The giant ferris wheel was a magical thing and my parents hated going to this mall the prices were higher and it was far away from where we lived. I came here with my wife to see the mall i hadnt been too in 10 yrs only to feel like it was a zombie apocalypse and it was amazing the doors were still open... God how sad..
i live super close to this mall. since it’s abandoned, one time my friend and I were wearing heelys and riding around because the floors are nice for heelys. a security guard on a segway came up to us and told us no wheels in the mall. NO WHEELS IN THE MALL. HE WAS ON A SEGWAY!!!
The saddest thing ever. What are they going to do prosecute him for filming? They don’t even care about him as a security guard, he doesn’t even have a uniform. Who’s cousin is this who can’t get a real job with a W2’s?
Like the guard says, we have no idea why they don't tear that atrocity down other than the Bass Pro Shop. It's for the mall walkers I guess but the owners continue to sink so much into it for one anchor.
so much room wasted, it would make a cool condo complex, lots of skylights for indoor vegetable gardens and swimming pools. maybe have a post office, grocery store, the essentials. imagine owning your own business in the same building you live in.
@White Boy It has nothing to do with the number of malls or online. Economic activity is declining in the US. That's what happens when everything is made in Asia. A productive economy has people manufacturing stuff, supplying, servicing and selling. If any of those are skipped it will create a dysfunctional economy. Everything now has become a race to the bottom were cheap trashy products is the norm and people cannot understand the concept of quality and value. Just because something cost 99 cent does not actually mean it is cheaper than something that cost $1.5 as value is not being considered.
Look up Cinderella City. That was a mall in my hometown, Englewood CO just south of Denver. Built in 1968 it thrived for just over 20 years before newer malls in the area took its toll on Cin City. by the early 90's it was all but abandoned as it lost most its 5 anchors to the newer malls. Joslins was was the last to leave in 1992 when it relocated to a mall 5 miles away. by 1995, when most of the "dead malls" these days were still thriving, Cinderella City was abandoned a set for demolition. The only remains of the old mall, a beautiful 12 story 1970's bank, a Chuck E. Cheese, and department store turned Englewood City Hall/Police Station. The remainder of the property was turned into outdoor shopping and restaurants, and a transit oriented community for the light rail line that was built through the property.
Middle-class retail is dying. High-end retail and discount stores are growing. The reason isn't only because of online retail. The middle-classes income share has shrunk, the lower end of the middle-class and affluent classes make up the lion share of retail now.
I’m not sure who ‘they’ is, but I like your repurpose idea. I also think this could be good office space for businesses that won’t want to be in downtown anymore after COVID. We need to spread out and these dead malls can help us do that.
The unfortunate truth is buildings like these (shopping centers with leasable spaces) are seen merely as an investment and slowly but surely as stores close, they stop making the money they need to maintain certain parts of the building, so things get neglected. Eventually, there begin to be major issues that require significant repair. Additionally, any dwelling or healthcare building would require a total gut and rebuild of systems like HVAC, electrical, and plumbing due to the increased size of those systems. And once it's all said and done, you wind up with a building that costs about as much, if not more, as a new similar size building and it's not as functional because the envelope and structure were built with a different use in mind.
Not gonna lie this security's pretty chill comparing to others; wouldn't know he's security until the word on the back of his shirt lmao. Really wonder if the thing about owner passing away so his children can split up the estate is the real story, since that'd explain a lot about why no one's doing anything to the property.
U know after that security guard sees this video, and realizes his face isnt blurred, he's gonna end up suing u, for atleast 2 million! #homeboywantsalambo
@@bellateramo5163 Thank u! Also an even bigger 'Thank u', for actually typing LOL! I sometimes go with, "You made me laugh out, to the point that the volume of said laughter wasnt loud, however it did occur at a reasonable level, somewhere inbetween 'Loud' & 'Can u turn it up please'! Granted its alot to type out. However those extra added key strokes, has made me look like a sophisticated genius to my peers!!
The “security” is using something 😂 He’s not a securityguy, cause when you do, you’ll definitely get a suit and gear, not looking like some random dude.
