Dead Mall: Columbia Colonnade | You Won't Believe This Place **Now Closed**
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- Опубликовано: 17 фев 2022
- In today's adventure we're exploring the Columbia Colonnade (aka the Columbia Mall) in Bloomsburg, PA. This has to be one of the most shockingly dead malls I've seen yet. It felt like wandering around an abandoned building, except that it was still open! No stores, no heat, and just shocking. Enjoy!
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This is right in my hometown. I grew up going to this mall, from having a few birthday parties at the arcade from spending the day with my aunt while she worked at CCFNB (First Columbia Bank) back in the 90s. I literally started to tear up during this because of how bad this place has fallen, what I enjoyed there while all the stores were thriving, cease to exist now.
Birthday parties at the mall arcade was such a big thing back in the day. I forgot all about those. Thanks for watching!
The arcade was the best. Hard to believe Bloom Bounce is where the arcade once was (also FYE)
Thank you so much for sharing your memories 😘❤️🖖🔥♾️🕉️🥰
Anyone remember Summer Stories, where for a few years they would bring in local performers (like Candy and Cupcake!) to perform on Tuesdays by Mastercuts and BonTon? My gram used to load me and five cousins in her tiny car to go every time, then to Kidsburg (the old wooden playground) in Bloomsburg Park for pizza.
It's so bizarre sometimes having such clear memories of visiting my friend's mom working in Hallmark, always hitting up Gertrude Hawk and Auntie Anne's for sweets, getting free popcorn at Ames, being able to grab off-brand Converse-esque sneakers at Payless, getting my first CDs at FYE-
And now the place sits mostly empty, with a parking lot with potholes so deep some of the puddles are permanent now.
Remember the train they had for the kids during the holidays? That place was always so much fun over Christmas.
I feel bad for workers in these malls who work at one of the few stores remaining. It must be so depressing to go to work every day set everything up, and almost nobody shows up.
I remember when this mall opened. Hills, (then later Ames), Sears, The Deb shop, Radio Shack, Beneton, JC Penney, Bon Ton, Claires, Hallmark, The Toy store, there were the food shops and shoe shops and Beauty shops and even a Pet shop with 2 giant Mastiffs that amazed us as we entered. I haven't named them all but this was the place to be at Christmas when it was so crowded you needed to stand in long lines. I could go on and on. Just so sad to watch.
Wow! I can’t even imagine the place being so busy that there are long lines everywhere. So different from now. Thanks for watching!
I REMEMBER THAT TOY STORE. It was amazing. And during Christmas time, I used to volunteer with my mom to wrap presents as a fundraiser for Special Olympics. They would set up right near that stage area and people would stop by and just line up to get their stuff wrapped for free. They got a lot of donations out of it.
Thank you so much for sharing such beautiful memories of your Mall ♥️ I'm sure it was beautiful when alive. Posts like yours and vids like Ian's ensure your Mall will never die. Thanks again for sharing your memories 😘❤️🖖🔥♾️🕉️🥰♥️
Yes, and the Hills had a snack shop. I remember buying popcorn there in the late 80s/early 90s.
What a fascinatingly bizarre place. Between the cold, the emptiness, the nightmare-worthy looping of "YOU HAVE TO ADD MORE COINS", the jumping castle parlour, the oddly-positioned benches outside the former Payless outlet, or "Ladies, skip ur birth control", I can't bring myself to pick a favourite oddity. You should organise an impromptu cocktail party inside (though perhaps not during winter) and see if anyone - management included - actually notices.
I'm glad no overly-protective-for-no-reason centre employees got in your way as well, hopefully it stays that way.
What a great summary of all the weird, quirky things about this mall! Having a cocktail party or something similar in the middle of that pavilion section would be a funny test haha. I have a feeling no one would question it. Thanks for watching!
This place feels especially dismal to me, even for a dead mall. Couldn't really tell you why. Great video dude
Thanks for watching! For me, it was the dead silence that really made it feel weird and different from other malls.
Ironically, in 2000, I filmed a scene for my short film "Bedrick's Fifth" here, and security confronted us and threw us out after only two takes (about 3 minutes of actual filming). Times change, we could shoot a feature film there now with no problems!
Here's the funny thing, security didn't visibly show back up until Seth Lawless went through here and did a mini-video a few years ago. Prior to that, I don't think they had any for years.
For what it’s worth, this is the first mall video I’ve filmed where I haven’t been asked to leave by security, so this is definitely the exception and not the norm.
@@IanMartinExploration Yea thats rare even at dead malls I used to do Dead Mall videos but they got deleted
That was fascinating. Another awesome video. Hard to imagine how this place hasn't just locked the doors.
Management apparently forgets to UNLOCK the doors some days. Does that count? Haha
I made a visit to this place last summer. It was like walking through a tomb. Dark, silent, and I felt like something was behind me the whole time. Great video👍
I used to live there. First time I went to that mall was mid 2012. It was already dead for years at that point but had all four anchors- Bon Ton, Dunhams, Sears, and I think either JC Penney or Macy's. Victoria's Secret, Godivas Chocolates, a small boutique shoe store, Bath and Body Works, RadioShack, card game shop, a train hobby store (that never seemed to be open), a hair salon/good store, pretzel shop (the only place at the "food court"), and a ballet studio were open (maybe 1 or 2 other things, probably a gift/gift card shop but it's hard to remember). I lived in Bloom until 2019, by that time a few places came and went, such as a Subway and home style family restaurant. The Bloomin Bounce opened up and seemed to actually be decently busy, and Geisinger opened up offices there. I think JC Penney closed first as an anchor, then Sears, then Bonton, then the furniture place took the place of Sears and eventually it appears one of the other anchors was taken by some sort of sports class venue. Gradually it seems covid nuked the rest of what remained, and by the end of it my friends were making skating videos inside it because they had no staff anymore - not even a security guard. I believe Dunham might still be operational and have simply blockaded what used to be their entrance to the rest of the mall.
