I grew up in Westminster from 1966 through 1975. On my wedding day on November 15, 1975, as a prank, our friends "kidnapped" my wife. She was still in her wedding dress and I was in my tux. They took her to this mall and I had to rescue her by paying a ransom of 100 pennies. The pennies had to come from random customers at the mall. She was handcuffed to metal gates in front of a store. The whole thing was a blast and created some great memories and pictures. It was kind of a spectacle at the time. It's sad to see how it looks now. FYI...my wife and I are still happily married with two sons and four grandkids.
That’s an amazing story! What a memorable wedding day, sounds like it was a blast and a real spectacle at the time. It’s great to hear you’re still happily married with such a wonderful family. Thanks for sharing those fun memories.
I bought my house in Westminster in 1973. When the mall opened up my property value jumped up immediately. I lived on Iroquois road right off of Edwards St. by garden grove blvd. My wife and I spent a lot of time at the mall after it opened up. The theater was the place I first saw Gone in 60 Seconds. I sold my house in 1989 and moved to the Inland empire. At the time I left the mall was still full of stores. What a shame that retail has gone online and has closed up just about all the malls in the country.
We were almost neighbors. I lived on Kiowa Rd where it connects to Cheyenne Rd. When I was about 12 years old (1966) I rode my bike up and down every street every day in the Indian Village. I had a paper route delivering the Orange County Register. I might have delivered a paper to your house!
Used to shop there back in 78-83! As a junior high student it was the place to go with your friends to meet girls! 😅. Simple times back then- lots of good normal fun.
I lived in the neighborhood south west of the mall and went to Schroeder Elementary. I was at the Westminster mall opening day. My sister worked at the caramel corn store when the food city eat in the center bottom floor, and the jewelry store. It's where I got my first girls number. Great childhood.
What a great video. I didn't remember they had plans like that for the mall. I can't tell you the last time I went inside but I've driven past in recent years. My stepmom took me when I was a child and I remember it seemed "far away" driving from The Valley to Westminster. I bought a TSR "Remember the Alamo" game and I still have it. It's one of the oldest possessions in my collection and it came from Westminster Mall! Great job, Jack.
Westminster Mall was close to where I lived, so it was the go to place. I had that same TSR game, wish I still had it. I got it from Brookhurst Hobbies, when they were a very small store at Brookhurst Way and Stanford.
Inside movie theater, outside movie theater, arcade, pet shop, kbtoy Electronic Boutique, antique shop today yesterday and tomorrow. The Westminstermall was amazing at one point. online shopping killed it all.
@NevadaJack The owner of the antique shop was always grouchy. and his stuff were always overpriced. but it was always fun walking in there. because it was always like. A trip into memory lane.
I recall having charge cards for all those anchors. Sears, Buffums, Robinsons, Penney's. I'd wander around that mall frustrated and aimless trying to figure out what Xmas gifts to buy family members.
Sounds like a classic holiday shopping experience, sounds very similar to what I would experience every year.. Those charge cards were definitely a sign of the times
Bennigan’s on the south side was THE happy hour staple in the ‘90s. JC Penney used to have a nice dedicated furniture store where you pointed out the Best Products site. Westminster actually used to feel like an upscale mall - the financial crisis of 2008 did irreparable damage from which it never recovered.
Thanks for sharing those memories! It's interesting to see how different businesses, like the JC Penney furniture store, have occupied the space over the years.
I probably spent half my life in the 90's at this mall. I went the other day for the 50th anniversary and the place sadly seems more dead than in this video, quite a few of these shops are already gone 5 months later. Out of curiosity, do you happen to remember where the locations of the Natural Wonders and Nature Company stores were in this mall? Those two stores seems to have almost no information or images of them left and I've been trying to document their former locations.
Thanks for sharing your memories! It’s sad to hear the mall has become even quieter since I filmed this video. As for the Natural Wonders and Nature Company stores, I’m not sure of their exact locations, but you might want to check with the mall offices-they could have old directories or information that could help you document those stores. Good luck with your research!
I just found out yesterday from a lady that works at Macys for 30 years, she said there are 3 owners of the property, and they cant agree on what to do with the mall, so the plans are scraped for now ,,,,the macys lady said they were told they would be there until feb 2025 she said they give them updates every 6 months ..so for now its not going to be apts, hotels ect.
Thanks for the update! It's interesting to hear that redevelopment plans are still uncertain due to disagreements among the property owners. It's good to know Macy's employees are being updated regularly, and the store will be there until at least February 2025. We'll see how things unfold for the mall's future.
