Wake up bro, it's 1990 and you're at Forest Fair Mall.

[@richellegill8442]

I feel like I am there. I was 18 when this was shot, and I felt like I was back. God I loved mall life

[@Lindsey_Lockwood]

Wow! Do you realize how rare this footage is!?!? Thank you!

[@the7ak3]

I actually posted it because I couldn't find any videos of the mall around that time online.

[@Lindsey_Lockwood]

@@the7ak3 well thank you very much for doing so that's like a thousand internet points to you sir :)

[@joshhamester]

Dude you have footage of that kinetic ball sculpture! That has lived rent free in my head my entire life and I’ve been looking for this forever! Born 92 and grew up 5 minutes from there. Went almost every weekend with my family! Man that place was great for awhile!

[@the7ak3]

That's actually the original reason I uploaded the video, because of the ball sculpture haha.

[@Nomed38]

@@the7ak3 that may be the only known footage of that "sculpture" even the artist's own website doesn't even have a photo of it.

[@stumblebeefromonline]

I think about the sculpture soooo often thank you for posting this

[@ms.payton1458]

Nostalgia at its finest!!!! I miss Forest Fair Mall so much. I couldnt wait for my dad to finish shopping so we could go to Time Out. The bumper cars, putt putt golf, the merry go round.... I wish we could go back in time. Watching this made me a little emotional. I miss those days so much. Thank you so much for sharing this ❤️

[@the7ak3]

I only wish I had more footage to upload! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@diegoaccord]

Going to malls was replaced with brain-deadening Tiktok.

[@cin426]

Hearing those bells brings me back.

[@ronhoover5516]

0:52 those kids riding in the bumper cars are now in their mid 40s...some may even have grandkids. Time does pass us all by.

[@aakelly20]

This made me feel so good. There is a huge lack of footage from this mall for many of us who visited it regular. Thank you!

[@AmbeeNicole]

This is honestly amazing. I grew up at this mall in the early 90s . 🥹🥹

[@stumblebeefromonline]

For some reason (besides the amazing kinetic sculpture) I remember those plastic chairs SO vividly

[@stumblebeefromonline]

Born in 1993 and my mom would mall walk there. I used to stare at that sculpture for hours. And play in the sand pit they added whenever they got rid of some original features

[@JF_ARVA]

I've thought about this kinetic sculpture since the day I first saw it in 1990. Had just moved to the area (NKY) and my family and I would go on excursions to the areas malls as if that was where to discover the culture of the area (it was the way). This is very rare footage.

[@RyanSiegrist42]

George Rhodes is the artist who made that ball sculpture. I have been looking for this for years. Thanks so much!

[@Cimpy101]

Thank you for sharing. So many fond memories and it's sad that there's nothing quite like it anymore. I would've loved to take my kids here if it still existed.

[@elliot_bokeno]

*Core Memory Unlocked*

[@UniCommProductions]

Couldn’t have said it better myself

[@romanelectrics6166]

I wish that things were all like this today, where it used to be no smart phones and all, just places to go and be excited, not knowing what you’ll find, this place made me alive as a child, it breaks my heart to see this place go…..

[@SlapthePissouttayew]

I still have one of my shirts from when i worked maintenance there around the time this was filmed.

[@ct8138]

i remember going to this mall in the late 90's early 00's as a kid I remember most of this! what i cant seem to find anywhere is that attraction that was jungle like that had a tricycle track in it. does anyone remember that??????

[@full_escape]

I think it might be Wonder Park? That was a later addition.

[@lionelwilliams1285]

Thank you for sharing this amazing footage! Takes me back to the good ole days! ❤

[@millionairemaine8901]

Worked here in the 90's. So many memories.

[@invisi-bullexploration2374]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Been looking for 1990's footage of this mall for *years!* This video is a gold mine. Now people can see what it used to look like inside. Also, the child at 00:31 appears to have all black eyes. D:

[@ghostguy_x7085]

I swear some of these rides like the marry go round and the bumper karts look exactly from kings islands.