Thanks for the wildly sad and interesting tour down memory lane. I also grew up going to this mall. I remember being SO excited to take report cards for tokens at the video arcade when it opened (and sometimes getting a fiver from the grandparents to play for a bit). We all shopped at the music, toy, and bookstores. I remember karate demos, singing groups, and all kinds of little community things on that small elevated stage, too.
I bet karate demos would have been fun to see! So many great memories of the place. It’s sad for me to see it in this state and I had never been there before. Thanks for watching!
Sad....
I think the saddest part is seeing all of the mom and pops that popped up as the mall died taking advantage of cheap rent but eventually closed themselves. That dance studio might have been someone’s dream 😞
The dance studio was a pipe dream. Nothing personal, it's a beautiful dream, but this is a rural area and outside of the college there isn't a single stage to dance on within 40 minutes of here. This could have been the glory days of 89-91 and it still wouldn't have worked.
Hello Ian I live in this area. I was 8 when Columbia mall opened. It was once a thriving mall. They had a great arcade it was called the boardwalk Blvd. They had jc penny, bon ton, a sears department store with appliances. Sears had a photo studio. Also many shoe stores a GNC. They had many different vendors lining the walkways. My wife worked at one selling sports memorabilia as a teen. They had a wonderful pizza place and much more. The running joke in the area has been about the mall dying. I took my son to the bounce house a few years ago and it was dead then. Did you notice the parking lot? It looks like a war zone that had been shelled. I go to Dunhams from time to time and you have to watch where you step. It is sad that it went south there. I have fond memories as a youngster there. Oh They had an Arby's for years. You could smoke cigarettes in there. There was a bunch of old guys in there in the mornings. Thanks for sharing your video. I may have to go up and take a look some weekend soon.
Wow, those are some great memories you have of the place! Especially being able to smoke in arby’s, I don’t ever remember that being allowed! The parking lot did indeed look like a war zone. The whole place was just confusing and sad. Thanks for watching!
Oh yeah. Gotta have an Arby's. They've got The Meats lol 😘❤️🖖🔥♾️🕉️🥰♥️
GREAT video! Sad. I have good memories of this mall growing up! My favorite stores were: CAMELOT MUSIC, F.Y.E. (THE WALL), HILL'S and REEL COLLECTIONS. Favorite places to eat were: ARBY'S, AUNT ANNE'S PRETZELS and HILL'S SNACK BAR. During the week or on Sunday's we ate @ WESTERN SIZZLIN' (which is now an ALDI'S). Only trouble was, if you ate the salad bar, you weren't leaving until you went to the restroom...LOL! Catfish Hunter was once @ the mall in the early 90's singing autographs @ a baseball card show that was held there. My Dad didn't want to stand in the LONG line, so he bought someone a couple packs of plastic card sleeves to stand in line for him. Sure enough, we got his autograph! GREAT times...WONDERFUL memories!
Lots of great memories! It’s a shame to see the mall in such bad shape now. Thanks for watching!
Great video! I can't figure out why I keep watching dead mall videos. They make me really sad but can't stop! Why would any mall walker walk that mall? No way! Please show happy thriving malls too.
You can’t figure out why you keeping watching them and I can’t figure out why I keep wanting to make them haha. Thanks for watching this one! What a weird subject, right?
Large, open, flat, quiet, and it's not raining on most of the inside. A lot of people do not like Gym culture.
There are no alternatives around here.
@@matthewlawton9241 Perfect justification for walking that mall!
Update: the final business on the interior concourse of the mall, Bloom Bounce, closed March 27th. I grew up going to this mall.
It was only a matter of time. It’s like a wounded animal that just needed to be put out of its misery. Sorry your childhood mall has met such an unfortunate end.
Very much reminds me of the twists and turns you'd see in your dreams in some sparcely populated public space, sometimes known as liminal space. You'd almost expect a ghost or some creature to be stalking you throughout it.
Anyways cool video. I grew up right around the Bloomsburg area and spent some of my childhood in the early 2000s there. Nostalgia trip.
Liminal space is the perfect way to describe the vibe of these places. Thanks for the idea and for watching!
@@IanMartinExploration You're welcome! It honestly wouldn't surprise me if there's residual energy left behind from decades of people walking in and out of there. It has a Silent Hill vibe almost lol.
Dead malls literally are nothing but liminal space. Thought it doesn't mean sparsely populated. Liminal spaces are those that are used specifically for transitioning from one prominent space to another; hallways, parking lots, etc. They're creepy when unpopulated specifically because they're not meant to be inhabited specifically, but you only really ever see them when they are bustling with people moving to and fro. A modern dead mall is nothing but one large hallway ushering nobody from nowhere to nowhere. Hard to put into words for future generations just how these places were once cornerstones of youth culture...
I spent alot of time in this mall as a kid. So sad to see that it is almost fully empty now. I grew up in Berwick until 1996 when we moved to western PA. It brings tears to my eyes seeing it in such sad shape.