When did people get so weird about public photography? All I can come up with is it's a way of compensating for lack of control over anything else in their lives, or fear of losing control.
aggree, and specially in a run down, broken mall that is not even making money... and all that money spent to keep it open (electricity, water, one security guard), makes NO sense. and saying that the old folk like to walk there.. i would not go there. surely there are public parks and gardens which are MUCH better to walk around and FAR safer than a mall wher one wrong step could cause lawsuits for the owner.
Somewhere filled with so much mold it is almost definitely a health issue. My job got closed when we accidentally found spores under our carpet and a few people out of 200 got sick. This place he could smell it coming from carpeted areas (movie theater) and you could see the rotting floor from leaks.
You would be shocked at how many security details are like this, especially if you work nights at a place where most people are in bed by the time you come on shift.
You crushed my soul. Forest Fair Mall was incredible before the mills took it and gutted it. Forest Fair used to have a full size plane hanging over the timeout which was the gaming area, a full size ferris wheel, an artist built a working sculpture for the front entrance that made this cool wind chime sound, there was a carousel, laser tag and tons of other stuff. It was a fun and bright place always packed and the assholes of the mills who have now wrecked the Pittsburgh mall as well, ruined it. They took everything fun out of it and basically replaced it with bass pro shop and Burlington coat factory. They took the malls soul, chewed it up and spit it out. When he was in the elevator that section he was looking at used to be the timeout gaming area. You also should have done the parking garage elevators if you could. Every famous Cincinnati red s baseball player had a painting on the walls of every level. Also you're wrong on the history. This mall sits on the border of Forest Park and Fairfield. The reason it went bankrupt in the 80's was they couldn't agree on what to name it so some people boycotted. Then it became forest Fair Mall and they spent money adding timeout. Then when mills bought it which they only bought it thanks to gaming consoles, the only money the spent was removing all the cool stuff that was there. They invested nothing into making it better. One more thing, contact me and I will tell you a funny story about that so called "security guard" lol Here's a link I found of what it used to look like before the mills bought it ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-e8Ad6B7w_os.html
I used to go the night club in there. I don't remember what the first name was, but I do remember it being call metropolis it may have been that all along. Good bit of history I never knew and in Cincinnati my whole life.
@@stephanieturner6692 wasn't that where Cheyenne cattle company was? Cheyenne was one of the last places to go before it was just Burlington and bass pro that's why I ask. There was one next to the food court first floor and if you went up the escalator in front of the cinema there was a second club near a second floor entrance.
@@stephanieturner6692 I think I remember what you're talking about. My mom and I used to work during the holidays doing the santa and Easter bunny photos at Forest Fair. I basically grew up there lol :)
@@IndexError_ it was inside the mall had 4 different clubs/bars, then they moved it, changed the name and you had to wait inline outside. The inside one was awesome.
This is too funny. The second time that, you got busted, ''for taking pictures'', you continue, to "take pictures". with the security dude, in it, that said that he could lose his job...blah blah blah ..
This mall started out half empty when it opened in 1988 and pretty much got worse over time. The arcade area was pretty popular back then though. It never took off because there was already a huge mall the next exit down the highway and the area was becoming progressively less affluent.
They guy who said you cant take pictures is a bunch of bull. People still jog around the inside of that mall in the winter for exercise and a blogger and local news have taken pictures and video.
LoveAndItsStory I would think it would be a huge liability for the owner if one of those joggers or walkers fell or got hurt in what appears to be an unsafe place for the public to have access to.
@@carolann8286 then why keep it open? Not taking pics vs still keeping a place open where u CAN get sued because u ALLOWED people in? I dont see the logic between the two.
It isn’t abandoned. There is still a small arcade in the actual mall and in addition to the Bass Pro Shops there is a Kohl’s. EDIT: I’ve heard there is a mean security guard but I haven’t actually seen him until now.
