Mariner Business Center (Superior, WI) - 1980s time capsule
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2 жыл бұрынThe inside of Mariner Business Center has not received any cosmetic updates since it opened as Mariner Mall over 40 years ago. It is still 1980 inside. According to comments from people who used to visit Mariner, the mall was never very healthy. People have said it had several empty storefronts even in the 1980s and nearly 40 empty stores in the 1990s. Management finally did something about that and converted the complex to a business center. Empty tenants that haven't been converted to offices are being rented out for storage. Mariner seems to be doing well despite it looking dead.
Thank you to Vincent Degendorfer for allowing me to use footage of his trip to Mariner when it was still a mall in 2018. Check it out! • Mariner Mall
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@alirothschild3810 Жыл бұрын
The Mariner Mall, home of Terminator: Salvation (whose CGI of “The Governor” led Grandma to squawk “Nudie Arnold, Nudie Arnold ) in the Summer of 2009 was the last time I had ever seen a film with Grandma; an area that had now become cordoned with Senior Center Advocacy Centers, Business Consultant offices, those wanting space for dirt cheap. The days of Younkers as the last department store in town was probably now some tax service center.
@TitaniumSporks. 3 ай бұрын
I visited this mall back in 2012 as a kid and went to this mall with my family, specifically to watch a movie in the movie theater. We had the whole theater to ourselves. I'll be honest, I'm on the younger side. I have seen more dead malls than living malls, and malls have never been a big part of my life. It's still kind of sad. My home mall in WI was the Memorial Mall in Sheboygan. Obviously now that's (mostly, there's still some remnants, such as a small section connected to the Kohls) long gone and has been replaced with a Meijer.
@YodelingLoonRetail 3 ай бұрын
Thanks for sharing your memories and information about Memorial Mall!
@57WillysCJ Ай бұрын
JC Penny and Glass Block were the main stores there but people came from all over for theator. Watched a lot of movies there on Saturday nights.
@keithpodhradsky1314 9 күн бұрын
YEah, everyone seems to forget Glass Block. They were in Miller Hill as well.
@andy68916 4 ай бұрын
I used to work at the Aladdin's Castle there! I would get lunch across the hall, they had good curly fries.
@clintbeastwood8240 10 ай бұрын
Wow I last went to the theater there in 2010. It's so different now!
@mezmer9063 8 ай бұрын
Growing up as a young teen in the late 90s this was a fun spot to be, sad to see it now. still miss getting freezies and Jolt soda here.
@rogers4845 Жыл бұрын
I grew up in Superior but had moved away prior to the mall being built. I did go there many times on visits back to my home town. Sad to see it empty of stores.
@keithpodhradsky1314 9 күн бұрын
This will sound weird, but this does answer my question about what happened to the place, so thanks. I will tell you what I recall- the place was NEVER "bustling" per a business review. I remember when it first opened and I do swear there was a Sears at the South end of this and believe the Penneys was where Younkers ended up. Then again, Younkers took over the Glass Block space at Miller Hill, so I could be wrong. This mall was never fully occupied. There used to be a fast food joint owned by Embers, Inc, which I take it was a cheapo division of the restaurant in Duluth. I was more a Highland Supper Club person and especially a Paul Bunyan Roast Beef person at Highland. I think the Embers was where the Mexican place is today. I seem to recall going here in the 90s just to see what happened to the place: we lived in Clam Lake during the summers. In fact, Miller Hill had started to hemorrhage stores with Sears leaving and as I recall the space was eventually a car dealer over there. Something similar happened to Mariner and there was a dealer that went into that old South anchor. Will admit the memories get dodgy. All I know is that there was a sports memorabilia place at Mariner and at Miller Hill. Glad I stopped in and snagged some latter day Dukes stuff.
@mokumaca5645 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for the wonderful memories. I really liked @3:40 the old Hot dog Stand. I loved the old pepperoni hot dog with mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce. The movie theater was great back in the day as they always had the movies that Duluth did not and the awesome midnight showing of Pink Floyd the Wall. You could get to the movie theater for your movie 30 to 40 minutes before show time and then go to Aladdins Castle by the theater and go through some Quarters. Miller Hill Mall was always better but this mall still have some fun times back in the day. Thank you.
@allenwiedl5419 5 ай бұрын
I lived in Superior in the years 1981 to 1983 and remember the place being a lot more busy then. 😢 Sad to see it so deserted.
@radian2323 Ай бұрын
Aqua Hut was the best! I remember picking up Nintendo games from Prange Way. Even when I was little I never remember this mall being all that busy.
