I’ve lived in the Orlando area now since mid-1998, and I can tell you that this mall, as well as the areas other 6 traditional malls, were absolutely bustling with activity then. When I first moved to the area, this mall and the surrounding shops and areas were just 3-4 miles from me. I still remember what stores were in every single slot at Fashion Square from that time. I live more on the southwestern part of the Orlando metro now, but I decided to stop by Fashion Square just a few months ago, having not been there in years. I was astounded by how abandoned and almost apocalyptic the place was. From empty storefronts, to the lack of upkeep in the parking lot and exterior. It honestly made me want to cry, knowing how neat and vibrant it was before, and how much it meant to me when I first moved here. I grew up in a very very small town of only 1,800 people in the Midwest, and my nearest mall was a good hour and a half away. So having a mall like this so close was an absolute dream to me in 1998. As I understand it, other than the now gone Winter Park Mall where the Winter Park Village now stands, this was one of Orlando’s earliest full traditional malls. Generations of people have gone there. Fashion Square has now been half-heartedly Frankensteined into a mix of abandoned neglected areas, areas that have been totally demolished, and areas where new semi-anchors are. It’s very weird, but overall sad to me. What’s odd is, Baldwin Park, behind the mall where the old naval base used to be, is one of the newer, larger, nicer areas of the metro. So you’d think Fashion Square would be doing alright. But just like most malls in America, changing habits and tastes have just slowly killed most malls just about everywhere. Our only two malls in the metro that are still doing really well are Millenia and The Florida Mall. But only because they are very heavily trafficked by foreign tourists, who take home piles of merchandise that costs more in their home countries. I briefly worked at the Apple Store at the Florida Mall, and I’m not kidding when I say every day of the week was like Black Friday, with people lined up half an hour before opening, and in the store after we closed until 30-60 minutes later. It was nuts, and I eventually couldn’t take it anymore. But I suppose that that much business is a good thing overall. The whole area around Fashion Square though on East Colonial used to be so much nicer. Even outparcel areas surrounding the mall for about a mile’s perimeter haven’t been doing well, or abandoned. Sometimes I wish I had a time machine, and could go back to this mall for just one day in the 90’s to re-experience it. It used to be “my” mall and I loved it. I probably have one or two things that I still own that I bought there in fact.

Fashion Square was always "my" mall. I moved to Orlando in 1997 and quickly got a job working at a video store called Saturday Matinee upstairs where the movie theater now is. In 2004, when hurricane Charley hit, the mall was our savior, offering an air conditioned space to retreat to during the 2 weeks we spent without electricity in the brutal Floridian August heat. I remember when the bowling alley/ arcade was added. It was fun for awhile. To be honest, I will be sad to see this mall finally close, as it has played a significant role throughout my adult life. My daughter has a number of photos with Santa, who used to be stationed on the small platform directly across from the escalator. I will always remember this mall as the bustling and busy place that it once was. It's hard to let it go. P.S. The Premiere cinemas movies theater still has the best popcorn in Orlando, and is also the most reasonably priced theater around

Since I moved to Orlando in 2019 I've been to Orlando Fashion Square a few times mostly to see a movie. When I've walked through the mall and seeing all the empty retail spaces it makes me think of the malls I used to go to back in Columbus and how they once were the place to be. Seeing this video makes me have a better idea of how popular this mall once was. With the invention of the Internet which led to online shopping has replaced making a trip to the mall.

Yes I agree this is a true dead mall. I am sick of all these youtubers calling malls dead that aren't really at all. But this time we have a mall that really is dead.

I have vivid memories of going there and when the Orlando Naval Base down the street (now gone and made residential area) was there, the place would be packed with squids. I never saw less than a thousand people there just on any given day. Those massive parking lots all around it would be stacked, and I don't mean just Christmas. The location is still prime, it just aged and sounds like security went lax. One dude in the whole place and he's stalking you... all sad...

Living there as a kid really glued some memories in my head. Man do I miss that place.

