Dead Malls Season 5 Episode 15 - Oakview Mall 

Youre such a hidden gem of content creators. I wish that would change! People need to see your content!

This is a kind of mall I wish would be thriving! I would love to go to a mall like this on a regular basis with great stores! The aesthetic‘s are amazing, and very attractive to me!

I grew up in a town near Omaha and I remember going to Oak View Mall as a kid. It felt like we were going on a day trip even though the mall was probably only 20 minutes from us. I would put on a cute outfit and walk around with an Orange Julius drink. I remember entering through a food court entrance and passing a popcorn shop on my left that sold different kinds of popcorn and I liked a specific rainbow popcorn. I also specifically remember always eating chicken teriyaki there. It’s a shame how the mall has ended up.

as a canadian i love looking at how different american malls are compared to ours

Even the empty spaces feel aesthetically pleasing--this is a gorgeous mall.

This made me smile. My coworker mentioned that they went into Oakview today for some Sakra Japan which is still there and it made me wonder, so I looked on youtube and found your video. I have so many memories from this mall and Crossroads specifically. This was..a welcome nostalgia. But a little sad seeing all my memories gone. It really was such a special place growing up and I'm sad the next generation will never get to experience what this was like. I can't bring myself to go back to these malls even with the few stores still there because I think it would just break my heart. But I really appreciated seeing this video..seeing those seats in the hall on the upper level by the escalators I remember sitting waiting for my sister to get out of the bookstore so we could go to Hot Topic together. I remember how cool that elevator felt with all the glass just to go up one flight. I remember being 5 years old and terrified of the escalators because I heard a story about a kid getting his shoelace stuck and his legs torn off..pretty sure that never happened but those memories are so real. I remember one of my past partners working at Starbucks when they opened that kiosk. I remember the Dairy Queen where the tiles are in the food court. I remember how grand it felt coming through those front doors. How spectacular it looked all decorated for Christmas. I remember the many times I got to meet Santa in both this mall and Crossroads. This brought back such a flood of memories and even when this mall inevitably goes, I'm really grateful we have people like you willing to share and appreciate a little bit of that leftover magic. I'm sorry you didn't get to experience it in the same capacity I got to but I really appreciate you still having this chance to even see the aftermath. I appreciate you sharing this with us. Thank you.

Man this place is massive. incredible vibes, too. That massive center concourse seems more like something you'd expect out of an airport terminal than a mall.

This is such a beautiful mall.. wow!

I worked here in high school, it was once the cool mall… My store was on floor one by JC Penny. I can tell you what every store was if you have any questions. The entrance you came in used to have a bar on the right and an arcade on the left. When you turned to the right the first empty store you featured was David’s Briar Shop which was the tobacco store. The Kicking Tigers store at 24 minutes was the WB store if that tells you how long it was vacant.

I went to elementary school at Willa Cather which is up on the hill above this mall... watched it being built every day from recess! Used to go there for lunch with my dad every Saturday and had a punch card for the 1-Potato-2 where they knew my order and name before I said anything.

Uhh the early 90s. To be an Xer in college in the early 90s. The 90s was the heyday of the mall. Great and better times in America. Imagine going to Sam Goody and buying a copy of Nevermind.

The neon over the massive food court and the geometric designs transport me back to better times. Thanks for the share!

As kid born in 98… I grew up at this mall, after school I enjoyed going with my grandma at 5-13 years old seeing the lights and the stores it was our favorite place and then we would stop at the Barns and Nobles across the street. It’s so painful to see it empty…. I think if they brought the lights back and re did a few things….. maybe we could bring it back….. so many memories especially within the food court. I couldn’t help but cry when I was there yesterday

I would love to live in a city with these big 90s malls, here in Canada we do have many large malls in our cities but most have been remodeled or altered in unrecognizable ways (such as the anchors being altered). With so many 70s and 80s era malls gone or soon-to-be gone, we should enjoy these 90s era time capsules before they are gone or altered as well. Thank you as always for documenting these beautiful malls for generations to come!

Ah, Oakroads, such memories. 10:57 I worked at that Babbages in the fall of 1991 during my freshman year of college. 2 years later I met the love of my life while she was working at the Lerner’s that was at the base of the escalators. And a year and a half later she dumped my ass upstairs in the food court. Great video.

