Voorhees Town Center (Echelon Mall)-Dead Mall With an Abandoned Macy's(I got in)-Expedition Log # 13
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
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In the thirteenth episode of the Expedition Log Series, we explore the Voorhees Town Center in New Jersey. This used to be the Echelon Mall, which was built in 1970 by the Rouse Company. The mall has a low occupancy rate, and an abandoned Macys. Come take a walk with me through this place as I talk about it's history.
The Expedition Log Series follow certain places of interest like dead malls, run down parks, beautiful backstage and front-stage of concert halls, and abandoned locations. Each episode is a featurette, and documentary on the history up until now (using any data available).
Please, also see the "Side Quest | Expedition Log Series" playlist for supplemental, and smaller expeditions to other places including vintage and promotional footage, among shorter tours of smaller places of interest.
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Music by:
Dan Mason ダン·メイソン (Used with the artists permission)
Other music provided by Non Copyrighted Music:
• Video
Ghost Story by Kevin MacLeod
(incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
creativecommon....
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#DeadMall #ExLog #Sal
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Sal Do u ever think about FREEMASONIC Agenda behind all the research u do. This country has been run forever by Freemasonry. Most of our presidents were and are Freemasons. This country is Judeochristian at all. It is MASONIC. Same with military and large corporations. Can u examine this connection. High level masons all are based on secrecies just like our government, entertainment and the militarycomplex. Also can u do investigating on VA HOSPITALS. Scariest place I’ve ever been. Went one time for a ADHD support group. It wasn’t there where I was told it would be. This wing of this hospital was totally vacant except one Nurse on one of those wedgeway machines or whatever they’re called. I was there at 7:30 at night and a total ghost town . I walked and walked and walked looking for a sign directing me to this meeting. NOTHING. Finally turned around and got lost going outside to find my car. Finally ran into a tiny security bldg with 2 security guards who were strange AF. One was resembling a woman but was a man and in male uniform. I’ll stop now. Don’t want to take anymore time. Hospitals in general at night give me the creeps. Would like u to look into these things. SEGWAY not wedgeway.
Say, Sal, how did you get into the Macy's space?
Grew up in Lindenwold NJ, went to Echelon Mall 2 or 3 times a week throughout the late 80's and Early 90's, Never saw a "Sterns" BTW, When Sears closed, the county opened a county run youth program, for troubled youths. It housed a court mandated program that served as an alternative to Jamesburg Juvenile Detention Center, offered to juvenile criminals with light records.
Walked right in. The door was wide open.
Thank you sal for helping me relive my childhood over I also worked at boscov's one of the last standing stores....thank you once again 👌
The counter that you walk toward, in Macy's, at 17:16 and approach at 17:42 was the counter that my mom worked at from approximately 1998 until she retired on September 18, 2010. She sold handbags and wallets there. I would go to see her and meet her for lunch a couple of times a week. These were the days that we could really talk without my stepfather interfering in the conversation. They are some seriously cherished memories. I knew that Macy's like the palm of my hand. My mom passed away exactly 6 years, to the day, after she retired. I went back right before they shut down, and I could see my mom standing at that counter smiling at me, just like I could see her again while watching this.
Your comment touched me. Thank you so much for sharing this memory ❤️
Malls are truly the mirror to our Lives, especially those of us who are of a certain age.
ABSOLUTELY beautiful story- glad you have happy memories of this place, and, of your time with your Mom.
Sorry to hear about your mom. R.I.P to her and glad you have those memories to cherish. I used to go here a lot with my dad and my mom. This was the place to go to. My dad passed away 9 years ago. We used to go here a lot especially inside GameStop and FYE.
You killing me smalls 😿
Thankyou for sharing 🙏💜
My parents owned the Scottos pizza upstairs. The picture in the beginning of the video with bozo the clown is with my parents. How I miss this mall. I practically grew up in the mall as a kid.
That’s amazing!!!! I couldn’t find a credit for the photo, thank you so much for that bit of history!!!
I bought a lot of slices at Scottos.
Lol used to eat at Scottos as a teen many years ago. This mall had so much great ambience bitd what a shame
I use to love going to Scotto's Pizza. Love going there when I was in CCC. Miss the Echelon.
I still dream about those slices.
So much of my life memories are tied up in this mall. I got my first job at GameStop in 2002 and worked there until 2006. I met my wife right across the way, who worked at Claire’s and asked me out one day. My mom used to drop my friends and I off on Friday nights in her minivan.
This was an amazing place, and this video gives me a real sense of sadness and nostalgia mixed together.
