DEAD MALL: Dutch Square Mall - Columbia, South Carolina 

My dad was the operations manager of this mall in the early 2000s just before everything started going south. I used to hang out with him in the summer and got to see all the backrooms and inner hallways between the regular mall and the outside. Growing up here, it was always bustling- the movie Theater was always busy, there was a chick fil a, a subway, Nathan’s hotdogs, a pizza place, rainbows, Claire’s, a China max, Piccadilly’s, belks, hallmark, radio shack, and many clothing and jewelry stores. Later on, they raised the prices to rent out the stores and one by one they all started leaving. I think first to go was chick fil a, then many of the clothing stores, then subway, Claire’s, and they just kept losing business.

I used to live near Columbia and spent many weekends at Dutch Square in the mid- to late 80s as a teen. J.B. Whites was a lot like Dillards, and I remember buying a lot of makeup there. A few doors down was the Barrel of Fun, which was a circus-themed popcorn and candy shop that had a glass enclosure running along the upper back wall that had some live monkeys in it. A little further down as a video arcade. The Chickfila was good. I think there was also a Woolworths in the mall as well. Annabelle's was a pretty nice restaurant. There was also a small 2-cinema movie theater in the parking lot not attached to the mall. A lot of teens cruised up and down the parking lot on Friday and Saturday nights. Wow, this brought back a lot of memories!

In the mide-70s, Dutch Square had a branch of Cromers Pnuts, a local Columbia institution whose motto (honest) was "Guaranteed Worst in Town." The mall location had several monkeys, kept in a glassed-in section at the rear of the store, kind of a creepy zoo for what passed as "entertainment" back in the day. Elsewhere in town, there was a carwash that kept a caged tiger. What were these people thinking?

thanks for playing hold music in the background

Its empty but its still super cool. I like how bright and clean it is. Thanks for sharing it with us.

My boss was the owner of the chick fil a in Dutch square. His father in law opened it then he took over. It was actually the 7th chick fil a ever.

It's nice to see that there are some malls sticking it out and I agree with you local tenants will have more support from the community the mall resides in.

Dutch Square Mall was my mall pretty much the entire time I was an undergrad. Proud Gamecock alum #SpursUp. Was there quite a bit the latter half of the nineties. Also, the Manifest Discs & Tapes just down from the mall, one of the greatest record stores I've ever visited. Thank you so much for this. I'm always happy when my old stomping ground gets some love.

Really amazing lighting and decor, I love the Palm trees. The lighting seems really modern to me, I guess they invested some money in the mall at some point. Hopefully they can turn things around. Most of the malls out here in the Seattle area are so very dull and boring and yet they are overall pretty busy so foot traffic does not account for taste and investment, it seems. However I once in a blue moon, maybe twice a year stop by the classic Westfield South Center mall in Tukwila WA as of this month it it still has the big 3, Sears, JC Penny, Macy's, and also a Nordstrom but JC Penny and Sears are a bit of zombie, reduced interior space and pretty generic goods but they are still holding on for now.

Glad you got down here to film this one! I was waiting a while for this one after your visit back from Savannah. The amount of run down and closed retail around Columbia is crazy.

HR Pufnstuf was probably the least disturbing non human character in the show. There was a talking flute.

Another smooth mall cruise, Kristin! Hopefully this mall can hang on.

Kristin....loved the video. Before you even said it, I was like ...damn this mall is surprisingly well kept ! Also was a nice surprise to see the Woolco too. Growing up in Canada, I was fortunate enough to have them till 1994. Nice touch with the Opus #1 too. Lol.

It has been a while since one of your videos hit my feed. I live just up the road in Clover SC. I can listen to your soothing voice all day Kristin

You made my Sunday evening complete! Hope your doing well.

really love how those palm trees in the center court pop with color

Wow I haven't heard anything about Woolco in ages. I worked at one briefly back in 1981. I like the special effect at about 3:38. Good show! 😁👍

You should do The Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack NY. It was built in 1995 and at the time was second to The Mall of America. It’s now bankrupt. This Mall looks like it was 1000 times nicer in it’s day.

Oh wow! Your opening music is the state of VA’s on hold music 😂

Great video! It’s nice to see this mall finally getting more coverage. Such an interesting little place.

I am on hold waiting for Cisco system support in the palm tree dotted and hot pink and teal color themed dead mall in the sky......

Nice to hear a woman in this genre rather than the usual bro/nerd/bronerd. Ed: that table for two @4:45 would make a great set for an art film, maybe a reboot of 'My Dinner with Andre".

I used to live near Dutch Square in 1998

I loved this one, the historic photos were a nice touch, and the rest of your editing was some of the best I've seen.

I was on hold for 11:30 and never got to speak to a representative!!