This one is by far the worst mall I’ve been too. I feel like it would be better to just shut it down than leave it open like this for anyone to see. I’ve heard western PA also has its share of malls in rough shape too. Thanks for watching!
@@IanMartinExploration it just breaks my heart to see this. I'm not sure about most of the malls out here. The one mall in erie seems to be thriving.
Bless you for posting. Reading the comments warm reflections never fading.
Another great video. Thanks! Check out Valley Mall in Hagerstown ... slowly dying, yet still alive. Weird. Amazon, eBay and general online shopping are killing all of the malls one by one.
Thanks for the support as always! I grew up with the valley mall and have often thought about filming it, but every time I drive by it seems to be really busy. It’s SUPER odd now though, I agree. And I haven’t been inside for years, so maybe I should actually check it out one of these days.
This video was fascinating to watch and sad at the same time. I grew up with this mall and it was lively back then, to see it completely bare breaks my heart.. but happy to have so many memories from when I was young :)
Like you said, the important thing is that you have the memories of better times. Thanks for watching!
Ian another fascinating post. So eerie and sad. Remember the Hunt Valley Mall right down street from me was empty for several years and now you have the vibrant outdoor Hunt valley town center guess that is the wave of future. Remember mall shopping with wife on Saturday nights. We would pick a different Mall to visit Me I buy all my stuff on Amazon 😃 keep up the great work!
I actually used to work right down the road from the hunt valley mall back in the day. It must have been after it was revamped though because I don’t remember a time where it was empty. That’s pretty interesting. They’ve done a very nice job with it now. Unfortunately I also buy all my stuff from Amazon too haha. Thanks for watching this one too!
@@IanMartinExploration 😎👍
I spent a lot of time in this mall when I was little in the 90s through about 2010. The Dunham's sports store used to be AMES where I would buy Harry Potter Legos and Pokémon cards (gym leader set, btw). The Bloom Bounce used to be an FYE with an attached arcade called "Boardwalk Boulevard" Where I used to play the Simpson's game. The arcade had the main floor and a little "loft" type area with more games - I can still see it in my mind - awesome to think about. That Small shop on the corner near where the Dunham's sports intersection is, that used to be EB games and then GameStop... KBee toys was down next to payless shoes- used to buy matchbox NASCAR stuff from there... The pretzel place was at one point an auntie annes I believe, then some generic pretzel place then by 2011 they sold like soup and stuff from there ... There was a sports store right next to the EFO furniture outlet called Schuylkill Valley Sports that sold a lot of local High school gear.
When my mom would go to the mall back then, these were my usual stops. I remember getting my girlfriend (now wife) presents at some of the department stores in 2012. It really is just crazy what a decade did to this place. It was still pretty decent in 2012 now that I look back at it, but there were signs that it was beginning to falter at that point too.
Awesome memories of a better time for this place! It’s great to hear about when it thriving. Thanks for sharing and for watching!
Happy to find this channel, love the simplicity of the video. Subscribing!
So glad you like the video! Thanks for subbing!
So the local replying...
The old rest. was the Arby's, the Rage Room was a Foot Locker. Owner is waiting out the last lease, which is the dance studio in the old Deb. There were redev plans that existed prior to COVID, but those original plans are gone. Geisinger is doing wholesale development around the mall, the current owner is betting on that making this property valuable. Mall never had a traditional food court really.
The mall has roughly been in this condition since the COVID-19 reopening, they lost several stores during the COVID-19 2020 shutdown. Several of those were due to no communication with management. The Bath and Body work's remained frozen in time for two months, from June-August until they came to pack it up.
This is exactly the info I was trying to find and hoping I’d get in the comments! Thank you!!! That clears up SO much about what’s going on with the place. Waiting out the last lease makes perfect sense. Any idea if the owner is going to demolish the building entirely or try to use what’s there to make something else? Either way, I’m assuming there’s no way it’s going to stay a mall, right? Thanks again for the info! It was very helpful in connecting the dots!
@@IanMartinExploration Going to try to fill in a few more blanks, it's not straightforward right now. Pre-COVID, Foust bought this to convert it to medical uses. That was stopped by COVID-19 when Geisinger was able to successfully move most of its employees to work from home. July 2019 on site management disappeared and so did most cleaning. Security disappeared at some point after this time.
Currently, Foust is trying to sell off parts of the anchor buildings. The group running the VA clinic owns that part of the mall. Foust has clearly said he's not going to charge below rate rent for the mall just to keep tenants, and that's why a lot of stores left during the COVID-19 2020 shutdown. Foust owns a lot of the land around the mall, and has already sold a plot for the new $180 million Geisinger clinic going in next to the mall. New restaurants and buildings are planned for the parking lot across from the former JCPenney.
Does he keep the mall structure? He's hinted at it but I doubt it. What also throws a wrench in everything, is down the road a separate development that includes Sheetz is going in across from Walmart, but they are clearing a lot more space that screams room for retail. Foust is also secretive about what he's doing, and often the only way to find out what's going on is via the local newspaper that is paywalled.
So many memories from my childhood. My grandmother would always take me there.
Pick any of the 50 states and you would find a mall just like that one. I think within the next 10 years there won't be any left.
Wow, I did not even know that it was stilposting. It is so dated, I doubt they ever remodeled.Thanks for posting!
Thanks for watching! Yeah, it’s only technically still open, as you saw. They really should just close it at this point.
@@IanMartinExploration Agreed!! It is a waste of resources. They could always move the one store somewhere else.
