I grew up as a child and preteen going to this mall so often. My mom loved to take me shopping. Seeing the inside and remembering where certain stores were is bittersweet. My mom passed away this year, and I just keep thinking of going to Gadzooks, and Eddie Bauer and Claire’s, The Icing, the Disney Store, etc.with her. I had my ears pierced 3x at Claire’s. I’ve had Santa pictures and Easter bunny pictures taken there. So many memories I never want to forget. Thank you for making this video.
This breaks my heart. I was born in Plano and grew up going to Collin Creek all the time in the 90s, and it was very popular back then! Before the remodel in the earlier 2000s it had really cool fountains all over. Sadly I think Stonebriar and the Allen and Fairview outlets took away a lot of the business from the McKinney/Allen area, plus the building of Willowbend and proximity to so many other malls (North Park, Galleria...) added extra competition. It's become even more dead since maybe a year ago when I was last there.
I used to work near there in the late 1990s and at the time, it was a busy mall, especially on weekends. I was told by one person there that the problem is it seemed to have been aimed exclusively at women and this pretty much guarantees that making a profit is going to be tough.
It used to be really cool when it had a creek in it that was basically a fountain the ran through much of the mall. It was removed many years ago, but that's the main reason it was named Collin Creek Mall.
It’s officially closed today, July 31st, 2019. Kinda sad but it was time, went up there to make a video too and the only thing still open and will stay open is JCPenney.
I can't believe this happening this mall was thriving 5 years ago i remember being a lot people there I didn't know it was failing until saw this video. I remember going there but l left plano late of 2014 so I forgot about Collin creek mall I guess time flew by.
A LOT of malls in Texas are dying. What I don't get is why the newer ones like Stonebriar in Frisco are thriving while others have died out and been torn down. It doesn't make sense. What does Stonebriar have that makes it "better" than Valley View or Willow Bend? I thought location has a lot to do with success and I found Valley View's location very convenient, right off I-35 and I-635. It put a lot within easy driving distance such as the strip mall Las Colinas Shopping Center and Target.
Hi, I'm from Mexico, I lived in Dallas for a while when I was a Kid and we used to go to this mall all the time. This makes me feel nostalgic, I remember, going to dillards with my mom and then buying a cookie afterwards, also going to the toy store on black friday's day, sitting at santas lap on Christmas. So many memories... this breaks my heart.
I remember going to this mall a couple years ago with some family friends, it was pretty empty back then too, the riding animals are extremely fun! I wish more malls had the animals!
Love the subtle humor injections! Just gotta get your fidget spinner after purchases your Indian wedding garb. Lmao. I grew up at this mall...well, this one, Valley View, and Prestonwood Mall. The Galleria, Prestonwood, and Valley View were all within a stone's throw of one another. Saturated is a perfect word. Congregating heroin addicts and gang members took Prestonwood down, and Spring Valley Rd apartment riff raff made Valley View less than desirable over time. Collin Creek was sadly already going down hill when I was graduating high school back in '04. Great memories though! I loved the fountain at Collin Creek! It was like a little river running under the first level below the food court. So retro...so 80s!!! Great vid, my man! Keep up the good work!!!
Collin Creek Mall was a madhouse all the time back in the 80s and 90s. Once they took out the actual creek that ran through it with all the fountains it lost its special touch to me. Used to be a fantastic mall back in the day.
used to come here all the time about 15 yrs ago. visited today just for kicks, with the very few stores remaining open and minimal people, it was a sad and surreal experience
I use to shop there in the early 80's all the way up to the mid 2000's . Yes ,this mall was popular back then if you didn't want to travel to Dallas Galleria / north park malls . I remember the new wave store in the mid 80's that was named , " Contempo " . I also remember where the food court was , back in the 80's they use to have little shops in that same area with candy stores and other little shops inside there . Wet Seal use to be upstairs and the music store was on the bottom of the food court area. Great memories. Sad that it has come to a end. A lot of people are shopping online these days.
Nice job dude! With the narration and the peaceful background music playing softly. Found this after uploading my own tour of Collin Creek which also happens to be my 2nd video in my dead mall series lol keep it up!
I remember this mall. I'm 22 now and I remember going to this mall as a kid in the early 2000s and it was never exactly as busy as Galleria or especially Northpark but it was very much alive. Even with Northpark mall I dont know who shops at all those overpriced brands.
