I used to come here all the time as a kid back in the 2000's. It was really nice then. At 0:58 you can see on the left side the giant wall. All of that used to be a food court too. They had Panda Express and MCD. The whole thing got really crappy as the big names like Sears began to fall. More stores and shops are leaving and last time I visited with my girl friend we really were shocked. This thing is really out of it's hay day alright.
I grew up in prospect heights and I remember in the early 2000’s me and my family would go there and I would get all my new back to school gear! Sometimes we would go all the way out to Gurnee Mills. Sigh! The memories
I used to live about 10 minutes from Golf Mill. My mom and I would come here often. I went here a while back and was surprised to see what has happened to the mall since I've been there. The retail industry is just falling apart because of stupid Amazon and these high end retailers. It's just sad to see these great places go away and never come back. I remember very well when they added the target in the mall. The target really helped the mall out a lot. Excellent video here
Go check it out now. About 5 stores have closed inside the mall within less than a month. They were the big name stores like express, victoria secret, finish line, payless, etc.
Like I say, part of the problem is a lot of malls aren't keeping up with the times. The thing is people are going for higher end things, and there are some malls that don't have those higher end stores like Michael Kors, Nordstrom, etc. the other thing is online shopping is killing a lot of these malls and stores. Everyone is on Amazon these days and shops there. My dad says that down the road we'll be buying houses on Amazon. It's time for the malls to make a change and go with higher end stores as well as new stores to attract more shoppers
Love your videos! The most unusual part of this mall is that Sears connects one half to the other (containing Target and Kohl's). If Sears closes, the mall will be cut in half. The side you did not show in the video has been very dead for decades.
I’ve been to that mall most of my life. It’s been a huge part of my childhood. As someone who grew up in that area, and has moved to a country-side location in another state, this almost brought me to tears
I used to work at lechters housewares back in the day here. I can't believe what happened to the mall. And the entire food court is gone. Sbarros, Taco Bell Panda Express gone. KB toys etc etc
I wish they'd keep it like that. For comparison look at how well Old Orchard is doing (and it's all outdoors). People just like the fresh air. The indoor design of Golf Mill makes it depressing to visit.
I used to go to this mall with my grandma all the time when I was younger. Now I haven’t been there’s since like 2018 and it’s so dead. Personally I think that they should tear it down and re-build it (minus ulta and target).
This mall used to be THE mall to go to. My family and I didn't even live near Niles but we'd come all the way out there just to enjoy our Saturday there. We'd eat at Chi-Chi's for a nice dinner, my brother and I would go to Spencer Gifts and Babbages/EB Games, and can't forget, Kay-Bee Toys to get Toybiz figures 3 for $10. I also remember sitting in the fountain in the middle while playing on my Gameboy. This mall used to be so beautiful. The Ulta in the food court totally ruined that area, there are no good places to eat, no good electronic stores, no game store, Hell not even a toy store for kids. 90% clothing stores. Awful.
Oh yeah I feel the same. The early 2000's was my heyday here and I always had a lot of fun at the arcade or the game stop. The toy-shop was usually a popular destination for little me too. The best part was the food court. MikkiDs every time. I now see recently how HORRIBLE this place became. Like you mentioned the food court is trashed now and the only things left are the crappy restaurants that nobody I know likes. The good stores and places are all long gone and the demographic in the mall as a result is all old timers who probably remember the place like us or just want a place to sit around with their old timer friends all day. If it wouldn't be for the Grandparents who hang out here, I'm not sure if the Mall would even be around still. It's depressing to even drive by now.
Man, if retailers want to add a location in Golf Mill, then Golf Mill should've been expanded. If Golf Mill doesn't expand, then Golf Mill will be in BIG trouble.
I have a memory as a very very young age that Before there was a Ross there was this helicopter kiddie ride that I went on with my siblings but I can barley remember it 😔
Lived near there in the 60s and 70s. My dentist was in the professional building. Used to shop at Albert K, Jackie's Circle, Woolworth, before it was enclosed. Also went to the Mill Run theater for live performances.
It’s called Golf Mill because it’s at the corner of GOLF Rd and MILwaukee Avenue. Perhaps that’s why some of the surrounding businesses outside of the mall were also called Golf Mill this and that. Remember that it also used to have the Bowling Alley (Bowl N Dine) and Golf Mill Theaters 1-2-3 with the huge two story auditoriums.
Sad to see. I haven't been there in a long time. I see what used to be Spencer ' s by the Sears is now a men's suit place, but Gloria Jean's Coffee is still there.
