Maine's Auburn Mall: The Most Amazing Dead Mall I've Ever Seen (Yet)! 

This mall used to be hoppin' back in the day. There was a movie theater down by Super Shoes and the Dream Machine arcade down by JC Penney. Spent hours playing arcade games there, eating a Swiss Pretzel. Shopping for tapes at Musicland. It had a Gap, an Express, a Pepperidge Farms store, KB Toy Store, Papa Gino's, and others. I remember me and my girlfriend eating at JC Penney's restaurant and then catching a movie there. Got my prom suit at Porteous. So many good memories in that place.

I've been in ME since 1988 & trust me, this was the place in town to come to. 0:28 we enter The Auburn Mall. On the right hand side used to house Papa Gino's (circle window), then Radio Shack (the checkered paneling), then if I recall the third shop was originally a bank, & then a wireless dealer (a scammy cell phone store). The left side was originally Dearing Ice Cream (Friendly's knockoff) & then became Pro Vision aka Auburn Mall Eyecare. The shop up from Pro Vision was Wilson's Suede & Leather. Got my Indiana Jones jacket there in 89 (I remember a couple of hot girls used to work there. Bondage never looked so good) Moving on 1:22 Center square of the mall. Lot of sh** went down here. Santa at Xmas. The Easter Bunny at Easter. Cards,Comics & Collectibles shows. Oh, the horror of it all. Also the main clock was here in the off season, until it got moved down to the other end of the mall. Looking to the right where Nutty Nettie lives, this was originally a small expansion for a McDonald's that didn't last long. Looking to the left past the center doors & security taking a break, the Post Office service center has been there since the mid-to late 80's. The two shops on the left was originally a huge jewelry store (Day's Jewelers?) 1:42 Bath & Body Works arrived in the late 90's. I think the store was part of the expansion or may have been a shoe store. I'm thinking more of the shoe store. 1:59 Nancy's Way Style Boutique previously housed a more profitable women's store, but, for Nancy's Way it looks like the highway. Up next: Thatcher's pub, a great place to eat, that's been w/ the mall since it's inception. Hey kids! How 'bout a pretzel?! Well too bad because you see that white wall next to Bath & Body? That used to be the pretzel shop. 2:11 The Game Zone was originally Musicland & the store, Nerd Core was originally Waldenbooks. Spencer's has been at there location since the mall opened. Next to Spencer's was KB Toys. It now stores motorcycles. 2:56 Clsssic Amusements of Maine - looks more like storage than a shop. 3:48 Another storage junk shop that the owner "operates". The items are overpriced for old office furniture. Any other items are from apartment evictions.Thats the rumor! 4:00 in the mid 90's Waldenbooks expanded from their original location to the current. Of course they changed over to Borders & then to Books a Million. 4:14 Olympia Sports 5:47 ahhh, home. This used to be where The Auburn Mall Twin Cinemas lived. This first run theatre opened in the Spring of 1980 & closed during the holiday season of 1990. Great place to work. Movies that hit Auburn included: Fatal Attraction, Willow, Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade, Back To The Future Part II, The Abyss. The last movies shown were Home Alone! and Three Men & A Little Lady. Fun times, last forever

Any second I could see the artist “Tiffany”going on stage performing amongst 300 teenagers.

Thank you for the incredible video. It was enjoyable to watch this nostalgic tour. I just watched one of our big malls down in Massachusetts have its final days that mall was the Emerald Square, Mall. It’s sad to see this happening. This was our childhood, but thank you so much for allowing us to Tour everything with you

I need to buy this place and turn it into "Gen X Land". Rebuild the Dream Machine arcade, expand the "Thatcher's" Bar to server hundreds, go-kart tracks in the old Porteous store, dancing in the old JC Penny, and we've got tons of room to spare for accommodations and whatnot... Looking for investors.

I believe that wood paneling and red awning for Bath and Bodyworks was part of their earlier esthetic. I remember it being in a mall near me and it looked exactly the same.

at 3:25 used to be a KB Toys As for the motorcycles the owner of the property is a collector of motorcycles so he's using the space as a storage for his personal collection.

