My 2019 Century III Sequel (Shows the Abandoned Bits!) - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fbRmf6ug2tXbdmw.html The Abandoned Sears at Century III - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ntl-dZtkx7iwj58.html March 2024 Edit: Demolition has begun at Century III. I will have one final video on the mall at some point. Thank you all for the views over the years, this is the end of an era. April 11 2019 Edit: The mall is now shuttered, and I have released the sequel to this video (See Below for links), plus a video touring the inside of the abandoned Sears. Thank you all so much for the engagement on this video! July 6 2018 Edit: The developers of Century iii weren't celebrating the third Centennial...they were ushering it in. They were looking to the future in a celebration of 1976-2076. Clearly they should've done more research. I should've been more clear about this in the video! Also, the Sherriff's sale was postponed yet again, and this time until September! June 4 2018 Edit: It appears that the sheriff's sale has been postponed until July: www.post-gazette.com/business/pittsburgh-company-news/2018/06/04/Struggling-Century-III-Mall-sheriff-s-sale-west-mifflin/stories/201806040069 ----- It was just announced that Century iii will be going up for sale at Sherriff's auction. While this doesn't necessarily mean it is closing for good, it can go one of a few ways. The new owner may try to revitalize it, or they may raze, to create something new. At this point it's still unknown, but time will tell. Edit: As sharp sighted Dan Zunko has noticed, I mistakenly stated that Wicke’s Furniture replaced the old Gimbels top floor in *1977*...Of course I meant 1997, but I mis-spoke...I said 1977 in the narrative, but again, I meant 1997!! I also said that Gimbels opened Aug must 1, 1979, but I meant 1980. Sorry for the confusion!!! Thanks Dan!! pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2018/04/12/century-iii-mall-sheriffs-sale-posted-notice/

You know a location is done for when the first thing you see is a Spirits Halloween store sign.

I always get sad watching videos like this. I'm a child of the 80's, and I spent a good portion of my childhood in places like this. Going to the arcade, getting an Orange Julius or a hot dog on a stick, hanging out with friends, etc. To see these places now rotting, empty, and desolate, I feel like I'm losing a piece of my childhood. It's heartbreaking. Thanks for the amazing video.

Century three Chevrolet Lebanon church road Pittsburgh minutes from the mall! Who else remembers that jingle? It's been seared into my memory.

The last time I was in JCPenneys, I looked out into the emptiness of the mall with tears. Remembering how many times I waited for my daughter to finally come down those stairs. So sad, but a lot of good memories.

I was at this mall Christmas shopping in 1982 it was decorated so beautiful. This is sad to see

I remember when you could spend the whole day in the mall.

This video literally made me cry. I remember going there with my mom and my brother when it first opened in 1979. I was 18 at the time. I remember being on the second floor and looking over at the workers who were still putting in the food court. I have so many memories there with not only my Mom, who passed in 1983, but also with my own kids. This was such a beautiful mall and it had everything you could possibly be looking for. The hours I spend in the record stores haha Thank you for sharing this. While the Mall may be closed up for good now...the memories can never be taken away.

My dog came from the pet store that used to be there RIP Thor you were a good dog

This was painful to watch. My girlfriend-turned-wife and I used to shop there in the early 1980s. It seemed like almost a magical place to us. Some of the best years of our lives. :(

I teared up a little bit at 17:34 I remember running up that ramp as a kid the "puppy store" was right around there actually closer to the food court if I recall and after we left there we went over to Sears.

No idea what it was about this video, but I was stuck to watching it - I'll chalk it up to deep existential thought with a heavy dash of better days gone by - btw, I have never been to this mall and the last time I was in PA I was stuck on the turnpike for hours - but not everyone can say they've made a snowman in the middle of the PA turnpike - so I got that going for me, which is nice - great video and even better story telling - If you're interested in more dead malls check out east town mall in Green Bay, Wisconsin - drop in and I'll give you a tour

This video is such a great explanation about why Americans are so tense right now. They are literally seeing a way of life that lasted for almost a century disappear in front of their eyes. The mall was a trademark of American prosperity, and they are disappearing all across the country. This along with the de-industrialization of the industry that created this prosperity is making people panic. The times, they are changing. Reminds me of the song Allentown by Billy Joel. We have a generation that feels lied to, they feel like the American dream is outside of their reach. "For the promises our teachers gave, if we worked hard, if we behaved. So the graduations hang on the wall, but they never really helped us at all."