I went there yesterday.. those from India have taken it over yesterday we bought from an Texas shop...very expensive..but there was a nice furniture store I liked..but it's clean. I love the massage chairs
last time I was in this mall they were pulling up all the tile. I guess it's good that they replaced it lol. It's kind of sad to see like that though. I saw Santa for the first time in this mall lmao
The closing of this mall is insane , my aunt would take us shopping here around Christmas time, since we lived on the other side of Dallas it was a fun trip. Then the closing of Amazing Jakes blew my mind !! My family just went this spring break
Only been to this mall once or twice when I was really little, but I've always remembered and loved the look of the tall pillars that you have pictured in the thumbnail. Good vid
Really sad, went by there this past weekend and just sad to see this, I grew up going to this mall back in the late 80s and early 90s. It was really a shock to me when I saw it, thanks for posting.
Sadly this was demolished a few months ago. For a dead mall, it was one of the best maintained I have ever seen. There used to be a creek going along the lower level that shrank over time to fountains and then was eventually gone. I can remember playing on the steps when I was very young. I recall that even in the late 2000s it still had turquoise accent tiles and neon lights around the round window you can see at 6:13. In the early 2010s they renovated to the beige you see now. It was good as it made the mall classier, but it lost the retro feel that drove my wife and I to visit for nostalgia. It ended up looking like the other malls in the area, which is why we stopped visiting. The last time I went was mid 2018. My one-year-old daughter played on some steps that were in the play place and I recall her laughter echoing in the mall. It was a nice book end to see her having the same fun (albeit minus the fountains) I had over two decades prior.
I remember them building this mall in 1980. I was a junior at PSHS. The first store to open was Sanger-Harris. The dance company from our theatre group did a production up there. In the 80s, this was the place to be, to meet friends and hang out. I loved the river walk. It's sad, like a part of my history is going away. JA
The Macy’s was originally a Sanger Harris and then a Foleys. When the mall opened in 1981 it had an amazing area in the center of the mall that had a fountain and little creeks that ran through the area along with other shops. They ripped all that out in 1992 I believe.
My mom use to take my brother and I to this mall all the time in the 90s. I remembered the McDonalds on the end spot of the food court, KB toys on the lower level. Got my first skate board made at Hot topic I believe… down stairs around the corner of Eddie Buer and just outside the Dillards. So many good memories at this mall to list them all, sad to see it gone.
i grew up at this mall- going to amazing jakes, playing in the play structures, and jumping on the bungee jump inside. i haven’t stepped foot in the mall for a few years but so wish i was able to go one last time before it closed! thanks so much for this video.
I used to work at the stride rite in this mall, and it was a main hang out for my friends and I. How the mighty have fallen. love the video!! what is next?
Michelle F thanks! And big things! Taking a road trip of the forgotten and once great Midwest in two weeks. Will be visiting Cincinnati, Cleveland, Akron, Gary, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, and several more treasure troves. Stay tuned!
That old school arcade and indoor putting course would make me visit that mall every week. I wish we had something like that in my area! Sad to see malls like this disappear.
Built on Spring Creek, I think they chose the name Collin Creek as a way to bring the county into it (since Plano is located in Collin County) Plano was larger than many of the county cities, including the county seat of McKinney in 1981 and this mall brought lots of economic growth to the city. As the cities in the rest of the county grew over the years they took note and began their own projects. I would agree with other commenters that Stone Briar Mall, Willow Bend Mall and the Fairview/Allen Outlets that grew up in the early and mid-2000's were competition that contributed to the end of the mall. In fact, Frisco's city planning seemed to cut off Plano shopping for a lot of the northern cities as it provided more options that were newer and encouraged a great portion of the county to divert their shopping there instead, especially when the tollway finished. Now home to Ikea, the Star, and a minor league baseball team Frisco has superseded Plano as "the place to go shop" Hence why this mall is being demolished. It will not lose all retail abilities though.. it will be a retail/apartment mixed-use project that has been growing in popularity in the last decade. Part of the reason it took so long to close was the anchor store, JcPenny, had signed a 99-year lease (or some crazy long term) that required a lot of discussions to figure out. JcPenney is actually still open, well until the quarantine at least... The agreement was a new store would be built on the south side of the property for JcPenney to remain.
We lived in Allen from 1986 through 1995and graduated from Allen HS in 90. Collin Creek Mall was where we went to do our "serious" shopping and I loved that mall
The bungee jumping, as well as the ride-on animals are at Woodbridge Center Mall near me in NJ. It's not a dead mall, per se, but I do remember it being a lot more fun 15 years ago or so.
I worked at the Radio Shack in 1983, if I remember correctly. It was on the upper level close to the Sears. My husband and I got our wedding rings at the Zale's right outside of the Sears. I went to school with someone whose father helped design the mall.