I always liked the homey vibes of American malls. They seem to be stuck in the past but the stores are modern, it's great. Sad to see the deterioration of american malls era. Malls are huge in Malaysia, we have the same shopping culture.

Ohh... and who can forget Aladdin's Castle that used to be by the entrance facing W. Center where the neatest thing ever was renting it out for an hour after the mall closed to have a party, and then getting to walk down the "secret" back hallway where the trash went out to exit from a side door after.

Rip that scooters that's supposed to be in between the elevators. There's just so many closed stores cause nobody went to them when they were open. Only place that actually has a chance at staying open is the build a bear which I'm pretty sure it's the only one in Nebraska from what I'm aware

Glass block=90s premiere aesthetic!

me, a nebraska native from omaha who grew up going this mall in the early 2000s seeing this on my recommended: 👁👄👁

Thank you for documenting my childhood mall 😢 hard to see it in this condition. I used to work at the pretzel shop there when I was a kid. My first job 😊

I'm 50 yrs old. I was born and raised in Omaha. I went to all of the malls there. Oak View, Crossroads and Westroads and Southroads. Great memories.

Lived in Omaha from 1995 to Nov. 2021. Shopped at Oakview often. On the North entrance used to be a Champs America Restaurant that had the best french dip and awesome salads. That left after a few years, which was a huge loss. Took our two boys when they were younger to Oakview for shopping, hitting the food court, then going across the street to Oakview AMC Theaters. I'll be honest. All the times I spent in Oakview Mall, it was enjoyable and a great asset to have, but honestly never realized how beautiful of a mall it really was compared to others in the US. I've now gotten hooked on watching YT videos as this regarding abandoned malls and appreciate what we had in Omaha while it lasted. I grew up 35 miles NW of Omaha and my parents would often take me to Omaha's other two malls, Crossroads and Westroads. Both were icons in the city. Crossroads is now completely abandoned from what I've last heard, but Westroads is still going strong. Given the fact it's surrounding by PF Changs and The Cheesecake Factory. Great video and content. Thank you for taking the time to do such a fantastic job!

What a nice mall to be so dead. The neons were awesome. I thought you might get lucky and have a Cinnabon open, but one day you'll find one open. Thanks for another great video.

you'll be happy to know that our other mall, Westroads, is still doing really well and is always busy! It is just as beautiful as Oakview too.

So much neon ❤

This place was the bees knees. Going to the mall for PS1 games was about as 90s as it got for me. Also the friggen mall pizza, Sbarro or whatever. Total vibe. They always had a sick cookie place here too but my parents never let me get any, so I just had to be tortured by the smells. That food court was legendary.

I went last week! It is my favorite mall and they actually turned on a lot of the neons for the first time in forever!

i remember oak view being built and this was my hang out back in the days on the weekends or after school. my mom used to work in the mall in a candle store called Wick 'N Sticks for almost all of the 90s. we had the best stores back in the 90s, it is very sad to see this mall dying, omaha doesnt give a damn about oak view. they put all the money into westroads instead of oak view which is sad, the christmas decor has become pathetic over the last couple of years it not what it was back in the day with the hot air balloon and huge christmas tree and more decor. i really miss the fountain that used to be in front of the elevator.

Your on top of it with these vids, Congratulations on the fantastic work

i went there when i was in a nebraska a month ago! there was an event where small businesses would sell their items and it was so wonderful! i admired the architecture and the whole vibe of the place, we unfortunately ran into someone trashing the shoe store though by the dillards :/

This mall was about 2 miles from me growing up in the 90's and 00's, it was wildly popular. My first job was even in the Sears here, and it was insane how busy it was and that was just 2004, and now Sears is dead-dead. Crazy. 8:30, the food shop on the corner was an Orange Julius for a long time, and the closed anchor is the Sears. Many hours standing just beyond that boarded up wall as a cashier. Fun, fun.

I went to the grand opening of Oakview Mall when I was a kid. I must have been 7 or 8 years old. Richard Simmons was there performing.

I love your videos. This one was fun. Thanks!

Kohan = The Kiss of Death!

thank you

One of the busier dead malls I’ve seen !