I just don't understand what is so wrong with filming dead dying malls. We just preserving history and nothing else.

I'm an old man now, but I remember watching the slag being dumped while shopping at the Haines' store. This was decades before the mall was built. I also shopped at the mall from time to time... Thanks for the walk down memory lane...

Now I know what people say about the soul leaving a place. I can almost hear the past echoing in the hallways. The future? Silence.

Some day I wish someone would see the vision I've had for many years as I've watched these malls of yesteryear phasing out...as a baby boomer I see such amazing potential in these buildings for all inclusive living. They've done it across America with old abandoned schools with much success. These malls could provide housing along with eateries, hair salons, Walmarts etc...everything a person could need for everyday living. There would be common areas similar to indoor parks. The sky is the limit and these abandoned malls could be the most amazing all inclusive living communities. Someone could make a fortune!

I guarantee this video will hit EVERY GEN Xer right between the eyes, ALL THE MEMORYS. These kids today have no idea on that which they missed out. I LOVED THE 80s it was an amazing time to be out and about with your friends. SAD SAD SAD.

Boy do I miss this mall😪. It was our best, largest and most fun to hang out in. I noticed it started going down hill when the Waterfront Mall in Homestead opened which I had a feeling it would. I have such fond nostalgia of this mall. There was a time when u couldn’t even get a good parking space, it was that popular and & busy. I had a buddy that worked at a jewelry counter in the middle of it. I recognized every scene shot in Mind Hunter. Such a shame.....😪😥😓

These are traded like bad baseball cards. With the nationwide homeless disaster these places could be home to these people. The elderly would benefit from living in a giant indoor community where there is indoor space to walk and socialize. A new kind of community could be invented to use these spaces.

I came searching for centry lll videos a couple years ago!! I came across sal!! Became a fan of his videos!! And still watch to this day!! After watching tonight premiere and knowing they are in the process of starting demo on the mall decided to come back and watch the videos sal did!! I know noone will see this comment but sal thank u this 3 part video u did on our mall tells the story the best and i along with lots of others i know appreciate what u did

Dead Malls = Proof few people have any money anymore to go out and just buy random things for fun. 80s and 90s were the golden years for consumers. Where do people "hang out" anymore? Everyone just seems to live inside now days on their screens. It's sad and disturbing.

I had a piece of pizza at the Italian Oven, the last food vendor in the "food court" right before it closed.

As a person that used to work in malls for yrs. I feel sad when I see something like this. What else can I say.

Like probably many of your subscribers or viewers in general, I had this profound sense to come back to this video to re view it once again. I don’t know if it’s just the fact that this video had more than a million views but it’s a video production that stood the test of time. 6 years after the video released, you’re still seeing more people viewing this video. This was one of your masterpieces. This video will continue to engage viewers especially the fact that the Century 3 Mall has to be probably one of the most explored dead or abandoned malls. It’s up there. People are still curious about this mall. And the fact that it’s in the demolition stage. It's a sad fate for C3 Mall and people are reminiscing about their time there. Many content creators on You Tube have created videos of this mall. It’s a beautiful aesthetically designed mall from one of the great architects of that time period. Who can resist watching videos of C3 Mall? IMR! I couldn’t. I kept coming back to this video several times and felt the intense desolation of this once thriving building that had life in its beginning during the 80s and 90s. And then at the time of your exploration, it started to perish, clinging to its life but with no signs of life left to live. The classical musical tune in the beginning really fits in with its desolate state. Thank you Sal for putting this masterpiece for us viewers and future generations to see . To see how this mall was once a cherished cultural icon that reflected the prosperity of the 80s and 90s when people went and gathered at the malls. Sad to see many malls have died and many today are in the brink of dying. Peace be with you Sal.