I remember when that place was packed. Sears on one end. Bon ton in the middle and hills on the other end. And all the inside shops going strong. From footlock to fye.
Ok, I myself got a dismal, depressing feeling from this mall, Love the Video
Thanks so much for watching! Glad you enjoyed it.
Awesome man!
Thanks for watching!
We all miss this mall still. How sad. Tough not having it. Now we all have to drive 45 mins to Wilkes Barre or south to Selinsgrove mall
That’s a shame that it’s a 45 minute drive to the nearest operational mall. Thanks for watching!
Ugh just breaks my heart. I went to this mall all the time as a kid. I remember all the good stores, FYE, Claire, KB toys, The book store, after shopping you have to go to the pizza place!!! Ugh mall pizza is amazing! Waking up early in the morning to go shopping for Black Friday.
I haven’t been to the mall in a while (for obvious good reason) and I don’t know Bath and Body works and Victoria’s Secret finally closed
VS closed out of nowhere a few years ago. Took B&B 2 months to come get the store after the mall reopened in 2020. It was frozen in time.
It’s sad to see your childhood mall take such a drastic turn. At least you’ve got the memories of its better days. Thanks for watching!
Hey Jazmin, do you remember the little arcade type place that was in there? I can’t remember the name of it, but my memories of it feel like a fever dream
@@ameliadavis7829 Boardwalk Blvd.
As someone who grew up going to this mall quite often, it’s embarrassing to see this now. The place used to be popping, but ownership of the proper just doesn’t care. There was no reason for it to become THIS dead.
Yeah, I still can’t believe just how dead it is and yet still technically “open.” I just don’t see the point. Thanks for watching!
I don't know why any store would willingly stay open inside of a mostly abandoned mall. That is scary AF.
I wonder the same thing. Thanks for watching !
Cheap pre-negotiated rent and free parking.
Very calming too walk around with no one too bother. I love your gorgeous beard handsome man ❤️❤️❤️❤️.
You could check out Olean Center Mall in Olean,NY. It only has a couple stores still open in it, my wife and I frequent it for Bath and Bodyworks which is 1 of the few stores left.
Sad how many times I was there as a kid growing up and now everything you need is online and memories like the Columbia mall are fading away
It’s definitely sad to see online shopping running these places out of business and into obscurity. Thanks for watching!
I will always prefer going into a shop, feeling and looking at the item I want to buy,
rather than ordering online.
Makes you appreciate everything you buy
Wouldn't it have been strange back in the 80's if someone had approached us as we were heading back to the car, stomachs full of pretzels and oversized pizza slices, arms full of bags bearing store logos, and said to us that all of this would essentially be no different from a Roman ruin within a quarter century?
Great video. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for watching!
It almost feels...fake? Like it doesn't give off the vibe it was ever actually in use because it's so eerily barren. Very fascinating!
That’s a great way to put it! It feels like it’s fake store fronts like it’s an old movie set or something. Thanks for watching!
As a local. It's not fake. This mall's death was long and painful. It makes the area looks bad and we have a need for more retail in this area.
@@esw01407 That's super sad to hear :c I hope your community can get a resurgence in the near future!
If you've ever been in a large abandoned church, it has the same vibe. They are spaces tailor made for specific purposes that society no longer values. Now those spaces no longer feel merely empty, but almost alien. If you're too young for this to have been a part of your life, you'd almost need an anthropologist's mind to put together what went on there.
This mall used to be so amazing to me and a child. So many memories for me, my siblings and cousins. Sad to know the state it's in. My kids love bloo bounce.
Bloom bounce was such a strange thing to see being the only place open inside the mall. Especially with the heat being broken and everything. Thanks for watching!
@@IanMartinExploration I've just heard that the electric company has turned off the power to the entire mall.
@Ambersherwood 😢😿
I have never been there
It's so strange to remember being in middle and high school and going there to hang out, excited to shop. Makes me feel old and I'm only 28 😅😅😅
Oh wow, so when was the last time you remember being at that mall and it was in kinda ok shape?
Oh gosh, I don't remember... It's been slowly closing for so long. I think probably around 9th grade for me was when I remember being able to actually go and there being a decent amount of stores to shop but even then it wasn't really lively.
I’m 34 and grew up in the area. Thanks for making this video- I remember doing a heavy amount of our Christmas shopping at this mall in about 2003. I liked it because we are from closer to Laurel Mall (Hazleton) which seemed smaller and I was tired of those stores. So, Columbia Mall had a lot of stores that were novel to me and it seemed a bit larger. Ironically the Laurel Mall, although dying, is doing a lot better than Columbia. I think that’s due to higher population in Hazleton area.
That little kid giggle always happens to me in empty malls with the rocket ship it freaks me out every time!
Glad I’m not the only one! Haha. Thanks for watching!
I traveled out to this mall yearly for a robotics event a local would hold every July. It was sad to see how much worse things got every time we came back, but I have fantastic memories of actually being in this place. Shame it's fallen so far.
And now it’s closed entirely. Such a shame. Glad you have some good memories of the place though.
Now I have "you have to add more coins..." stuck on repeat in my head😂
1:40 definitely was. I can still smell it from here.
YOU HAVE TO ADD MORE COINS! Quite an appropriate statement for the building's condition
Never even thought of that! Very true.
Opposite to the experience in the USA, here in Australia shopping malls are still popular and thriving.
That’s amazing! I’ve heard your malls are set up very differently from ours though, which might explain it. Thanks for watching!
Yay!