I’m a local from Voorhees and this video makes me cry. I still remember all the stores and restaurants in the food court. Annie Anne’s, Disney, the pet store, Spencer’s.. they had it all. I remember walking around with my mom and it being totally packed with people. It truly was a beautiful mall and now being 25 and seeing how it is devastates me. I hope they make it useful for something instead of knocking it down. I know for years they talked about making it a homeless shelter but since covid they haven’t said anything
I can't tell you what it means to me, to see this video. For over ten years, my mother and I would travel to the Echelon Mall to Christmas shop. We would spend the day, and get quite a bit accomplished. Seeing the old Strawbridge store brought back a lot of memories. The open escalators, the beautiful chandelier, those big green marble columns that lead into the men's department, it's hard to believe that it's all closed up. For lunch we would eat in the restaurant on the third floor. My mom passed away in 2016, and what I wouldn't give to go back and spend one more day with her at Echelon. Thanks again for bringing back so many wonderful memories.
@@LynxStarAuto seem a bit bitter, huh?
That's such a sweet memory thank you for sharing. Sorry for your loss 💔💔💔
So sorry to hear that you lost your mom. I know how you feel that you would give anything to spend more time. With her .Although thankfully , I still have mine, I wish I could still spend more time with my Baci ( polish for grandma) She passed in 2001. I still miss her so much to this day..
I moved to Cherry Hill in 69 ', I was 10 yrs old. I remember my older brother talking about the new Echelon Mall. My friends and I would ride 5 miles, on our bicycles , to the Mall to play pinball in its arcade.
I can't believe this is how it ended up.
It’s so sad...
I ALWAYS get a nostalgia shot when someone mentions Exhilarama. That place was amazing! Their birthday parties were awesome, too! (I attended a few before I had my 12th there).
That was my first job☹☹
Me too I remember how state of the art it was at the time too.
I moved away from South Jersey after high school. As an 80's teenager, the Echelon Mall was the Best. So haunting to see how it is today.
I worked at Echelon Mall, Shop Called East, as a teenager in the late 80’s.
Where I live now we have a mall that they turned into a community college campus rather than let it sit as an empty wasteland.
TheAggromouse Yo. How about the cool head shop in the back. I believe I bought my bong there. I loved the smell of that place!
I once heard this was supposed to be a college campus. Like, it was supposed to be what RCGC is today.
I worked at AC Moore in the late 80s
The empty Macys is creepy, it's so sad. It kinda reminds me of going into my mother's house after her death; all her things, her clothes and jewelry and perfume bottles and pics hanging on the walls, all just sitting and waiting for someone who would never return. Really sad, and the empty Macys feels exactly like that, so full of "niceness" that no one will ever see or make use of again, just going to waste.
Its strange that the former Macy's was closed down, but the door was unlocked. I'm surprised it hasn't been totally trashed and it should be reused for another purpose (looking after homeless people is a great idea) before it ruined. Great video.
Man your content is incredible, your respect and appreciation for the places you visit combined with the great filming and production makes these videos so interesting and enjoyable
Thank you!
I agree with you 100% I'm TOTALLY hooked! Sal has such respect and class for the abandoned and dead places. It's almost as if he can feel the soul of the mall and acknowledges all the souls that have passed through those places. 👌😁
So true.
Dead Malls are creepy as hell. Its creepier that even in a completely
dead mall, that mall music is still playing. Then there is the
foreboding emptiness and echo. They are also so sad.
I absolutely love the feeling I get walking through a massive abandoned mall
I like your artistic style of your videos. Really sets the mood for these types of video. The Muzak in the video is absolutely necessary along with the vintage echo's of the old commercial advertisements. Well done. This is indeed a good example of an undiscovered art style.
I agree. The music and the advertisements are almost like ghosts inhabit the now deserted wing. Love it. To me it is not creepy, just a touch of nostalgia.
Wow. I was just at the echelon mall today and even the stores in this video like Victoria secret, Payless, Claire and Adventureland are gone. Nothing is left but fond memories
I just discovered you, and I really like your quiet, smooth narrative style, and the thoroughness of your explorations, not to mention the old commercials, both in video and audio form. I've enjoyed all of your videos that I've been able to find, thus far, and hope to see many, many more! Thanks for a terrific, educational series (I never knew what "megalophobia" was, for instance, but you're absolutely right about that sense of unease). Well DONE!
Thank you so much!! There’s a ton more to come, stay tuned!
No problem there; I'm hooked! ; )
This was definitely one of the premiere malls in the area back in the day.
One of my childhood stomping grounds. I spent many many days shopping here and just walking around. So sad to see it as it is today. Thank you for the video
Loved the video man! As kid when Macy’s was still open, I wondered upstairs to the third floor with some friends. Turns out, we found a closed restaurant up there! Retro booths right from the 80’s. I did some research and found out that it was actually a popular steakhouse way back when. The fire department actually practices drills up there so Macy’s store does get some use from time to time. I have some photos of the restaurant if you’re interested in seeing them!
Those sugar cookies sold under the escalator (I forget the name, Great American Cookie Company?) were amazing. Sometimes they were ever-so-slightly under-baked, which made them even better.