This place NEEDS to be an indoor Water park/Go Kart track/Playground for adults. Would be a huge money maker especially in the winter.

I was in high school when this mall was built. It was so futuristic. I loved to go there to buy Gary Numan tapes and play video games.

I was the first mall manager of Century III and have many fond memories of a great shopping center. When we opened the mall was the second largest mall in the country after another DeBartolo mall in Cleveland called Randall Park Mall. My 4 years there were instrumental in helping me and my career of 35 years in mall management. Sad to see it know but time moves on and nothing stays relevant forever.

This place is a graveyard of the American Dream. I try to imagine the history of this building. The families Christmas shopping. The teenagers playing in the arcades. Young women buying makeup and shoes. One day this place will be a ghost; a reminder of what used to be.

Wow. I lived nearby this Mall when I was a kid and hung out there alot ( this was early to mid 80's) and have some cool memories of that place. To see it like this now decades later is a freaking trip. It was beautiful in it's time. I hope it gets a fresh shot at being something again.

Thank you for this very insightful and well produced video. I was 3 years old when this mall opened, and went there my entire life. At one point they had a couple nice arcades, two toy stores, two music stores, a great little hobby shop, etc. It was THE place to go for everybody. There was a stage downstairs with live shows where I saw Scooby Doo and even Richard Simmons. My Ex wife worked at about 4 different stores there, and I could see the decline even back around 2008 and 2009. All of the stores she worked in are now gone. The last time I was there was about two years ago, and I can't believe how much worse it has gotten. Century III will always be part of my great childhood and young adult memories.

In 1981, my husband, a freshly minted ensign in the USN, was stationed in Pittsburgh for 6 months. During that time, he purchased my engagement ring, 1/6 carat, at the Century lll Mall-the best quality stone he could afford rather than the largest. And then he proposed to me, a complete surprise as we’d only been dating for 5 months and "weren’t going to get serious" since he was going to be leaving for Pittsburgh. In fact, the day he proposed, I initially thought he’d come home to break up with me. We spent the first month of our marriage in "Pissburgh"-January 1982, the climate was lousy as was the general temperament of the citizens-economic times were very hard back then-and pollution was horrible. Melting snow turned into black-yes, black-ooze on the roads. Let’s just say I was glad when we left. Century lll Mall, built on that slag heap, was very close to our home and it was a place to go to walk around. The mall hasn’t survived but our 37 year marriage has-he’s still my best friend, ally, and love, and I dare say he feels the same way about me. Thank you for posting your exploration and including such a thorough history of the place. It’s brought back soooooo many memories.

I grew up about a half-hour south of Century III and this just sent such vivid memories flooding back in. The last time I remember it actually being busy (which was notable because it was such a big mall, and even then - the 3rd floor barely had anything in it) my dad and I were Christmas shopping for my mom when I was probably 6 years old. Appropriately and somewhat ironically, I remember the song, “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman playing as we held hands, walking back through the concourse. It’s funny. I feel like when I was a kid, I couldn’t wait to grow up, and now I’m watching this video, daydreaming about being a kid again. It’s those memories that myself and so many others hold that make places like this more than just a building. Thanks for taking the time to shoot this!

I like how you give us a history on the property. it’s nice to hear the details. thanks .

Malls are their own worst enemies. If I go to a mall where I live or go to one 2,000 miles away, the stores are exactly the same. The malls actively worked to drive out the interesting local shops.

After the birth of my second daughter, I would pack my girls up and we would go to the mall so I could walk and get exercise. It is really sad to see it dead like this. :(

When I was 12 back in ‘82, I used to go there on Friday nights with my mother and grandmother. They bought a pendulum clock in the clock store which my mom still has today. It used to be packed with people and was booming back then. It was THE mall in Pittsburgh when it opened.