Thanks for posting this Mall! I grew up in lewistion maine not too far from auburn, i have memories of walking through this mall as a kid! this video was a great trip down memory lane

I live in Auburn! The biggest two stores are the big store, the game store and the super shoes. Those machines are sadly storage but the mall still is heavily used by the community and people use it to exercise inside during the winter months. Well kept and a jewel for sure.

I grew up going here and still visit often. One of my favorite places for a bit of nostalgia.

I worked at the JCPenney for a couple years around 2010. At the time, they were putting plans into motion to make every individual area/brand feel like its own store. Smaller rooms to peruse in, displays that felt more modern, but they scrapped it around the time I left. Even then, business was far better than it is now. But I used to be there every day as a child and a teen. Getting pretzels, going to the McD’s or papa Gino’s for lunch, hanging out in Spencer’s and Hot Topic, trying the perfumes at Bath and Body. For dances at school, I went to DEBs which was closer to where the bookstore was up the ramp. And the Dream Machine was the best place to game. Many fond memories of this place.

Connecticut girl here!! Love your channel. I also miss Caldors, Bradley’s.

I do like the fact that you put up pictures of the stores (and in this case the mall entrances) from years ago. Keep up the great work.

Im from Germany, thank you for the trip down memory lane, a lot of our former malls and department stores looked exactly like that but also public buildings like councils or schools, when you walked the JC penny I saw myself chasing my siblings between the clothing carousels and hiding inside them cuz they were so jam packed, so sad to see the stock so empty nowadays, guess the place will also close down some time soon, also the hairdresser salon inside lol I can still remember, and in the major department stores we had self service restaurants, which were always the favorite place of my grandparents to take us when babysitting us, and then sneaking of to the kids department watching the newest disney VHS in the playcorner, aaaah such great memories 😊

Well done again, Tom. Thanks. Man, those J C Penny mannequins used to creep me out as a kid....kinda still do.

Been going here since the 90s. I was here this past Saturday and couldn't help but notice how it was still pretty awesome. Always loved the blue neon and skylights.

At 4:15, fairly certain that was an Olympia Sports from the little bit of logo showing on the sign and the interior design

I was loving the 80’s/90’s aesthetics, thanks for filming this! The Carnation Mall in Alliance, Ohio had that same Bath & Body works with the wood paneling (it was demolished about a year and a half ago.)

Once upon a time none of the surrounding stores were there. No Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart, Movie theaters, Planet Fitness .............. none of that stuff was there. I think there was a K-Mart where Target is now (across rt 4 ) and that was it. No internet so the Auburn Mall was where you went shopping for school clothes or Christmas presents ect.

I used to love the Auburn mall. We would go there a few times a year back in the late nineties and early two thousands. I haven’t been there since roughly 2010-2012,but it actually doesn’t look as bad as I expected it to be.

The wood paneling was original Bath and Body Works design. I remember it from our mall in Greenville, SC. Great video 👍🏻

Used to visit this mall often up until 1985. You pronounced Porteous correctly! Originally it was Porteous, Mitchell & Braun. Great video.

Got out of the USAF in 1987 and located to Lewiston, ME. While living in the area, use to frequently visit the Auburn Mall. This place is where I discovered Jelly Belly Beans! Your video content is excellent, good job! 👍