There is another location of Great American Cookie Company in the Willowbrook Mall in North Jersey
Wow. I watched the bulldozers from my classroom at osage elementary school clear the cornfield for this mall. We even had a contest in class of picking a name for it. I used to walk from my house in Ashland which was part of Voorhees to the arcade with any change I had saved or buy models or 45s at SamGoody. Scottos pizza had “the” best slices ever! In the winter I’d take my Dads VW in the parking lot and do donuts in the snow then in summer skateboard or play frisbee. Dam those were good times. Thanks for that even if its a little sad but “all good things...”. 🙂
What ever happened to scottos pizza?
Thank you for that trip down memory lane.
Scottos is a franchise - they are still around, and their pizza is still one of the best. Websearch them.
Wow, thanks so much for making this video. This was my favorite of my childhood malls and I've been hoping someone would document it eventually. Seeing that abandoned Macy's was crazy; something about a place you used to frequent becoming like a skeleton of its former self is really jarring. I'm glad you were able to get in because I've been curious what it looked like ever since I heard of Macy's closure! When I used to go it was still Strawbridge and Clothier but even after Macy's took over it retained mostly the same look and layout. I was there two years ago almost to the day (it was Valentines 2016, haha) because I wanted to take pictures knowing the mall was probably not long for this world. Interestingly, though Macy's was still open and doing okay at that point, when I went to the third floor, that was completely empty. Probably exactly the same as you saw it. It was freaky. That's the closest I've ever been to being in anywhere abandoned. I love your sentiment about the chandelier too, stuff like that can't just sit there rotting, left to eventually be demolished. It's beautiful and should be transferred to a museum, like the other piece you talked about. Anyway, sorry for the long-winded comment but this mall has always been special to me and I'm glad someone did it justice. I'll definitely be checking out your other videos!
Niko Anesti are you from Voorhees? I enjoyed reading your comment actually and I did the same exact thing a year ago. I checked out the old strawbridges, though it was still open as Macy’s, and went up to the 3rd floor, seeing it being vacant and unused. Very crazy but I was surprised it wasn’t blocked off. I grew up in cherry hill, Nj and this mall definitely brings back childhood memories.
I'm not from Voorhees but I am nearby. It was very odd that it wasn't blocked off. Even the escalators were still running so I assumed there was stuff up there! I guess there was like a back room there for employees and there was a sign for them (I forget exactly what it said). Some lady even came out and walked by and didn't say a word to me or even look my way. Very strange!
Third floor had beds and mattresses for a while; then moved to first floor... After that it was customer service until they moved that to the first also. You should have walked back to the room...That was the old restaurant... It still has the booths and tables etc...
Even 20 or 15 years ago this mall was better. I remember when outside the food court to the right there was a small movie theater and a bunch of other buildings. It was a quaint little movie theater that I only saw a few movies in during the late 90's but I think it closed in the early 2000's. When I was a kid I enjoyed going to the library and then going over to the mall to walk around and sometimes buy stuff. There was a neat hobby store that was in the end next to Boscovs and it was the place that sold Warhammer 40k models(wish I hadn't discovered those and wasted so much money on that obsession but I digress). The mall was a lot of fun and the cookie store was good. I always enjoyed the place that sold bourbon chicken in the food court but have to admit that Chick fil-a was my absolute fav. The cheesesteak joint and popeyes were good too. It seemed like alot of the stores furthest from the food court died earliest. I remember going to a Thomas Kincade gallery in that section around 2002 ish. I even remember going to the travel agent down there. Its sad seeing this place go. Lots of great memories of this mall. Sure I love Cherry Hill far more but it still had its charm in Echelon.
Thank you for doing a video on this mall. I spent so much time here as a teenager back when it was the Echelon Mall. It's sad to see what's become of it but we just don't go to the mall like we used to.
It’s about time someone did a dead mall video on Voorhees Town Center, and it was worth the wait! I know Dan Bell was here once. But if he shot any footage, he probably felt the aesthetics were too generic to make a good video.
I appreciate the time you put into researching the mall’s history. You did a great job with that. But one important aspect of its current state has been overlooked. Nearly a third of the non-anchor indoor space is filled by non-retail occupants, including township and county offices. Instead of closing outright, VTC will more than likely continue to be “gently repurposed” along the lines of Blue Hen Mall in Delaware and Mountaineer Mall in West Virginia. Hopefully this will include the Macy’s building which may needs millions in repairs as May and later Macy’s put almost nothing towards maintenance.
I mentioned the Voorhees town hall moving in...but...I predict a sequel to the video in a few years where is shows exactly what you’ve said...I can see Mason turning this into something like the mountaineer mall...which I have a video coming out on soon!
Most people don't even know what exactly asthetics means.
Facade....