@htmlguy9849 2 жыл бұрын
I grew up in the projects behind the Mariner mall and have a lot of fond memories of going there to shop at the dollar store, see animals at the pet store, and watch movies in the theater. At some point a few years later there was a vintage game store added that I visited as well. My great grandma used the walk the Mariner mall every day for exercise. I remember Bridgemans, KB toys, state farm, the furniture store, the gymnastics place, the jewelry store, the pharmacy, younkers, a leather shop, and more. As a kid I never realized this place was empty, it felt very popular and busy. Thinking back, I guess it wasn't all that busy. Certainly never as much as the Miller Hill Mall. I really wish someone had footage of it from the mid to late 90s.
@htmlguy9849 2 жыл бұрын
I ran into this!! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l7eoftFlmsvGj6M.html
@YodelingLoonRetail 2 жыл бұрын
Oh wow! Thanks for sharing! The video brought back memories of Play It Again Sports. It wasn’t too far from UMD.
@agcevbsvdbb4749 2 жыл бұрын
Me too! I lived in Aspen Courts. Went to gymnastics in the mall after they had moved it from an old church’s basement where we started- it was a really nice upgrade. I remember the mall walkers. 😊 Even went to a dance class that was right behind the jewelry store (there was a hair salon opposite) next to the doors. I remember seeing movies at the theater and going to the music store too. I once hid in the circular clothing racks in JC Penny’s and scared my mom! 😳 I even remember a pharmacy and going to Bridgeman’s for a raspberry and fudge cone! They had craft fairs and Halloween trick or treating too. I’ll never forget Aladdin’s Castle (arcade), I still have a token! I guess we have memories because it was one of the best places nearby we could actually walk to and do something. Oh, and the YMCA, but that cost money to even get in the doors to do anything. We could always just walk around the mall- no money needed.
@mr.anderson2257 7 ай бұрын
Don't forget icue. The music store
@PaleOpal21 2 жыл бұрын
Very stupid to kick people out. For all they know, these people could have been potential customers getting a feel for the location.
@elvistiso6275 2 жыл бұрын
It was actually painful for me to watch this video as a former-resident of Superior. The Mariner Mall seemed doomed from the beginning, precisely because of the fact that it was in the part of Superior no really wanted it. Second, the fact that in MN there is no sales tax on clothing. Something I remember hearing over the years, was that a man by the name of Danny Cohen had proposed spending millions of dollars to clean up the North End of Superior and have a shopping, hotel, casino district--which would have made sense. But, the powers that be in Superior wouldn't stand for that. Superior, it seems has always been on a downward spiral. The last time I was there, was in 2016 and I dropped by the mall only to be disappointed. Hell, I thought I'd see a movie but the theater had closed years ago. The whole city seems very comfortable in their failings.
@fuzz1248 Жыл бұрын
Started at Musicland in late August early September 1980.My fiance,later my wife , worked at Musicland and then GNC.We opened,along with her brother, DJS Record Shop in August of 1984.The mall had problems from the start.People could not find it ,they would end up at the refinery.Residents in town did not know there was a mall in Superior.The main problem was Joint Venture 3 managing of the mall. You find out in 1988 at the yearly merchants meeting that they do not have a leasing crew and also they are not into running malls but owning property!!!! we payed 1501.00 a month rent!!!.Their leasing crew was thew mall manager who wrote letters to different businesses and a lawyer who sat in an office in the IDS Building in Minneapolis!!!.My wife and I live down the road from the mall and used to walk the mall .
@kellyhaas6966 2 жыл бұрын
I love the Lake Superior region so much.
@jsjourneys9454 2 жыл бұрын
Great video and great channel! I grew up with this mall and visited here pretty frequently in the 90s when I was a kid. My dad even lived in the apartment buildings to the west just across the street! I remember the mall was hopping especially on a Friday night...though my definition is of what I can remember being like 7 years old, so maybe it wasn't quite as busy as I think it was. Nevertheless, I remember they had a record store (or cassette and CD store) called On Cue (which was located to the right at the time stamp 1:07 to 1:35), and a toy store which I think was KB toys. I remember some other specialty stores as well, including a dinosaur-themed place. I also remember there being a dollar store at one point, and in that hallway area that was the Prange discount store, I do remember a discount store being there (though I'm not sure what it was called in the mid to late 90s). This place used to be fun, that's for sure. Coincidentally, I did a pretty comprehensive full mall tour back in March 2018 and never posted it anywhere, but I'm planning to edit it a bit and post it to my channel soon. Thanks for this great tour!
