I own Effingham Computer, and had a store in this mall for two years, moving out in October of 2023. We bought a building next to the Dollar General store that sits directly in front of the mall. Kohan was a terrible owner, but the mall is not "locally owned", as stated in the video. Durga Properties bought it from Kohan, and it's basically a tax write off for the guy. The City of Effingham has a lien against the property, and it could soon be foreclosed on. There are still 12 small businesses operating in the mall. Malibu Nails has been there nearly 30 years. Wish you would have talked to him, his name is Angus - he's my Vietnamese brother from another mother. Great video, lots of memories.

This was my mall! When you came in that main entrance, there used to be an Arcade right by the Deb if memory serves!

Being in the midwest, I highly recommend trying to find a way to see inside what's left of the Kokomo Mall in Kokomo, Indiana. It's been converted to a strip mall, but the connecting hallway from when it was a walk in mall is still there, unused. I've been trying to find a map from the 2000s and pictures from around that time as well. Very hard to find

Effingham is my home town. I grew up going to this mall, had my first kiss at this mall.. it had a Payless shoe store, Glicks, JC penny, Hallmark. In the late 80’s

I worked at Disc Jockey from 1997 -2000. You could still smoke inside the mall then. 😂 I remember being jealous of my coworkers who smoked getting extra breaks. I loved it there, getting to share music with people. We sold a lot of metal and country, had a pretty extensive catalog for a small space, we were pretty busy with a lot of weird and wonderful regulars. I had such great co-workers and there were a lot of great people and memorable characters that worked in the mall itself. The renovation of the theater was a big deal! And did bring a lot of people to the mall. Great times. I moved to Birmingham, AL in 2000 to intern at a radio station and worked in music for a number of years and I have to say my few years working at the music store in this mall had a great impact on me.

Thanks for this. I haven't been inside this mall since 1978 when I was just a little kid, but I remember Dipper Dan, the movie theater, and Angelo's.

My friend and I used to work at the old Dollar general down by the rural King back in 1986-1987, it was definitely the happening place back in the day. A lot of good times and good memories from then

Thank you for this! I grew up in this mall and lived very close. Worked at Deb for a long time and then JC Penny and a short stint at Payless Shoe source.

Perfect saturday evening. Cold beer, NHL playoffs in an hour, and Dead Malls ep drops.

Gene Mayhood is my grandfather and I spent my entire childhood in this mall. My family (including my mom) ran the arcade (Playland) and Carousel (ice cream shop formerly Dipper Dan). 🥺🥺🥺

I grew up going to this mall. I remember seeing the first Star Wars movie at the theater. I worked in a store there that sold plaster statues. Dad was a security guard there. I left the area in '82. I guess it changed a lot after that, because I don't remember a lot of the stores you mentioned.

Lots of great memories from when I worked in Disc Jockey circa 1997. STILL one of my favorite jobs lol! We had the best wall of cassette tapes... Across the hall was Payless and Maurice's to the left. The chromed corner store was Debs. My mother worked at a Christopher & Banks up the hall. The best was the arcade in the 1980s, such rad Donkey Kong and Frogger murals on the wall down the hallway. I have some photos of a "fashion show" I was part of in the central hallway. It's sad to see how dead it really is now compared to the vibrance of the 80's and 90's. I barely recall Lincoln Land, but I remember enjoying the rides. 😊 Thanks for sharing this!

I worked at the Rural King my senior year of High School in 1998-1999. I miss those days. Great memories at that mall while growing up.

This was the mall we went to when I’d visit my grandma who lives right down the road. I remember being a kid-teen going there. There used to be a movie theater, really cool candy store,DEB, Maurice’s, Fye (which a different music store turned into I believe), Bath and Body, Jc Penny and farm supply store. I remember even back then (early 90s) it being dead. Dawn of the Dead vibes,

Bro this was a great one. Especially for your excellent eclipse footage at the end. Thanks!

In the old disc Jockey it’s actually a tumbling gym called utumbl2 owned by Jamie Warner / Pearson.

I have a tiny strip mall im my neighborhood called village square mall too. Its quite empty, with the fountain drained and the food court chained off from access. Thees only about 7 stores left, the anchor store was also closed, its rumored they will replace it with a dollarama, it was a co op. Once a brick was missing and i got a full view on the inside of the co op. Back a few years ago it was packed all the time, it used to be the only shopping place in the NE. Though its very beautiful, the tops of the storefronts are built to look like house roofs, and in the hallways there are fake (fake as in dont light up) vintage lamps.

Crap I was just in Illinois last week filming all the malls in Urbana Danville champagne Decatur and Springfield and forgot about village square. I photographed thousands of photos of the eclipse from Indian and am still working on compiling them into a time lapse. Thanks for your awesome dedication to preserving malls.