This place confuses me to no end. About a year ago, some friends (college aged) and I were walking around just looking at stuff, and I security guard told us we couldn't be walking around unless we were walking to the arcade, even though plenty of older people were simply walking around. We decided to leave, and look at some more stuff as we were leaving. This same security guard was literally stalking us on our way out. When we were near the door, I could see his head keep peeping behind this pillar looking back at us. None of my friends noticed and I'm like "guys uhhh lets go". It also is so weird how incredibly strict they are about photos/videos. If someone wants to know the state of this place, there's already tons of videos (like this) on RU-vid that can show that. These guys aren't hiding anything. Hearing what the security guard in this video was saying was so interesting and intriguing, cause they're always referring to this mall owner and everything. This place has been in this state of it's only visitors being to walk around or go to the arcade for probably 5 years, but it's just been pretty dead in general for maybe 15 years. I still have so many questions about this place and don't know how it's still operating to this day. Thanks for the video!
I took my kids there a few years ago....there was one place open a old school arcade that was pretty amazing. We walked around and photographed the mall....it was surreal, absolutely.
Hey why not gather around and we can do Ring a Ring o' Roses, sing hippy songs and the world will be a better place. Why not let all the homeless into the area and it will rejuvenate the palace. And left wing socialist students can do the art for the place and make it a safe space.
I used to go to this mall A LOT with family, friends and I had a few dates at the movie theater there too. It’s so so sad to see it in this state. I made some good memories there. 🥺
You must get the creepiest of feelings doing these videos. I sure do watching them. Yet I do as they are fasinating to see how things were and and how they went away. This mall is very sad. why it is not used to do something for others? such a waste. thanks again for showing us around. Keep em coming.
That's about 15 minutes from my job. One thing, you didn't look into Arcade Legacy? You and the guard walked right past it. It's the only active store *inside* the mall. Great arcade machines and console games in there. Other than that, it's pretty much a casual urbex location.
I grew up in Cincy, and remember this mall well, when it was actually a popular place to go (although seemed like it was ALWAYS under construction, and changes happening all the time) back in the 90's. When it was Fairfield Mall, it was a very popular spot to go see movies. So crazy to see this! That "security" guy was quite ignorant. Thank you for this explore!
FYI: they’re now letting people walk it like a track. I remember being here as a 12 year when the bottom floor was rides and getting phone numbers and thinking I was hot stuff.
You better start saving up that 2 million dollars 😂 Definitely agree, why even have this place open? It’s a waste of money haha. The mannequin store had some seriously good deals!!!!
I work next door to this mall. I was actually in there last week. I was there opening weekend in the late 80's and it was an amazing place. It's been bought and sold numerous times. Plans have been made and fallen thru. Two problems brought this mall down: High end stores in a not high end area, and security could never control the groups of out of control teens that used to make shoppers uncomfortable. Bass Pro Shops and Kohls are still there. Once those are gone, lights out for this place.
I walked through there last year. Early fall, I believe. There was like a trampoline place or something? And maybe some other business next to that. Are they gone as well?
@@justincooper2631 no. Dave and Busters is a few miles down the road. I work at Cincinnati Financial. Its the large office buildings next to this mall. We would walk over to the mall at lunch and eat in the food court. Well, that was about 11 or so years ago
Honestly same. He said he could lose his job, and he continues to record him saying things that could get him fired when he was just being real. He used the guy and took advantage of his honesty. Could have edited a part of that out.
So sad i used to love goung there it was kinda magical compared to other malls like northgate and fairfield... its so sad but there is a " constant" when it comes to the downfall and eventual destruction and crime especially in Cincinnati that slowly invades destroyes moves on and the destroyed areas are starting to not come back like when i was a kid the city is dying... but we have a street car!! Yaya
Security guards dress like that?! Around my parts (DMV), they wear actual uniforms. He didn't have a radio or anything either that I saw. Just a phone. He could have been anybody wearing a shirt that said Security. Wow.
@@Kdog4660 and what is he going to when 10 armed men enter the mall? he really going to put his life on the line? reall, rather close the place if ur not going to secure it properly and then still say no one can take pictures... really.. and with cellphones today, u can take LOTS of pics without even looking like u taking pictures...
This is so sad. I haven't been to a mall since the 80's. When I was a kid and young adult, malls were all the rage. I would have a hard time believing that the foul-mouthed guy in shorts is "Security".