Amazing Jakes had a buffet on the first floor and a bar and games and more games upstairs. The downstairs had electric go carts and wonderfully fun bumper cars with really cushy bumpers so you didn't get whiplash.
Now we have Stone briar mall in Frisco, and Willow Bend mall in Plano. Both are 10 to 15 minutes away from where I live. Before they were built and established, collin Creek mall was the mall in Plano.
Sad, I saw this land that is the mall is Now go from soccer fields to a place I will always remember. From hanging out with friends to Christmas shopping. I was born in Plano in 1967, I have seen a lot of changes over the years. This one stings.
I used to play soccer where Collin Creek mall sits. I remember when they blasted the ground to dig it out and was so excited when the mall opened up. I spent countless hours shopping there, hanging out, playing video games and whatever else in the 80's and 90's. It will be sad to see it go.. Ah the good ol days...................................
Had no idea this mall had from grace too. I used to come here occasionally when I had graduated from high school. I would make that 45 minute drive to get here just to get out of Grayson County. If you want to see more dead malls, you should go to Southwest Center Mall located in Oak Cliff.
Excellent job on the video! And wow, so sad to see Collin Creek look like a ghost town. I no longer live in the Dallas area, but I lived in Plano for many years before that. Collin Creek Mall always held a special place for me.
The sales brochure for this place says it is 73% occupied. Doesn't quite look as advertised. haha But does look in better condition than Midway. Your videos are great.
Yeah, it's too bad they couldn't turn this place around. I think what makes it harder here too. The mall doesn't own 3 of the anchor properties, so it's a lot harder to make changes. Compared to Valley View and even Galleria, Collin Creek has some land to work with. So, something'll come. Thanks for the info and great videos.
We have Amazing Jake's here on Mesa, AZ. Its location used to be Home Base (think Home Depot). It has the pizza buffet, arcade games, astro bowling, putt putt, laser tag, rock climbing wall and go karts. It's busy every weekend, holidays and school breakd. About 3 miles east is the 2 year old Fat Cat's. It has pizza, games, bowling and a 6 screen recliner theater. If Amazing Jake's is busy, then this place is also busy. It used to be a Bashas grocery store and revived that entire corner as new stuff replaced what had left. We still have Golfland with its arcade, go karts, bumper boats, laser tag, mini golf courses, and adjoining Sumsplash warer park. Mall-wise, Fiesta Mall has been sold. The mall is flatlining. It's been sold and will be conberted into tech/education with mixed use. The other dead mall is Metrocenter in Phoenix. This was the mall they used for filming Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
I grew up going to this mall but haven't been in there since probably 2006, but I remember thinking even then that this place was on life support. That food court used to always be busy, now nothing is even open there anymore. Sunglass Hut next to it gone too. Almost no anchors left (Sears? LOL! They will be bankrupt before Collin Creek Mall). There's a dead mall in Sherman you should check out if it's still open, Midway Mall. Also check out the eerie, half-demolished Valley View Mall off of 635 in north Dallas. When it first died, it got interesting. Regular mall stores left and art galleries and Hispanic groceries moved in.
I have many fond memories of this mall as all my other jobs in high school took place here (MotherCare, Casual Corner, and Units....all no longer exist in America). I will say it still looked good last time I went there, I just recognized none of the stores. This mall used to be a bustling, thriving mall!
Hi.. The mural at the beginning was featured at almost all Sanger Harris stores, which became Foley's and then Macy's. Sanger Harris opened at Collin Creek in 1981 and the store didn't become Macy's until 2005. Nice job there.
I live by this mall.. pretty much the only reason I go there is I have a jcpennys card.. I’ll miss jcpennys if it closes.. this mall just 10 years ago was much more happening.. they are redeveloping it though I recently learned.. the subway isn’t there anymore
My parents took a photo in a booth here when they were still a new couple. I took pictures in a booth with my current wife back in the early 2000s. Makes me feel sad thinking about all the lost memories and that my kids will probably never do the same.
I went to UTD from 2006 to 2013, and I frequented this mall while I was there. I've been out of state since then, and didn't know it was dying (and scheduled for demolition in just a few months from when I'm writing this). I only found out about its state a few days ago while researching the area for something I'm writing. This casts a pallor over things.