@YodelingLoonRetail 2 жыл бұрын
I would love to see your video!
@mokumaca5645 2 жыл бұрын
You are right it was pretty full in the 1980s and until the mid 1990s. I do not remember empties in the 1980s
@Bryan-od7nv 2 жыл бұрын
@@mokumaca5645 It was definitely full capacity in the 1980s. Seen ET, The Goonies, and Back to the Future there. If I remember right, Aladdin’s Castle was across from the theater next to the restaurant.
@clintbeastwood8240 Жыл бұрын
Great video!
@danaellis6802 Жыл бұрын
I had the same guy yell at me and tell me if I don’t leave he’s gonna call the cops. It was a mall and I was trying to buy something at sears. Last time I ever went there.
@YodelingLoonRetail Жыл бұрын
I think it’s so ridiculous. Who gets joy from doing that?
@danaellis6802 Жыл бұрын
@@YodelingLoonRetail I guess he does. Some people just have anger issues.
@one7decimal2eight Жыл бұрын
My family used to go to Duluth yearly and we would stay at the best western right after the bridge from mn and we would go to this mall back in the early 90s. I remember a car audio store and a pet store and it being somewhat busy. I stopped by here in 2016 and most places were closed down except a Mexican Restaurant, a sand volleyball court,Yonkers, GNC and that Sears. I walked around no problem. I noticed most places were renting out to businesses that were doing what looked to be telemarketing or customer service. I saw an exercise studio of some sort and a few other places that used these old stores as offices.
@frankpeck1448 2 жыл бұрын
Hello, Thanks for a great and informative video, of the city I grew up in and spent the first quarter-century of my life. The Superior I remember, had a population of 35,000 throughout the 50s, and most of the 60s; I was shocked to learn of the loss of nearly 10K residents, over the last several decades. My last visit there was in 1983, at which time, the Mariner Mall was practically new. Keep up your fantastic video production, and memory-making!
@hellmuth26 9 ай бұрын
My only memory from Mariner Mall was from 1989 or 1990, when I was 5 or 6. We saw a guy with a big bright green mohawk, and my grandma said to "stay away from people like that."
@robertsvlog9686 4 ай бұрын
It used to be a mall 😂😂 I grew up there
@chloelimberg8442 2 жыл бұрын
I went to UMD and actually visited Mariner Mall a tiny bit before this video was uploaded, so this was fun to stumble upon! I am fascinated with dead malls such as this one, so this was on my bucket list of things to do before graduation. I was able to get in, but was promptly kicked out by an overly aggressive and cranky man who I think worked there… but also had a kid with him? i don’t know haha THANK YOU for uploading footage and detailing its history, you’re basically helping me complete my bucket list :)
@TheSprinklerNinja Жыл бұрын
I remember the mariner mall. There used to be a fountain under that square tile thing 8 would throw pennies in. Scuttlebutt alley, alladins castle, radio shack. Kaybee toys. Jc penny's, prange's it was a regular busy mall in the 80s
@drewdurigan5672 Жыл бұрын
Superior was always the place for college-age kids to party. Back in the 1980s, legal drinking age was 19 in Minnesota and 18 in Wisconsin. Every night, thousands of 18-year-olds would cross the bridge for a night of boozin' and cruisin.' It was a great time to be alive!
@mr.anderson2257 7 ай бұрын
Mariner mall used to be hopping. Unfortunately, Superior is dying I think the average age is pretty high. Not enough young people moving here.
@tomolson3029 Жыл бұрын
I remember seeing Back to the Future in that theater back in the Summer of 85.
@theaveragechad 9 ай бұрын
What a throwback. I have many memories of taking the bus with mom to the Mariner Mall (easier than the transfering it would have taken to get to the Miller Hill Mall), including eating at that hot dog stand pictured at 3:45. As a husky kid, I always got cheese sauce on my hot dog.
@untouchable1461 2 жыл бұрын
My dad works in the old theaters
@davidklaus6666 Жыл бұрын
What was the bar called in there? They used to have a good Caesar Drink.....
@Bryan-od7nv Жыл бұрын
1:01 Aladdin's Castle arcade used to be where the glass doors are on the right. Spent a lot of money in there waiting for whatever movie I was seeing to start. E.T. was the first movie I seen there and Bad Boys 2 was the last. Gremlins, The Goonies, Back to the Future, Top Gun, Stand by Me….. Lots of childhood memories there.