My mom and I always went into Spencer's. It's just sad as to what is happening to a lot of these malls. The problem is a lot of them aren't keeping up with the times. The other problem is everyone shops online. Amazon really hurts the retail industry. Most places can't even keep up with Amazon, so they close. I just wish we could go back to the days when malls were filled with people and had great stores
How sad to watch how malls like this have gone down hill namely Golf Mill. As a kid I remember it had the theater in the round, movie theater & more, now, it’s just a shell of itself. Not that I went shopping there with my mom a lot , but I do remember shopping at Randhurst mall in Mt. Prospect , there’s a mall that went through changes galore, stores like Carson’s, Wieboldts, & Montgomery Wards that no longer exists & now is more of a mini version of Oakbrook Mall , I mean I can remember many a movie at the theater outside at Randhurst, but that too is a memory, which is why I will do chart the changes tours anytime I’m in Chicago
I remember I liked their food court layout. I didn't know this place was actually dying down though. Everything around it is always constantly busy, and last time I was there in 2014 it was still quite often. Anyway, I mostly grew up with Harlem Irving Plaza since I grew up in Schiller Park, and went to Woodfield mainly for Rain Forest Cafe.
I too grew up with Harlem Irving Plaza. I used to live like 30 seconds from there. I also liked the food court layout of Golf Mill too. The Sears in the mall recently closed, and now there's almost nothing in this mall. I remember back in the 90's this mall was always crowded. It's just sad as to what is happening to these retailers. The problem is they just can't compete with Amazon and these high end retailers.
I went to the mall a few days ago and since they closed the Sears they also decided to cut off the path to the other side of the mall (since Sears you have to go through sears to get to the other side of the mall.) So now you have to go outside and walk around the whole building just to get to the other side of the mall. SMH! They need to make some changes and new stores because it attracts bearly any people and is running it out of business .
The thing I notice most about this mall is how it spurred almost all the development around it. It's surrounded by tons of businesses called "Golf Mill _____" that have no affiliation with the mall itself (Golf Mill Florist, Golf Mill Ford, etc). Once upon a time it must have been a thriving mall. Today, not so much. I wonder if the Sears in the center is a result of enclosing the mall. When it was an outdoor mall you may not have had to walk through Sears to get to the other half. Having Sears as one of your main anchors is definitely not a good prospect for any mall...
In 1981 I saw Amy Grant at the Mill Run Playhouse, a 4000 seat theater with a revolving stage in the center. It was located in the Golf Mill Shopping Center boundaries. Does anyone remember if the entrance to the theater was inside the mall, or outside of it? Also, if anyone knows where the theater was within the shopping center complex, your comments would be much appreciated. I truly miss that concert venue.
From my (78 year old) memories... "Mill Run Playhouse" was somewhat separate from the rest, located near the Northeast corner of the greater Mall property; which is now a large parking area, directly north of the Target store. Having moved from North Side Chicago, in 1978, and knowing fellow musicians who occasionally worked there with famous acts, I remember well how active it was; until its sad closing and demolishment in August of 1984. It was regularly mentioned on the old "Tonight Show" (with Johnny Carson) by many famous performers as a regular "go to" venue. For more info on that: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Run_Playhouse Another long gone feature of the Mall was the old, original, Golf Mill Theater; which was located in a large separate building near the Southeast corner of the greater Mall area. It closed in 2000; and became an "Xsport"(?) Fitness Center. On that note (A=440 bps?): cinematreasures.org/theaters/4143 And yet another odd-ball shtick(?)...there was a large combination bowling lanes/restaurant (with a really good "Gyros" sandwich!)/"Show Lounge" building; located slightly Southeast of the JC Penney Store; which is still (but for how long?) at the very Southeast portion of the Main Mall. It was completely demolished in 2007(?); and a "Whole Foods"(?) Store went up slightly East in that emptied area. (Pardon my lengthy blabbing?) It was rather sad for me, having lived in the Niles, Illinois area since 1978; and, yesterday...(8/23/2018, having gone for a Prescription pickup at CVS/Target in the Mall)...walking through the whole center corridor, (and Yeah) through Sears, etc...how rather totally deserted every area was; including the essentially chopped-in-half, Food Court. In my previous monthly visit, I inquired, through the open door of the Mall's office (located off a small corridor /off the Southwest Main Corridor , to someone at a desk) if Golf Mill was in dire danger of closing. Understandably, absolutely no info was offered. ;)
I still love this mall. I haven't been there since 2014, but last time I was there they still had the Arcade, a sports card store, a Gamestop and a sporting goods store. They had a Target and Kohl's and movie theater. And a great coffee shop. What else do you need? I guess it's a better mall for guys than women.