I worked in this mall and had so much fun when I did working at a nearly abandoned mall was so fun all we did was clean all the time straighten up clothes the very few coustmers were generally nice
Sing to the tune of Amazing Grace: Ehem: "Amazing Jakes, how fun it was That kept me entertained I once was bored, but now I'm not Twas bored but now I climb" They had a rock climbing wall that went from the first floor to the 2nd. Lot's of my friends kids had bday parties there.
one of the toy stores used to be a disney store, and it’s clear from the design of the store. it’s got a rounded glass display out front like the disney stores of the 90’s, with pictures of mickey and minnie still painted on the wall. the carpeting is nasty and hasn’t been changed in decades with the mint and pepto bismol pink paint really aging the place. in the back there’s a half wall put up after disney left, because the new tenants didn’t need all the space. more pictures of disney characters back there. it’s really a surreal experience and i haven’t been inside in years. oh, and there’s toy (?) assault rifles on the wall so that’s fun
Ahh, Collin Creek. It's pretty much dead now. The Dippin Dots cart left, as well as the Toll House section. Most of the stores are starting to close down, so we'll see in another year.
It's funny...Some commenters here feeling so old because they 'grew up' in this mall or worked there back in the day. That makes me ancient. In my time growing up, this was farmland with tall grass, a creek, and the occasional oak tree. Central expressway was a 2 lane blacktop. Plano was a good place to Live and grow up in back then. Plano HS grad. Class of '73. Go Wildcats!
@@blueinternet4336Foley's bought out Sanger-Harris in 1987, then Foley's was bought by Macy's after they purchased Federated Dept. Stores in 2005, all of these stores were branded Macy's in 2006
@@jonathancreveling8699 Actually its the other way around. Federated Dept. stores purchased Macy's. Macy's at the time was in bankruptcy, At was purchased by Federated in 1995, changed all Foley's store to Macy's because Macy's was better known. I worked at Macy's from 1992-1996. I left the company because now all stores look like a Foley's with a Macy's name.
I used to come here with my grandma when I was little back in the early 2000s, the last time I was in here was like early 2019, the place is now being demolished. Really sad fbh
Grew up in Plano and left for a tour of duty with Uncle Sam. I was there the day this opened and used to play soccer on the ground before it was built. Memories.....
@@curveballintx also played football and soccer at Rice stadium. I worked at the Grandys just up the street and I wonder if it and Rice stadium are still there....
I've been working just down Plano Parkway from the mall for over 20 years and didn't realize that it was dying. Walked through a few weeks ago and saw all the empty shops (even more than when this video was done). The Cell phone repair place was locked by management for non-payment of rent. It's a real shame, but the day of era of these sorts of malls have passed by.
I remember walking though there with my Frankie Hill Bull Dog 911 skate deck from Gadzooks in 1991. Eating at some buffet restaurant with my parents. The place is dead now. Stupid Yuppies have killed it. Frisco StoneBriar Mall is the only thing in the area that is still thriving. This was an amazing place in the early 90's. With it's indoor riverwalk wrapped in neon, fountains, and tiled rivers snaking though the center of the mall. I went there all the time. But, Hey! Maybe they'll open a Kuri restaurant in the Food Court!
I am a resident of Plano and I have in fact noticed that the mall is REALLY going downhill. As a matter of fact, I'm actually gonna head there in about an hour.
I saw one photo of a mall gumball machine, the top layer was the bright green apple color, but as you look down the gumballs are older and more faded, brownish or pinkish. Safe to say they've been there... For years.
Awww the Sanger-Harris tiling! Such good DFW childhood memories of shopping there with my grandma at Redbird and my long-dead North Hills Mall... I still hate Macy's for the fact that they aren't even a shadow of what Sanger's was.
They are closing it officially on June 30th. There are only a handful of stores there now... big plans for the lot are in the works though! Still very sad to see it go!!
I go there quite a bit and it’s quite depressing seeing as there is almost nobody there. It quite recently got like this though because when I was little I would go there a lot and there were stores and a lot of people. But amazing jakes is always really busy
Beautiful Mall and its huge. Unending empty shops. Is coming-up of newer mall only reason of downfall of CCM. This video was shot in 2017 and the caption mention that CCM going to be dead Mall. Could you kindly advise us the current status of CCM and whether the structure is still there or not.
As a kid every Monday my parents and I ate at a cafeteria located at the Squirrel entrance. I was an 80’s kid, and this mall during that era was what was considered opulent. Today it’s nothing.
Correction to the original anchor stores. MACY'S was not one of the original anchor stores. In 1981 it was "SANGER HARRIS". It merged with Foley's at some point and was renamed to "Foley's" as a result. Foley's was bought out by the parent company of Macy's and they then re-branded the store again. The original store was Sanger Harris, not Macy's.
Back in the early 90's I was a mall rat and for most of my teenage years I was at this mall every single weekend on either Saturday or Sunday. Even worked there for a time. Holy sheet, I remember that cookie place! Vividly! Wow.. what a bygone era.
