Dad Says Goodbye to Century III Mall 

I used to work at Kay-Bee Toys starting in 1986. The 80's were Century's hey-days. I met Richard Simmons when he came to the mall, as well as Mr. Mcfeely, and Debbie Gibson. I remember taking the 'Pepsi Challenge' near the escalators at the food court, and trying on the leather coats with the chain locks on them at Wilson's. Pappens restaurant was 2 doors down from Kay-Bee, Uncle Lou used to always stop in and give us silver dollars. "Chick-on, chick-on, chick-on...and you gunna like it". Those were the days Dad, I'm in mourning to. Rest in peace old girl, you will be missed.

"Funeral attire= Black dresses, Black suits, and Home Steelers Gear"

"They're closing dahn Penny's - that was the last sign of life." --- Whenever JC Penny's goes, that really is the last sign of life for any mall. The 80's and 90's were classic times for sure.

Anybody remember the Century III Chevrolet jingle? "Lebanon Church Road Piiiiiitsburgh..."

I don't think anything was more uniform across America than the "80s mall experience" - literally you could walk into any mall in America and everyone was listening to the same Michael Jackson album, wearing the same clothes, drinking the same soda, a glorious time. Many of them had the same architecture inside too. And the fountains, loaded with pennies, nickels and dimes. Marble pyramids kids would slide down when bored. I remember there was some creepy slime toy they sold at KayBee Toys it was in a little plastic garbage can and totally freaked me out as an 8 yr old. I can smell it in my minds eye.

I poured out a bit of Iron City for the Century 3, may it forever live in every yinzers memories..

In their later years, this was a day out on the town shopping when mom would make dad drive them to Century 3 from Canonsburg. Not sure she ever spent more than $10, but it was their time to 'bond' walking the mall during their 50+ yrs of marriage. May all 3 rest in peace.

I met Greg, Peter, and Cindy Brady at Century III after they judged a Pittsburgh talent show there. I think Pittsburgh History, as told by Pittsburgh Dad, would be a good segment to the channel.

Loved this damn mall growing up. So many memories. Such cool architecture that reminded me of the early 80's malls that don't exist anymore. Kids these days will never know the joy of hanging out at the mall. 😥

A part of us all will go away with that mall. Those were the days. I'm from Uniontown, that was considered a big out of town trip when I was a kid.

I love Pittsburgh dad he is hilarious

I was walking by my house today when I came upon a Pittsburgh dad working on his house today hollering to his kid, " Hey where you at". Sounded just like Pittsburgh Dad! 😁

I hope I'm speaking for a lot of people when I say, "Thank you. Thank you for setting up, putting on, or putting up with the happy years of the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and early 2000s." They were simpler times, better times. R.I.P. Century III Mall. So many memories...

I remember when that mall opened and it was such a big deal to go there. Makes me really sad. Part of my childhood gone.

I remember being so afraid of heights as a small child that I had to walk as close to the stores as possible so that I wouldn't have to see over the balcony. What a wonderful, traumatic experience it was.

Worked in Century III myself in New Dimension Comics for many years after they moved downstairs. Sad to see it finally go, but man watching it slowly decline from the inside was even worse.

I loved Century Three Mall. Thanks for the memories. Now the slag dump! We used to drive to it to watch the slag being dumped. It was wonderful! Farewell, Century Three!

I remember when Century III was new. It had Cutlery World. It had a glass elevator. It had a multi level parking lot so you could never find your car. It had a play area with giant concrete turtles. It was a vision of the future. Until in the mid to late 1990s, the when future went around a bend in the road and didn't look back.

I practically lived in that mall when I was in high school. The first solo trip I made after getting my driver’s license was to the mall; I bought a Rush cassette. I loved that place and have so many great memories. The flashbacks I’m experiencing now are overwhelming. 😞

The shoutout to DEB was great. I used to manage the DEB shop in our little mall. The Century III store was one of our sister stores in my district. I even got to go help with a remodel there. Happy memories!

My Parents LOVED Century III We had babysitters! Yinz could put us kids in Camelot Music for Hours! National Record Mart NRM would watch us...This one Indian Lady had a store and she LOVED Us! They all knew our parents and they knew us kids were no problem at all! We had Spencers entertain us, most of my lighting came from there. Sadly after the Renovation in the 90's it was pretty much going away. I still have a Black Fringe jacket I got in 1992.