I Grew up there. That was THE mall for the area. There were two small ones in Lewiston, but one died.. the other one was more like an indoor plaza where all the stores were only on one side. The only other one was Maine Mall in Portland, and that one is still going strong. That first vacant store on the right was Papa Ginos pizza, and was there at the very beginning, and I think it stayed till the early 2000's. * 1:27 at one point the store in the right corner was a mini McDonalds, later it was Chinese food. * The yellow store was ALWAYS a Jewelry store, and the white store was originally a Chess King clothing store. * The Center is where Santa visited. * 2:02 Thatcher's has been there since day 1. The white area after Bath and Body Works was always a pretzel stand. * Game Zone WAS a record, tapes, CD store. * Most of the stores on the left were women's clothing. No interest for a male teen. * There was a KB Toys, but I can't remember if it was before or after Spencer's Gifts. * 3:05 The owner stores his collections there, in 4 places in the mall. The gates are never open. * 5:51 The second window on the right, where you can see the tile on the floor is white. I think that is where Radio shack used to be., just before it was another jewelry store, and after that was a card and candle store. Then the anchor store on the end. * Steve and Berry's sold absolute CRAP!! it was affordable but the cheapest Chinese crap available. Paper thin winter jackets. * 5:57 That was part of the movie theater that was there. The only thing left original, is those rest rooms. If you went in you would see an 80's restroom. * 8:16 That wood paneling is original since day 1. Thatcher's has never changed. * 9:05 that store directly in front of you used to be a Wilson's leather. * 9:28 I didn't care too much for this side of the mall. Shoe stores and more women's clothing. * 10:08 GNC has always been in the mall, but I think they moved to a lower spot, a few stores down for a larger store. * 10:48 Wood paneling, was a nice book store. * 11:44 That was the entrance to the Dream Machine. Its where all the video games and pinball games were. It was a ramped 2 tiered area. All electronics in the whole area, and pinball on the second level. If you couldn't find your kids this is where they were. Its all the way on the end around the corner, hidden. * 16:40 The blue thing was just a nick-nack, calendar games store and the one beside it was a pet shop. Back in 87 I took my 81 Diesel VW Rabbit and drove around the mall non-stop at 35mph. Never slowing or stopping at the signs.. Tires squealing.. I used to bring my friends to this parking lot or the K-Mart across the street to teach my friends to drive and to learn a standard transmission, because at 2AM its all empty.

From what I understand George also has a lot of different collections and uses a lot of those empty stores for storage, hence the old KB Toys with all the motorcycles. I *believe* he rents a lot of that stuff out to things like movie productions and such. The Bath and Body Works did that facade when they moved in, I don't remember what was there prior... I remember as a kid in the early 90's the place used to be packed. Sad to see what it has become. Change is inevitable. Really awesome you took the time to check the place out. Like you, this is what a mall is for me and it's always a nostalgia trip when I go in.

I've worked in this mall since the 80's. Things have definitely changed over the years. I work at Pro Vision Center . Sadly the lack of traffic has effected business quite a bit. There are a few homeless people hanging around Center court most days. It's sad where things are going in this area.

In this ever changing world, it is nice some things stay the same! Have a great summer Tom!

That slant wood wall that was the 1970’s natural look. I’ve been in homes that had western cedar up on a home office wall and love the smell, it had that John Denver vibe. My younger cousin asked me why did they do that,she wasn’t around in the 70’s.😊

5:00 that shot is awesome, love the neon

Thanks alot Tom. What a great gem! Those skylights are amazing. Cheers.

I was just there today! And while there was a little more activity, you’re correct that it is clearly struggling. There are some good spots though. That’s a really solid bath and body works, for example. The staff is always so attentive when I’m there.

Love the Nostalgia!Sad too see the downturn and mass Exodus at shopping malls!!Having worked in a Mall for the past 25yrs I've seen the changes first hand!!My Mall Emerald Square is a GHOST TOWN NOW IMO!!SAD😢😢

Awesome Video man! Malls like this one are amazing time capsules, that I really hope can stay around, but judging by how fast malls are going away now, who knows how much longer this will last. Hopefully it stays around for a while!

I miss those days I miss my 90s childhood

Maines last Papa Gino's was in there. It felt like the 80s in there.

This is so cool that you do this!! Whenever we travel we do our best to find a new mall to just roam on and try different foods or coffee.

3:07 - That "X-Men" arcade machine. LOVE IT!!!

We had a mall like this in concord, nh. Still open as far as I know, but only running a few stores last time I went. I remember spending weekends there as a kid with friends and Black Friday was like its own holiday. Malls continue to exist in more metropolitan areas, but for us more rural kids, seeing the malls that we grew up with fade into obscurity gives a weird sad nostalgic feeling that no new generation will understand.

All the motorcycles are owned by the owner who is a collector of cool things. Like this mall. Lots of cool new shops starting up in there now actually

The Books-A-Million bookstore used to be a Waldenbooks. In fact the store manager of that store became the original store manager of BAM when it first opened in the mall. I don't know if he is still manager now, but i knew him rather well because prior to going to Auburn, he was a manager at the Maine Mall in South Portland, where i regularly shopped. Looking at this mall now, it is definitely a dead mall and probably has less than 5 years to turn things around. It is also worth noting that the woodgrain look was very popular look in the 1970s as the late Mountain Valley Mall in North Conway New Hampshire was loaded with that same woody look all over that mall.