If you haven't been to a mall since the 80s you're part of the problem, get out there! It's sad im only 27 and I cry realizing malls will soon be as rare as drive in movie theaters. (Which i also love)
I don't remember but there was a country taking these closed malls and making different size apartments and then there was some businesses setting up a grocery story, and coffee house, places that they thought the apartment owners would shop at. They had at the farside a club for younger people. They put a medical office in it. They had gathering areas for the apartment owners. Under the lighted areas they built boxes that apartment owners could grow gardens or trees that they could take care of. They were selling them, to older people and younger people.
I personally blame not only online shopping, but also these dreadful trade agreements like nafta for ruining american manufacturing and the automobile industry, no thanks also to both political parties.
Went here today 😂 it’s so nostalgic of the 90s-2000s era, there is blood on some of the walls in some of the restaurants. There is one arcade open in the main part
It was called the FOREST FAIR MALL.....me & my friends used to go there bak n late 80's early 90's!...It was hella nice too...huge..best part they had some killer BARS/CLUBS...about 5 of them if I 'member right! 1 called GATORS...others can't quite recall!!..You could b n the "country" club, walk thru a door & you were n GATORS.....It was cool as f'k...
The Bass Pro Shop is actually closing and moving to a new location, farther north on I-75, at Liberty Townships new shopping facilities. Bass Pro Shop is supposed to close (I believe) in September, because supposedly, they're supposed to reopen in Liberty Township, in time for Christmas.
Wow... the guy asked you to leave, expressed concern for his job... you basically said “I don’t give a F” and stayed and filmed. That’s pretty disrespectful... not that it matters , but you’ve lost my subscription
If they don't want people taking photos/videos they need to have it more clearly labeled as such. I was there today and did not see any signs regarding no photography, yet if they catch you they will tell you to leave.
The overall place still looks kinda nice. Props for pointing out the colors and decor. I can tell that it was a fun place to be at in its heyday. Beautiful abandoned buildings make me sad
I live a few miles from here and visit a few times a month, there are some details that were left out. Bass Pro shop isn't the only business open. There's also a Khol's, Bee Fit gym, B Adventurous (a children bouncy house/obstacle center), and the AWESOME Arcade Legacy. While the mall is falling apart it's really a beautiful space and given it's so large and empty, it's quite well maintained. There's usually one security guard working and if you're polite to them they're pretty cool.
These malls are perfect old folks homes. Lots of indoor walking space. Repurposed it could be a low income housing solution too. Think people!! Malls were a stupid bank loan idea!! Worthless without Tiffany🤣🤣🤣
It was a really nice mall, but the riots that ensued inside the malls in the 90s and early 2000 gave it a bad reputation. I used to frequent this mall it was nice at one time, until it became dangerous with violent mobs of kid's.
There was a time, Forest Fair Mall was a great place not just to shop, but to go watch a movie, or holler at a female, but when the mid '90's started rolling in, Forest Fair went from sugar to shit.
That kind of mentality of "It's a public place" is why rules are enforced. People think they can do whatever they want if the property serves to the public. But it is in fact privately owned. The owner can set rules as he pleases.
To be fair, as he said his boss is around and the place is so close to closing he is dressed in plain clothes working in a mold filled mall that doesn't have one store open. There is a good chance they are trigger happy with firing people, and those jobs are probably pretty easy and require little experience even if they might be low paying (assuming due to the state of the place). When you're in constant fear of your job, you are shitty to your employees who in turn fear losing their job and don't do a great one. It's a whole cycle.
And I realized I wasn't clear: I definitely find the guy unprofessional too. I just wonder if the mall has already freaked at this guy's boss and him for letting some Urbex people in. They're probably trying to find a few big renters like a school or a place that needs very cheap offices, and letting someone clip together the worst parts means there's documentation of the parts that need complete renos. This is instead of a cheap fix like replacing some rotten floor boards (unsafe) until rent income can allow for a true fix. And I figure it sets the mall owners up for some legal recourse if anyone rented or those employees got sick or something. No matter what... the place just needs to be closed. That guy shouldn't be forced to work as security in a place this unhealthy. The mall is clearly owned by a shitty company.