By the time this is published I will have moved out of the mall and into another situation more suited for me. I've been living inside the Century lll on the upper level for almost a year inside an abandoned store that as far as I know only I have access to. Security hasn't been an issue for me as they rarely come to the area I'm living in. Bathroom facilities and sleeping area is relatively clean and in the daytime I face no real issues as I become a mall walker and leave the mall for food and come back. Since December 2016 to this day I have made a life for myself here in the mall and now is the time for me to move forward with my life and into a better situation. God Bless

That has happened to a lot of shopping centers in the country. There isn't enough customers to support them anymore. Online shopping has hurt them a lot. But when I was a kid we didn't have online shopping and the malls were full. Our country still had a lot of manufacturing jobs and the steel industry was still strong. All of that is gone now, it's too bad. Some economists have said our economy has shrunk a lot since the 1970's and stagnated; and much of it is never coming back. That is why there are so many people with out jobs or low paying jobs. We have actually been in a depression for 35 years in this country. Of course you will never get the government to acknowledge this or the politicians.

Dude! Amazing work!!

5:56 - you can’t have the true mall atmosphere without a bird flying around inside =)

I have so much appreciation for people like you who help preserve history :)

Dammm if you are not a professional film maker you outta be !! Perfect video , I’m a trucker for over 40 years and have delivered to thousands of places and still remember bringing a load of floor tile when they we’re doing one of those big stores... damm that back ground sound track was creeping me out !!!!

I live very close to here and remember when the "fires fell down the mountain". The Mall was always packed, back when everything was open. Thanks for the memories!!

I am 71. We used to go Christmas shopping at Century III Mall. It was quite a vibrant place to shop. It was so much better than the old days of walking up and down city streets at night, in the cold, the wind, the rain, and the snow. I hated trying to cross streets jammed with traffic. In the mall, it was safe and warm, one could take one's time, sit on a bench and rest for a minute. It is sad to see such properties, built at such great expense, reduced to hollowed-out, derelict hulks, waiting to be demolished. What a waste!

You did your homework and you did an awesome job thanks again. Have gone to this mall since I was very little

This mall was beautiful when I was a kid, especially around Christmas time. :(

I like how descriptive this video is. Most abandoned mall videos just explore without much explanation. Thank you.

Malls were a huge part of my childhood. My first job was in a mall. Thank you for the footage and memories!

Loved this! Crazy maze mall. It’s fascinating how detailed and large they made these old malls. Great video!

Its so funny that they are trying to keep people from seeing how bad it is when it’s no secret.

Good job on researching the history. It adds much more richness to the visuals. Thanks for bringing it to us.

This was my mall growing up, it’s so sad this mall used to be beautiful

Word of advice, Sal. Next time you're setting up an undercover ID: Wear dress clothes and a tie; act like you belong wherever you are; be happy to meet security guards instead of running away from them and ask them questions instead of the other way around. Pretend you are a Real Estate Broker who has a client interested in purchasing the property. It wouldn't hurt to print up a few phony business cards to hand out. You will be welcomed everywhere.

That last beautiful view was my everyday view I took for granted 18 years ago when I would walk out of Sears to the food court for lunch.

Great Vid - Thanks! The Pittsburgh area has always been my home and I had just graduated high school when this mall officially opened in 1979. It's hard to believe that it is (at least mostly) gone now.

I've returned to this video after many years and it's still a phenomenal production. Thanks for making this, Sal.

This was a beautiful, thriving, busy mall where I shopped for many years. How sad.

WHEN I THINK OF THE MONEY , MAN POWER , JOBS LOST , AND PLANNING THAT WENT IN TO BUILDING THIS ONCE MAGNIFICENT MALL I GET SICK TO MY STOMACH , LITERALLY !!!

This was painful to watch. It sent a shiver down my spine. It's like I was watching the beginning of the end for the American Dream. So sad. I've been to three dead malls now - one huge one in Illinois, which was massive and one of the largest in America back in the 1980s, full of people when I used to shop there in the late 80s. It's now got a dereliction order, and is due to be demolished. I've been to a couple more, in Vegas, and California. The hell is going on with malls these days? I can't blame online sales for the death of malls. Other malls elsewhere are doing just fine. I just think that location is so important, and those that rush to put up these giant malls in the 80s weren't really considerate enough as to where they put them and how much throughput they would get. The death of general Commerce in both the High Street and shopping malls, is concerning to me and every other American. I can't say that the odd refurbishment is going to change anything. They just have to be torn down and repurposed.