If I remember correctly, the demolition of the Exhilirama and small movie theater happened as the Sears and the Sears wing was built. The Exhilirama actually had a very short life. It's most note worthy thing was having an indoor rollercoaster and bumper cars. I believe there was a bank in that side too, but more parking was added to replace it, as the library has limited parking area and this was meant to serve as overflow. A year or two before the theater closed, it became a discount theater and it also ran Bollywood movies. The movie theater lost business to the Ritz cinema (now AMC) that had opened in Voorhees along Haddonfield-Berlin Rd, and had competition from Cinemark in Somerdale. The Sears wing had new flooring, but the mall owner, Rouse, kept old flooring throughout the rest of the mall, which was a sign of disinvestment. It was when the Sears closed followed by the JCPenney, that the mall really started losing a lot of stores. Rouse really was focused at Cherry Hill Mall, and Deptford Mall started to improve and stores opened in Marlton as well. By the time the boulevard was conceived when PREIT was owner, it was too late, and actually pointless that PREIT put in another type of new flooring into the downsized mall at that point.
I still enjoy going to the Boscov's at this mall, and I like the Tilt Studio attraction for the kids. I think the current foodcourt which is dying, and space in the parking lot towards the boulevard, should be converted to a new public library for Camden County, while enerjuicer and a few foodcourt choices can be moved to the second level near the LensCrafters. the macy's can be demolished for some new development as well. If it's apartment, I hope it's something different, perhaps one level with garages. I saw a nice apartment over a year ago, but this time, I had interest in a 1 bedroom and on the tour, it felt the carpet was crappy and stained in the one that was available. It left me a bit disappointed.
Found some neat old pictures on the net... Lit's downstairs inside Mall entrance and Strawbridge's court... Both were "sunken" and had plants etc.. Not sure if they had small fountains.
I've been going there since '89 or so. Loved Exhilerama , movies, hobby shop upstairs and game room etc. Food Court was mobbed.. Scotto's pizza upstairs near Boscovs. Also upstairs heading towards Boscovs (on right) was a piano store and the guy playing the organ!! Next to that was the pet-store.
Dairy Queen. Sam Goody and another record shop... B Dalton..Shoot or was it Waldenbooks??
Downstairs near Penney's was the shoe repair place... Sun coast Videos... Hermans... Demolished a few stores for the SEARS... Downstairs a plush toy store etc.. Can't remember upstairs names but there were a few in the area of the new hallway/entrance to SEARS..
Upstairs near Strawbridge's (demolished end) was the Disney Store... I think that's the name. And downstairs below it was Fannie Mae...
In 2001 I used to go to Gertrude & Hawk chocolate store a lot across from Sears on the 2nd floor. I was only 5 years old
One of the best abandoned videos and back stories on UA-cam!. Your research is spot on and very informative ! I went to this mall a few times but i mainly went to Deptford since it was closer to my town and we had a shuttle bus that use to take all of us kids and drop us off and then pick you up 4 hours later . Imagine a bunch of teenagers being dropped off at a mall in the 80’s
Thanks for the video on Echelon Mall. My wife and I moved to the Lindenwold area in 1985. We spent many hours at the mall. I remember Babbage's for computer software back in the early days of computing as well as Waldon Books. Both companies are now gone. I also remember Strawbridge and Clothier having a restaurant on the third floor. This brought back childhood memories of my parents taking me to eat at department store restaurants in the DC area (Woodies).
Across the street from the mall was an International House of Pancakes. This was one of the original A frame type restaurants with various national flags hanging from the rafters. My wife and I used to eat there often. I see looking on Google maps this is also gone. At least the Camden County Library and the small park behind it is still there.
In closing I'll say one of the things that killed this mall was the fact it was not located on a major highway. Since you had to take local roads to get there it lacked the visibility needed to attract larger crowds.
Restaurant booths and tables still there...
When I was a kid I flooded the restroom on the 3rd floor at that restaurant. My friend and I stuffed rolls of toilet paper down the toilets. Water was coming out of the doorway there was so much. I really miss those days. Love that mall.
I worked at that IHOP from '84 - '89
Great job. My whole childhood was spent shopping here. Damn shame.
publicdrunkenes ikr i remember there were chick fil a
The main reason this mall failed was because it was not on any major highway. It was surrounded by apartment buildings. The mall was hard to find. Currently, the township wants to take the mall by eminent domain and tear it down to build more housing.
It did fine for about 30 years not being on any major highway.
My buddies Mom worked in the Penney's Shoe Department late 80's. Said the Hair-Salon upstairs was originally their restaurant!!
Watched your video. I grew up directly across the street, watched the mall being built and worked at the Lit Brothers Department Store during 1970-71. The two anchor stores were Strawbridge & Clothier and Lit Brothers. Penney's and Sears arrived a few years later. What was different about the Echelon Mall was it was the first 2-story mall in South Jersey. The other two malls at the time were the Cherry Hill Mall and the Moorestown Mall. It was a very bustling mall when opened. Many of the Lit Brother customers were from the Vineland area. I worked in the Shoe Department at Lits selling Women's, Men's and Children's Shoes, then in the Men's Department. Worked and met many nice people while working there and still friends with many. When the Mall was built the community was transitioning from a farm community to a suburban community. It is such a shame the busy revenue generating facility has become a ghost town.