I loved going to Century III at Christmas time, they always had it decorated so beautifully. I bought knives at Cutlery World, I bought a leather jacket at Wilson's, I bought some of my favorite pipes from Ron at his Tinder Box store there. Infact the main reason I went there usually was to go to the Tinder Box for pipes and tobaccos. After we left the mall we would hit the Red Lobster or go down Curry Hollow Rd. to The Baltimore House for steamed crabs and beer. Best mall I have ever been in and I have missed it terribly. Nice Pittsburgh Dad tribute to a gone but never forgotten mall.

My dad was Santa at the mall in the mid 80s. some of yinz prolly have that old picture somewheres

I had my last piece of pizza from Italian Village right before they closed a few years back. Mission complete 👍

Can't forget the old Cutlery Store under the foodcourt and across from the pet store! I still have a Katana sitting around somewhere that I bought from there when I was 16. The store clerk was like "your parents OK with you buying a sword?" Uh, sure. SOLD!

I broke my jaw when I was 8 & had it wired shut all summer so when the doctor asked me what I wanted to eat for the first time in months I said a gyro from Sparta hut in century 3 mall

RIP to my childhood 😭😭😭😭😭😭

That is were I hung out when I was in high school. It will be missed.

Im going to miss this mall

I’m gonna miss century 3. I was little when it was still packed but I miss the days when I could see Santa, ride the carousel, and all kinds of other things as well. RIP CENTURY 3 MALL

I remember back during the early/mid-2000’s they had a carousel out by the fountain and elevator and then there was a disney store too. Good golly time flies.

What a classic "Deb, Deb, Deb, Deb, no Deb I'm not yelling for you I'm telling the children where you worked, the store that your mother worked at was also called Deb"

I'm south of Uniontown so Century III wasn't a regular stop for me, but myself and my cousin would make a few trips a year up there (especially around Christmas) to hit up the larger selection of stores, then make a stop at Best Buy before we left the area because we didn't have one in the area. My one friend and I would go up together too and always go to the KFC in the food court and order loads of honey bbq wings and gorge ourselves stupid. I still remember the first time I listened to the entire Slim Shady LP was on a return trip from Century III. The mall may be gone, but the memories will last forever.

Thank you PD for a wonderful tribute to the greatest mall ever to be built on a slag field! What a walk down memory lane you took us on. Friday nights at the mall, hanging out at the food court! Sad to see a piece of my past going away. Great video!

It's about time.. we pay homage to the water fountain, glass elevator, and dairy queen. all true pittsburgers understand! went there for a field trip in 7th grade (knoxville middle school.) years down the line my kids (who are now 26-24-21) had their only picture with santa there, many memories. monroeville and south hills village never cut it for me..even tried to shop ross park in my late teens, nope.

Spent many a day there as a teen. Those were the days!

I bought an awesome Japanese themed chess set from that tobacco shop back in the early 90's that I still own. I spent many, many happy moments of my life at Century III, including my sons Christmas photos just a few 2 years ago.

Century 3 was legendary, especially if were a kid in the early 80s straight for the arcade 🏇

I met Bill Cardille there in maybe 1981 or 1982, and I'd go to the hobby store down on the lower level. That's where I bought lead figures, including the Demogorgon, as seen in the first episode of Stranger Things.

Sad day. All kidding aside.. thanks for putting this video up Sir.

Italian Village had the best pizza and you can fight me on that.

Damn, I just got really sad.

At one time there was no place like that.Even as a 40+ adult I enjoyed going there myself on Friday evening and going to food court and just relaxing by myself

Wow. Century III Gone. That hurts. Back in the day it was a huge deal for me and my friends to to shop there. We were from the suburbs and wanted to shop in the big city mall. They had better stuff than the local mall. I remember it being crowded all the time (back in the late 80s early 90s.) You had a time limit to sit and eat in the food court, especially on a weekend.

Used to work in "The Dough Boys" in the Food Court. Fried bread dough, funnel cakes and deep-fried pierogies! Penney's charge card. Leather jacket on layaway at Chess King. Truly the end of an era!