This place was magical at Christmas. The old school shop and see Santa trips are fond memories of my childhood.

Really loved this one, Tom.

Man it's so sad to see malls with nobody there, when I was in High school in 2012 in FL, the mall was always crowded and it was always a fun place to go and people watch or just hang out and meet with friends

The spot where all the video games were used to be Payless shows! I worked there in 1996 and 1998/1999. I grew up at that mall lol I was born and raised in Auburn (1980)! I spent MANY Friday nights at the Mall! Saw some movies at the theatre when it was down by where Porteous used to be! Played many games at the Dream Machine where Family Dine and Play is now lol As you walked through this mall I could name all the stores that used to be there 😢 Next to Bath and Body works where the white wall and door are used to be a Pretzel stand! Corn dogs and pretzels and Slushies all day long!! Man I miss those days!!!

This was my local mall growing up. My very earliest memory is actually looking up from my stroller while being pushed up one of those ramps in the corridor in the late 80's. It's sad to see how dead it is today compared to the 90's or even 20 years ago. I still love visiting when I'm in Maine though. I remember the remodel occurring in the 90's with those hilarious new colors and signage that looked outdated almost immediately after being put up (funny to see they since removed the blue in what I assume was an attempt to 'de-90's' it). From what I recall not much was actually changed beyond the new signage and some blue neon added. Clearly most of the 70's decor is still there, which I hope is never removed (I love touching the brick too). I might be misremembering, but I want to say that there was a fountain or large planter in the center of the mall that might have been replaced with the stage that's currently there that could have been part of the remodel? Not many changes have been made over the years though. The arcade is a more contemporary renovation with the old arcade (the Dream Machine) having only occupied a small portion of that space off the side corridor, and the Porteous area obviously being changed for TD. Some other classic spots there were Papa Ginos (pizza place on the right when you fist walked in with the green circle), and across from that was an ice cream parlor where the glasses store is now. That had a nice counter that you could sit at and their ice cream was served in old fashioned metal bowls, we loved it as kids. There was also a Kaybee Toys that a lot of my childhood toy store memories are associated with, and a large variety of other stores that are no more. I don't think Bath & Body Works is original (I want to say it showed up in the 90's but I may be mistaken), though I think Thatcher's restauraunt is. I've never actually eaten there but the smell of it is very nostalgic to me. There was also a McDonald's Express for a period in the 90's in the center court area where the coffee shop now is. I've heard that there was a movie theater near Porteous in the 70's/80's, some comments here even mention it, but no one I personally knows remembers it. There was one in the Lewiston Mall at that time, so either some mandela effect is happening or my friend/family just have bad memories. If it was there however then I'm very curious if there is still any kind of architectural footprint of it buried away. Anyway, I think I wrote enough about the Aurburn Mall for one evening. Thanks for the video, I really enjoyed it.

I do like the vibe of this place too; in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if the neon and entrances were the only things touched in that 92 renovation.

I'm from just a bit west of this part of Maine, and I can tell you that the reason that the mall hasn't been updated is because it's a reflection of the area around it, which has been in steady decline and/or hasn't updated since the mall was built. Lewiston/Auburn was a mill town originally and, like all other mill towns in Maine, they didn't really put any though or effort into future planning, personality assuming that they felt that paper mills would always be in high demand. Soon came home computers accompanied by an ever growing usage of texting and email and, well, I think you fill in the blanks.

This mall totally looks like the Swansea Mall in Swansea, MA. The brick planters, the long ramp up. Brings back many memories. Can still smell the tobacco from The Pipe Den store.

Hey Now. Shopped there all the time back in the day. Grew up in Augusta. That was the place to go for back to school shopping.

Almost everything is different from the old days obviously. I’m originally from the neighbor town Lewiston that had 2 amazing malls across the street from each other. Lewiston / Auburn had 3 malls in the 80s, each with their own special charms. I believe the owner of the mall is housing some of his collection of games and motorcycles here. He owned a place in Lewiston called Schotts Motorcycle in the 80s. Notable location from the 80s Auburn Mall: RadioShack, KB Toys, Spencer’s novelties, Wilsons Leather, DEB clothing, PaPa Gino’s Pizza, (Swiss?)Pretzel place , Friendly’s Ice cream, Thatcher’s Pub, two movie theaters to the left of Porteous, Pepperidge farms, Dream Machine Arcade, Waldenbooks, Lamey-Wellehan Shoes, GM Pollack jewelers, CVS drug store, GNC, a Pet shop, JCPenney, Musicland, Bell Phone Center. You can see more in the Lewiston Journal newspaper Google archives from the 80s. Several stores advertised in there.

