What happened to the Ball Machines Art in West Edmonton Mall? - Best Edmonton Mall

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What ever happened to the Ball Machines in West Edmonton Mall, Alberta, Canada?
There were also known as Audiokinetic Sculptures, or a rolling ball sculpture, and were created by artist George Rhoads - one was untitled and one was called 'Ball City'.
Check out the video posted by Elwood Anderson here: • 1990 West Edmonton Alb...
Here's some raw footage of the Ball Machine "Junior" in action today: kzbin.info?o=U&vide...
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[@LakeNipissing]

I LOVED WEM in the 1980s and 1990s. It bespoke class and quality. Then Cosmo and Professor WEM came and added the 'cheese' - yellow and purple fiberglass everywhere. These ball machines were absolutely fascinating to watch in operation. Why would mall management decide to remove them? They were live action artwork on many levels. Who else remembers all the brass railings being lit along the tops with incandescent strip lights? Fine, some of the bulbs exploded, and there were dark areas, but now these could be redone with long life, cool running LEDs... Oops - the brass railings are now hospital-cold stainless steel. How about all the birds and aquariums? The Ming vases? The mineral exhibits? The corridor fountains? I was there late at night when they demolished the large fountain in the Phase 3 food court (I have uploaded a video). Next the iconic arch fountains were removed and the place was converted to look like something out of Star Trek. I mean it's OK now, but the original Phase 3 food court was the best! The *WEM* neon lights wrapped around the circular pillars!! I plan to watch all of your videos.

[@wclark3196]

Why remove the ball machines? For the same reason they removed all the other features: If you're staring at something, you're not spending money.

[@catreecemacleod4157]

@@wclark3196 "You" may not be, but having your kids stare at the ball machine for half an hour gives the parents time to go buy christmas gifts safely and such without giving it away. I know that the ball machines were used as attention bait for me when I was younger that way. =P I suppose it's not really considered okay for parents to leave their kids unattended any longer though, even if we're in like the safest timeframe in history, but why let facts get in the way of a good ol' moral panic, right?

[@wclark3196]

@@catreecemacleod4157 Too true. I remember, way back in the old days, when we'd go to a department store my parents would just put me in the toy department, then come back and get me when they were done. I was a good kid, so I didn't cause any trouble. They also let me go the library a mile from our house by myself when I was seven years old. They let me go to Saturday afternoon matinees at the movies, which involved a bus ride and a subway ride, by myself when I was 9 or 10. Today a 10 year-old isn't allowed to wipe their butt by themselves.

[@AE780]

A legend is born!

[@tsm688]

answer is money always money

[@shoeboogler]

once again returning to this video after remembering the two storey ball machine lost to time, rest in peace gentle giant

[@warrenwebb8172]

I worked for the mall in the early 2000s. I found the remanents of the ball machine in storage in the tunnels under the mall. It was pretty mangled

[@ponyflare8122]

That is sad. Such an amazing piece of art from the sounds of it, and they just.. what? Ripped it apart and tossed it into storage without a care? At least that's what it sounds like from it being 'pretty mangled'.

[@johnwhelan1446]

That's a shame.

[@quackityalt7213]

@@ponyflare8122 The employees just got tired of reassembling it.... now they just call it the "mangle"

[@steff-annedark3166]

@@quackityalt7213 so... five nights at Eddie's? Anyone? That's a spinoff I'd pay to see, with all the broken down and removed attractions

[@quackityalt7213]

@@steff-annedark3166 true. i'd pay a dev 150 bucks

[@masteryoshi7121]

Your West Edmonton Mall videos are the best. More please! I live in Edmonton and I love WEM. I'm over by south gate mall and don't drive so I don't get the time to go to WEM often. I want them to replace the wave pool floor and rebuild the Mind Bender.

[@BestEdmontonMall]

Thank you! We've got lots of videos coming... they just take time! :)

[@masteryoshi7121]

We've? Like there is more then one of you? Cool! You guys sound like cool people to chill with. Do y'all live in Edmonton too.

[@devon-vw6yu]

Master Yoshi wait I think I know you... hmmm do we have the same sister?

[@TomHaroldArt]

Thank you for making this video! I've been a fan of Rhoads' work for quite some time. One of his sculptures is in place at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis in Indianapolis, IN, and it was the one that inspired me to begin building rolling ball sculptures. I still get a kick out of his work, and when I travel I check an area beforehand to see if his work is in that location. I've seen other sculptures of his in Vermont; New Orleans, LA; San Jose, CA; Boston Logan Airport and probably a few other places I'm forgetting. His work will always fascinate and delight viewers. Thanks again!