I worked at this mall for a few years. Used to be so cool. Surprised no one mentioned the world famous Burdine's (now Macy's) wall. The entire frigging anchor store was a quarter pipe to vert wall all the way around. At some point they got sick of it and installed the wrap around planters in I think like 1995 or so, but it was unbelievable. I guess opening in 1973 skateboards weren't as much of an issue so you could design architecture like that.

Wow i actually had my 2018 graduation photoshoot here but remember coming to this mall as far back as 2006 and there used to be so many stores here that my mom forced me to go with her to. Its honestly a relic at this point how many memories i have from this place.

I grew up in that mall in the 80’s! Such a shock to see it in its death throes. It was built on farmland which the owners leased to a South Florida developer in the 70’s. As the land has different owners than the buildings, it’s made transformative development difficult. I’m sure the high interest rates have slowed any plans as of late, but someone really needs to put it out of its misery.

man... i used to go to this mall a lot back in the 2000's. right next to that Macy's was a GameStop, that GameStop is where my grandfather purchased me Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess.

So strange to see these once bustling places die like this. This mall was very busy in the 90’s and early 2000’s.

So sad, this mall was awesome back in the 2000's.

As others have stated this place was so busy in the 90's. Next time you are in central Florida, check out the Seminole Town Center in Sanford, another zombie mall.

It's sad to see... When I was in high school (in the mid-90's), it was THE mall in Central Florida (well, that and Altamonte Springs Mall). In the late '90's, the mall in Sanford opened. Now, both Orlando Fashion Square and the mall in Sanford are basically dead. The Oviedo mall is dying a slow death. Altamonte Springs Mall seems to be doing well, and the 2 huge malls (Millenia and Florida Mall are always packed). Malls in the US are really dying... I went to Japan and China 3 years ago and their malls are growing.

Sick you showed Baldwin. I used to skate by that lake and there all the time on my way to fashion square.

I have fond memories of this mall, being from Orlando, but not living there anymore. I used to go to the video game store, even before Gamestop was there. Can't remember the name of it though. It was in the late 90s/early 2000's... Used to shop at JCPenneys... I went to Panera a few times. I think there was even a Chick Fil A upstairs before it got big. There used to be a little train on the 2nd floor for Christmas. And I remember when they put in the movie theater and bowling alley upstairs. There used to be a Pac Sun I bought many clothes at, at 7:50 on the right. Correct me if I'm wrong about any of this. My memory's a little fuzzy. (Perhaps I mixed up a few things with the Florida mall by Sand Lake Road?). Good times there.

Baldwin Park was built on the land reclaimed from a huge Navy base that was there from the late 1960's to 1990's. It was where I went to boot camp. Before that it was an Air Force base.

This mall has been empty for 20 years and sits on extremely valuable real estate in one of the fastest growing cities in the USA. I can't believe its still operating!

Great video! I’ve been keeping my eye on this place since 2017, it’s gone so far downhill since then, and even at that time I thought it was dead, but it’s gotten worse since then.

I spent a fair amount of my free time at this mall when I was stationed at Orlando NTC for boot camp and schools back in 1978 and 1979

Beautiful, OMG.

Facts, i played in the orlando VFW concert band and this mall would hire us to do a christmas concert every year, from around 1993 until one year the mall came under new management/owners, they waited until the night before our concert in i believe 2019, and cancelled. Alot of us showed up the following day only to find it was cancelled. We never called them again. 20+ years to end it like that. Looks like they didnt last anyway.

Great video. Thanks.

Back in the late 90s we took our 6 year old son there to see The Wiggles.

I lived in Orlando for 5 years and i never even heard of this mall before.

I was in Orlando for Boot Camp at NTC Orlando, went to Nuclear Field A School, and then Nuclear Power School from April 1987 to May of 1988. I could easily walk from the Navy Base there on Magruder Blvd to Fashion Square Mall and to the GCC Cinema near it, all the time. Loved that mall. It WAS a good mall. The fact that it is still there after 35 years from when I was there is cool, even though it is dying. As I recall, the store you mentioned was called "Burdine's". Cool video though. A mall in my neighborhood, "Pembroke Mall" just closed last year after decades in service. I made a video documenting it's last day on here. It's doing the same thing "Fashion Square Mall" is hinting at, the "mixed use shopping with several residences, mostly senior" thing. Military Circle Mall closed a few months ago, Pembroke Mall is gone, Greenbrier Mall in Chesapeake is dying. Only Macarthur Mall is still here, even though some stores(Apple) have left it. Only Lynnhaven Mall is thriving pretty good.