As much as I enjoyed this, I will not sanction any Pufnstuf slander! (Fun fact: a Krofft Brothers / Pufnstuf theme park was built and existed briefly in what would become, for 30 plus years, the CNN Headquarters building.)

BTM cinemas? sounds like an independent theater. was hoping to get a closer look down that hallway.

Those historical photos near the beginning, especially of J.B. White, are just beautiful!!!!! Thank you for digging those up and featuring them! I love your content so much!

That 19 inch color TV tossed into an inflation calculator would be around $1000 bucks in today's dollars.

It’s always a pleasure getting to help you out with research! I’ve said this before, but I’m really happy to see malls closer to home get coverage now.

Waccamaw potter was an anchor here in the 80’s & 90’s I know for sure.

jumpscared by the walgreens hold music

Hey 👋 Kristen I watch your videos first 😊❤ and thanks for let me join your videos

Holy shit the windows XP install music! Baller

Thanks!

Yay! It’s not a dead Mall video from the rust belt or the depressing north east.👍

Great video. Glad to have seen it. Have a happy Sunday.

Well there's a mega check in the area that is attending to buy it as we speak

Loved it! Sorry I missed the premier. I had notifications set wrong apparently :)

Columbia Place is currently on a bit of a rebound(ish)…. Two anchors are being demoed inside and rebuilt as county offices and social services. Unfortunately Dutch is just not headed in a positive direction….

Opus 1? Nice!

Another great video Kristin, from somewhere (surprisingly) I've never been. Sure wish you'd make a video on Richland Mall in Ontario, Ohio, which is turning into a hospital and the mall in Marion, Ohio. I know more about Richland Mall but both have some serious history. It'd be fun to find the history of the Park Avenue Mall in Mansfield, Ohio... although there's virtually nothing left of it., but I believe it was home to the first Montgomery Wards & JC Penney's stores in north central Ohio. I'd also appreciate a video on Foothills Mall in Maryville, TN, where I worked at Showbiz Pizza in 1986. I often wonder if Foothills is even still open because Walmart opened 2 of the biggest stores I've ever seen, about a mile or 2 on either side of the mall. I did hear they tore down Sears & it's being replaced by a grocery store, Publix I think.

Is this your real voice, because you could do like 60 minute or hollywood interviews. Impressive

Fantastic video as always!😸

nice video, enjoyed this one

I live one mile away from this mall. Me my dad always go to Hibit sports To buy me some shoes And I just came here to get some history about it. 😢😮😢

43% leased? With the number of people I didn't see shopping in the vid, I'd say this place is soon for the wrecking ball.

I wonder if they sold Parisian Night Suits.

Imagine, if you will, leadership possessing the courage and vision to preserve brick-and-mortar businesses. The idea is to use eminent domain to construct a new series of malls directly atop freeways, allowing the traffic to flow through them. These malls would be designed as architectural marvels, with all traffic and parking issues resolved, including integration with light rail systems. The convenience of stopping at a mall while on the freeway would be unparalleled. Despite the ease of online shopping, the necessity of driving remains. However, the thought of visiting a mall during the Christmas rush is daunting. Yet, if the freeway system allowed for easy access to a mall's parking lot and a quick elevator ride took you inside, it would be tempting, wouldn't it? If our leaders could orchestrate this, we could centralize our retail spaces and repurpose existing malls into educational institutions. It's an ambitious concept but take a moment to consider it. Picture yourself arriving at a mall that not only serves its purpose but also pays tribute to the past as a work of art.

Love the research and history dug up for video not just filming the mall dead many of these out there

Great video. Anyone know what song is playing at 4 minutes in? Super beautiful & dreamy.

It seems so many of the malls in USA slowly becoming dead malls, owners instead hanging on to survived. I proposed a solutions since all Americans malls are huge why owners never think of converting into a green house in all your unoccupied spaces, can grow vegetables or flowers plants all year round. Country like Singapore even the weather there able to grow vegetables 365 days a year but country way too small, no space for agriculture. Their solution by building highrise greenhouse farmings like apartments to cut down on imports of raw products from neghbour countries and keep a constant freshness vegetables for their citizens. USA many states able to grow vegetables and plants only during spring and summer. Why not make use of those dead malls into growing vegetables and plants all year round. Malls already indoor with a constant temperature, just need the greenbhouse lights with support of solar panels . Able to supplies or export your produce to your communities as well as nearby states . Dont you think a good idea to produce income to your properties than later totally being abandoned becoming a huge wasteland. Since the past your country cut down so many tree to build concretes giants. Time to make use of these empty concrete giants back to green . I believe will also reduces co2 . produces food, economy and give back to our planet.. Owners will not abandoned these buildings and cause more polution by demolished the buildings and develop another future polutted wasteland.

Next video when?