Trust me it's horrible now for both guys and girls. It was still good back in 14' because I remember going with my Uncle. He took me to GameStop to get a ps3 game and we had MikkiD. Good memories. Now it's all closed empty stores and crappy Chinese electronics/products keyosks that people ignore. There isn't even a good food court now because all the popular restaurants like Panda and MikkiD's got converted into a dumb beauty shop. Overall people stopped coming too as a result so you can see where this is heading. It's depressing when I even pass this place on my Saturday Drives.
I used to go here when I was little... man They had an arcade there but it closed... sad... there was a toy store there where I got toys there.. and go with my family there.... man those were the good days 😭
I remember the toy store too. I used to come here when I was little as well. This mall was always busy, and it’s just sad to see what has happened over the years. I always say there are many factors as to why the mall is the way it is. The biggest thing that I think is bringing down the mall is Amazon, and high end retailers.
3 years later and this mall is as good as gone. There is an AMC, Target, Ross, and Kohl's. Inside, Ulta took over the food court. There are 2 no name restaurants, Auntie Ann's and subway. Most of the store fronts are empty and what is there are companies that nobody has heard of mostly from Asia. The cardshop is still there and a gaming store moved in but that's about it.
@@firstlast8481 they had xmen: children of the atom, with psylock.. it played a lot like marvel vs Capcom with the double jumps n stuff. I think that's the one. 4 players.
I’m so confused. I went to this mall about a month ago, and I went to the entrance near by target. There’s was this long strip with only 10 stores, so me and my mom just left. How do you get to the main part?
you took the small area entrance. there's more to it however, but since sears has closed you must go to the main area parking lot entrance where the ulta is, there's your main part.
I remember how crowded it used to be. They'd have the arcade, the food court was much bigger and had a smaller arcade area before they replaced it with an Ulta store which obviously didn't help the mall one bit. The play areas were crowded too. Many businesses were open and the theater would be packed. They'd even have a cute coffee shop near Sears. Shame to see my childhood mall going down.
I used to work at Waldenbooks briefly back in the mid 90s, right across where Ross now stands. I visited recently after 25 years, and felt I was in a ghost town . I felt very sad.
Mr. Bulky's employee for 3 years. I think it became a leather store after it closed. No idea what's there now but I should go take a look before it's too late. I think my last trip there was early 2017 and it wasn't pretty.
Holy crap, I remember 5 years ago I used to go there every day, but after we moved back I dont even think about the mall because of everything going away...
Tbh, although I loved this mall, it was always outshone by the HIP. Although, going to Norridge and seeing that the Kmart and Boston Market were both gone made the kid in me die a bit.
What if they gave the mall a retractable roof? I know Scottsdale Fashion Square has one over the 3 story section because that's where the food court is located. I thought I had seen an open roof in another part before. The new Luxury Collection expansion that's coming soon is supposed to have one. You can open it when the weather is nice. The mall also has its Camelback Tower at the west end. The tower sits at the end of what was Camelview Plaza. Since Dillard's consumed the old mall, you're greeted by entrances into Dillard's on the left and Neiman Marcus to the right. You can also take the old mall elevators up to the women's department of Dillard's. The tower has a very 70s facade and a never used penthouse.
I used to go there all the time and remember the mill outside. I was shocked when they enclosed it and put a fountain in and didn't move the mill inside.
This is truly the worst mall! 5 mins from my house I only go there for target and now Ulta, every store is gone even the food court! Horrible horrible what happen to this mall!
The problem is everything is about online shopping, and these retailers just can't compete with a big name which is Amazon. Everything is shifting to online and that is really hurting retailers such as JCPenney and others.
I remember back in the 90's that place was awesome. Also, I worked at Spencer gifts there, we threw some awesome parties there in the back room after hours.
I love seeing malls with built-in towers like this one; it really gives out that vaporwave ideal where all your needs are met in a sterile, consumerist environment. As you mentioned in the video, this place has a diverse mix of tenants and quite a lot of Asian businesses actually. From a guy from California, are Asian businesses prominent in the Midwest? Great work as always!
Thanks for watching. There are not a lot of asian businesses in malls in the midwest. There are though the massage parlors and the massage areas in the center of the aisles as you walk down the center. Always found those massage areas with the massage chairs kinda creepy though.