I may be a little late to the upload, but nothing beats a NorthCdogg upload on a breezy and sunny spring day. I remember watching a dead malls video on this place from about 2017 (when Jcp was closing), and even then it still felt somewhat lively even though you knew it wasn't going to last much longer. Glad to see it still open even in 2024!

The French Quarter started in that back hall. It was a hair salon by my pal, Sherry

An indoor amusement park sounds awesome. Another dead mall I would advise visiting is Oakwood Mall in Enid Oklahoma. They have a delicious Chinese restaurant attached to it.

I love the old pictures and the music for the intro. You always pick the best music. That is a nice small town mall. I was on my way to Wisconsin when you put this out. I needed to get away from doctors appointments for a week. Thanks for another one.

Thank you so much for this video! I am happy to share more information about this mall if anyone has questions. I grew up going to this mall. The building to the west that is now the Elks lodge used to be a sizzler steak house. Some of the stores not mentioned include Coast to Coast hardware, Spurgeons, Maurice’s, GNC, Village Book Store, Playland arcade, Lotsa Candy and Coffee, Angelo’s Pizza, Kirlin’s Hallmark, Radio Shack, Medder’s Clothing, Christopher and Banks, Village Record Land, and many more.

The pay phones!!! 😍LOL Another great episode! Thanks so much. I loved seeing your video of the eclipse. I live out west and didnt experience it like you did but thanks for adding that cool clip of what you saw. Very fun episode 😁

Great video! That mall looks so 70’s. I love the character. The thrift store would be my spot. Thanks for sharing the eclipse! I live in SC so it only got slightly dark here. Man that was so cool! It was directly above you.

Sad part is that the village square Mall has been dying for many years which is not surprising that pay phone that place to be the right used to be a factory connection then moved out then glicks used to be there and left a few years later bath and body works moved out by Walmart in Effingham across the street that building there on the right near kids rides used to be a clothing place at one point and Hallmark store used to be down to the left where Payless shoe store was Dollar general was there for years before moving out of the mall and now there's a church there on the left zales used to be there as years passed things began moving out the movie theater was separated from the mall several years ago and now JC Penney didn't move in to village square Mall until 1978 now as I was growing up through the 1990s they used to have a arcade years ago in the mall thanks for sharing

Very cool video. I grew up in Effingham, was a teen through the 90s. This mall was definitely the spot to shop and watch movies. I never knew about Lincoln Land…that blew me away. Great info.

Great Video! Always thought this mall was cool with it’s vintage charm!

Good day. Man, what-a-small-town-mall, geez, this location seems like my town's hidden old office plaza from the 80s. Anyway, it also seems like a forgotten nostalgic cozy community plaza minimally thriving to a futuristic obscurity. Oh, well, another awesome DeadMall documentary. Thank you, be safe, and keep it up, buddy. 😁🖖🤙👍🤜🤛

Every mall in the world can fit on the moon.

The aesthetics are so amazing! 😍. I love this place.

That is a cute little mall, sad that it has gone downhill. As soon as you said "Kohan" I thought "Oh s***" Keep up with the good work.

Such a quaint mall. I love the payphone.

Loved the video, North! Hate that I missed the premiere. Glad I got to see it though.

Great video! I’ve through the Effingham area many years ago I couldn’t remember how big of a town it was.

I have to say, this is a creepy little place! You bring such good vibes in, bless your heart! ❤️

Oh yea! Keep the good work up NorthCdogg22, your dead mall videos are fantastic!

Wow,, thanks for the trip down memory lane,,i grew up there,,that place was everything when i was growing up,, spent a lot of time at the amusement park, movie theater,and the arcade,,, Dipper Dan's had the best mint chocolate chip ice cream,,

Did you see the glow in the dark stuff at the one store that was closed?! I love thrift/antique stores. We had a kinda of 'dead mall' near us. But they tore it down replaced it with a bunch of other stores. I remember being in there (once?) back in the '90s.

I used to live in Fergus Falls, MN back in 2022 and one thing about it that intrigued me is the existence of a dead mall called Westridge Mall that as of today, only houses a Dollar Tree, Dunham's Sports, the Westridge Cinema, and more recently, a Harbor Freight. You should do some research on it if you could

This place looks so much like the old Kingsport Mall of Kingsport TN that was built in the early 1970s and quickly went downhill after a few years when Fort Henry Mall was built minutes away. Kingsport Mall was anchored by Hills Department Store and Montgomery Wards, I remember a DMV office for TN being in it and a two screen theater called the Martin Twin as well as a place that sold karate stuff as a kid. I'd give anything to walk down it's halls once more or just have video of it, however nobody does and it was torn down and turned into an outdoor shopping center.