[@ScratchJoe]

I loved seeing this as a kid growing up, I always wondered what happened to them. This has been very informative.

[@music2thepeople]

The Ontario Science Centre has a George Rhoads ball machine, I believe it's still in operation today. One of my most delightful memories is being memorized by this sculpture as kid, so whimsical!

[@scrapdaddy13]

Just found your WEM videos yesterday. They are awesome. I really miss the old mall. It's not much fun anymore. As a kid in the 80's, the ball machines were my favorite thing. That and watching the big roller coaster. I was standing on the bridge under the big loop the day before it crashed. It really scared me hearing about. We were on summer vacation then from Saskatoon. I still stand there and watch the coaster scream by but it gives me chills now. Thinking about it now, I can actually hear the clinks and clanks of the balls hitting the metal elements in there. Mostly I remember the sound of the wooden blocks.

[@tombryant4518]

I’ve spent many hours of my childhood watching the bigger ball machine in action.

[@tanyasmith831]

There are two, one on top of another at the Museum of Science in Boston, MA and has been there since I was a kid. I LOVE this machine. I could watch it for hours and even now, can recollect the song like quality sounds they made. I would love to have it as background music on my laptop. Hmmm...maybe I can find it online! Looking now.... thanks for the idea!

[@mikes1188]

I have seen both of these works of art at the Edmonton Mall in the mid to late 1990. I watched them for hours.

[@MeggieMags]

So I worked at TWOSE and I can see one of my co workers in the background. Great job Matt!

[@daveferrato3400]

I've lived in Windsor ON all my life though back in 1986 we headed west to visit family in Regina. On that trip, we headed out with them to visit the West Edmonton Mall and I remember seeing the smaller of the two machines and being so engrossed by it. My brothers parents and I could hard;y take our eyes off of it. It's so good to see it preserved and still working at the Edmonton Science Center.

[@marknetw]

I remember they put the big one in the galaxy land/fantasyland kids area for a while

[@HKDon]

OH man..... my earliest memories of going to the mall was seeing these awesome ball machines, late 8-'s to early 90's whenever we were on vacation to Edmonton

[@edvaira6891]

We had one of these at a mall near where I live in Carlsbad, California, just north of San Diego, but the mall sold it in the mid 2000s and was similar to what you call Junior...really an easy way to just get lost in wonder for 10 or 15 minutes!

[@kevtech733]

I like your videos. I use to work for WEM in maintenance department.

[@rootbeer1053]

Thanks for this!! I used to make my Dad stay and watch this for hours!! The monolithic 2 story one was my favourite! I hope you can find out where it ended up!

[@JamesEK801]

I definitely remember seeing one of these on one of my first trips to the mall. Good times!

[@LakeNipissing]

I like how the video starts with your B-E-M modification to the best logo WEM has used to date!!

[@BrodyYYC]

OMG I just had these machines randomly pop into my head when I was thinking about WEM. I remembered them being my favorite thing there when I visited as a kid in the early 90's! I'm really happy at least one is still up and running.

[@jefffunnell6205]

saw these machines at Salmon Run Mall in Watertown NY lots as a kid so much fun back when you couldn't shop in Ontario on sundays lol

[@RushFan-2112]

So I wasn't around when the machines were in WEM. But I loved the Telus World of Science ball machine as a kid. I'm shocked that that one was the smaller of the two. Ball City must have been incredible.

[@sexyshit84]

Omg Omg Omg. These were my favorite things. As a kid I was fascinated by these. I love them

[@realitycat22]

I wish they would return or be remade.

[@shadesilverwing592]

I worked in the mall for a few years, The big one was called the Tower of Babel I believe, and I think it is Still stored in a large crate stored in the Malls historic attractions section, down in a storage area that was supposed to become the LRT expansion in the 90's. the area was never was used as a train station but a floor and big storage and security cages were installed. its a huge underground space that was used as storage for unused attractions and holiday themed items, There was talk of it being sold off to Boston, or to MIT but I don't think it was ever finalized.

[@marknetw]

Long time fan. I have videos somewhere from the early - mid 90s showing these machines. I’m trying to find them!!!!!

[@BestEdmontonMall]

👍

[@NorthernTigress]

According to an article published by EDify in 2018, Junior was titled Electric Ball Circus.

[@hammond1167]

Ya, i used to stand for hours watching both of these ball machines, always wanted to build something similar when i got older, great memories for sure!!