@@NevadaJack the macys lady also said one of the owners has his property in a family trust....that makes for alot of problems...looks like for xmas i still get to go there...and not to so coast macys
@@sammyocgirl7411 Bookoff left because of that. The store was better at the Mall than their new location plus they played 70s music in store which flashed me back to the past. That location was once Round Table Pizza and it was across from the 4 screen UA. It’s good to know it’ll be around for a bit even though it makes me sad when I go in.
i still spend every few days here out of habit and worked at a few stores ..seeing its decline has been jarring as hell they have been saying " the mall will close next year" like the last 6 years but it always was farily consistent dead on weekdays full on weekends to the point my friends would always joke "yeah the mall is dying thats why i can't take a few steps without bumping into someone" but after last xmas idk it was like a switch was flipped what was a occasional store leaving here or there became super super common and they started to drop like flies out of nowhere ..even when i worked at hot topic my old boss said " yeah corporate says the mall is fine" as they and tons of other stores left or planned to leave ..
True, in 1992 that was the first televised police chase. KCOP's helicopter covered the chase from the Grapevine, then the other news copters joined near the end of the chase. As you mentioned, it was the birth of the televised chase.
I was a "mall rat" as a kid in the late 70's. Would ride my bike to the Westminster Mall several days a week during the summer to walk, shop, see a movie, and get free air conditioning during the hot summer. Loved riding the glass elevator. It used to have a large plank of wood that hung by strings in the center of the mall where the food court used to be.
I remember the large sting art in the center of the mall (the plank you mentioned), plus the ramps in the center of the mall. I hear you on the movies and AC in summer. Thanks for watching.
It's bittersweet, this mall was a staple growing up. Meeting friends, or just shopping on my own. Some other spots around OC where they've converted a mall area into low-income housing have caused traffic issues. We'll see what happens.
Def a bummer to see Malls go from the 'place to be' growing up to a ghost town. Sounds like they are going to make this into another Bella Terra.. hopefully revitalize the area!
The restrooms can be a challenge to find in this mall, there are restrooms located in each of the anchor stores, and the restrooms shown in the video by the food court. There used to be restrooms located mid-mall on the lower level down a hallway, but that area is no longer available to the public.
Most of these malls closing are in communities over run with Asians, Puente Hills mall is suffering the same demise, Sam's club, Costco full malls empty
Thanks for sharing your perspective. Malls in Southern Nevada seem to be holding up well. If you're ever in the area, check out The Galleria at Sunset in Henderson, NV-it’s a throwback to what this mall used to be.
Lets be real- We have a housing crisis right now- most young people can barely afford housing. Im all for using this dead wasted space for something new… With the way Southern California is designed , there will always be traffic. And Id much rather be able to afford to live here rather than have bad traffic AND not be able to live here…
I thought it was odd to have that odor especially in a high traffic area when the mall is open. Good to hear it smells fresh in that area now. Thanks for watching.
I grew up in Westminster from 1966 through 1975. On my wedding day on November 15, 1975, as a prank, our friends "kidnapped" my wife. She was still in her wedding dress and I was in my tux. They took her to this mall and I had to rescue her by paying a ransom of 100 pennies. The pennies had to come from random customers at the mall. She was handcuffed to metal gates in front of a store. The whole thing was a blast and created some great memories and pictures. It was kind of a spectacle at the time. It's sad to see how it looks now. FYI...my wife and I are still happily married with two sons and four grandkids.
That’s an amazing story! What a memorable wedding day, sounds like it was a blast and a real spectacle at the time. It’s great to hear you’re still happily married with such a wonderful family. Thanks for sharing those fun memories.
I bought my house in Westminster in 1973. When the mall opened up my property value jumped up immediately. I lived on Iroquois road right off of Edwards St. by garden grove blvd. My wife and I spent a lot of time at the mall after it opened up. The theater was the place I first saw Gone in 60 Seconds. I sold my house in 1989 and moved to the Inland empire. At the time I left the mall was still full of stores. What a shame that retail has gone online and has closed up just about all the malls in the country.
Thanks for sharing your story. If you're ever in the Las Vegas area, check out the Galleria at Sunset-an old-school mall that's still thriving
Homes in Indian Village are a million dollars now. What did you pay in 1973?
We were almost neighbors. I lived on Kiowa Rd where it connects to Cheyenne Rd. When I was about 12 years old (1966) I rode my bike up and down every street every day in the Indian Village. I had a paper route delivering the Orange County Register. I might have delivered a paper to your house!
Used to shop there back in 78-83! As a junior high student it was the place to go with your friends to meet girls! 😅. Simple times back then- lots of good normal fun.
That's great to hear! Those were definitely simpler times with lots of good memories. Thanks for sharing!
