Shopping malls used to be a symbol of the nuclear age. They were modern and flashy and more than just a place to shop. They offered cinemas, restaurants and, for teens, a place to hang out. And, thanks to the automobile, they prospered.
But now large retailers are closing down stores, leaving malls without “anchor” tenants to draw shoppers and worse, with empty storefronts. The arrival of big-box stores and new-style shopping areas are drawing customers away, too.
It can take years for a mall to die, slowly losing retailers until there is little reason for the owners to keep it open. And it can take many more before the building is redeveloped or demolished. Here are some of the most viral pictures of abandoned malls around the world.
Harvey, Illinois
Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, Illinois closed in 1978. It was the set for the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. The mall appears in the scene where Jake and Elwood drive through the mall and a number of its stores.
Saint Lucia
This abandoned mall slowly decays in the hot Caribbean sun on the island of Saint Lucia.
Chalmette, Louisiana
This mall in Chalmette, Louisiana was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. This is how it looked nearly three years later.
Copan, Guatemala
The closure of shopping malls is a worldwide phenomenon. This empty mall is in Copan, Guatemala.
Pensacola, Florida
Even with sunlight streaming in, this abandoned mall in Pensacola, Florida is rather eerie.
Chesterfield, Virginia
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The shelves are all bare at this store in the abandoned Parkway Center Mall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Chicago, Illinois
An abandoned roller rink and mini-mall with cinema near Chicago, Illinois.