Dang... I grew up trekkin that mall. Hate to see it make this radar.

I saw Backstreet Boys perform on that little stage in front of the escalators 😂 they were just starting out, I was probably 12 and we thought they were lame

Would love if you did a video on the Hawthorne Mall in Los Angeles, I grew up not far from it and it was always abandoned. Every kid in that area has hopped that fence and gotten inside that mall. Kids still do but need to be careful since they mostly use it for filming now and Tesla (who's headquarters are a few minutes away) park their cars in the parking lot before being ready to ship

there’s a dead mall local to me and I go there an awful lot, it’s sad to see the place dying because I spent lots of my childhood there :( it doesn’t really look dead but it’s never really busy anymore and the only busy shops there are Poundland and Asda

If you haven't done it already, you should do Seminole Towne Center in Sanford, FL

One could argue the closing of the nearby Naval Station was the first domino that started the fall of Fashion Square -- Baldwin Park wasn't fully built-up until some years later, and as you alluded to in the video, there's an "urban village" setup that pretty much eliminates the need to drive out to the mall in spite of the proximity. There's been talk of refurbishing, renovating, re-imagining Fashion Square for well over a decade... at one point, there was a plan to build a new hotel on the property (I believe along the concourse that was completely blocked off from view). Every one of these proposals have eventually turned into dust, even the ones that the city itself signed off on. I'll believe something new will rise from the ashes of this place when I see it.

Haven't been since 2009-2010, and even then it was on the way out. I will note, you mentioned this is on the outskirts of Orlando, FL.... I don't think this is accurate, having lived there for quite some time. This is actually relatively close to the city core downtown, and overall a pretty busy retail area on Colonial leading into it. "Outskirts" of Orlando would probably be 10-15 miles further east, past UCF/Avalon area where things really start to thin out. Regarding the Winter Park shooting.... that's pretty much the nicest area in Orlando. I think the shooting is more of an American problem overall unfortunately.

That was my hang out spot in 1995 so sad how empty it is hopefully make a come back ❤

I purchased some shoes in that mall back in 2018, and it seemed that it had more in it than this. ugh...

Was it warm in there when you went? Went there for the movies a few weeks ago and it was too hot in the main mall areas. They must have shut off the a/c because the theater was fine.

So sad to see. It's the same way all over. I used to DJ events there at Burdines (Now Macys) is the 80's.

I worked at Robinson’s in the mall from 1975-1981 before moving to Denver. It was a cool mall at the time and is sad to see it like this 40 years later 😢. Another sad death of a mall was Colonial Plaza just down the street. Oh for some of Ronnie’s rye bread 🥖 and salami 😌

This is a strange thing to see, a mall that I remember from its opening in the early 70s when I was living in Orlando and in high school. It was just down the road from the mall I grew up with, Colonial Plaza and seemed like another world. Sadly we moved away a couple of years after it opened and didn’t experience all of its changes. Why did folks abandon it for the other malls?

25 years ago this used to be the place to be on Friday nights.

You should check out Lakeland square mall (If you are local to Orlando its not TOO far of a drive). Been a couple years since I went but it was dying back then. Be interested to see how's its doing now.

God this is just depressing. Shame to see it in such a state. Spent a fair amount of time there growing up. But aroma 2018 most of the stores i frequented left and moved. Hell i even looks like the Spencers finally left too.

There’s not even a Spirit of Halloween there now. I just moved to Orlando a few weeks ago. I’ve been to this mall twice since then. Once was right before closing time and it’s very dark from the Macys to the former Sears at night. The other time was in the afternoon on a random weekday. Both times I’ve been upstairs I was the only one up there. When I checked the Google reviews a woman complained about a man saying nasty things to here in the restrooms, might’ve been the same creep you encountered. I didn’t check the Macys elevator but the parking garage elevator behind JCPenney and the main elevator that takes you up to the second floor both have expired tags on them.