I lived in the neighborhood south west of the mall and went to Schroeder Elementary. I was at the Westminster mall opening day. My sister worked at the caramel corn store when the food city eat in the center bottom floor, and the jewelry store. It's where I got my first girls number.
Great childhood.
Thanks for sharing! It's great to hear how the mall was such a memorable part of your childhood.
What a great video. I didn't remember they had plans like that for the mall. I can't tell you the last time I went inside but I've driven past in recent years. My stepmom took me when I was a child and I remember it seemed "far away" driving from The Valley to Westminster. I bought a TSR "Remember the Alamo" game and I still have it. It's one of the oldest possessions in my collection and it came from Westminster Mall! Great job, Jack.
Westminster Mall was close to where I lived, so it was the go to place. I had that same TSR game, wish I still had it. I got it from Brookhurst Hobbies, when they were a very small store at Brookhurst Way and Stanford.
Very cool
Inside movie theater, outside movie theater, arcade, pet shop, kbtoy Electronic Boutique, antique shop today yesterday and tomorrow. The Westminstermall was amazing at one point. online shopping killed it all.
Today yesterday and tomorrow, I spent a lot of time and $$ in that shop.
@NevadaJack The owner of the antique shop was always grouchy. and his stuff were always overpriced. but it was always fun walking in there. because it was always like. A trip into memory lane.
I recall having charge cards for all those anchors. Sears, Buffums, Robinsons, Penney's. I'd wander around that mall frustrated and aimless trying to figure out what Xmas gifts to buy family members.
Sounds like a classic holiday shopping experience, sounds very similar to what I would experience every year.. Those charge cards were definitely a sign of the times
Bennigan’s on the south side was THE happy hour staple in the ‘90s.
JC Penney used to have a nice dedicated furniture store where you pointed out the Best Products site.
Westminster actually used to feel like an upscale mall - the financial crisis of 2008 did irreparable damage from which it never recovered.
Thanks for sharing those memories! It's interesting to see how different businesses, like the JC Penney furniture store, have occupied the space over the years.
I probably spent half my life in the 90's at this mall. I went the other day for the 50th anniversary and the place sadly seems more dead than in this video, quite a few of these shops are already gone 5 months later.
Out of curiosity, do you happen to remember where the locations of the Natural Wonders and Nature Company stores were in this mall? Those two stores seems to have almost no information or images of them left and I've been trying to document their former locations.
Thanks for sharing your memories! It’s sad to hear the mall has become even quieter since I filmed this video. As for the Natural Wonders and Nature Company stores, I’m not sure of their exact locations, but you might want to check with the mall offices-they could have old directories or information that could help you document those stores. Good luck with your research!
I loved when i worked at Windsor fashions. So many memories of this mall.
So cool!
I just found out yesterday from a lady that works at Macys for 30 years, she said there are 3 owners of the property, and they cant agree on what to do with the mall, so the plans are scraped for now ,,,,the macys lady said they were told they would be there until feb 2025 she said they give them updates every 6 months ..so for now its not going to be apts, hotels ect.
Thanks for the update! It's interesting to hear that redevelopment plans are still uncertain due to disagreements among the property owners. It's good to know Macy's employees are being updated regularly, and the store will be there until at least February 2025. We'll see how things unfold for the mall's future.
@@NevadaJack the macys lady also said one of the owners has his property in a family trust....that makes for alot of problems...looks like for xmas i still get to go there...and not to so coast macys
I think Pfizer owns the building next to Best Buy
@@Javiiscool the best buy and the other building is owned by a diff owner i believe its a family from what i heard
@@sammyocgirl7411 Bookoff left because of that. The store was better at the Mall than their new location plus they played 70s music in store which flashed me back to the past. That location was once Round Table Pizza and it was across from the 4 screen UA. It’s good to know it’ll be around for a bit even though it makes me sad when I go in.
I go there whenever I want to escape from reality, extremely nostalgic and with my laptop with me I can focus for hours..
That's great to hear! The mall definitely has a nostalgic charm that makes it a perfect place to escape and focus. Thanks for sharing your experience!
i still spend every few days here out of habit and worked at a few stores ..seeing its decline has been jarring as hell they have been saying " the mall will close next year" like the last 6 years but it always was farily consistent dead on weekdays full on weekends to the point my friends would always joke "yeah the mall is dying thats why i can't take a few steps without bumping into someone" but after last xmas idk it was like a switch was flipped what was a occasional store leaving here or there became super super common and they started to drop like flies out of nowhere ..even when i worked at hot topic my old boss said " yeah corporate says the mall is fine" as they and tons of other stores left or planned to leave ..