I have seen all your dead mall videos now that I know of, I used to be from the area of the Towne Mall Galleria from Middletown Ohio, I remember when you went in the main mall entrance behind one of the walled up places was a game room years ago. Its amazing how that a childhood mall just dies after so many years. I am glad the Security Guy was good to you then. Towne Mall Galleria had been dieing out for years to what it is today. I really hope they bring it back to life and its corridors once again thrive with people shopping there. Thank you for all the tours of all the malls you been too both torn up and still looking good. You really are a gem. Hope to see more of your videos. You do amazing work

I lived in Omaha in the 80’s and early 90’s. I remember when Oak View Mall opened. It was pretty cool. I visited it a couple more times. I wish JCPenney and Sears had their own wings like Dillard’s and Younkers did. It’s sad to see how Oak View’s gone downhill lately. Now it’s like a ghost town. 😢

Now this 90s Paradise with its neon illuminating its vast corridors and vaulted ceilings is truly a spectacle to witness. Thank you for such an amazing video!

the vibes are immaculate i wish i could have gone in it's heyday

I see the mall coming back.

I remember when Fox42 had a kids club and would host monthly birthday parties for kids at this place! Ugh! I miss it!!

Nice

I’ve been binge watching your videos for a few days now and I just love your camera work! And narration. You’re fantastic! Thanks for telling these malls stories, they’re just as important!

I've went down the rabbit hole of dead mall youtube content, and your content is definitely the best! Keep up the great work

Wow, that’s some grand entrance to the mall!

Wasn't this shopping mall in Terminator 2 Judgement Day back in 1991? I miss going to the malls and now malls are dead and I would love to go back in time and be in a shopping mall and now its all old dead and worn out and I used to work at a local shopping mall. So sad its all dead and decayed.

I adore oakview!! This was the mall of my childhood and I come here all the time to walk. It’s so beautiful and underappreciated, I hope it hangs on a little longer, but it’s not looking great

I visited Oak View during summer of last year. There was like only 4-5 food court options when I went there.

Was lucky enough to visit this place earlier this year and was just as retro as I remember it. This place is destined to be a filming location for some 90’s nostalgia cash grab film 10 or so years down the line.

I love this! Great content once again. Keep up the good work.

So much of my childhood was spent here! Great memories 🥹

This reminds me of how Tri-County in Cincinnati felt in it's better years. Sunlit and stretches of marble tiled corridors.

I really want to reach out and say thank you! I came here during my childhood (being in my mid-30s), and not to mention many, many date nights with my wife of 12 years. I'm so sad to see it go downhill.

ah! i live here. lovely mall.

Kohan malls don't make comebacks.

OH YEAH!

Great mall and I love the music you used for this video experience. Please refrain from being duped into fake store fronts though... 😜 I haven't gone anywhere and saw your last video... just been busy and I tend to watch these videos on my TV now, so immediate commenting is not as easy with a battery tired laptop as I tend to use for this these days. Thanks again for taking all this time in shooting and editing these dead mall showcases, Northland. 🙂

Loving the videos you are doing a fantastic job ❤❤❤❤❤❤keep them coming !❤

This looks just like the Seminole Town Center in Sanford, FL.

Kohan is not good. A mall in Iowa just got sold to them. There isn't much there now. Sometimes, I wish that indoor malls could be reused for outlet malls. I am not sure you are going to Southroads on any of this trip.

I’m these and Dan Bell’s vids I live the futile struggle to sell ad space. That goes double for actual retail space. The sense of urgency or missing out on this grand opportunity is hysterical. Love malls so sad to even have to say this.

I am glad that some neon is still going here. Neon malls are so rare now.

Fantastic video as always! The neon at 24:57 is stunning! 😮

im only 12 but I remember being 8 in 2018 and then all the sudden the year later Oakview was a Dead mall. Sears was gone, Younkers was gone, and all the major retailers were gone. Now all the sudden everybody is all at the Westroads Mall and no one at oakview, and in 2020 they were Demolishing Crossroads.

Seems to still be decent foot traffic for all the closed stores

Several episodes of Better Call Saul contained scenes that were filmed in this mall including Cinnabon.

The next mall is Southroads Mall in Omaha Nebraska

Southroads Mall next??

i loved this mall as a kid, its cool to see it again, but sad to see whats happened to it since i moved away

Nice video. I was just here two days ago! I was going to guess the "liminal hell" mall was the one in Bellevue (which I know you already filmed), until you mentioned pink walls. 🤷‍♂️ I just hope you got The Center. I haven't seen a good video of that since B&M pulled his.

