The Abandoned Montgomery Mall In Alabama Shows The Decline Of A Quintessential American Experience

Who here is a fellow 1990s kid? For us, the mall was kind of the center of our lives. It was where we went for back-to-school shopping, it was probably where our local movie theater was, and when we were teenagers, the mall was probably where we went to hang out with our friends! Malls are still all around us – in fact, one of the biggest malls in the world opened in New Jersey only a few years back – but many local malls have fallen on rough times. It's common to see many vacant stores or unconventional uses of space. And some malls have closed altogether – such as one abandoned place in Alabama.

The former Montgomery Mall, a sprawling complex in Montgomery, Alabama, opened its doors in 1970 and was thriving into the 2000s, but its decline began soon after, and it closed for good in 2008. Today, it stands as an eerie, abandoned relic still bearing many remnants of its days as a glittering retail paradise.

Highlighting the beautifully eerie work of Cleveland-based photographer Johnny Joo, discover more fascinating abandoned locations across America in our Vacant Series. These unique man-made structures have been left abandoned and are slowly being reclaimed by nature.

Editor’s Note: Due to the nature of abandoned destinations, many of the places featured in this series are off-limits to visitors or have actually been demolished. We do not condone trespassing and other illegal activity but rather encourage readers to enjoy learning about these fascinating destinations. 

From the exterior, the Montgomery Mall still looks like an impressive retail destination. But time has taken its toll on this once-popular local mall.

Inside, the brightly lit atrium still keeps many of the hallways looking shiny, although the stores are all long closed.

Fifteen years of disrepair can be clearly seen in much of the mall, especially in the overgrown floors.

Away from the atrium, the mall can take on a dark and spooky feel. This is where it genuinely feels abandoned.

Many of the hallmarks of day-to-day life in the mall are still present, as they were never disassembled for redevelopment. It's entirely possible that the vending machines still work – although it would be very ill-advised to try any of the aged snacks they dispense.

The most interesting area to explore is the food court, which in many ways still looks like a classic 1990s food court. The chairs and tables haven't even been removed in all these years.

There's certainly nothing on offer to eat, though - although it's interesting to try to puzzle out what restaurant used to be occupying which food court stall.

Many of the last tenants who left their mark on the mall have left remnants of their defunct businesses behind, with many storefronts being largely untouched since the mall closed up shop.

The small children's area might just be the eeriest place in the entire mall. The figures are still adorable, but marks of age have started to show up.

Is the Montgomery Mall destined to just sit here forever? No one's sure, as it sits on valuable property, but with this long since closing, it's likely that any new tenant would massively overhaul the entire building.

Did you know about this unique abandoned place in Alabama? The mall is closed to the public and may be redeveloped in the future, but the city has many other top shopping destinations – including this three-floor antique mall. The city is also home to many historic buildings that have been repurposed – like the Trilogy Hotel Montgomery.

Special thanks to Cleveland-based photographer Johnny Joo of Odd World Studio for the photos used in this article. For more images, check out his website, Architectural Afterlife. Discover even more spooky places in Vacant: Inside 13 Eerie and Fascinating Abandoned Locations Across America.