I loved the Echelon Mall as a kid. Thanks for creating this video. It brought back some memories especially at Strawbridges!
This mall was my teenage hangout in the 1970's. Along with the Moorestown and Cherry Hill. Good times.
Right thats it, got the beers in and it's a binge watch! You are so obviously well educated and well spoken, love it!
This was the place to be as a kid in the 80s I have so.many find memories of my childhood there.I used to hit the arcade outside which was across from the movie theater.Also Sam Goody and Wall to Wall Sound were my spots too as well as Scotto Pizza.Really miss those days.
jerry s 70s for me. Buying records and eating scottos pizza. Heaven. 👍
Sir, I stumbled across this video while watching Dan Bell, Ace’s Adventures and Dead Malls and saw that a video regarding Voorhees Town Center (I never liked the name and kept calling it Echelon) was available. I never saw any of your work before, but I was HIGHLY interested when I saw the date of the video. Being that I’m a former southern NJ resident who rode past the mall every day for thirteen years (NJ Transit, 1999-2012) I had always wanted to see how the transformation by PREIT turned out, especially since I moved to Ohio in 2013.
What I regret is never, EVER going into the old JC Penney wing before it was torn down; I remember either in late 1999 or early 2000 when walking through the mall for the first time I walked past the Macy’s and turned the corner and looked. I can only faintly remember that the corridor was beautiful, had a lot of natural sunlight and plants and not much else. I had this wierd feeling like I felt that I was trespassing, so I returned to the main wing.
I saw the construction of the Sears, but NEVER went in - I regret that as well. Despite Echelon being my “neighborhood” mall, it was only a place to purchase office attire, grab toiletries at the CVS (closed around 2008 or 2009 I think? It was where the family resturant place was just off of the food court) and then quickly eat a slice of pizza or a pretzel before running out to grab the bus. The food court was really good though: chinese, Chik-fil-A, two pizza places, frozen yogurt, a Subway, a hot sandwich stand…but after Exhilerama closed, stores just started disappearing.
I gave up on Echelon around 2006 and went to Cherry Hill Mall (bought my first Apple products there) and Deptford Mall now and then for kicks. Cherry Hill was a behemoth that expanded like a virus; if I ever go back to NJ I want to see CHM one more time. Deptford was always a wierd experience for me but in my mind it was Echelon’s replacement. My job was in Philadelphia and three blocks away from my childhood mall (the Gallery at Market East), but…yeah, it was the Gallery.
Anyway, thank you for the video.
Hey Lone Wolf! Thanks so much for watching! I’m also an NJ native, and frequented Echelon as a kid. There are a wealth of malls that I visited all those years ago that I wish I had pictures of. I would pay a hefty sum to have just one fully functional and occupied mall with the original aesthetic.
It may be Upper Valley Mall of Springfield, OH if you ever come out to SW Ohio (if you do, hurry, because the mall has been dying for years and the JC Penney, Macy’s and CVS left, leaving only a Sears and a few of Mom & Pop’s). I would have said the Gallery at Market East, but now that Gallery I is getting it’s face lift I’m not sure. I’m at a loss for original aesthetics availability in southern NJ or the Philadelphia region, sorry.
I was actually out in Ohio filming a few times. Lots of great locations coming up on the channel!!
So many memories in this mall. From running around with my friends, working there late nights. Met my best friends in that mall!
I absolutely love this mall.
Even in its glory years of the 70's and 80's, this mall had a high turnover rate and more vacancies than you would expect. It wasn't a surprise that it finally collapsed financially.
This is such a shame!
In 1975, I went there with some girlfriends from Glassboro State College to buy Christmas gifts for my parents and siblings. I bought my mother a stoneware soup tureen with underplate, ladle, and lid. (I wish I could remember which store it was bought at.)
Your videos are great, the feeling it portrays. The emptiness and grandness of the Macy's.
Loved the video of echelon mall. I grew up in this area and hung out at that mall with my friends and went to the movie theatre. I live in England now and showed this to my kids especially strawbridges as I used to work there when I was in college. I sure hope they don't tear it down. This mall has a special place in my heart!
Finding this video makes me cry. I remember this was the mall to go to. Exhilarma, West Coast Video, Hall of Heroes. Movie Theater that cost $1.30 for movies. Food court was great, cookie place right next to it. So much bigger back then. Now its just nothing.
They routinely leave the door to Macy’s cracked open with a fan to air the place out. It wouldn’t surprise me if that’s how Sal got in but I wouldn’t have the balls to do that!
