My local mall! That area next to the four theatres was where the Woolco anchor was. The store across from the theatres was a Papa Genos. The big area in the center of the old Mountain Farms Mall had a huge free standing water wheel that spun in a fountain. So glad someone managed to video this before it was demolished.
I'll try to help; some of it has already been mentioned... :) 3:11 = Old entrance to Papa Gino's Restaurant. Had a 70s Seeburg jukebox with wall boxes at the tables to select the songs. 3:14 = Former entrance to one of the anchor spots, occupied by Woolco (until early 80s), Wholesale Depot (1992 - 1994), and the flea market. 3:16 = Former entrance to Just Fun Arcade, which was open during the early 80s heyday of arcade games through the 90s. It had an Atari Missile Command cockpit arcade machine at one point, one of only 100 made. A gem for collectors. 4:05 = The tall door with the funny point went to a bar / restaurant that was gone by the early 80s. 4:30 = The back wall with new construction was formerly the entry for Almy's department store, the other anchor. It was out of business by the early 80s as well. Like the other anchor area, it also housed the local flea market for awhile. 4:42: = The bridge which went over the pool with the water wheel, formerly on the left. The mall was already dead by the mid 80s, although they kept the ceiling speakers on, connected to a stereo somewhere on a local channel. It was pretty surreal to walk around a ghost mall with Hall & Oates playing.
I actually live in Amherst, next to Hadley and I have been going to these malls my whole life. To see what they looked like before I was born is so weird. Especially mountain farms which is actually no longer a mall, but a plain strip mall. And Hampshire which is still sorta dead, but less so after they added new arcades, bowling and go karts. The food court is completely different, I remember tho it looked like that when I was around 3 or 4.
The food court is literally just a Subway and a Korean stand now. There's the Arizona pizza, which is I believe not a chain, but that doesn't really seem to be part of the food court, it's more of it's own thing. I think there's also a candy store or something.
Hi, I'm the one who submitted the update to these malls on your website! I go to school at UMass Amherst which is nearby, and visit these "malls" all the time. Hampshire Mall, although right on the B43 (and 39, during the weekend) bus route, is quite small and dead, and Target is probably the only thing keeping customers (read: college students mostly) coming at all. JCPenney is still there, but looks like nothing else that was there then still is now. Mountain Farms is across the street and is now a strip mall, of course with a medium Walmart "anchoring". There are a variety of stores in the strip mall now, and MF does quite well because the stores there are the only stores for miles. Holyoke Mall which is about an hour away (by bus, on route R29) is still large and lively, but it is difficult for students to access if they don't have a car. I love these videos and am glad to provide updates when I can!
Pretty much. All Hampshire Mall really has going for it shopping wise is Target, JCPenny, and the movie theater there's also the Arizona pizza which I think is not a chain near the theater. They have some smaller shops, but they seem to be slowly going away, although Faces moved there from Northampton. Mountain Farms Mall is definitely a chain store strip mall. There's the Wal-Mart but there's also the Barnes and Noble, the Whole Foods, the Michaels, and some clothing stores which brings in people. There's also the pet store which was formerly Dave's (forget it's new name).
In the mid-late 80's they had flea markets on Sundays-sure wasn't dead then & yes-that waterwheel! there was also this store that sold inexpensive wooden jewelery across Papa Ginos.I really don't know how they survived so long,there was never more than say 10 people at a time there during the week,but that's what gave it it's nickname,memories....
SO much of my youth was spent at these malls...when they were malls. the koi pond & bridge in the mountain farms was cool, so was the R/C track. Hampshire had a nice fountain for a long time too. its too bad they got to the Mountain farms too late....it was all shut down . pizza hut, browns billiards, mikes speeds...AMC, now its a damn walmart :(
BTW, the reason the huge fountain was removed in the Hampshire Mall was because it used to leak very badly from the time it was put in back in 1978. Nearly flooding the nearby food court on a few occasions.
Do you have more video of the Hampshire mall? That area of the food court and dream machine is a place I spent time at as a child, and it is very sentimental to see it. There is only a few seconds at the end of this video of that area. Thank you!
near where they built walmart it used to say almy that store was either never in the mall or left after 2 years but most of the letters where there for 20+ years
I worked at the Mt. Farms Theaters for 9 years, and the Hallmark store next to Thom McCann in the Hampshire Mall for a few years. Mt. Farms was basically the theater, Just Fun Arcade and Papa Gino’s when I was there but we all knew each other because it was just the 3 businesses (and the flea market on Sundays). 💕
@@PS-zw4yc I worked there from early 1986 to late 1994. I think maybe a Chinese restaurant opened when Papa Gino’s closed? I don’t remember a Costco type place at any point. The anchor store at the theater end was a Woolco, which I think was like a Caldor or Ames, and the other end was an Almy’s, which I’d never heard of before or since lol A lot of all that escapes me after all this time except it was the best and most fun job I’ve ever had to this day 💕❤️💕
I deliver to dunkin donuts that was in the video for a bit and I decided to take a look at each place, walmart one is no longer a mall but still has evidence of when it was a mall and the other is actually still Hampshire mall, but has different anchors besides the JCpenney, the old cinemark theaters and Jo-Ann fabrics are all still there. The JCP and cinemark look so much different than the rest of the building....stuck in the mall era they were built in.