Thank you Pittsburgh dad put a smile on my crap day.

We need more history lessons by dad

R.I.P. Century III MALL. I Use to love it. Pick up Girls. Those were the days. 💯💯💯💯

The mall used to put on the best Christmas decorations during its heyday

Who remembers the smell when you walked past "Wilson's Leather"? I always wanted a red Michael Jackson "Beat It" jacket...and then a black leather Bon Jovi jacket with the fringe, but never had the cash! I also just happened to be there that day & saw Richard Simmons "Sweatin' to the Oldies" LOL!! There was always something fun going on there! Oh well, thanks Century III for a lot of great memories & RIP - we all miss what you once were! 😢

R.I.P. Century III. Great memories there from the 90's for me.

This was so hilarious. I have the best memories of Century III 😌. It was more or less a staple for every teenager in the entire area.

A few years ago when I worked dahn in West Mifflin, some of us would head over to the food court for lunches every now and then. When it was raining, you'd walk through the mall and see 5 gallon buckets everywhere to catch the drips from the ceiling.

RIP Century III Mall. Many good times were had at that mall growing up in the 80s.

As a kid we would watch the horizon for the tell tale sign that they were pouring slag. Our parents would take us to watch the train cars pouring red slag down the mountain. My dad took us up there once because he worked for US Steel but told us get low below the windows of the station wagon because we were'nt authorized to be there. It was like a toxic waste dump. Years later it was poured over with concrete and I worked at Kaufmann's at the C-3 mall. When the mall was built the DiBartolo family was under investigation for suspected ties to organized crime. He owned the 49 niners so no one cared about the allegations. All good. The biggest loss was Murphy Mart. Put Wal Mart to shame. GC Murphy couldn't pull it off. Sad

I worked at Lechter’s housewares and Best of Times watch store, 96-97...great memories of growing up in West Mifflin..my sister worked at Cinnabon

Chess King! Wicks and Sticks! The pipe tobacco shop Buster Brown for shoes... you even got a balloon when you left.

i remember being a kid growing up in pittsburgh that was the highlight of my youth going to century III mall and throw coins in the fountain not the middle one but the ones near the petstore and i believe sears. used to go to the dairy queen as well. i remember last time i was there back in mid 2000s there was a retro store up top with a bunch of old toys and games from the 80s. but i always had to have a charlie chans chicken chan. that garlic chicken on a stick. good days and i think i bought my first music cd there, white zombie. this mall will be missed

My dad is named Howard, and I can 100% confirm that this is the correct pronunciation of Howard. "Hauhrd." One syllable. 😂

Thoughts and Prayers, Pixburgh Dad.

Jesus....the NOSTALGIA 😭

I worked at Philip Pelusi in Century III mall 1985 - 1986 and the salon was ALWAYS busy! Also doing hair in the mid - late 80's = perms,perms,perms! LOL! Good times.

My deepest condolences to yinz Dad.

"No, yinz can't go to Orange Julius..I ain't paying $3 for an orange shake..yinz can have a Creamscicle when we get home. And we ain't stoppin' at Spencer's for fake dog crap!"

Century III had a restaurant named Wolfies who had THE BEST Reuben sandwiches in the world.

I remember going through it a few years ago and was sad to have missed this mall all those years. I walked through to go to cash in culture and loved the layout of that mall. I live near the pittsburgh mills mall and its basicly going away and is barely 15 years old.

RIP century 3 mall Back in 80's we would ride our bikes up 885 past the dairy queen to the mall. #Hazelwood #fouronetwo

The fancy part by Dairy Queen with the cobblestones! 😂

RIP, Century III!!! As an OG Mall Ninja from the late 80's, my jam was Cutlery World, and trying to convince my parents that they should buy a 13 year old boy a butterfly knife! LOL - never worked out that way though.

This was some of his best writing so far. Love the Village Pizza reference - we had one on Main Street in Butler back in the day too.

THIS IS MY FAMILY REUNION, WHEN I GO BACK TO PITTSBURGH!!