The now empty storefront with the wood paneling used to house a Bookland back in the day (which even rented arthouse movies and foreign films on VHS in the late 80's/early 90's). What is now the Books-A-Million was a Waldenbooks when the Auburn Mall first opened. The movie theatre was located in that area where the bubblegum machines are now. It had two screens. I remember that "E.T." and "Tootsie" were held over for more than six months as they were blockbusters. There was a large CVS in there at one time. Also a little bistro/coffee shop called the Cookie Cafe, which sold warm chocolate chip cookies. It was popular but for some reason, didn't last. Some years ago, a gentleman clearing snow off the roof of the mall fell through the skylight (the one near Bath and Body Works) and plunged onto the area directly below. I believe he was critically injured. What was once a bustling and busy mall is almost a ghost town now. I'm genuinely surprised that it's survived as long as it has.

1:30 Still remember getting my picture taken with santa in the 90s on that stage in the middle

Grew up in this Mall! , it was beautful in the day. To the left of TD bank calling center was a great double movie theater...Saw Indiana Jones and ET there...Thanks Great Video!

Farmington Valley Mall ! I grew up and still live in Simsbury. Worked at Kay-Bee Toys there in the late 80s to early 90s....

Wow, love that 90s font on the front of the mall. Reminds me of now defunct Computer City

@10:18 - the mall has a high vacancy rate because the rates for rent George Schott charges for lease is really high for the area for the volume of traffic the mall gets. Due to the costs it's hard to drive in new businesses/tenants.

That mall has some real retro vibes. Love it.

I'm 53. I was there a few months ago with my 15 year old son. We walked the entire store just like this and I told him what everything was and what it used to be. Where I used to shop and what it looked like.

If you want to see a mall with 90's decor, you should come to Bangor and see the Bangor Mall. It's almost as dead as the Auburn Mall is and the last time it's been renovated was about 30 or so years ago.

This reminds me of our local mall, which is also "dead" but still open. We have a Bath n Body Works, some nail shops, a church, Spencers, Hot Topic, a restaurant, a few clothing stores. The Sears got turned into a Runnings (sells rural supplies? I guess) and isn't open to the rest of the mall anymore. There's lots of empty stores, but also those weird little local stores with extremely limited hours, they never seem to be open when you go. I think the real estate is now cheap enough to make sense as warehousing for a business that is mostly operated online.

It took 2 minutes for you to tell me you made this video for me. I now live 20 minutes from this mall in Auburn, ME. I grew up going to (and working at) the Eastfield Mall in Springfield. And for many years, I lived in Auburn, MA, and went to that mall.

11:25 This was the original Bookland store, and yes, the paneling is genuine 1979 Maine pine, baby!!

The arcade was probably closed because you were there on a weekday during the school year. That's one of my grandchildren's favorite places to go. They often have collectibles shows at this mall, which get some foot traffic. There's a lot of restaurants in the area-B-dubs, Olive Garden, etc., and a nice Goodwill right out back.

That middle seating area and platform where the skylights are used to be filled with upwards of a 100 kids hanging out friday and Saturday in the late 90s.

I lived near there in the early 1990's and would go there all the time. Drove over from Oxford ME.

As a kid from the 80s my parents would take us to the Auburn Mall several times a year. We live 2 hours away so it was a treat to go see a movie, play arcade games and get pizza, especially during Christmas time. That place was always crowded and deafening with people talking and music playing. It was either Portland ME Mall, Auburn Mall or Conway NH Mall. The good old days are slipping away.

Thanks for showing off my towns mall, I just moved here and this place is great to hang out

I miss going to the mall I know everybody shops Amazon but I think it’s nice to get out of the house and just look around and hang out at the food court I don’t understand young people today.

6:15 That gray mare was hoofin’ it to the bathroom lickety-split!