The Cookie Store finally closed... Downstairs near the escalators. I was talking with the owner of the cell-phone case kiosk. He said the Mall owners wanted them to sign a ten-year lease... everyone thought they were crazy so they settled for five. But the cookie owner said "no thanks" and closed up. They were there a long time. The cell kiosk owner didn't even want five... Told them with the way things are looking, a year to year would be best. But they wouldn't budge so he signed the five....whether the place makes it or not...
fingers1945 well that is not very bright.
That was my favorite part ):
That seems excessive, to force stores to sign a lease longer than they'd prefer like 10 years, 5, etc. Too bad they didn't allow stores the option of doing a year to year one, if they'd prefer.
Sadly I bet this quietly happens behind the scenes of a lot of other malls, and behind the scenes is sadly pushing away stores from struggling malls. IMO, they should allow stores to do a year to year one, if they'd prefer. But that's just me. Hopefully that cookie business, found a nearby shopping center not far from this mall to relocate to.
Fantastic stuff! I remember when this mall had tons of traffic all year. Things seemed to had changed overnigt. Now mixed use. Lots of residential demand in that area.
I remember the exhilarama!
I used to hang around the library across the street when I was just another broke college student. I remember taking the 403 and stopping by the Chick Fila A for a meal, nearly every time, before stepping foot into Vogelson. Those were some very depressing times but they still made up a good chunk of my final years as a teenager.
Grew up going to this mall at least 2x a month. Really nostalgic stuff!
Went here after 4 years 2 months ago to find it completely empty. This video makes me oddly happy, seeing it taking it's last breaths.
I need to pay it another visit soon
Your voice is the best for these types of videos. My boyfriend is from this town, I think we went here looking a tie for a wedding we were going to.
Hey thank you!!
Sal: Your video-tours of these abandoned malls are the best. You do your homework and provide valuable commentary on what once was, is and might have been for these "mallsoleums." Thanks for sharing these. Peace.
I appreciate the historical research you provide...gives a great background for the content. I especially enjoyed the Atlantic City log...I will go back to that log and post my thoughts and recollections. Since I live at the Jersey shore, I am especially interested in malls and locationsin the metropolitan area and more so places I have frequented.
"Vacancy inspires imagination" XD
I second! ;P
The problem is they have no imagination.
This sounds vaguely Orwellian.
I've just started watching your videos on all these malls and in this one you say something about empty malls being sad yet calming when seeing something like that chandelier/lighting up above...I totally feel that exact same thing. I've always be intrigued and freaked out by large empty spaces but something always draws me to it out of a huge curiosity. I love that creep factor. Your videos are awesome...I love it...thank you!!!
Hey thanks so much!!!!
Those of us that were lucky enough to live in the "Mall Eras" were truly fortunate. That true Mall experience growing up gave us a safe transition to independence. Its depressing to see a great era gone......I shopped at Echelon, Moorestown, Burlington Center and learned about what things cost and how to earn money to get what I wanted......the Burlington art, the boy on the elephant, is at the Burlington City waterfront thankfully
❤❤❤ all the history & information. Thank you. Great video😊
Thank you!!
I used to go to this mall all the time with my parents, family and friends. It holds a very special place in my heart and I was there when Hall of Heroes was still there with GameSpot right behind the food court.
Thank you for the megalophobia comments around minute 17. Mall history is important, but I also love descriptions about what being in the place actually feels like, in this type of videos.
I pretty much grew up in this mall. Back when I was a kid, the mall was so vibrant and very packed. I remember going into Macy’s with my grandma. I remember riding the stuffed animals a few years back with my sister. And I will never forget going to Chick-fil-A every week with my grandpa. I even had my 6th birthday party in tilt studio and now when I walk into the mall today, I look inside where tilt studio used to be and all I see is emptiness, which hit me right in the heart. It’s sad that this mall is falling apart now. This mall was my childhood.
Look forward to your next video. Great job on the history and present troubles facing the mall.
Thanks Blog Man! The next one is a mall that I’ve been looking forward to filming for a long long time...stay tuned!
Your research is amazing. Keep up the great videos.
Thank you!
One thing I'd like to add is that I find the information about these malls...their past and present has made me see them in a new and different way that makes it a little more depressing but fond memories!! Thanks!!
There was (maybe still is?) a nice library across the street from it. Loved that library and mall.
Yes still there.
Last time I was there (about a month or two ago) the library was still there
Yep, the Vogelson Library is still alive and kicking.
Ahh the library - Yes Mom I just need to go to the library.. Right across the street from Exhilarama!
