing what you do 👍🏼

[@enchantedbrick]

Really cool and thanks for showing it.

[@BreakTime10101]

Outstanding video Erik. I grew up going to malls. It’s very sad what happened to these three. You would think with the size of the valley, and the malls being far enough apart from each other, that they would have survived. But I guess due to extenuating circumstances and outside forces, (online ordering - Amazon, etc.) hurt their bottom line. Hopefully Arrowhead, Chandler Fashion Center, and Scottsdale Fashion Square will survive and keep on going. Again, outstanding video. Please keep doing what you’re doing. Stay safe.

[@lopaka76]

I was born in 76 and PV was my mall. Though I haven't been in there in a long time, it kinda hurts that it's gone now. I saw Return of the Jedi there in 83. Jurassic Park, T2, Basic Instinct and countless others.