I remember when the Columbia mall opened I was 17 when then so spent a lot of time there it is a shame to see it die but most have since online shopping
Since you were in the area, did you happen to check out the Lycoming Mall in Muncy? Same goes for that mall, everyone is moving out and going across the street to the strip mall. Only anchor store is Burlington Coat Factory, and a self storage place in an old Macy's building.
Yep! I did! I actually filmed the Lycoming Mall immediately after this one, so they’ll be a video on that one too at some point in the future here. The weirdest part of that mall I think was the storage unit place in the old department store. They still had the glass doors up from inside the mall so you could see right into the storage units! So weird!
Lycoming Mall is presently under Sheriff's sale again !
I remember when they used to have Hills! It was a great department store! I also enjoyed Sears, JC Penney and the Bon Ton. Nice specialty stores back in the day! Loved people watching too back in the 90’s and early 00’s.
I got my first Ninja Turtle at Hills. :3
Good video. Malls in my area I’m documenting hasn’t gotten to that stage yet but close. 👍
Thanks for watching! What are your favorite places you’ve checked out so far?
@@IanMartinExploration you’re videos? I came across this mall one yesterday and getting ready to view your abandoned mental hospital one next. I got two maybe three local malls to cover and if gas permits expand some out of my local area.
I actually meant the favorite places of your videos that you’ve done so far. I’ll have to check out your stuff.
Graduated from bloom a in ‘07. It was bad then, so not surprised that this is the result now.
I’ve heard it’s been rough for a while… so at least 15 years huh? I’m pretty amazed it’s lasted this long with how bad it’s been. Thanks for watching!
I found myself in this mall twice. Once in 2017 and once in 2018. Looked pretty much the same, just that gaming store was open and there was one place to get food in 2017, which was gone a year later. Was creepy at the time, but I also thought some of the storefronts had been turned into offices. I know I have video on my phone somewhere of just the PA playing music and hearing and endless echo.
A large regional hospital called Geisinger took out space there around that time for office use. Of course, COVID put a stop to that. That was the true nail in this mall's coffin. Not that it was doing great during Geisinger's tenure, but it was treading water at least. There were pipe dreams for a while that maybe it could be turned into some type of commercial park like you see in large cities, with all the supporting copy shops and starbucks and other insular economies that ride the wake. Great idea, but this is a rural region with no serious business outside of the cancerous fracking industry.
@@matthewlawton9241 Yeah like one entire wing of the mall was just storefronts converted into office space. I found that...not weird, in fact kinda novel. Use the space they got for something productive. Still a shame the place died like it did.
You know as much as I hated the mall when working in one and with the walk of the mall zombies, I don't think I would have ever wished this on them.
That abandoned restaurant at 12:20 was the Arby’s I worked at as a manager. The mall was somewhat more lively then but not by much.
I grew up going to this mall. It's been fully closed now almost a year to the day. I think it was March 11th 2022? Not 100% on the date but it was definitely march. Also, for most of the mall's history, the Ames anchor store was a company they bought out in 99 called Hills. The place gave away free popcorn to kids and the whole front half of the store smelled buttery!
And the thing to understand is this is NOWEHRE. The Bloomsburg/Danville area is basically a no man''s land at the furthers point between major PA regions like Williamsport, Wilkes-Barres/Scranton, to the north, Hazleton to the east and Harrisburg to the south. This was THE center of this region's commerce when it opened, the only place that was busy every single day even when it wasn't holiday season. That piece of shit walmart they don't even keep stocked anymore changed all of that. They raped the beautiful surrounding forest to build it and now don't even put basic effort into maintaining it. Big box stores are a goddamn cancer, and those of you who live in cities really have no clue the cataclysm they've brought to small town communities like this. They funnel all of our local money to out of state, or even out of country hands, all the while slurping up our limited infrastructural resources. Late stage capitalism is no different from the goddamn soviet union!
We should have set that walmart on fire when they were building it. That company's been a real life biblical curse on this region.
We have a mall by me, which is fading away. I don't know if you ever make your way to NY, but in Kingston, NY, there is a mall, called the Hudson Valley Mall, which you might find interesting to check out.
You should come to Jacksonville Florida and check out regency insane how its still open
I’ve heard Jacksonville has some good dead malls! Maybe I’ll need to make my way down to Florida at some point here. Thanks for watching!
5:06 The Rage Room was in the former Foot Locker space and what it was was this place you could pay money and go smash a bunch of stuff like TVs, dishes, and furniture. They moved out about two-three years ago and moved to Berwick, where the building was burned down due to arson.
Thanks for the info! And burned down for arson eh? Sounds like someone took the concept of the rage room too far haha.
Went here a lot as a child. As a teenager it was noticably starting to die. As an adult, during the pandemic, I would come sit in the parking lot in my car and eat lunch. I don't know why.
Have you seen Lycoming Mall near Williamsport or Susquehanna Valley Mall in Selinsgrove? They have also declined and sadly, once a thriving mall, the Frackville mall was torn down a few years back.
I actually went up to Lycoming mall and filmed that mall right after filming this one so there should be a video on that coming out at some point in the future. It wasn’t as bad as Columbia mall, but how many malls are? Lycoming was in rough, but interesting shape.
Very cool. Well that sucks that it's now closed :/
Danke!
Back in 2019, when I was heading to a swim meet, my dad and I decided to go to Subway. We didn't know that it was in the mall because it was mostly empty with a lot of shops closed. We eventually found Subway. Rip Subway
Apparently subway was one of the last hold outs. RIP indeed. Thanks for watching.