@nikkalamisiewicz1135 Жыл бұрын
Does anyone know what that hotdog food store was in the 90s I just found my dad owned it 😭
@nikkalamisiewicz1135 Жыл бұрын
It had a different name before hot dog
@petekeller1424 6 ай бұрын
I personally think that Walmart killed the Mariner Mall
@tru2deheart 2 жыл бұрын
It was supposed to be where Walmart is now I am told. When Prangie way left the mall pretty much died. They used to have mall walkers there not sure why that happened...
@mlbvintagecardcollector505 2 жыл бұрын
Head out to Detroit Lakes. The Washington Square Mall is a time warp and across the street is a stand alone, still open JC Penny's that has a 1950's feel right on main street. Worth the trip for a dead mall youtuber. We visited last week for a little r&r vacay.
@YodelingLoonRetail 2 жыл бұрын
I did film about six minutes of footage, but unlike Mariner, I actually was kicked out of Washington Square! I'll have to return for outdoor footage. Thanks for the note about JC Penney's. I'll definitely have to return for that!
@jsperb82 2 жыл бұрын
I love the "hole in the wall" type malls you find. More unique and interesting overall than the mega malls usually covered. If you're checking out Wisconsin more, there's a great one in downtown Oshkosh that no one knows about, or at least no one has put up a video of. It is truly "dead." No tenants left except a restaurant if memory serves. I don't know that it's worth driving several hours for but if you're passing by the area anyway, it's definitely worth a stop.
@autofox1744 Жыл бұрын
Sorry, when I heard they were updating the the theater space to remove the slanted floors, I saw red. When I was a child, there was a single-screen movie theater in Dover, NH called the Strand. It was _my_ theater growing up; I made a lot of memories there, I saw Star Wars Episode II there! Unfortunately, it closed, and was later acquired by a guy who turned it into a "performing arts center" that does live stage shows, something for which the space was never designed. For some goddamn reason, they removed the slanted floor in the theater; now instead of the normal theater seats, there are just a bunch of metal folding chairs on a flat floor, and without the slope EVERYTHING blocks your view. It's like your old school gym that doubled as the auditorium, except you have to pay to get in. I don't hate performing arts, but I go to a helluva lot more movies than plays, and I _hate_ seeing movie theaters ripped up and turned into other things. Obviously, they intend to turn the theater in this mall into yet more "business space", but no, fuck you, keep it as a theater! /rant.
@mattcintosh2 2 жыл бұрын
How on earth were you in there that long and not run into Ryan?
@breruberto6392 2 ай бұрын
Lol is he still there?
@barxcodedxloser 2 жыл бұрын
Hey if you ever come back up to northern MN/WI you should check out the Virginia MN mall it's also pretty dead!
@YodelingLoonRetail 2 жыл бұрын
Virginia is on my radar. I hope Plaza 53 is still open.
@lucybanks8660 2 жыл бұрын
they as well kicked me out just for walking around, the guy told me that it was now privately owned and i could not be in there.
@YodelingLoonRetail 2 жыл бұрын
All malls/business centers are privately owned! What a ridiculous excuse to kick you out. I’m sorry you had to deal with that.
@Lugtastic 2 жыл бұрын
By the way when you stated former JC penny you were on the wrong side of the building lol
@YodelingLoonRetail 2 жыл бұрын
If JC Penney was not at the opposite end of the mall from Younkers, where was it?
@favoritecrime4803 2 жыл бұрын
Looks more like a high school.
@Lugtastic 2 жыл бұрын
the high school is like a block away lmfao they redid it about 3-4 years ago.
@paperpencilsandart 2 жыл бұрын
Stop playing scary sound tracks in the background.😱
@raynebenson9040 2 жыл бұрын
You went to UMD huh how do you like all that debt? Uws is alot cheaper
@patriotpaladinprime7192 Жыл бұрын
I can tell what all those store fronts use to be.
@Adam-ye6wj 6 ай бұрын
I keep hearing about the demise of Superior because of a failing mall in these comments and that is nonsense. Malls are dying nationwide and most are gone these days especially in smaller towns.
@Adam-ye6wj 6 ай бұрын
Zs deli
@patriotpaladinprime7192 Жыл бұрын
A real treat!? 😆🤣🤣🤣🤣 it is zoned industrial now, so you can't walk inside anymore. The owners get hundreds of thousands a month. This is one of the few defunct malls that makes more money not being a mall.
@keithpodhradsky1314 9 күн бұрын
I do remember Prange- it was more or less a regional chain in the ShopKo mold with more or less the same lack of merch in the smaller towns like Ashland and Park Falls. (maybe those were the WAY stores.
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