Oh hey, the Auburn Mall! I used to visit in late 90s when I worked close by. Aside from the mix of renters, doesn't look like it's changed much.

Neat Mall. If you get a chance. Do the Bangor Mall in Bangor Maine. It is a shadow of its glory days but is still going as a mall.

In 1991, I bought a kitten at the pet store at that mall. It had worms on no shots. His name was Sebastian and he was the best cat ever. I went to school up there.

I remember having to take a 1.5hr long bus ride just to get to the mall. It's crazy to think malls used to so important that going to one was an event.

I also instantly thought of Eastfield Mall when I saw the ramp.

It looks well maintained.

Hey, an Australian here. Correct me if I am wrong, but one thing I notice about the "malls" in the USA is the lack of grocery stores. As in Krogers, Safeway, IGA, Aldi's, and so on. I am asking because grocery stores being anchors store's are the norm here. If some of the smaller malls that had two or more anchors, historically speaking, and one of the anchor locations been empty for a year. I don't understand why the mall owners just invest in getting an IGA franchise to full up that space, and use he profits to keep the mall in working order. Also having a grocery store could be used as a marketing point to get new small business in to lease out the smaller locations.

Hey Tom. Your comment about the Farmington Valley Mall as it related to the brick flower planters in this mall brought back memories for me. I grew up in Simsbury and went to the FVM all the time in the 80s and 90s until they demolished it. I do still live super close and am in that area several times a week! I used to visit the arcade there after school and many other stores and I do remember those flowers and plantings inside of the white brick areas. If you can remember, if you walked into the mall entrance, the one that was to the right of Medi-Mart, but to the left of D and L (which is where Bed, Bath and Beyond was), and walked inside those doors, the mall entrance to Medi-Mart was on your left. If you walked straight ahead, Luna Pizza was on your left, and the mall entrance to D and L was on your right. Down at the end was KB Toys and Radio Shack was right next door to the left (or Regis Hair was in between). Right in front of KB Toys and/or Radio Shack was a "Square" sitting area that was sort of recessed and you needed to walk down a few steps and surrounding that area was those brick planters with plants (not sure fake or real) that you mention and show in this video. As soon as you mentioned that in this video I immediately had that flashback! The had long wooded built in benches along the outside near the planters. I would sometimes get a piece of pizza and sit there or a Fribble from Friendly's which was inside the mall as well. If you recall, Friendly's then moved to the then completely empty lot where Ulta and Starbucks and Bertuccis (used to be) and it was the only place there. Then Friendly's moved across the street where they are still open and the whole opposite side was developed shortly after. I love how you enjoy also thinking back in time and what it used to be like. I also remember driving to Enfield all the time in High School as that was the closest movie theatre for people who lived in Simsbury (well East Hartford and Torrington were an option) until East Windsor opened and then closed down! Great videos! Keep them coming. - Mike

Wow you aren't kidding. That is straight up a 90s mall. I swear those planters were everywhere because they knew dudes would need a place to sit and wait. That's where people would just sit and chill while others shopped.

Almost want to cry 😢, brings back a lot of memories of the mall that as young child throughout my teenage years and into my forties I frequented, quite a bit in my teenage years and met a lot of people there, mainly girls ❤.. Unfortunately it was torn down a few years back and built back up into thousands of condos and apartments out back and some stores up front on the property, the Macy's was left in place as they just demolished everything around it.. Thank you for your excellent channel 😊

Those planters remind me of the Naugatuck Valley Mall in Waterbury, that was where Walmart is now. That Varnished brick aesthetic was all over that mall

Amazing the neon is still in use with the push to go LED! The 2x2 ceiling lights seem to be HID, likely metal halide instead of fluorescent, as well. The intrinsic brightness of the units shows that. Pretty cool old mall! Also, I am surprised you haven’t been through Clifton Park Center in Clifton Park NY, not far from my house, but did Crossgates and Colonie Center and Wilton mall. Anyway, cool older mall! The most unusual mall you will ever see is Amsterdam Mall! It blows me away and us SUPER retro 1970’s, and the most unusual layout ever! Cheers!