YOUR VOICE IS PERFECT FOR THIS

When I was a kid in the mid 1950's, it was a big treat to drive out to West Mifflin and watch the steel companies dump slag off the hill where Century III was later build.

My grandfather used to take my family there in the 80s and early 90s.. was such a nice place

This would make a great development for senior living

These kind of buildings, abandoned malls, could be used as futuristic places for movies... Or recycled buildings for offices.

It is a shame. Was a beautiful mall at one time. Sad to see all malls struggling partially due to online. It is expensive to rent mall space and pay employees. However you don't see cheaper prices when ordering online from the warehouses.

I'm looking forward to more of your content. Great voice and video! 🤗

I hope things turn around for this mall. Nice job too! Ive been watching a lot of your videos recently and i love how you giver a little history lesson before exploring! I think it's really awesome because i find that stuff really interesting!

Man you have so many videos I want to just sit down and BingeWatch as soon as I get a chance!!!

That glass elevator at 10:49, you have no idea what a big deal that was when the place opened. Everyone had to ride it.

There are several channels handling dying and dead malls, but your is by far the best. Your research and delivery are amazing. This is such a fascinating and sad topic, though. I hate seeing the loss of jobs and dreams.

SAL - you're the best of these "Dead Mall" "Urban Archaeologists"...love the research you do. Being an 80's kid, this stuff is so bittersweet...the end of an era, for sure. Glad you're here to document some of it.

This was absolutely amazing! Finally! A documentary on century III!

I grew up in this mall. I was there all the time in the 1980's with my cousins. We would get so excited to go. Thank you for the research and history you put into this video. I'm so depressed now😥

Love your expedition log series on the dying and dead malls...so interesting growing up in the heyday of malls it brings me back. The background music and effects from old commercials etc only make it better, thanks

I was at Century III Mall during opening weekend with a friend from high school. It was huge, beautiful and so fancy. They had live birds, foliage, koi fish in pools and a many good restaurants. I shopped there frequently throughout the 80s and 90s until moving out of state in 2002. This was THE happening place to be for many years. Sad to see it empty and in disrepair.

The poor place was going downhill when I bought my wife's engagement ring back in 2000 or so.. seeing it now is wild. I pass it from time to time and wonder if there is anything still in there . The music playing in a totally empty space that big with all the echos is creepy and cool ! Needs to be a huge haunted house this year ;)

Great video....positives: calm nice voice, no swearing. Swearings not a huge deal if it’s not excessive but I can’t let my kids watch then. I can let my kids watch this video. Thank you. That mall is eye opening. I live not far from Milwaukee WI. Our mall is oh so similar to that mall. Smaller. One story. So many stores closed, things blocked off, access to mall closed off from stores. Stores opening up as more of a separate from the mall thing. Really too bad. The good thing is, someone bought it, they are doing a ton of work. Got all the kiosks out. Are working on getting the “no name” stores out. I have my strong doubts it can truly be revived but seeing malls like this make me thankful they’re trying I guess. Thanks for a nice video.

I remember going to this mall in the early to mid 2000's. Even though it was pretty empty I still have fond memories of century 3. Both my parents went to the mall as kids and they would tell me stories of what it was like when they visited the mall. Great video man definitely earned my sub

Love the way you edited this! Great job! Thank you!

Documenting the decaying cathedrals of consumer CULTure is a worthy endeavor, sir. The vintage- audio makes it Art. Damn nostalgic for those who grew up around such grandiose places; I have such mixed feelings seeing a local hangout spot nearing extinction.. Thanks for the share!

I love discovering new channels like this! Great job! 🤘

I love Pittsburgh,I hated it when I had to move,it will always be in my heart and soul😓

Exceptionally well done. Love all the history and time lines.

Easily my favorite dead mall channel now. How the heck do you only have 400 subs?