They had a Nirvanas closet. Also a Spencer's Halloween store I worked at was my first job at 16.
This building is still open…Dunham’s is still an open store there…there’s also a furniture store and Planet Fitness. The mall also allows people to walk inside the building (senior citizens walk in here to stay out of the weather). I also believe that there are some offices that operate out of the mall building. But I remember when this mall first opened…it was the place to be back in the 90’s! There are future plans to also bring other types of businesses to this building as well…
Offices are gone.
5:44 Payless shoes had a rather big presence in Australia before the chain Ultimately Folded in 2014 and all stores closed
Your voice is awesome ASMR ❤️
Haha thank you! I don’t think I’ve heard that one before. Thanks so much for watching!
That’s sad. I used to go to the mall many times. What a crime
i went to bloomsburg university from 2007-2011 and even back then this mall was super dead (maybe like 20-30% occupancy) and depressing. I am shocked it lasted as long as it did.
I know this place is closed now but with the lack of staff the only people in here would be the few store workers and maybe a maintenance/cleaner who closes and opens the doors. The space machine could easy be left on overnight. Imagine going past the mall taking your dog for a walk then you pop your head by the doors and hear a kid talking. You would die on the spot.
Hey what comes around goes around.
While I myself feel the sadness of losing these malls I still remember the sadness of the different towns stores closing down because of these malls being built . I remember growing up and going to the stores in town. Especially around Christmas time and seeing all the Christmas lights in town. Everybody knew everybody But that too disappeared. Now places like Amazon are replacing the malls. And people are becoming more and more disconnected.
You make a great point. I mean, this mall drew out both Sears and JCPenny from their downtown locations to be a part of the mall. It really is constantly changing. Thanks for watching!
It is what it is. Everything comes - goes with their heydays; whatever has replaced malls will in time also be replaced with something🤷🏾♀️
Where you walked in..there was an awesome Chinese restaurant and a 1950s theme bar..
Oh wow, no kidding. A 50s themed bar sounds like it could be fun. It wasn’t one of those Johnny Rocket places was it? Thanks for watching!
@@IanMartinExploration ..no..just a local guy who had sold his previous restaurant and opened that one for fun...
That was the place to BE back in high school. Of course, there really isn't all that much to do in Bloom to begin with... Still sad to see what it has become. I thought I heard Geisinger Medical was working on a deal to buy or lease part of the mall for offices and clinics?
Someone else mentioned the Geisinger plans were either canceled or put on how because of the pandemic, but that’s all I’ve heard. Thanks for watching!
I lived in Bloom for five years before returning to Delaware to live and there's not a lot to do in Bloom. The town needs to be erased off the map!
It is a wonder they haven't locked their doors and not even allowing mall walkers in. Actually, it is in pretty good shape for a totally vacant mall? I have seen videos of malls that are totally trashed and falling apart.
I agree, it’s very surprising how clean it is for being completely unmonitored. Thanks for watching!
The Rage Room was probably a smash glass and other items place… looks like it was originally a foot locker.
Ahh that makes sense! I also missed the foot locker part, nice catch. Thanks for watching!
He moved to Berwick, and went to jail for setting fire to the building he was using after a dispute with his father.
i cant believe you can still just walk around in there like that, I would love to do that, but its to far away.
You might not have one quite this dead around you, but I bet if you look around you’ll probably find one in pretty rough state that you could check out. Thanks for watching!
You have to add more coins!!!
I am actually amazed that there wasn’t more damage in there. You would think that there would be graffiti or other damage
I didn’t even think of that! Now I’m curious too why there wasn’t a bunch of damage. Thanks for watching!
There's some issues with Skateboarders starting to show up...
Imagine how creepy this place is when the sun has set and it starts getting dark.
So, parking lot is actually ok lit. It's dim and quiet on the inside and if it rained, you hear water leaking. Cold. After it reopened when the COVID closings were lifted in 2020, you could hear the kiddie rides from the other end of the mall. Freaky quiet.
I’ve thought about how creepy it must look at night!
I worked at the KB Toys store that was there in 2003 and it was still hopping then, but went down after that. So sad.
I heard it was around that time that things started to go downhill pretty fast. Around the times Ames closed is what I’ve been hearing. Does that sound about right?
@@IanMartinExploration yes KB Toys closed in 2004, another store or two before then and after that it ran down hill.
I'm uncomfortable by the silence just from watching this video at home. I can only imagine what it was like to be there in person. It probably wasn't very safe to be there without security, although if parents can bring their kids to the play place maybe the surrounding neighborhood isn't bad.
I wish I could have conveyed the feeling of the silence with the cold more. It made for such an eerie feeling. Thanks for watching!
It was safe. Area around it isn't a trouble area.
This is a rural area. There's no serious crime here to be afraid of, to be dead honest. The only real crime we have is domestic issues and the very rare spat of violence caused by people from out of town passing through here. This region is very much like the mall; just a long corridor of nothing connecting other important places. We're simply too remote for the troubles of the outside world to have found us. We never even had a major COVID spike here compared to the surrounding counties, that's how disconnected we are.
I used to shop there early 2000's attending Bloom U
Geisinger hospital, located in Danville, has offices in there. That’s probably why the place is still open
Gone as of 2020. Remoted everyone.
Oh yeah, covid.