Thanks for sharing your tour of Voorhees Town Center, especially the visit inside the former Macy's. When Strawbridge & Clothier opened suburban locations, they had a distinct architectural style that even Macy's couldn't destroy. It's still there, from the center location of the escalators, to the black and white tiled floor throughout the building. Even without seeing the Seal of Confidence, there are so many unique details that make that structure undeniably Strawbridge's, a company that, until the early 90's, really dominated the Philadelphia retail market. I don't see much of a future for Voorhees Town Center, but the Boulevard outside the mall seems to be thriving. Retail is trendy, and as someone who grew up in the seventies and eighties, it's hard to believe the once powerful shopping mall era has come to a close. Thanks again for documenting this and other mall experiences.
No matter where we live in the US, we all have a local mall or two we have fond memories of. In my communities in Northern NJ, we've been lucky. All the malls we know and love from our childhoods, continue to do well. However, sadly that is not the case in many areas of the country. We see many examples of current malls in the US in dire straits just desperately trying to find a way to survive another day. While other malls tragic fates already sealed. For the obvious reasons, the situations on hand are mixed shopping bag of incredibly tragic modern day stories from the economic impact from superpowers like Amazon and Walmart resulting in malls dying only to find new birth as the rising stars of the various sorts of Dead Malls Series popping up on youtube all the time. Damn. Gives a whole new meaning to; "I Miss the 80's." Anyways, thanks for the mall tour. Subscribing now.
Thank you so much for watching. There is much more to come...many that are incredibly sad, and some that have been repurposed into something interesting. Regardless, amazon and others seem to be coming, and I want to preserve what I can before they’re all gone.
Hey. Thx for the response. I enjoy watching your series and I'm happy I subscribed. I agree with your opinions on our malls in US. These beautiful landmark structures are vital elements of our communities. For so many obvious reasons. While corporate giants like Amazon and Walmart do have a role in our customer retail market to say our malls have no relevance in our society is completely absurd. If we allow our malls to fall so senselessly, the impact from the aftermaths will be felt in many various ways across our county. There is a place for all types of retailers for continued growth in all areas. A nice balance is key. I hope our neighbors begin to embrace this mindset again and visit our local malls and show a little love. Before it's too late to save one of our beloved staples of the American way of life.
Love all your background information and the history of these malls that you provide - I just discovered your videos. All in all, everything in life changes and nothing ever stays the same as new technological advances come and people and their families come and go and tastes/lifestyles change. It would be awesome if someone made a national mall museum - these old malls are part of our country's history and they should be remembered.
I love this idea!
You did such a great job with the history! Loved this video. I’m a Voorhees resident and really want great things for this place. Thanks again for such interesting content!
i've watched many dead mall videos and i have to say that yours are top notch. inside the Macy's with the heavily echoed bgm and your great commentary...awesome....even Neil deGrasse Tyson should think so.
I have a *ton* more content on the way too. Thanks so much for watching!!
Sal, this really good stuff. I really like your narration, footage and your new side films. You should have a lot more subscribers but I think it will happen. I started following Dan Bell when he only had 20k subscribers.
Wow! Another awesome video Sal! Too bad on the Macy's pulling out. I was raised in Canada. It would be so cool if you got up there and found some history on the Hudson Bay Company (What we fondly called "The Bay"). They were much in line with the quality of what you'd find at Macy's. They closed down back in the early 2000's I believe. I'm sure there are Malls up there with abandoned Bay Stores as well as the other defunct Canadian Dept. store called "Woodwards". So much history for you to explore! Loving your videos Sal! I'm loving it! 💕
Watching this brought back so many fond memories. I loved going to Echelon mall, as a child, teen and an adult, even more then the more local to me Deptford mall. I had loved Exzilirama and hated that it closed. I used to love going to the IHOP which if I recall had been right across the street. Sadly that closed. Seeing the mall change was awesome and sad at the same time. Thank you so much for making and sharing this.
Thank you for this video of the mall. My Mom and I raised my boys in that mall. She is now bedridden from massive stroke but still thinks we are going to mall to shop. It saddens my heart it is now just a memory.
You are the first to do this mall. Thank you!
Such a great mall!!
watching this while sitting in the echelon mall lol
I miss Boscov's! We had one in our mall some years back. I forgot about the great neon signage.
another great video, the amount of effort you put into your work is appreciated
Sal your attention to detail and research is second to no one. When you mentioned the homeless I too had thought of that. Or instead of building a new school you could convert these.
I grew up and down the street from there. This is back in the 70's. I went to the movies a lot there. Saw Saturday night fever there. Haven't been back that I'm all in years-I think 1987 was the last year was there. Thing's have really changed.
Sal you the man with these videos ...i always thought i was weird to be interested in dead malls and what they once where and fallen on bad times but its awesome to see other are into it also keep it going
I’ve got a ton more to show you!!! Make sure to sub and ring the bell, stay tuned :)
Done all that bro right after i saw your video for the 1st time....i also love the research you do other channels similar is here is a dead mall enjoy...but you do your homework × 100 thanks
Thank you!!!!!!!!