[@Tabbystripes102]

Just had my mom listen to one of the balls going down the xylophone and she immediately said "forest fair" since we always dragged her to it as children to watch it

[@saubervonHerzen]

I thought I'd never hear that sound again

[@YellowYoshi398]

I'm young enough that I don't remember this version of the mall very well, but I have fond memories of it being popping during the initial years of the Mills redesign in the early 2000s. Furthermore, as a full-time Arcade Legacy fan since the beginning of its tenure in the mall to the end, Forest Fair was THE haunt for me and me friends from 2009-2022 and it's insane the amount that it deteriorated in that time (especially considering it was dead to begin with). I actually have a lot of important and formative memories in the abandoned halls of this place just thanks to those late nights at the arcade, eating in the food court and urban exploring. It's always surreal to see footage of actual crowds of people in this sacred space back in its heyday because it's such a distant memory for all of us, especially now that we will never enter again.

[@MichaelCKJ]

That chime sound in the middle of the video really takes me back.....

[@vicegamer6944]

I can smell the Cinnabon now from this video.

[@suzied4270]

Awee how cool!!! That ring sound brings back soooo many memories. I shopped til I dropped in my teens there when they were hoppin.

[@SawyerFamilyReviews]

Holy moley... That giant green machine with the colored golf balls that traveled along it in the middle of the mall. I am 12 years old again. Thank you for this!

[@ad7837]

Man brings back so many memories…I was born in 93’ so I caught the tail end of this. I think my first memory at forest fair was 98’. To bad the place is pretty much a wasteland now. I miss those days so much sometimes. Life was simple, no smart phones, no social media, no BS.

[@vicegamer6944]

This makes me yearn for my youth!

[@joshschneider215]

Miss this place. Going in there now is depressing.

[@benjaminrimedio]

Lol hey there. Long time no see. Weird that i found you reminiscing about dead malls.

[@the7ak3]

Hah that is wild! I don't think you can dm on KZbin but if you have a twitter account and want to say hi send me a dm there twitter.com/chilidogbandit

[@grapefruitturtle]

1:30 sound

[@jenpatrick4741]

Wow miss those days !

[@brendaseverance5174]

What a blast from the past!!! We went there every week, with 3 teens girls, I guess you understand why, lol.. would not have changed it for anything loved every minute. Thank you for sharing your video of the past. I miss the great malls of Cincinnati 😪

[@AnnaSartin]

Man, I miss this mall...

[@96doomlord]

i grew up at this mall i still live down the street from it, very sad

[@dustanphipps4527]

That mall brings back memories. I remember riding the hot air balloon Ferris wheel in that mall my mom always like Parisian when it used to be in the old bass pro shop. It’s sad. They are tearing that mall down I used to love the arcade in that mall when they had batting cages and free throw basketball . r I p forest fair mall

[@MrPillowStudios]

Oh god, I wish I was alive during these times.

[@anonymousagoogleuser5722]

These were good times indeed! I used to come here as a teenager, and this place was awesome! Now, it's a sad version of its once happy self!

[@cybergrav33]

@@anonymousagoogleuser5722 if u dont mind answering was it a popular place at that time??

[@anonymousagoogleuser5722]

@@cybergrav33 Yes it was! The place was full of life and excitement. It was one of the most popular places to go on a Friday night. Now, there's nothing there anymore. From what I've seen on the news, it's going to be demolished. Sad. 😔

[@cybergrav33]

@@anonymousagoogleuser5722 ive heard about that too apparently kohls and arcade legacy closed? I dont remember thats just what ive heard but anyways thanks for giving me a little insight ☺ ive been interested in the malls history for a long time!

[@anonymousagoogleuser5722]

@@cybergrav33 You're welcome!

[@Cam2xx-23]

Was just there yesterday sad how it’s just completely empty now not one store in there anymore not even foot locker or the arcade

[@UniCommProductions]

Thank you so much for uploading this; I have been looking for footage of the mall in its heyday anywhere I can find it. For 5 minutes and 15 seconds I got to be 8 years old again.

[@MichaelCKJ]

That chime sound in the middle of the video took me back in an instant... Wow....

[@angeloakes3192]

I love this video. The very beginnings of this Mall's life were the best.I got teary eyed when I heard the xylophones. So long ago. It's straight garbage now.😔😔😔

[@johnsos9]

One of my favorite hangouts as a 7th grader in 1990😊 I miss Time Out on the Court and that huge arcade complete with my favorite arcade game of all time (TMNT). Damn near every weekend I was there playing that. Good memories.

