Dead Malls Season 5 Episode 21 - Watertown Mall

Silent night. Holy night. All is calm. All is bright.. All is calm, but nothing is bright in this liminal hell-scape.. This is Watertown Mall in Watertown, South Dakota. A ghost mall, one without a story.. It’s architecture and abandoned storefronts paint a story of a long gone era. While we may never really know the history of Watertown Mall. We do know it was once the pride and joy of its city. A place where anyone could be who they wanted. A lala land of make believe, where vaporwave tracks were cued on repeat while people busied it. So prepare yourself for what it’s like to be thrusted into a never ending small town Backrooms as we explore and tell the short story, of Watertown Mall, in Watertown, South Dakota.

Thank you all for watching! Subscribe for more! ٩(^ᴗ^)۶

Links

#northcdogg22 #deadmall #deadmalls #northernfilms

[superdave]

What are you going to do today Dead Malls? “Whatever I want!” “Gosh!” 😂

[pvpperdogs]

Babe wake up new dead malls video dropped

[kellimiller]

I used to come here all the time in the late 80's and early 90's and back then the mall was full and busy. I remember K-Mart, Herbergers, JC Penneys, Hallmark, Riddles Jewelry, Godfathers, Vanity, Maurices, Osco Drug, B Dalton Books, Spurgeons, ProEx photo, Penguin Ice Cream....lots of fond memories there!

[kitw]

That’s one of the cleanest and organized thrift store I’ve ever seen!

[darin-pond]

I knew it was a matter of time before this mall would get documented. I haven’t been to Watertown mall in years. My brothers, mom, and I would frequent Watertown mall every Sunday growing up after our drum lessons at Linder Music down the road we would eat at God Fathers Pizza for the buffet. In 2005 my older brother would purchase the CD “Sam’s Town” by the band The Killers at the Sam Goody. We would listen to it on the 45 minute car ride home. That album would go on to become my favorite album and the killers would become my favorite band. Watertown mall has a special place in my heart. It’s a shell of its former self but that’s what time does. Thanks for documenting.

[ajwillett]

I grew up in Watertown. I remember when this mall was really busy and pretty much full. That store you asked if it was a Sam goody, you were right it was. I used to work at jcpenny when I was in high school as a maintenance man. That was until 2001, and by then the Mall was dying. Kmart was gone by then. As a kids, alot of time was spent at the mall and it was always busy and seemed to thrive. I loved that place and alot of the stores. They had a restaurant next to that nail place at one time. Godfathers pizza and senior Max's have been in the same places for pretty much the whole time the mall has been open. Dunhams still has part of Kmart behind the Dunham's walls and so is the little Ceasars pizza place is there in the Kmart too. It's a time capsule. I could still remember where all the stores were as a kid.

[neo-senpai]

5:40 was electric rainbow arcade later turned into small rc car track
6:40 was mr. t's resturaunt and bar
12:10 was the radioshack, i even have a rug from there in my living room!
12:50 is where you'd bring photos to be developed

[ERA_Productions]

Great video! Love, how vintage this mall is!

[JoshYT]

Watertown mall: Where the pool of customers dried up long ago.
But it all seriousness, thank you being the highlight of my morning with a new video!

[Billsfan]

I recently moved to Watertown in November 2023, which was about one month after this video was released. I've been to the mall a couple of times for specific stores. During one visit, I went to Angels Attic, a thrift store. It's well-run and kept clean.

[michaelaurban]

They sure don’t make malls like this anymore! I don’t see these places being around in 50-100 years sadly! Thanks for sharing!

[chrissasandlin]

It's interesting that smaller malls don't accumulate more local stores than they do. Also, there was a recursive eeriness to old mall-type electronics, etc. in a mall-based thrift store.

[John-szjt]

Thanks for doing a video on Watertown, SD. I'm from SoDak and totally agree! this mall is dead and not thriving....

[Steve.Cutler]

One thing I've noticed all these dead malls have in comon...not many employees in any of the stores that are left. Some feel like you could just pick something up and walk out and no one would stop you.

[josdnd]

My dad and I went on an hours long road trip to this mall when I was in 2nd grade, sometime around 1998 +- a year or 2. He let me play in the arcade (anyone remember the name?) all day. On the way back he broke the news to me that my mom and him were divorcing. Forever have a melancholy attachment to this place.

[msimpson]

love it.. great work love your intros I’ve watched every season every episode and always look forward to the next

[angelm]

My gift to you 5 back to back replays. Nothing new I usually do so. Love your videos and content.

[missybaker]

Love the smaller malls! This mall built in 1977. 47 yrs old and building still looks like new! Glad its still open! Favorite storefront Bath and Body Works! Watertown in SD nice. Old Covered fountain?

[funecheeseofficial]

Market Street Mall? If it is i know it will be an awesome episode like always, keep up the good work!

[rettvzw]

I worked some shifts in this mall around 2015 I want to say. I worked for Vanity and this old mall had one of the coolest stores! I wish I had taken a picture of the VANITY logo above the register. It was very old original logo font. Thanks for sharing was stoked to come across this one.