Very oldschool, awesome

My home town mall! Had my first job here working at the McDonalds in 99. It was hopping on the weekends back then. My husband and mother in law worked at the KB toys. Spent many weekends as a kid here , loved the original arcade. Saw my first movie the little mermaid here when the theater was down on the td bank side. Thanks for love, I’m seeing this place with new eyes, it’s pretty sweet.

Great video. Are you left handed? You consistently are left focused on your filming...the whole video I kept wanting you to show right side a little more as you walked...just my experience watching...brought back a ton of memories! Thanks

I remember I was around 6 years old or so and my sisters and brother walked to the mall to check it out while it was still being built. 1977,78 I think? So many cool memories, so many cool stores. It was a perfect little mall for those of us who grew up in the 80s.

I really wish that arcade was still around as a public amusement center. There's a cool Pinball bar near me where you can play games, grab a drink, and chill-it's a blast. I miss the old arcades, especially the ones at Northgate in Revere, MA, and Watertown Mall back in the early '80s when they were the thing. Those malls bring back so many good memories. They should convert places like that into museums, I agree; or community centers for gatherings and events. Seeing people hang out at the cafe was touching and wonderful, but the old JC Penney- dank and ghostly, right? It was good seeing folks still making purchases though. And the ceiling artwork-amazing. Underneath, I bet there used to be a fountain; I remember one just like it at Watertown Mall in MA, decades ago. Honestly, nowadays, I'd only hit up a mall for a good food spot or an event. Shopping in a mall isn't my thing anymore, except maybe for a bit of nostalgia or to grab something from Bath & Body Works. It's really sad to see these places disappear. They meant a lot to the community

Being from and growing up in Auburn this mall use to be popping back in the day. It’s sad that the owner has been so absent throughout the years letting this mall wittle away

i live in maine and i remember when the very first structures were built in this area it was just open land at that time im talking nothing hardly at all on this rt 4 the road that crosses over to lewiston wasnt built yet i hadnt been in this mall for ages but i did come here a few years ago and at least than every store front was open

You mentioned it a couple of times... That Bath and Body Works was the style of that store in the early 2000's. I remember one opening up in Poughkeepsie NY around that time.. no earlier than late 1990's. I've never been to this mall but it reminds me of the Dutchess Mall in Fishkill NY before they knocked it down and put a Home Depot there. Same with the South Hills Mall in Poughkeepsie. I practically lived in malls with those dark brown tiled planters, water fountains,and benches. lol

You walked past they Spencer Gifts store. Oh man, what memories. Hit they Orange Julius, then Spencers for blacklight posters, had my walls covered. Hickory Point Mall in Forsyth, Illinois, right by Decatur.

Wow I just saw your Crystal Mall video which was very nostalgic to me. I live in Maine now and did a double take seeing this mall as well!

I miss hanging at the mall. mid 90s to early 2000s was a great time to kill time at the mall near my house. Me and my friends would spend like 6 hours there having actual fun in a public setting which is not as common these days. Could literally go there with 20-30 bucks back in those days and spend all damn day there. Slices from Sbarro, chilling in Borders books for like an hour, people watching, playing house of dead and xmen at the arcade. Loved those days

Avon native here! Loved the shoutout to the Farmington Valley Mall! You ever do a video on that? My friends and I have sat down on occasion and tried to reconstruct the floor plan from our memories.

Great video. I visited back in the mid to late 90s. Nice to see Thatchers is still there, they had good food when I ate there. Have you checked out the Airport Mall in Bangor? It’s empty and is even more dated than the Auburn Mall.

The motorcycles are just storage, the store across from the book store was an Olympia sports. At one time there was a k bee toys, radio shack and a papa John’s

Omg finally, this reminds me of dedham mall back in the days. I never been to Maine and definitely have to.

This is so sad and creepy. It’s so quiet. The malls used to be bursting with people when I was a kid in the eighties & nineties.

It's so weird to see this mall dead. I used to take the bus down there on my weekends off to shop, and that was around 2005ish...so strange to think how many years have passed since then.

There was also a pizza restaurant called Papa Gino's near one of the entrances. It was almost like our family tradition to eat there.

I’m also from CT (Woodstock) and the Auburn Mall in MA was the closest mall to me growing up in the 80s. I now live in Portland ME and the first time I drove by Auburn ME Mall I did a double take and chuckled 😂