"RAGE ROOM?" Isn't that one of those places where you put on a pair of safety glasses and smash out your inhibitions? And the BON TON....they used to be headquartered partially here in Milwaukee in the BOSTONS STORE Department store downtown...liquidated in 2018...but they do have a small website that you can buy from.
I believe it was called pub 80. Another restaurant in the mall
The way I judge whether a mall is truly dead is the food court. If the food court still has some open businesses serving food then it’s not quite dead. When the last few remaining businesses serving food close down then a mall is truly dead.
If this mall has mall walkers then that’s a sign the area is relatively safe.
To the creator of this video I have a couple of suggestions when making a dead mall video. Try to get a decent background history of the mall including pictures or video clips of it in its hey day and explanations on why it failed(crime, competition from new malls, etc.).
Lakeforest in Gaithersburg, MD please!
one of the best dying malls i have ever seen, it is creepy, sad and something like the backrooms.
The "my town" establishment that was there litterally was the backrooms.
I’ve never understood why there hasn’t been more repurposing of these malls. Seems they’d be natural for schools, community colleges, technical schools, community centers, medical services, shelters, drug treatment centers, low security prisons, migrant processing centers, etc. They’re basically just space and infrastructure, so they’re empty due to lack of imagination.
Last inline store, the Bounce Plex, is closing on March 27th.
It was only a matter of time. Does it just go completely empty inside now until the outside store leases expire?
@@IanMartinExploration I have no information about that, I will let you know more over the next few weeks.
That looks like a beautiful place. Sure it was in bad shape and sure it wasn't doing well financially but the idea of peace and quiet in a mall (which is very very rare for malls) is in of itself peaceful.
Check out the pines mall in pine bluff Arkansas. It's pretty dead. Almost abandoned
I’ll add it to the list in case I’m ever in the area. Thanks for watching!
@@IanMartinExploration it used to be the best place to go about 10 years ago. I'm 21 now. It used to be thriving with people on the weekends. There was always one guy with a guitar by the fountain. He always had a crowd and his guitar case was always full of tips. But sadly it all started going down hill slowly in a span of about 6 years. Cycled through management a few times. Then when covid hit, it came to a screeching halt. Now there is only 2 stores left. And here recently, part of the mall caught fire. Look up THV 11 news.
i suppose they have to finish out leases and obligations before complete close
Nearby Lycoming Mall in Muncy, PA is on its way out. It's set to go up for Sheriff Sale soon. Lycoming Mall might not be as bad as Columbia, but it's getting there. Would be glad to give you some history of the Lycoming Mall should you be inclined. Comment at my attention or DM me and I'll gladly give you what I know.
I actually filmed the Lycoming Mall right after this one, so I’ll be doing a video on it at some point here. I’d love to get some backstory/history/information on the place. Whatever you know and want to share!
@@IanMartinExploration I was born in 1992, and my mother had worked there at The DEB Shop (Maurices is now located there) for about 10 years afterwards. I’ll begin with pre-1992 history that I’ve been told and that can be verified.
Crown American’s Lycoming Mall opened in 1978 in Pennsdale (MUNCY - per the post office). Sears, Gee Bee, and Hess’s were the original anchors. J.C. Penney had relocated to the mall in the later 80s from Downtown Williamsport. Woolworth’s was located between the former Sears and current Burlington Coat Factory; and Woolworth’s was neighbored by a very popular café which of course no longer exists. Prior to Burlington Coat Factory, that space was occupied by Value City. The current CubeSmart building is separately owned from the actual mall. That space, prior to CubeSmart, was Macy’s. Prior to Macy’s, it was Kauffman’s. There used to be a UA Movie Theater in the mall. It resided where the “now former” Dick’s Sporting Goods is. This is all of the information I can recall as being told to me and not recanted from my own personal memory.
As stated, my mom worked for The DEB Shop for several years, which meant I spent a lot of time in and around the mall. The mall had beautiful water fountain features which always enthused this then young boy. Today, all fountains have been removed and some of the remaining areas have been converted into planters. The center court of the mall where Santa and the Easter Bunny hung out was a pit. Some would define it as almost like am amphitheater. The mall was always decorated brightly for the holidays, as most malls are/were. While a very young kid, I wasn’t allowed to venture very far from DEB. North of DEB Shop was Spencer’s Gifts - I spent many hours there and it was back when the merchandise was more risqué. North of that was “the tunnel” entrance where we enjoyed making the automatic doors open and close. North of that was Walden Books (now American Eagle). That was about as far as we were allowed to venture without supervision. I also spent many hours in there. There are some blank areas in my mind from that point north, but as best as I can recall, there was a smaller “The Wall” (later on known as FYE) store and some other stores which made up the former Woolworth’s. Champs Sports was north of there as well as a Rue 21, a Friendly’s restaurant, and then Sears. Across the way from Friendly’s was CVS Drugstore which had both internal and external doors. Next to that was RadioShack. There was a mom & pop store next to that for several years. Subway was after that shop. Turning left down the hallway from Subway, there was not much of anything there during my childhood (at least on the left side). Once you reached JC Penney and turned around to go down the other side, you’d encounter Sovereign Bank (one of at least 2 full-service banks that the mall had - the other was M&T). There were other