A lot of Asian Americans live in the North suburbs of Chicago. Niles itself is 17% Asian, and some of the neighboring suburbs are 20-30% Asian. So yeah, lots of Asian businesses there.
In junior high I'd play hooky there. Spent all day wandering around the mall then walk home. Sears had a candy counter with the best chocolate covered peanuts....
Intestine video. Well done. The tower with offices in the middle makes this place unique. The interior design is kind of bland but the large pots of plants were a nice touch. Thanks for producing this. (meant to say interesting not intestine)
+Nancy Darling yeah this mall was Bland. It looks like back in its time it would be a busier and active mall. But it's dying. Better it was pretty cool wish I could have gotten pictures and video inside of it.
The renovation that was done to Golf Mill in the mid-2000s, is about when the mall started to lose a lot of its character. There was even a little bit of a sunken center court area, between the food court and the theater. The Showplace 12 Theater was Kerasotes when it first opened, then became AMC about 6-7 years ago(whenever they bought out Kerasotes). Also, the Ross was built in the area where there was a totally dead wing of shops. They're kinda essentially doing the same, with building the Ulta over half of what was the food court area. :) The dance studio you walked by that was close to the 'golf ball' office tower used to be Replay Arcade, btw. Not surprised that closed down sometime like 3-5 years ago, since it always looked dead everytime I visited this mall. The old look of this shopping center before it became an indoor mall, looks really cool. Too bad they didn't more closely go with the 'mill' look it used to have, years ago. I guess that's typical with a lot of shopping centers and malls, where they unfortunately didn't keep their older look when they first opened(i.e. Stratford Square in Bloomingdale per Labelscar.com used to have a fountain with rocks near their food court, and got rid of that years and years ago).
Totally lost in this video and the described history of Golf Mill was the theatre in the round on the north side of the shopping portion. Great acts would come and perform here. I would go in the 70's.
At the Dance Studio used to be an arcade. That place made my child hood. I used to beat adults up as a kid in street fighter and tekken. my dad thought they would try and kick my ass haha. So many fond memories.
Hell yea.. That was the arcade right by the entrance and elevators.. Back when they came out with Mortal Kombat, MK2 Mk3, Killer Instinct, SSFII the new challengers.. Use to be a comic book shop right across from there too. Man I practically lived in that arcade.. Went to Mark Twain Elementary and Gemini Jr High. Kids will never know how cool it was back then.
@@spidey677 Right, MK3 had the huge screen and was right by the entrance.. and they had the sound and bass cranked up.. Arcade use to be called Replay.. then it was called cyberstation
@@aquawicket that’s right! Cyberstation! Playing fighting games online isn’t the same. People growing up in this time have no idea! This was a magical time that brought so much hype to males of all ages
Urbex- A Peak Inside The mall is worse than Stratford, it is starting to look like Charlestowne mall in there. I wish I could send a picture but I can’t because I don’t have any plus you can’t do that in comments anyway.
@@aquawicket Meh... Blockbuster and Hollywood video did it to themselves. Charging $4.00 plus tax to rent a new movie.. They didn't get with the times and lost...
golf mill owners planning a redevelopment. we currently don't know anything about it, except a 2021 opening of chick-fil-a on the corner of golf and greenwood. why they couldn't put in the food court is beyond me
Haha I always tended to dislike this mall because how it was always empty and how all the stores seem run down and boring. My english class was actually having a discussion about how dead this mall was, since they grew up with this mall.
+Anooki yeah it seems to be really dated and segmented in a weird way. It'd be cool if they did more outdoor stuff. But I have to say the tower is cool.
Never saw this mall in its heyday, but I do miss the Sears being open, made it very easy to get to Target from there while my mom was at Ross. Now I gotta drive there after dropping her off 🥲
Honestly I understand why it’s dying. The mall is way too close to Woodfield Mall, another mall that is bigger, and better. There was more people when the other side of the food court was there, since there was Sbarro’s, McDonald’s, Subway, and a few more. (Still don’t understandably they didn’t close the other side, since no one liked that part bet much) Although Ulta is there, no one is there most of the time :///
It’s actually not that close. It’s like 20 minutes away with light traffic and is usually more like 30 minutes. Northbrook Court is about the same distance and both did fine in the 80’s. Northbrook Court is approaching dead mall status, they are probably going to redevelop it into fancy senior housing.
