Exploring an Abandoned Mall Frozen in Time

Thanks to Incogni for sponsoring a portion of this video!

In this episode, we're exploring the Montgomery Mall that has been closed since 2008. Since then, the halls have been relatively undisturbed, nature has taken hold and is beginning to reclaim the interior of the mall.

TRACKLIST
Ｖａｃａｎｔ Ｓｔａｇｅｓ - Ｍｙ Ｆａｖｏｒｉｔｅ Ｉｔｅｍ

JOIN US ON:

[imsomewhatcertain]

I went to Alabama, and went to this mall back in 2006 with my family. I have vague images of this mall in my head, and I haven’t thought deeply about it since then. It’s so surreal to see it 17 years later, in this video, dead and abandoned.

[Kurazaybo]

The guys knowing obscure manufacturers of hospital equipment but not recognizing mosquito larvae is my favorite thing ever on this channel

[cmcb]

There’s something extra sad about an abandoned mall. All abandoned buildings are sad, but the mall used to bring a lot of joy/happiness/excitement to a lot of people. As kid/teen/young adult there was always something fun about going to a mall.

[KoothOdok]

I have lived in Montgomery my whole life. I used to go to Montgomery Mall all the time. It's so sad to know that it's being left to rot and decay. I mean, we knew it was being used for the schools, and fire/police station, but didn't know it was like this else where. Thank you for filming this. I'm surprised that the clock is still in there and hasn't been saved. It's a replica of the original clock that still stands in downtown Montgomery near the court square fountain. I remember it was a big deal because they were able to get the original manufactures to make it as they were still in business and had the molds for the castings.

Oh, and that booth like structure outside that you show at the beginning of the video was the drive-thru for the bank that was inside. I know because i used it a few times.

[ashleybrooke]

As someone who spent many hours of childhood in the late 90s hanging out in malls, I find these so fascinating but so depressing. It's the emptiness of a place that was once so vibrant & alive. It's almost like attending a wake.
How eerie that the clock essentially has the time of death of the mall when the power was finally shut off.

[fattywithafirearm]

The lack of vandalism is amazing. Just makes the place look so much better

[BollingHolt]

Holy crap! That's my mall! I grew up at this mall. I'm friends with the property manager and go inside frequently. I take it he didn't know you went in. He doesn't take kindly to people trespassing, and ever since the anchor stores have been occupied, they let people slip in all the time. I have tons of video, even from when the anchor stores were still in their anchor form, but I had to sign disclosures that I would never post them online. I guess that ship has sailed now lol. Lots of abandoned buildings around here these days, sadly... on a side note, I was in B'ham over the weekend and checked out the Carraway Hospital (what's still standing) and went by the old Mounds Memorial. As always, love your videos!

[ChanelGloe]

I'm always so amazed by how fast things can just decay and get taken over by nature. 2008 doesn't even feel that long ago and to see plants growing through the food court floor and how everything is just falling apart, it's crazy

[trusttech]

Years from now, people will truly appreciate the quality documentary style preservation of all the locations you visited. Kudos to you guys!

[fcollins]

As a child of the mall generation these kind videos really hurt my heart, to see how life has moved on and my childhood has been left to decay. Thank you for once again letting me tag along, love y'alls work.

[NorthernSaber]

Watching something like this, I can't but wonder- what was the final sale at each of these businesses? What was the last meal served at the food court? Which family was the last to share a pleasant memory at a place in which tens of thousands of such memories had been made over the years? Growing up in the 70's and 80's it seemed like these had always been around and always would be- they had, after all, replaced the downtowns our parents had known and loved, and we flocked to them, if for no other reason than that's where everyone else was. So what, apart from the wasteland of social media, has replaced these?

[sarahbellum]

The choice of music was so nostalgic, like walking through the packed mall at christmas time, bustling with shoppers carrying bags full of gifts. You sit down at the food court and enjoy an ice cold coke and eat some subpar chicken and noodles, but it hits the spot. You have plans after this to see a movie with your best friend, the movie is supposed to be really good, everyone at school says so. Your feet hurt from all the walking so this was a nice break, now you're ready to make another loop to see if you can find a couple more things on your gift list

[crazyash]

Ah yeah, those lil worm things at 14:55 are mosquito larvae.
Anyway, this is definitely my favourite abandoned mall that you've been to! Perfect amount of decay and basically no vandalism.

[Perspective]

I just can't help but feel so sad that no one thought of donating all of the equipment, tables, chairs, etc. to organizations or even private citizens who could have genuinely put them to good use.
Thanks for a great explore.

[Brantly-yhyj]

Crazy to see what this mall has become today. I remember this mall very well. From having pictures and paintings done of me when I was a child. To singing Christmas carols in the food court when I was in elementary school. I used to dread the days my mom would drag me around to go shopping there, but now I look back and miss those days. Days I’ll never forget at a place I’ll never forget. People always told me when I was a kid that time moves fast and I shouldn’t take it for granted. They were right. I’m 28 and just had my first child was born 4 days ago. Kind of sad he will never experience anything like this mall. Everything and everyone nowadays moves so fast. Always in a hurry. Back then it was like time had stood still, and for The Old Montgomery Mall. It has.

[dondavis]

This has got to be one of THE creepiest dead mall videos I've ever seen! And that music made it even creepier! Pretty sad when the gumball guy didn't even bother coming back for his unsold stock... Great job, guys!

[daveofthematthews]

Another great video of yet another impressive building,
Some interesting facts of things you found, (5:22) Steve & Barry's (Mainly a clothing retailer) went into liquidation in 2009, The mushrooms you found at (6:20) are called Leucocoprinus Ianthinus which can contain dangerous toxins so they are best avoided, The clock at (8:34) is a replica of the historic Klein clock originally built in 1938 in downtown Montgomery, The Tadpoles in the water (14:35) were most likely to be Mosquito and hover fly larvae, The guy on the FBI Wanted poster (26:26) "Adnan Gulshair El Shukri Jumah" Was a member of Al Qaeda and was killed by the Pakistan Army on the 6th December 2014 aged 39,
Again a great exploration, It's become a ritual of mine over the last few years to watch your videos on a Sunday, Wishing you guys safe travels from the UK.

[garrettmeadows]

There's always something eerie about a place where thousands of people once were.

[gusfipe]

12:37 and 17:10 - absolutely loved these portions of the video. Contemplating an abandoned, stopped-in-time place while imagining its past and picturing it filled with people and movement.

[wind_reader]

I loved the mushroom, the moss, the mold, the cobwebs, even the mosquito larvae... it's tiny pieces of nature reminding us that it will eventually reclaim everything else.