You always capture the ghosts of better times. The carousel is lovely as with all your video chronicles the research is impeccable. You are the Ken Burns of Urban Exploration

Exceptionally well made, the background info put this vid. over the top. Thanks Sal

Beautifully done !! Thanks for bringing me back to the memory Lane !!👍

This mall is dying because of the lack of vision of the owners. As you toured the place, idea after idea came to mind. First of all, there are significant universities in the area, not the least of which are Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh. Then the high-end / high tech businesses, such as Uber and Google. The high schools are not yet completely over-run, and operate with reasonable budgets, due to working and caring parents. People in the Western Pennsylvania still carry vestiges of the "old ways", where they care about themselves, their neighbors, their communities and their country. The property is also in fairly close proximity to tourist draws, such as the aforementioned Kennywood Amusement Park, Sand Castle water park, and the Pittsburgh proper attractions, like the museums, sports venues, etc. I could go on. This is a vanishingly rare combination, with which to start a commercial community. To start with, the mall is not in too bad of shape. This is, in part, due to the absence of the "roving gangs", and the like. It is somewhat out of the way, but this can be used to advantage. If I were in charge of the development plans (heh heh), I think I'd start with robotic competitions. This leverages Google, Uber and the schools. Area drone races, bot battles, and connected LAN gaming would bring a wide variety of intelligent and tech savy people, and be completely unattractive to those "roving miscreants" that y'all are afraid of. These competitions must be supported by refreshment suppliers, whose infrastructure is already in place. Then there are the tech retailers, such as Micro Center, Frys, maybe even a resurrected Radio Shack (how appropriate). Then comes the screen printers / clothing vendors, Shops for the significant others' of the competitors, the movie reopens for much the same reason. Then the maker space, and the various "experiences", exhibitions of culture, fantasy, sci-fi..., now decorate the place in a futuristic, scifi motif. The various levels suggest a space station, or a Disney-like future city. The space is there, the customers are there, all that's lacking is the innovative spark. Old mall shopping is gone. A few culture venues, such as the open-air specialty shops and restaurants, bars and boutiques are popping up at places like Market Square and the Lowe's waterfront. New tech venues and indoor walkabouts have not yet arrived. Here's the opportunity. This could be a destination; an area attraction. It can be developed organically, with little investment required. All it need is TLC and a vision.

2015: We went to century III mall. I was with my parents and it was a really nice mall. It’s a shame how much that this mall has changed in just 3 years.

mall looks great inside

I just finished this one and it started your later, longer video about the mall and I'm just dropping a note to say thanks for helping to keep the memories of civilization alive for future generations, as well as for our own entertainment and enjoyment. when I was 12 years old I went to what was then the largest mall in the US, Park City in Lancaster PA, and it was a dream then. I was given $20 allowance to spend and it was like a dozen Christmases all rolled up into one. Later in life I managed several kiosks at another Mall a rather large one near Washington DC. In some ways it's a good thing that people don't need to go to a mall to shop, but in other ways we really miss them.

I worked in this mall at Regis Salons. When I worked there it was on the decline and they eventually closed us and moved us to a salon in a near by strip mall. I remember the ceilings leaking and when you would call management they would ask if you wanted a tarp or a bucket. We knew it was going down hill and we would close eventually. I do miss working there though.

Pittsburgh area has 5 very large malls...Century III is obviously a goner as shown in your video. Monroeville has quite a few empty store fronts and has had issues with violence so they are struggling. Mall of Robinson is in a busy retail area and doing decently. Ross Park Mall has super high end fashion and other brands like Nordstrom, LL Bean, etc although just lost Sears but getting a Lego store too. And then some geniuses thought they'd build yet another model and didn't see the writing on the wall that malls were declining...so the massive Pittsburgh Mills mall since with under 50% occupancy as well.

A great video and I always think it's really ridiculous when management pretends the business isn't failing when it obviously is

Thank you for doing and sharing this.

Excellent video. Detail description was amazing.

That's a really cool mall actually. Too bad it's in the shape it's in.

Hey, love the video and presentation. The history and perspective is great.

8:00 Pretty sure thats the ghost of my grandpa waiting for my grandma to get done shopping...