When Malls Were King: 35 Totally Tubular Mall Moments From the 80s and 90s

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John Summers • Contributor
Oct 25, 2024 8:00 PM EDT

A few days ago, I uploaded a meme that jokingly suggested abandoned malls should be repurposed as Gen X senior homes, and to be honest, I can't stop thinking about it. Sure, it's a ridiculous notion—old malls don't have the facilities needed to function as retirement homes, but come on! Most of my fondest memories from the 80s and 90s are from those malls. Spending time with friends at the food court, feeding coin after coin into the arcade machines—the mall had everything we wanted, and we spent hours there. I want to go back!

Just think about it—are you telling me that if you had your tiny room at the top of a re-opened mall, you wouldn't spend your last days just hanging out? Watching 80s movies at the local cinema, eating ice cream with your fellow geezers, playing retro video games, and window shopping—doesn't that sound so much better than bingo night and Bible studies?

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  • 01
    Montgomery Ward TACO Häagen-Dazs
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    SEARS
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    TOYS US ONLY rebel ENTRANCE+
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    JCPenney
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    SAQL TIBAVX
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    Sam Goody HOT HOT
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    GADZOOKS 3:41PM
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    BDalton BOOKSELLER sup De Top Ten xTon Top Ten en Top Ten Ten Dispo RICCINIT Salesale Sale ale Saleal le
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    1805 B WARNER BROS STUDIO STORT
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    CARLTON CARDS ORTON CHIDS storewide CARDS FREE ба 8060 222
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    S Orange Julius
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    Baskin Robbins Ice Cream &Yogurt 豆 69¢
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    CX80 For Dark Cheerder
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    01 esale
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    imagine Bscovery CHANNEL STORE
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    Payless Kids Payless ShoeSource PAYLESS KIDS/PAYLESS SHOESOURCE 264 GRANITE RUN MALL 3/97 2nd P
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    1567 McDonald's M²
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    HOT DOG NA STICK ON
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    SUNCOAST MOTION PICTURE COMPANY- SELLIST A SUNCOAST MOTION PICTURE COMPANY
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    WHES CADINESS
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    DEXT K.56
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    30 hardcove LISA bestelle SULT Waldenbooks FE NE 40%
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    Cheezburger Image 10419921152
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    MERVYN'S BAGS&B
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    FAMOUS BARR
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    CAMELOT MUSIC
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    THE ORIGINAL COOKIE CO. 000.000 ORIGINAL COOKE
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    Shade Your spencer [ "Shade Your WEL 50 LINGERIE
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    Charlotte Russe
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    LIMITED TOO $5 90
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    MUSIC fye MOVIES 505
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Tags

1990s 90s memes retro nostalgia 80s music Nostalgia Overload 80s 90s kids 90s memory lane nostalgia memes millennial-nostalgia 1980s
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