Shopping Malls May Be Staples Of Society, But These Abandoned Ones Are Terrifying

Do you ever find yourself wondering about "abandoned malls near me?" It's only natural; for most of us, malls were a quintessential part of our tween and teen years; the mall was *the* place to hang out with your friends! In fact, there are few things more American than the ubiquitous shopping mall, though today, it's abandoned shopping malls that are more commonly seen. Blame it on the rise of online shopping and the ease with which stores make e-commerce possible; today, shopping malls are a relic of a bygone era, with modern "malls" more a bespoke and curated collection of carefully chosen shops and attractions.

Take a look at some of these surreal photographs from abandoned shopping malls across the country. Be sure to check out the Dead Malls Enthusiasts Facebook group for more info on where these dead malls in America are located.

This map shows where the nation's abandoned malls can be found. So if you're looking for an "abandoned mall near me," you're sure to find one (or, if you're in the Midwest, many) near you!

As online shopping and megastores grow in popularity, malls across America have begun to wither away.

The Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio, opened in 1975. It had over 140 stores before closing in 2013.

Today, the glass ceiling of the mall has collapsed in places, allowing snow and rain to enter the building.

In 2007 a homeless man was found to be living in one of the vacant stores. He had been living off of power bars and sports drinks found in an abandoned fitness store.

The Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, Illinois, was used to film part of the car chase scene in the film "The Blues Brothers." Today, much of it is waterlogged and in ruins. Unfortunately, all of Harvey, Illinois, has fallen on bad luck, with the town rated as one of the most dangerous in Illinois in recent years.

The Cloverleaf Mall in Chesterfield, Virginia, is one of many abandoned places in this town. The mall first opened in 1972, and included 40 bustling and popular shops.

In the 1990s, the Chesterfield Observer wrote that women were beginning to avoid the mall due to the high numbers of “intimidating” teenagers that were hanging out at the mall. The mall closed permanently in 2007.

Today, the shops and food stalls are in disarray.

When the Randall Park Mall in Randall, Ohio, first opened in 1976, it was the largest shopping center in the world. With over 2 million square feet of real estate, the mall was a maze of hallways and corridors.

The mall actually included three 14-story apartments and a performing arts center. It was built on the site of an old horse racing park called the Thistledown Race Track.

The mall’s decline began when a suspected shoplifter was killed by an off-duty police officer.

The mall closed in 2009. After the doors shut, vandals began roaming the empty structure.

Much of the mall has been demolished, though some of the anchor buildings are still standing.Vice did a deep dive on abandoned malls in this YouTube video:

We can easily understand how someone could get extremely lost in one of these massive abandoned shopping malls. Can you imagine your local mall going out of business like this? Would you ever want to explore one of these dead malls? Have you ever searched for "abandoned malls near me?" Share your finds and experiences with your fellow intrepid explorers in the comments below!

Of all the dead malls on the above list, one of the most fascinating is definitely the Cloverleaf Mall in Chesterfield, Virginia. The Old Dominion is home to numerous abandoned places, in fact, and we share some of the most fascinating spots in this article. Read more on the topic in Seph Lawless' book, Abandoned Malls of America: Crumbling Commerce Left Behind.

Looking for more abandoned places? Check out these 19 abandoned cities & towns in America.