My friends took me to this mall shortly after it opened in 1973. Every storefront was occupied and it was full of people. It was a big attraction then. I watched its slow decline through the years. It was sad to see it reduced to having flea markets in it. In the end there was only the games arcade and movie theater. I don't know when it finally shut down for good. The Hampshire Mall, which basically drained the Mountain Farms Mall of all its customers, didn't do too well either. Sure it was great at the start but rather quickly storefronts went vacant or were filled with nail salons and surplus type stores. It's still going but it's a shell of its former self.
Never been there before in my life, but it looks like a decent strip mall, even by today’s standards (but with some changes). This AMC theater though was the very last in all of New England until 2014, with Assembly Row in Somerville being its first-ever AMC theater in this region since Mountain Farms. Most of the AMCs in MA however were previously operated by General Cinema, while fewer (including Boston Common) were formerly Loews Theatres as well.
The BowTie cinema in Saratoga Springs NY got purchased by AMC in April 22 so now upstate NY has it's first AMC. I only ever remember seeing AMC theatres in NYC
When was that ever an indoor mall?!? I grew up in the area and only recall that one being an outdoor open type mall. The one across was the way was indoor.
My local mall! That area next to the four theatres was where the Woolco anchor was. The store across from the theatres was a Papa Genos. The big area in the center of the old Mountain Farms Mall had a huge free standing water wheel that spun in a fountain. So glad someone managed to video this before it was demolished.
Trve
I'll try to help; some of it has already been mentioned... :)
3:11 = Old entrance to Papa Gino's Restaurant. Had a 70s Seeburg jukebox with wall boxes at the tables to select the songs.
3:14 = Former entrance to one of the anchor spots, occupied by Woolco (until early 80s), Wholesale Depot (1992 - 1994), and the flea market.
3:16 = Former entrance to Just Fun Arcade, which was open during the early 80s heyday of arcade games through the 90s. It had an Atari Missile Command cockpit arcade machine at one point, one of only 100 made. A gem for collectors.
4:05 = The tall door with the funny point went to a bar / restaurant that was gone by the early 80s.
4:30 = The back wall with new construction was formerly the entry for Almy's department store, the other anchor. It was out of business by the early 80s as well. Like the other anchor area, it also housed the local flea market for awhile.
4:42: = The bridge which went over the pool with the water wheel, formerly on the left.
The mall was already dead by the mid 80s, although they kept the ceiling speakers on, connected to a stereo somewhere on a local channel. It was pretty surreal to walk around a ghost mall with Hall & Oates playing.
i was hoping the water wheel was still there
Thanks for the memories. used to go to the movies here from 1993-1997 (attended Westfield State College)
I actually live in Amherst, next to Hadley and I have been going to these malls my whole life. To see what they looked like before I was born is so weird. Especially mountain farms which is actually no longer a mall, but a plain strip mall. And Hampshire which is still sorta dead, but less so after they added new arcades, bowling and go karts. The food court is completely different, I remember tho it looked like that when I was around 3 or 4.
The food court is literally just a Subway and a Korean stand now. There's the Arizona pizza, which is I believe not a chain, but that doesn't really seem to be part of the food court, it's more of it's own thing. I think there's also a candy store or something.
Nice work once again ,
I remember when they had flea markets here and this one booth use to sell awesome 1970s electronics !!
I
I went to UMASS in the early 90’s, thanks for this video.😊
Wow, I love these early explorations! I hope you're sitting on plenty more vintage footage. More, please!
We are! Stay tuned.
A beautiful treasure trove, thanks
Mountain Farms reminds me of some of the smaller malls Pyramid/Pioneer Corp built in the early 70's in the greater Syracuse, NY area
I worked there 77’-80’ Maintenance etc. if i recall right Pyramid bought it from monitor management.
Interesting footage. Thanks for posting this.
That mall in its heyday looked Brilliant!! ✌😎
Hi, I'm the one who submitted the update to these malls on your website! I go to school at UMass Amherst which is nearby, and visit these "malls" all the time. Hampshire Mall, although right on the B43 (and 39, during the weekend) bus route, is quite small and dead, and Target is probably the only thing keeping customers (read: college students mostly) coming at all. JCPenney is still there, but looks like nothing else that was there then still is now. Mountain Farms is across the street and is now a strip mall, of course with a medium Walmart "anchoring". There are a variety of stores in the strip mall now, and MF does quite well because the stores there are the only stores for miles. Holyoke Mall which is about an hour away (by bus, on route R29) is still large and lively, but it is difficult for students to access if they don't have a car. I love these videos and am glad to provide updates when I can!