[@lawrencemeadows2845]

I met my wife at the dance clubs that were there.

[@SilentRed27]

Oh wow I miss this place

[@santanaspooks7595]

Omg thank you so much for this. I spent so much of my childhood here. Me and my grandma would spend hours looking at the golf ball thing! I always wondered what happened to it! It was so cool to watch!

[@cybergrav33]

God its so eery to look at footage of the mall being busy, those kids are probably grown up now which is sad to think about! I bet alot of happy memos were made there, thanks for sharing footage! - love from aus

[@aaronhollon2616]

One of my 1st jobs. Game tech at Time Out on the Court.

[@ThePaulWeber]

Hey I’m making a small video about George rhoads the guy who made the ball sculpture, and I was wondering if I could use a tiny clip from this video to show this particular sculpture. Honestly I wanted to make a video about how Forest fair mall was a magic place too, and this would be great b-roll for that too. 😅

[@the7ak3]

Go right ahead, thanks for asking. Be sure to send me a link when you finish it!

[@ThePaulWeber]

@@the7ak3 thanks! 🙏🏼

[@CoolCatProductions-365]

Wow! This is incredible you have this footage on this place in it’s heyday. It is truly interesting seeing a time period of Forest Fairs success period after seeing nearly a hundred videos of this mall being a barren wasteland with just a few anchors and arcade legacy as its claim to fame.

[@savagesn]

That baby boy would now be 33...

[@the7ak3]

lol yes that baby boy is me

[@markt5643]

yes i worked here in the 90's, remember it well. its very unique, most malls are dying or dead now cause of online shopping. well this one was dead long before online shopping, it seemed to start going downhill when the first anchor moved out, which iam pretty sure was bigg's place. not even sure why biggs was the first to go, it was always packed with grocery shoppers (as i did mine there too) .

[@chickengenius4202]

I loved watching those pool balls

[@rugrat5132007]

Wow…just wow. Childhood memories

[@moosefactory133]

That was a place I visited often in 1990. I lived on the Fairfield side of the mall and it was a short distance from me.

[@ExploringWithPhillip]

went here recently, video is on my channel. but crazy to see what the place used to be

[@jayd4219]

At the end, in the arcade... 1991 & 1992 you could almost definitely have recorded 12 year old me playing Street Fighter II if you would have panned the camera around. My grandma would drop me and my brother off in the summer and we would practically live there. And the balls rolling over the xylophone... So much nostalgia it almost brings tears. Thanks.

[@slackingpacking]

Wow this is some amazing footage! Thank you for uploading this!

[@GrilledChickenRamyun]

Sad to see how lively the mall once was

[@shannondavis210]

Yes when life seemed much simpler Kids and families enjoying the mall no worries of dangers that are brought on us in these days and times

[@nbreezii81]

Do you have any more old video of Forest Fair or any other malls? I'd love to see more !

[@the7ak3]

There is like a half hour of footage from that day but most of it is of the birthday party. I clipped out most of the shots of the mall into this video. Sorry!

[@nbreezii81]

@@the7ak3 no problem, thanks so much for the video!

[@bodainwonderland8917]

Thank you soooo much dude . I remember the time I got lost in there lol

[@HanClinto]

Thank you, this was fantastic!

[@AcesAdventures1]

Hey there, going to use some snippets from this, it deserves to be seen by more, great job uploading this. Will credit you of course.

[@ryancampbell955]

Wow! I spent so much time here growing up. I've got such great memories hanging out at this place. I think they made a huge mistake when they took out the rides and the arcade. It's sad to see it in its current state.

[@gracefulgaming6774]

you mean to tell me that it used to actually have people there?

[@plushtimetv]

Is this your footage?

[@the7ak3]

Yep, from my family home videos

[@plushtimetv]

The mall just closed permanently.

[@meixian7229]

What if this turns into 'backrooms' 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@jtwidmer]

Man…hard to watch. 😢

[@racheltiemeier1083]

Simtower vibes

[@MrJadePinwheel]

Thank you

[@xennial80sxberner]

Unlike a lot of malls, FF never had decades of glory days and started declining almost immediately since it was a bourgeoisie mall in a working class area. Sadly by the time they rebranded in the early 2000s it was too little too late.

[@randomvideoguy5277]

#properpeople