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.

Northern Florida
The interior of an abandoned and decaying mall in Northern Florida.

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.

Chesterfield, Virginia
The Cloverleaf Mall in Chesterfield, Virginia has seen better days.

North Randall, Ohio
Plenty of parking at the Randall Park Mall in North Randall, Ohio.

Dongguan, China
This abandoned mall in Dongguan, China doesn't have much time left.

North Texas
The interior of this abandoned North Texas mall isn't very welcoming, either.

North Texas
More creepy interior views of this abandoned mall in North Texas.

Fort Smith, Arkansas
The Phoenix Village Mall in Fort Smith, Arkansas opened in 1970.

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

Chesterfield, Virginia
More remnants of the Cloverleaf Mall in Chesterfield, Virginia.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The shelves are all bare at this store in the abandoned Parkway Center Mall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Taichung, Taiwan
Time Square is an abandoned shopping mall in Taichung, Taiwan.

Harvey, Illinois
Another shot of the long-abandoned Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, Illinois.

Gary, Indiana
The faded entrance to the Broadway Shopping Mall in Gary, Indiana.

Chicago, Illinois
An abandoned roller rink and mini-mall with cinema near Chicago, Illinois.

Erie, Pennsylvania
The overgrown parking lot of the Harborcreek Mall in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Toledo, Ohio
The North Towne Square Mall in Toledo, Ohio closed in 2005.