@@Faded-Tales-PreviouslyHarley Damn you on point with your comment. People don't seem to understand. Maybe that is the only job he can have for now until he get another one. You can't get fired and then go somewhere else and get hired so easily they will think you dont give a damn about the job you are applying for. Why can't people understand this? It's common sense.
I remember being in that mall when it first opened when I was a kid. The food court was originally on the top floor towards Biggs. And the entire open bottom area where the food court ended up was a huge arcade area including a putt putt golf course. Was in there about 9 years ago to see a movie and at that point it was a ghost town, with only a few big stores holding on.
I visited this mall and I'm pretty sure I saw the same security guard zipping around on a segway (Took videos on my phone and didn't seem to notice) In any case, I've heard rumors that this mall could be a large tax right off since it's a tourist attraction or something and as a result the city charges them very little in taxes for a massive building which is why they don't close it. I suspect this could be why they don't want people taking pictures, they don't want attention drawn to something like that although I think it's a bit late for that since dan bell already made a video on it years ago that has almost a million views.
Great video. Bought back many memories of walking through this mall when it was in it's heyday. Biggs Hypermarket (A huge grocery store that also had general merchandise as well) was it's biggest anchor store. The mall did not have any of the well known anchors such as Penny's or Sears. I think the fact that Tri-County Mall just a couple of exits down and the Northgate Mall not that far away had to do with the mall's failure which I believe the owners of the mall filed for bankruptcy within a year that it opened. When this place was lit up and bustling with business it was a spectacle to be seen. One of a kind mall architecture with vibrant lighting throughout made this mall the best. The only other malls that even coming close to competing was the City Center Mall in Columbus (now gone) and the Union Station Mall that was in Indianapolis (gone as well.) After Biggs Hypermarket left the mall basically went downhill. There have been at least a couple attempts to bring the mall back, but without acquiring some big well known anchor stores, everything is left as you see it here. So sad :(
I went to Arcade legacy at the mostly abandoned Cincinnati mall on January 23rd 2020 with my closest friends on that day. It was also my 20th birthday too.
I live by the Pittsburgh Mills Mall in PA. Coincidentally, it too is on its way to being shutdown. Only a couple of stores left. The decor is similar to this mall as well. “Mills” must be some type of mall branding.
I live near St. Louis Mills mall......another dead mall. About the only store left is a Cabellas but it its access to the inside of the mall is now closed. It's spooky, like this one.
We had a brand new mall in 1982 and it did well for many years but by 2000 or so it was obviously struggling. It seemed to always be under new management. Just about the time the rents dropped enough that a church decided to open a store front in the mall, suddenly the teens no longer considered it thee place to hand out. Imagine that! Once the teens moved on, it went down hill fast. One anchor store closed which gave the whole mall a look of being half dead.That was the first thing you see as you approached. The last time I was there, I was shooting a concert to promote a new business a friend just just opened in the food court. We ran a little over and the security guard stopped the show because it was 7:45pm we all had to be out by 8. I guess it was past his bed time I guess.
There is a mall not to far from where I live that me and my friends would go to often. I still go sometimes but based on the way things are going I would not be surprised if the mall closes in the next few years and becomes abandoned
Back when this mall was Forest Fair Mall it was the best...you could do everything there, it had rides (merry go round, ferris wheel, bumper cars, etc.) a full arcade, movie theater, BW3s in the food court, and great stores. So much to do and a great hangout. Once they sold it and changed it to Cincinnati Mills it went completely downhill
No one can tell you where and when you can take pictures! First amendment audit fail lol i guess they are sick of all the mall explorers showing the destruction of the mall! Or the security guard has nothing else to do
@@rp8033 maybe not sure what you mean i am assuming your a boot licker well be licken them boots. Security guard should know better and if your scared of your first amendment your part of the problem. Enjoy being a sheep. " uh uh yes sir of course ill let you shit on my constitutional rights because um your like an authority figure and no way you should ever attempt to over reach your civil servant oath to protect the rights that is endowed by your creator not by any man." Now that were done assuming about someone i would assume your just ignorant which is terrible in itself because you are able to vote maybe... maybe your a tool or a troll. Google " the Stanford prison experiment" then think about boot licking.