[@celetops]

Aw man, it would have to be years ago when I first saw those machines when I was just maybe about 6 to 7 years old of coming to the mall for the first time. Still remember it use to look like a magical place until over the years roll by and changes just kept on moving in and out. It would've been perfect if one of those ball machines would've stayed maybe in the phase one section cause in that area. Its kind a like travelling back in time to its glory days before the modern changes began to rise. So who knows, if they were able to bring back the Statue Whale and maybe a few other things. Maybe some day we may see this awesome toy invention make its grand return some day

[@bluetarantulaproductions6179]

I loved watching the ball machine's at WEM

[@BoulderWraith]

There was a metallic ball machine at the old Dallas science museum, it was pretty cool, sadly, the science museum was closed, and I have no idea where the ball machine went.

[@jamals69]

what was that sound near the beginning of the vid?

[@therandomshay31]

I did see the that ball machine at the Telus world of science last year it was pretty cool 👌🏼

[@octo349]

There is one at the Ontario science centre

[@dustfart466]

The machine was amazing to watch. So many little things to capture your attention.

[@sexyshit84]

Dust Fart yes. I love these machines.

[@JamesQPurcell]

I would spend hours watching the Ball Machine at Salmon Run Mall in Watertown NY as a kid. It was a large model with two layers, a bottom later with billiard balls, and top layer with larger 'bowling balls'. As far as I know, its still there.

[@isabellshoff8225]

Interesting. I remember the ball machines.

[@Leggir]

I used to be mesmerized by the big one as a kid.

[@pjcgaming9548]

I loved the ball machine so much, when I was a kid my parents dropped me off at the ball machine and I just watched it for hours while my parents did their shopping

[@certifiedbruh2180]

I saw one at the Singapore Science Centre

[@xboys_archive]

I've seen a few of his works there soooo cool and mesmerizing ones in my planetarium pretty far drive but worth it

[@keaton4449]

Can you do a video on kidtropolis at the mall?

[@JulesBrunoJjBaggy]

we have one in san jose. its in the tech museum

[@marknetw]

The big yellow one is called the tower of babel

[@etch250]

Science World Vancouver BC has or had an awesome one outside but covered.

[@pinkmonkeysrock11101]

Huh. I didn't realize the ball machine from twos was in wem!

[@johnwhelan1446]

My parents had to drag me away from the ball machines when I was a kid. I was obsessed with what I called the "do nothing machine."

[@tsm688]

the original do nothing machine :)

[@sarahdell4042]

There’s one of these, which is very tall in the St. Louis science museum.

[@dark_knight109]

As a somewhat sad footnote to this video, George Rhoads passed away in July, 2021 at the age of 95.

[@TheComicbookguy78]

I remember that.

[@JolanXBL]

W00t! We would stop everytime to watch that thing

[@reality8605]

"in the labyrinth deep below the stores and attractions" Okay dude, that is your assignment. The WEM underground.

[@garym444]

there's one in Vancouver too at Telus world of science why remove it

[@icelineman]

One was in front of the Toys and wheels store.

[@03eternity]

Can you do a video about why they took the flamingos out the mall

[@SupermarketSweep777]

There's one in downtown of my city.

[@NorthernTigress]

I remember Junior, but I have no memory of the large version. And I was a West End girl!

[@DarrylLearie]

West Edmonton Mall used to be so cool with all its cool attractions than it just went down hill. ☹️

[@ponyflare8122]

I wish I could have seen the mall back when it had all the cool attractions. I moved here in 2010 and missed all the most awesome stuff. Unless I have some specific reason to go there because they're the only place to have what I want (such as Build-A-Bear, for example), I don't bother. I also have little reason to stick around. I explored the mall once. I have no reason to explore it again since attractions are removed but never replaced.

[@darcyjousset6615]

My parents hated going near them cause I would always want to watch them.

[@matt2244]

Grew up in Edmonton and really enjoyed the mall with my friends in the 90's till I had to move. Went back a few years ago and found the mall was just bad now also had a bad run in with the mall owners kid's at mini golf. They would run around and not care about other guest's trying to enjoy the mall. How do I know it was the owner's kid's and friends manager at the mini golf told us it was and it was normal for all of them to cost the places in the mall money due to having to issues refunds like he was doing for my family, But when the kid's dad is worth billion who cares.

[@spiders1252]

I don't remember the big ball machine as a kid only the smaller one

[@kingchris-xt9lf]

at 3:53 you can see the big one

[@RDAfarms]

Hey the large ball machine was sold at a auction and was bought by a man in slave lake and is sitting in his back yard but he left his house so now it’s just rotting away outside