I love how the have the speaker ads going full blast with 0 people in there
Dis the security guard tell you why they didn't want you to film the elephant statue in other video
Thanks for the video! I remember this being a great mall when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s. Hopefully they can bring in some good stores so people will come here again.
Sad!!! Was in this mall all the time. When they had Collectables/ Baseball Card shows I'd spend the weekend there. Haven't been in there since 2004 when I moved to Myrtle Beach. Food court was awesome!!!!
I remember when Exhilarama opened! It had an INDOOR roller coaster and virtual reality helmets. Such a cool spot for us in the 90’s. I remember the car audio store we always went in too. Food court was always kinda small. This was part of the 3 malls we all went to in the area. Deptford Mall, Echelon Mall, and Cherry Hill Mall. Seems so long ago.
Downstairs in the old Penney's wing on right was another cool store... F.W. Woolworths.. Small one but still classic. Can't remember exactly what year it closed... I'd say 95ish.. Wish I had taken pictures...
My pop used to take me there to buy X-men figures. They were cheaper there than at the KB Toy store.
It is kind of weird that there are more people at a Wawa store than are at the mall. Here in Atlantic County we have the Hamilton Mall and it is going through a similar fate. On a recent visit we noticed that there were more people at the Wawa store close by than were at the mall. We recently went to the movies at the theater across the way and seen a similar situation. There were hardly any one there. I wonder how these bussiness are able to keep operating when they are only making a couple of hundred dollars a day.
It is sad for me to see this slow death of stores that were so important in my life. It looks to me like it is just a matter of time before most of the stores close up for good and the mall will just be in our memories.
Love the vintage commercials too.
I lived in Somerdale 91-92 in green valley apartments 17-18 years old and in that short time i had a lot of fond memories hanging out in this mall. I remember scottos pizza, sam goodys for sure. But what completely floors me is that Boscov's is still freekin' there! Wow. Hey thanks for the small but very valuable memories on this one. Say can you please find out info on the South Shore mall in Pleasantville, NJ, the Hamilton Mall in Hamilton township NJ and The Ocean One Mall in Atlantic City, NJ its actually a pier mall in A.C. NJ. Thank you all for the video and folks that commented that grew up here.
Does anyone else watch these dead mall videos at night in a dark room on an iPad with headphones on i feel like It puts me in the action I can't explain it but it's a good feeling
Kind of puts you in a trance. ASMR like. I live near this mall. Great job Sal. 6 of the stores shown as open are now closed But Boscov is still hanging on. So sad.
Great video......! I ran around that mall as a kid and worked there when I was 17.....I’m 61 now....where the food court is used to be outdoors...there was a Baskin Robins and a barber shop there to...and across the way on the end near the movies was a video arcade with air hockey 😝....those were the days.....I saw someone else mention A Shop Called East.....Spencer Gifts was cool too 😎
Yes, the cinema was a general cheap one, but around 1995 it became a very cheap theater with months old movies and gigantic popcorns that could be refilled.
Some older kids robbed me of $40 outside the big arcade that was next to the movie theater. My parents didn't take me back much after that.
you always make your vids so interesting with your knowledgeable voice-overs...just discovered your channel a short while ago and I subscribed right after watching the first vid! love your content so please keep it up!
Thank you so much!! Research and preparation are 80% of my content, I’m glad to hear it isn’t going unnoticed or under appreciated! Much much more to come!
I remember Echelon Mall’s opening. Comedienne Phyllis Diller owned a flower store there and made an appearance. My mom later worked at an insurance company down the street and was a regular in the food court. I remember having lunch with her in the restaurant on the top floor of Strawbridge’s. Also liked hanging out at the bar in the mall.
I think this is the first mall to die twice if i ever seen one. The death of the early 2000s was saved by PREIT, the mall wouldve folded by 2010 if left unchanged in 2006, they managed to fill what was left up of the mall and while it was considered “dead” from 2007-2017, it is nothing compared to the death that has been happening since 2017, and its gotten worse with the redevelopment talk stalling and pandemic. This mall wont become abandoned, due to it being too surrounded, its literally the center of a sprawling complex. This place conflicts me, I dont think it wants to die and the town doesnt want it to either
Sal, you need to come to Winnipeg and check out Portage Place, the aesthetics are very 1987, lots of pastel, neon, checkerboard, coloured tiles, chrome railing, a large working fountain, and more..
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Hey Kurt! Boy, I’d love to head out to Winnipeg to film this mall...but it’s a bit far...maybe one day!!!
Wow
I really appreciate the time and effort you put into your research on the malls you cover. Was sent over from Aces Adventures, love it. Thank you.
Your videos are well put together, I am enjoying the history behind your projects. Subscribed, and here for the ride :)
Omg I live less than 5 minutes away and also grew up in it so thank you for doing this video
I lived in Cherry Hill for 11 years from 1979-90, I grew up in that mall. It had a movie theater, an arcade, 2 music stores, one of which you can rent movies. Childhood memories.