Thanks for sharing your experience. It's challenging to see how things have shifted over time.
I believe the off-ramp next to the mall was the site of a police chase ending in the early 90s. That incident gave birth to the televised car chase.
True, in 1992 that was the first televised police chase. KCOP's helicopter covered the chase from the Grapevine, then the other news copters joined near the end of the chase. As you mentioned, it was the birth of the televised chase.
I was a "mall rat" as a kid in the late 70's. Would ride my bike to the Westminster Mall several days a week during the summer to walk, shop, see a movie, and get free air conditioning during the hot summer. Loved riding the glass elevator. It used to have a large plank of wood that hung by strings in the center of the mall where the food court used to be.
I remember the large sting art in the center of the mall (the plank you mentioned), plus the ramps in the center of the mall. I hear you on the movies and AC in summer. Thanks for watching.
We have driven by this mall so many times over the years! It should be an interesting transformation! Nice tour of the mall before everything opened.
It's bittersweet, this mall was a staple growing up. Meeting friends, or just shopping on my own. Some other spots around OC where they've converted a mall area into low-income housing have caused traffic issues. We'll see what happens.
Great tour of this mall! Looks like they have some awesome plans in store..Thanks for sharing! Have a great weekend .
Growing up going to this mall it's sort of bittersweet for the transformation.
aww Nostalgia!! That Place is Huge! Thanks Jack!
That’s for sure. When I heard the mall was going to be transformed I knew I needed to get there to show it before it changes.
I still shop at JC Penney on occasion. Sadly, this will become a 15-minute city.
Thanks for sharing. It's interesting to see how the area is changing.
Signs of the time.
True, times are changing.
Wow this looks like a big mall.
It is over 1 million sq ft of space.
Dave’s Appliances used to be Babies R Us.
Thanks for sharing that piece of history about the building.
I still like this mall - SAD
Likewise, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I drive by it and thought it was closed due to almost no cars in the parking lot.
True! Most cars tend to park near the Target store.
My wife worked at Petries clothing and bought her high end jewelry at Chic Accessories!
Thanks for sharing the mall memories.
Def a bummer to see Malls go from the 'place to be' growing up to a ghost town. Sounds like they are going to make this into another Bella Terra.. hopefully revitalize the area!
Thanks for sharing. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the area.
I was at this mall in September. It was completely empty. I couldn't find the bathrooms either.
The restrooms can be a challenge to find in this mall, there are restrooms located in each of the anchor stores, and the restrooms shown in the video by the food court. There used to be restrooms located mid-mall on the lower level down a hallway, but that area is no longer available to the public.
I’m afraid of all the future malls closing 😢
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. The future of malls is definitely uncertain.
Most of these malls closing are in communities over run with Asians, Puente Hills mall is suffering the same demise, Sam's club, Costco full malls empty
Thanks for sharing your perspective. Malls in Southern Nevada seem to be holding up well. If you're ever in the area, check out The Galleria at Sunset in Henderson, NV-it’s a throwback to what this mall used to be.
Nice racist comment there buddy
man malls were the best place to meet chicks in highschool
That's for sure! Thanks for sharing that memory.
Anybody remember the name of the music store that was there in the early days?
I remember a wherehouse music store and musicland in the mall. There may have been others that came and went.
Sam goody
Sam Goody I bought Bauhaus’ The Sky’s Gone Out there in the 80’s.
Wherehouse and Musicland. I used to trade in my metal cassette tapes at Wherehouse.
John’s Incredible Pizza at this location is permanently closed
Thanks for the update and for watching the video. It's sad to hear that John’s Incredible Pizza has vacated the location.
That used to be Walden Books, my parents bought me Horrors From Screen To Scream back in ‘75 and many other books and magazines.
Lets be real- We have a housing crisis right now- most young people can barely afford housing. Im all for using this dead wasted space for something new…
With the way Southern California is designed , there will always be traffic. And Id much rather be able to afford to live here rather than have bad traffic AND not be able to live here…
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
i was there today I did NOT smell Urine
I thought it was odd to have that odor especially in a high traffic area when the mall is open. Good to hear it smells fresh in that area now. Thanks for watching.
@@NevadaJack I never smell anything in that mall...when I was in a vegas mall it smelled and looks like a lot of gang members
@@sammyocgirl7411 The area in Las Vegas varies, like any urban area there are good places and those to avoid.
@@NevadaJack most of malls in vegas are far away....that decatur mall if its still there
is scary...looks like a bunch of gang members shop there...
@@sammyocgirl7411 I think you're referring to the Meadows Mall. It's not the best area.