Very liminal? Has to be southroads mall

I wish this mall could be revived. Lot of good memories there.

Westroads & Oak View are still alive. Crossroads and South roads no more.

went to this mall a lot as a kid before i moved to florida. i have fond memories of playing in the play area with my cousins and buying ps2 games at gamestop. definitely interesting to see where its at currently

Kinda sad to see this mall die. Lot of good memories here. I remember I'd always beg my mom for something from the food court, or the Vic's Popcorn near the entrance (RIP Vic's, I'll always miss your massive bags of white popcorn). The GameStop where I bought Metal Gear Solid 4. The Auntie Anne's near the back entrance. And, of course, the Yonkers and Sears that mom would spend all her time in. Last time I was there was in March 2019. Jeez, the pandemic really screwed up my sense of time... Can't forget the surrounding area, either - the AMC, the Barnes and Noble, the Toys R Us, the Applebee's. Good memories in those places, too.

What a beautiful mall! I really like how light and open and bright it is. Kohan is going to kill the mall.

SOUTH ROADS

Oak View Mall would be what Lincolnwood Town Center feels like a smaller version of Oak View(also developed by Simon, but I believe Oak View had more square footage), and where I wonder what it would've looked like if the bigger size proposal for Lincolnwood had been approved? Oak View has lighter colored floor tiles than Lincolnwood(and btw this was my local mall growing up), btw. For the record if you didn't know, Simon originally proposed a bigger Lincolnwood Town Center in size, than what was approved by Lincolnwood in the end. Lincolnwood also has ceiling neon, that sadly no longer is turned on today. I hope one day(yes I've said it before, and if I've said this too much sorry), you really do get to Spokane Valley Mall in Spokane, WA. Sunland Park Mall in El Paso has a similar look too, but per google street view some of the mall exterior entrance colors had been toned down a few years ago sadly. Between this video and Northridge, you really produced 2 of the best mall videos you've ever done.

You think that's bad I work at a westfield shopping centre in Australia and it's vacancy rates are somewhat 10% with most stores boarded up even with the loss of of one of its department stores DAVID JONES which anchored the center for 52 years closed in January due to declining sales even with a lot of stores especially women's clothing stores and with retail chains collapsing shopping centres in Australia to have high rents

I remember The Disney Store being there in the 2000s

Do you know one video I would love to see you guys do is discuss what you would see in a successful mall. What you’ve seen fail listed and what you’ve seen succeed. And more importantly how to whether the trends of people

Is crystal city underground next?

Pls keep showing these because maybe just maybe somebody might get some good 😊👍🏼 ideal to do something of maybe bring them back working w/ them social media s surfaces to get these iconic malls back in running only it will take a planner a vision visions so pls were y'all at u great minds 🤯🤯🤯?

Good video. Thanks.

I came across your videos by accident, I generally have no interest in malls but I cannot help but be fascinated by your dead mall videos. They are very well made and the quality of the presentation and your enthusiam is what makes them fun to watch. On a side note what is that song at 13.20. Keep up the good work, I am going to go back and catch up on your earlier videos.

I really love your videos and i am huge fan of retro malls!!! Also, What's the name of the song on 8:32? It Sounds so beautiful.

Westroads Mall Next??? Great Video, and just out of curiosity, do have any other Wisconsin videos?

is the gene leahy mall - the riverfront the next omaha mall?

I love how many people in the dead mall community turn up their noses and complain when a mall renovates and gets panted mostly white inside when so many malls from the mid 90's onward were "boring white" from opening day.

I love oakview mall and i hope it never closes anytime through my life

In the 200s growing up this mall was a booming mall, declined in 2013 once Nebraska Crossing Outlets opened in Gretna and tenants moved out there

I remember when the food court had Burger King, Dairy Queen, The Cookie Company, Runza, Arby's Charley's, etc. all in the food court

One other thing... What other music was used in this video other than S.W.A.K? Thanks.

I was there last week. Sadly, it doesn't look nearly as good as it did when this footage was taken just 2 years ago. It's fading fast.

The mall is currently up for sale for the second time as of now. It's was on the news.

What's the name of the song at the beginning of the vid?

25:00 DONT LOOK AT ME LIL PUPPET

At least Sauku Japan is still there