I worked in VSM @ GC murphys from 1979- 1981. My sister worked at Zales next to JC Penney’s. Spent a lot of time in those halls

I grew up with the Mall, we moved to Effingham in 1972 and lived near the mall. Mom worked at JC Penny and for a time in High School I worked Angelo's Pizza. It was just inside the back hallway.

I appreciate keeping the memories of these places alive but it must be depressing going to so many places once loved. Now mostly abandoned.

This same man opened up a village Mall in Horsham Pa it was a small mall that was around for about 30 years starting in the early 70's. It never was a big draw to start with. One end was a woolco and a grocery store on the other end. The rite aid probably got the most business!

Wasn't that eclipse something? I saw it in Arkansas. So hard to explain to someone that hasn't seen it in person before, but I felt everything you were describing.

Really cool little mall and bonus eclipse footage! Perfect way to spend a morning.

Welcome back

My hometown mall. Was it the coolest place on earth on a Friday/Saturday night with the arcade, movie theater & Dipper Dan's ice cream

My weekend is now complete new video

Great video North! Love this tiny little mall, such a vintage king.

The nostalgia of these kinds of videos makes me hurt inside. Please tell me I am not the only one and I'm just a weirdo.

I remember celebrating a birthday at Lincoln Land Amusement Park... summer of 1980, I believe...

If you get the chance I would reccomend going to east hills mall I st joseph mo. The announcement of rue 21 closing put another dent in the malls eventual closure.

The inside of this mall is almost too sterile to be liminal. It’s like someone intentionally tried to paint and plaster over the memories.

Great video as always. I must make this comment though. How comes every mall i used to go to have the exact same benches, they must be a jinx because every mall that I knew here in Pennsylvania that had them is now either a dead mall or the mall is closed. What is up with these benches???

5:28 I saw a plaque just like that at Bradley Square Mall in Cleveland TN. I wonder where they come from, and what they’re for? Btw North, INCREDIBLE eclipse footage!

I love old fashioned

Glad you are filming some malls than Kohan had. It's really sad. I know Kohan owned one Iowa mall that is closed now. Wondering what that means for Lindale. Also, I think they own River Hills in Mankato. I think River Hills is ok at the moment. Not 100% though.

Surprised that Village Square Mall is still open it has 70s vibes in that place. Did the pay phone work LOL😂 should've taken The Guitar Hero and the pay phone with you for the mall museum LMAO.

River city mall keokuk ia?

Very sad malls are faster and faster disappearing and nothing but memories of goodness, Sigh

That shot at the beginning of the lone pay phone - so depressing. Ah Eisner. My dad and uncle were butchers at Eisner (dad in Springfield, Lincoln and Bloomington, uncle in Springfield). This mall is defininitely screaming the 1970s. I hope you get a chance sometime to check out Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana.

North, do u know about Hickory Hollow Mall in Nashville? It’s over a million square feet and was once the greatest mall in the area, but is soon going to be demolished.

Is the next mall River City Mall in Keokuk Iowa?

Did you buy the Blues Brothers poster, North?

It would be cool if you could try to get back up to the lakeside Mall in Sterling heights Michigan before it officially closest in 60 days

Check out Northland Mall in Sterling Il

Southridge Mall, River City Mall, or Jordan Creek Mall?

Request: Adrian Mall, Adrian, MI

Have you ever do the kansas one yet like wichita kansas where I'm from lol 😊🦊😊

Yo I know a mall in Canada Calgary that has the same name aka Village Square Mall that is dead like this one since I remember the times before that small mall in Calgary. Used to be so full of life even when I remember there was a food court in there but they ended up closing it due to having problems with the teens that I wasn't over that small mall For so long just to see that it no longer exist and even when I was over that area it did have like some homeless woman over there that honestly scares me since I have hear her. Have a mental freak out outside and even in the mall! but of course she is no longer over at the village square area anymore that it could be obviously she finally got kicked out From the area since the people in the mall were just getting so fed up with her causing troubles in the mall that she must of got arrested by the cops or she much of passed away. Which seeing how so many homeless people in Canada are dying it sure isn't good but damn this sure reminds me of a small mall that is not too far where I live that was once Very active became dead that I just see that they are replacing the food court with a day care which makes no sense since they also have a pre school in the small mall too. Like why not make replace the food court with something else by adding more newer stores in there instead of making a daycare that doesn't need to exist in the village square Mall that is in Calgary..?

If you're still doing mall series have come to Pennsylvania yet colonial Park mall just in it dead! They have working fountain

Albert Lea mn mall next please 🙏

River City Mall in Iowa?

Dawn of the dead

Alton Square mall IL?

🌚

Why don’t we just turn these into apartment complexes?