Some of the best memories from my childhood. I remember every year around Christmas, driving through the snow to a magical land called Century III… I remember running all over pointing out items from my Christmas list and adding new things as I went lol. Then a trip over to the food court for some Chinese food. Top it of with fresh roasted nuts. Ride escalators, throw pennies into the fountain, it was a magical time to be a kid. Now it’s replaced by shopping online. No more seeing school friends and comparing lists or staring at odd strangers walking around. No more tobacco store where your parents would buy cigarettes while you marvel at the pipes and tobacco. Really is kind of sad when I think about it.. R.I.P. Century III. Pittsburgh will never forget you. See yinz online!

Yep sad all malls I grew up with in johnstown are done.richland mall gone.galeria mall dead.hills been gone.ahh the 80s and 90s

When I first moved to Pittsburgh back in the late 80's Century III Mall was my landmark. At first I got lost all the time because road signs simply aren't obligatory. I literally memorized my drives by landmarks and getting to and from Century III was the first drive I had down solid. You should know we lived in Carnegie. I learned real fast how Pittsburgh is laid out. And without the benefit of road signs.

The Deb Shop What memories, I still remember my most favorite outfit from there!!

Rip century lll mall. 🙏🏻😔

Great story, Pittsburgh Dad! R.I.P. Century III.

The only constant in life is change.

Spent much of my youth in C3! Of course, most was in Software etc and Babbages checking out C64 software and hardware.

If you find the mall on Google Maps, there are a whole bunch of great abandoned mall pictures.

I remember when it opened. I was 9 or 10. I worked at the food court while i was in highschool in 1986 and 1987. About2 years. Gonna miss it. I always preferred the side near chicfila.

Orange Julius, Claire's boutique, and $1 store R.I.P century III Ruby Tuesday salad bar

I’m feeling this one. My first job was at Orange Julius in 1995, and I worked in the Ritz Camera Store and One hour Photography Lab from 2002-2006. I used to bitch and complain, but looking back, that was the best job I ever had and the best days of my life. That place began a weird second home for a lot of us, and it will be sadly missed.

Its gone? Haven't been there since i move from West mifflin in 1990. Lived near the airport where Rex used to be loved those shakes as a kid. Went to Clara Barton. I remember every weekend going to the arcade. i wondered for years why i loved long john silvers so much and after watching pittsburgh dad and him talking about it now i know it was a pittsburgh thing. Miss Kennywood and point park in the summer and shopping for school clothes at Hills. Those were good days rip Century III.

Love watching the Skate Board Park Near Childrens Palace. My dad would love to go to the mall for Hickory Farms - Where else can you get a 4 pound Meat Stick (summer sausage) with their mustard and cheese - a hunky cheese and wine plate, but this was served with Regent Pop or if you did have one it was Boone Farms Strawberry Hill. Don't forget the Arcades - not just one, but two of them.

Acid rain!! RIP Century 3!!

My first jobs were at CIII, Games N Gadgets and B Dalton Booksellers. When I worked the day after Thanksgiving, I would have someone drop me off as the parking lots were full and crazy.

i was there once in the fall of '87. was visiting a friend who lived on the Sah'side, and we took the train out there. that place was HUGE

Oh, man. This is a helluva way to find out Century III is closing. Atleast Pittsburgh Dad was here to break it to me softly.

My parents ran the Deck The Walls store there in the 80s-early 90s.

I remember the downfall and closure of Greengate mall,and now Century 3. So sad.

When I went to the Century III food court, I always ate at Sparta Hut.

Ha, I hadn't thought of B94 for 20+ years.

Man Century III mall sounded epic

Sorry for the loss. Enjoyed watching various dead mall videos including on this particular mall. Subscribed to your channel from Calgary. Think it was the video store video where I first found you and enjoyed your videos here and there.

Dead - Century III... also dead Greengate Mall in Greensburg PA ...I pumped gas at the JC Penny's Auto Center (also dead) and clerked at Walden books (also also dead). RIP

I dont live it Pittsburgh but I have been to Century III Mall before when I visited famil there. Sad to see it go.

The dislike is from a browns fan

Losing the Century III Mall is almost as bad as that year Franco played for the Seahawks

I had a great seat to see Richard Simmons. Century 3 was always a great time. We would go there when South Hills Village/Village Square got boring.