Pretty much. All Hampshire Mall really has going for it shopping wise is Target, JCPenny, and the movie theater there's also the Arizona pizza which I think is not a chain near the theater. They have some smaller shops, but they seem to be slowly going away, although Faces moved there from Northampton. Mountain Farms Mall is definitely a chain store strip mall. There's the Wal-Mart but there's also the Barnes and Noble, the Whole Foods, the Michaels, and some clothing stores which brings in people. There's also the pet store which was formerly Dave's (forget it's new name).
i used to go to the hampshire mall when i was a kid, its still there today but now we call it the hadley mall
Yeah. Since the other mall doesn't really count as a mall anymore. It's just a large strip mall now.
In the mid-late 80's they had flea markets on Sundays-sure wasn't dead then & yes-that waterwheel! there was also this store that sold inexpensive wooden jewelery across Papa Ginos.I really don't know how they survived so long,there was never more than say 10 people at a time there during the week,but that's what gave it it's nickname,memories....
the flea market moved out in 94 and went to the old price chopper site on king street in northampton which is now baystate medical buildings
Awesome!
SO much of my youth was spent at these malls...when they were malls. the koi pond & bridge in the mountain farms was cool, so was the R/C track. Hampshire had a nice fountain for a long time too. its too bad they got to the Mountain farms too late....it was all shut down . pizza hut, browns billiards, mikes speeds...AMC, now its a damn walmart :(
BTW, the reason the huge fountain was removed in the Hampshire Mall was because it used to leak very badly from the time it was put in back in 1978. Nearly flooding the nearby food court on a few occasions.
Do you have more video of the Hampshire mall? That area of the food court and dream machine is a place I spent time at as a child, and it is very sentimental to see it. There is only a few seconds at the end of this video of that area. Thank you!
near where they built walmart it used to say almy that store was either never in the mall or left after 2 years but most of the letters where there for 20+ years
Do you have any more footage? I’d love to see it. Brings back a lot of my childhood
Specifically the Hampshirite mall
I worked at the Mt. Farms Theaters for 9 years, and the Hallmark store next to Thom McCann in the Hampshire Mall for a few years. Mt. Farms was basically the theater, Just Fun Arcade and Papa Gino’s when I was there but we all knew each other because it was just the 3 businesses (and the flea market on Sundays). 💕
There was a Costco type store briefly as well next door if I remember I remember just the Chinese restaurant the movies and the arcade at mt farms
@@PS-zw4yc I worked there from early 1986 to late 1994. I think maybe a Chinese restaurant opened when Papa Gino’s closed? I don’t remember a Costco type place at any point. The anchor store at the theater end was a Woolco, which I think was like a Caldor or Ames, and the other end was an Almy’s, which I’d never heard of before or since lol
A lot of all that escapes me after all this time except it was the best and most fun job I’ve ever had to this day 💕❤️💕
I deliver to dunkin donuts that was in the video for a bit and I decided to take a look at each place, walmart one is no longer a mall but still has evidence of when it was a mall and the other is actually still Hampshire mall, but has different anchors besides the JCpenney, the old cinemark theaters and Jo-Ann fabrics are all still there. The JCP and cinemark look so much different than the rest of the building....stuck in the mall era they were built in.
My friends took me to this mall shortly after it opened in 1973. Every storefront was occupied and it was full of people. It was a big attraction then. I watched its slow decline through the years. It was sad to see it reduced to having flea markets in it. In the end there was only the games arcade and movie theater. I don't know when it finally shut down for good. The Hampshire Mall, which basically drained the Mountain Farms Mall of all its customers, didn't do too well either. Sure it was great at the start but rather quickly storefronts went vacant or were filled with nail salons and surplus type stores. It's still going but it's a shell of its former self.
Do you have a video of the old north hills village mall from the late 1990s/early 2000s?
Never been there before in my life, but it looks like a decent strip mall, even by today’s standards (but with some changes). This AMC theater though was the very last in all of New England until 2014, with Assembly Row in Somerville being its first-ever AMC theater in this region since Mountain Farms. Most of the AMCs in MA however were previously operated by General Cinema, while fewer (including Boston Common) were formerly Loews Theatres as well.
The BowTie cinema in Saratoga Springs NY got purchased by AMC in April 22 so now upstate NY has it's first AMC. I only ever remember seeing AMC theatres in NYC
It was once beautiful.....
Going where no deadmaller has gone before... or ever will.
Should I leave the store? I'm nervous, like
This is Katie, what’s going on?
I believe this is just called Mountain farms now ??.
Oh, so 70's, and never renovated. What happened to this mall originally, before Walmart sank its fangs in?
That and Mountain Farms Mall's only anchor stores, Woolco and Almy's both went out of business a year or two after Hampshire Mall opened.
some of Hampshire Mall looks like Fingerlakes Mall
12:05-12:33 that looks like fingerlakes mall
I read online doors to Mountain Farms still exist by Panera.
When was that ever an indoor mall?!? I grew up in the area and only recall that one being an outdoor open type mall. The one across was the way was indoor.
@@melissahouse3488 1973-2001
Mall shut down 😢
🆒👍!!!!..WHAT'S LIFE IF U DON'T TAKE RISKS???!!!!!
Looks like retail is quite bad today sears and kmart have filed for bankruptcy
BUT IS IT LEGAL?