It was packed DAILY when I was a kid; it was a big part of my childhood.... While it's funny to hear the '09 commentary against current footage, it remains considerably sad that Fashion Square is now dead as a doornail.

I went to this mall solely because of the whole Toy's R US pop up thing in Macy's a while ago. And since this mall was the closest one to go, I've went with a friend. Well let's just say I was not impressed at all of the setup and the first Macy's I've went to seems like a run down JCP so not impressed by Macy's at all either. The rest of the mall (minus the stalker) was unsettling how empty it is. So obviously will never return since the purpose was met.

Could you possibly do Oviedo Mall next? I have so many memories there, but people have been saying it's going to be sold soon...😥

I remember that mall very much it was busy then it became empty so fast that’s not the mall I would go all the time because I lived in Dr. Phillips I went to mostly Florida mall or Mall of Millenia

Great video!

Mall in Merritt Island mall in brevard County Florida died too now

They would've closed several years ago but Macy's refused to let go.

Always interesting to see Florida’s malls as it’s the only place in the US that I’ve been to more than one mall but haven’t been to this one sadly. Sounds so creepy what happened to you, I have had a few weird experiences like that, weird people tend to make a beeline for me 😅 even had it happen in card factory of all places where I got surrounded by two weird guys fake-acting that they knew me while giving each other mischievous glances/side eye constantly 🤣 but I just got myself out of there, always sticks with me though haha

be safe

this mall is located just north of Executive Airport and near Orlando's very nice Festival Park way up in the northeast end of Orlando far outside of the normal tourist areas. This was THE mall of Orlando from the mid 70s all the way to the mid 2000s, but most of the "good" malls went south, and now "the" mall is Florida Mall which is off of Sand Lake on the exact opposite side of Orlando much closer to the theme parks where pretty much everyone wants to be. Unless you're going to a Festival Park event or the Science Center up there in north Orlando, there's no real reason to be up there if you are not local, so this mall just is in the wrong place these days.

Tilt, MF’s!

I saw a movie here yesterday and could not believe just how empty and dead this place is. Put it out of its misery already.

I’m positive that man was following you… and not for a date lol. Do you have exposed equipment or are you on a go-pro like camera? Just be cautious of equipment…it’s like a giant billboard in areas where crime has gone up due to less activity. These revamp/tear down projects are so expensive, and get sat on for so long, then Amazon comes in and buys the land and instead of housing it’s a warehouse.

Baldwin park was built on an old bombing range and really its designed for the rich business people who don't want old stuff. you should also understand what is directly behind the mall as its several dead end streets full of office buildings. honestly its the one mall that is just terrible in orlando. west oaks mall is just as bad. the mall needs to go and be rebuilt into something new as its a scar on the orlando cityscape. LPGA blvd is for celebs who just want a private place. Heathrow which is close enough but is mostly for those who own businesses and have some money. The mall started downhill once the basketball thing came in as a promotion which for some reason sent it tumbling. they tried sports card shows, game shows, even jewelry shows but nothing got the people back.

5:05 why not get the guy on cam for the story vs just talking about it.

Honey people die in America all the time, if you don’t want to go to where people get shot don’t go to Florida 😂

the young people are LAZY they dont go shopping! near by "upskale" are lazy. this is why malls are dying.

No middle class anymore equals no normies like myself are shopping Bidenomics! I remember going to this mall a couple of years back it wasnt this bad so crazy what 3 years does

Bought Marvel Secret Wars at Waldenbooks there in 99... Bought my Cobra Commander Tshirt at Gadzooks there in 2000. Saw "V For Vendetta" at the movie theatre there in 2006 Did lots of inventory for the stores there when I worked for RGIS between 2003 - 2007 Used to love going to the Arcade upstairs across the Food Court Used to go to Coliseum of Comics downstairs by Dillards...until I went there one day and they were gone... So yeah...I have memories of this place...😊