assorted ATMs throughout the mall, and even a drive-up one in the parking lot in the area of what is now Ollie’s (the former Toys R Us). Next to the bank is WNEP-TV 16 ABC, next to that was “Nail Trix” a fingernail painting establishment. On the corner, there was a novelty store which I believe was called “Here on Earth.” Going down the opposite side of the corridor (opposite of Walden Books) you had some other various stores up until Dino’s Pizza (which recently left the mall and is rumored to be moving to nearby Hughesville, PA). Next to or in the area of Dino’s was KB Toy - another one of my longtime hangouts. I believe there was another clothing type shop next to that. Down from there - at one point - was “Boardwalk Fries” - yes, that “Boardwalk Fries” from the beach. I don’t know how long it was there, but it didn’t last long in my memory banks (probably left around 1996). From there south, it’s a little blurry, there was (later on) a PacSun and there was a Great American Cookie store on the corner where Kay Jewelry currently is/was. Turning down to the East, you had some other retail and then some dining establishments. Elby’s (Big Boy) was once a very popular eatery. Arby’s was next to that. Regis hair salon then the steps/ramp up to JC Penney and the Susquehanna Health System Life Center - did basic blood pressure readings, weight readings, and had information on services of clinics/hospitals in the area. Down from there, a nail salon had been present - it could still be there. GNC was next to that, Payless Shoes, and another one or two smaller stores before reaching The Bon-Ton anchor. Next to that on the other side of the aisle was the larger “The Wall” (later known as FYE) I don’t recall what was located where Old Navy was located but then there was the bank - not sure what it was prior to M&T Bank but M&T has since left). Holiday Hair was next to that. I don’t recall what was next to that. After that and on the corner of the main corridor was Electronics Boutique (EB Games / GameStop). Next to that was a Yankee Candle in recent years. Next to that was a McDonald’s which was there forever and I had worked there at one point. That went out around 2008 or 2009. It was popular with Mall Walkers who would meet for coffee after walking. Next to that was a few stores, one of which I believe was Victoria’s Secret. Next to that was Boardwalk Boulevard arcade and Boulevard Pizza. I spent a ton of time and money there. That moved outside the mall many years ago into the former Off Track Betting place and became known as Hoopla’s and Longshot’s Grill. I can’t recall what was next to Boardwalk Blvd. because that was the most important thing to me there. Later in life, it was Border’s Bookstore (now BAM). The anchor there was Macy’s - Kauffman’s prior to that. In front of Kauffman’s/Macy’s was the mall’s nicest water fountain display. Until Dick’s Sporting Goods, there was nothing down the other side because of the UA Movie Theater. The theater had a small café, a small arcade, and I think perhaps 6 screens. Many would use the theater as the unofficial mall entrance. Down from there was Hallmark (just recently left), Bath & Body Works, Gertrude Hawk Chocolates, Orange Julius/Dairy Queen, Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, Brewer’s Café (later known as Brennan’s Café), and Zale’s. At that intersection was Center Court and the mall entrance to Value City/Burlington Coat Factory - another unofficial entrance to the mall. Continuing towards DEB Shop you’d find Cingular (now AT&T), Vitamin World, Claire’s, and then we’re back to DEB Shop.
Other notables (mostly outdoor): Circuit City (now Outback Roos), AC Moore, Hadany Arch, Bi-Lo Grocery (located where Big Lots is now), Gander Mountain/Gander Outdoors (now Miele Manufacturing), Grizzly (now Patton Logistics), the McDonald’s outside used to be known as Nascar McDonald’s (Nascar themed with primarily Bill Elliott garb).
In its prime, the mall hosted WNEP-TV’s Pennsylvania Outdoor Life Outdoor Expo, Car Shows, RV Shows, Boat Shows, welcomed many holiday vendors, and many other things. Today, as you’re aware, it’s gasping for air and clinging to life.
If you were to Google: Lycoming Mall fountains - you would find some good pictures of the fountains as well as the “dug out” Center Court.
facebook.com/groups/lycominghistorical/posts/1172821243177880/?__cft__[0]=AZV39w_aXzwYL2h9_CxpIg4dJ86yIKOy3gVqjUp0-tqmyCwidFcb7GWEwP5kd4pllV1AksVK9OJGEAPgvKeQ3_XMjuD3K5wyEjJtwtWVB8HyE0lFcpuvRUk5522DedIr5WRH9DBSqIVwI3eCVG1YSEuN&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
^. Some good pictures of a young Lycoming Mall
I don’t know if any of my babbling will help you, but it was nice to recant my childhood and fond memories of a place that will likely be rubble in 5 years or less.a
Wow :( I use to work in the RadioShack
Where was radio shack?
ive walked barefoot twice here. not a soul has stopped me.
After visiting there, I feel like a person could pretty much do anything they wanted. Absolutely no one seemed to care what was going on. Thanks for watching!
@@IanMartinExploration thank you for not judging what i do in a dead mall!
You are a brave soul. That floor has not been cleaned since 2019.
@@esw01407 no worries i had disinfectant wipes in my car!
Kind of surprised parents bring their kids there, but then I’m not a parent so maybe I wouldn’t understand the depth of love a parent has for their child.
The mall is in a pretty rural area, so I’m guessing there aren’t a ton of options for kids when they aren’t in school. But honestly almost anything is better than that.
@@IanMartinExploration This has been one of the common complaints among the Facebook posts about the mall and bounce plex in it closing.
Thank you for blocking my name out on the office sign lol. If you have any questions about the property, let me know
Oh nice! What a cool surprise. I’d love to know what the future plans are for the place if you happen to know and can share. I’ve only heard rumor mill ideas and can’t find anything more concrete online. Seems like so much potential, even for just the land itself if nothing else.
That is just freaky. The disembodied creepy kid's voice saying you have to add more coins.