At the Mill Run Theatre I saw Tony Bennett with my grandmother. Also saw Cheech and Chong. Must have been 1974 or 1975 Also remember seeing Live and let Die at the movie theatre
Never been inside this one (passed by a bunch of times - the office building's almost a landmark). Looks like they made the mistake of enclosing it - bad decision seeing that open-air malls are back (yes, even in Chicago). At least Oakbrook Centre didn't make the same mistake...
Used to live in des Plaines right down the street from this mall it's so dead I haven't been there in like a year but heard it's more dead now then before
And I totally agree but with it being close to Woodfield in Schaumburg and Westfield outdoor mall in Skokie Evanston area I just don't see them wanting to fix it up
It's all because of Amazon and these upscale stores. Nowadays everyone needs to be recognized by what they're wearing and walking around with. It's sad as to what the retail industry has turned into. I remember coming to Golf Mill when I was growing up, and there were always people in here. After seeing this video, it makes me almost want to cry after seeing all this.
I call dying mall on this one. way too many mom and pop stores have moved in. too big to make a profit, they should close off the less populated sections.
Malls will come back all that cheap crap being sold online will come to an end in the future. People will wanna go to malls again to see feel and try things on before they buy.
Went there about a week ago in 2019 its a complete shit show every things closing down and the malls dirty with the way its going it probably will close in 5 years at best then only the main stores will be open
That's true. I wish they would go back to the water mill theme. Was just their looking for something and didn't even come close to what I was looking for than before.
+mrthunderbird5 it definitely did seem pretty dead hopefully the renovations will make it better that's why I didn't officially call this a dead Mall in my log title
this place used to have a big water fountain in the center. after they closed it down the mall went to shit
It gets worse year after year. I wish they would just knock it down and start over. It’s depressing to visit.
+MrKrakowian it sure is. Ugly steps have been taken to keep the mall relevant.
Why do I enjoy these so much? Lol the nostalgia.
I used to come here all the time as a kid back in the 2000's. It was really nice then. At 0:58 you can see on the left side the giant wall. All of that used to be a food court too. They had Panda Express and MCD. The whole thing got really crappy as the big names like Sears began to fall. More stores and shops are leaving and last time I visited with my girl friend we really were shocked. This thing is really out of it's hay day alright.
I practically lived at that mall when I was a kid. I saw so many movies at it’s theaters. Bought my first car across the street. Crazy.
I grew up in prospect heights and I remember in the early 2000’s me and my family would go there and I would get all my new back to school gear! Sometimes we would go all the way out to Gurnee Mills. Sigh! The memories
Grew up very close to the Mall. Thanks for your Video! Haven't seen it in almost 30 years!
I used to live about 10 minutes from Golf Mill. My mom and I would come here often. I went here a while back and was surprised to see what has happened to the mall since I've been there. The retail industry is just falling apart because of stupid Amazon and these high end retailers. It's just sad to see these great places go away and never come back. I remember very well when they added the target in the mall. The target really helped the mall out a lot. Excellent video here
Go check it out now. About 5 stores have closed inside the mall within less than a month. They were the big name stores like express, victoria secret, finish line, payless, etc.
Wow that's really a shame.
Like I say, part of the problem is a lot of malls aren't keeping up with the times. The thing is people are going for higher end things, and there are some malls that don't have those higher end stores like Michael Kors, Nordstrom, etc. the other thing is online shopping is killing a lot of these malls and stores. Everyone is on Amazon these days and shops there. My dad says that down the road we'll be buying houses on Amazon. It's time for the malls to make a change and go with higher end stores as well as new stores to attract more shoppers
True. I work at Westfield Mall in Skokie and its always packed. Golf Mill just has crappy stores that sell cheap junk
@@JohnAckerman93 not so much high end stuff mall in 90s have speical event in the 90s at bought people in the mall
I believe the Sears closing is to blame for these store closures.
Love your videos! The most unusual part of this mall is that Sears connects one half to the other (containing Target and Kohl's). If Sears closes, the mall will be cut in half. The side you did not show in the video has been very dead for decades.
+Bill Crane I saw that. Interesting observation. Sears is dead and will close in a year or 2. The other half is dead. :(
more like when it closes... sears is doomed
Sears closed and the mall is cut in half. You have to walk outside to get to the other half of the mall
Kingkongvinnie yup
Golf Mill made one big bet for having Sears as a tenant to take up so much room
Many of my earliest memories were in this mall
I’ve been to that mall most of my life. It’s been a huge part of my childhood. As someone who grew up in that area, and has moved to a country-side location in another state, this almost brought me to tears
I live near that mall..... remember the disney store?
@@kekameme I do.. 30 bucks of a 2 inch micky statue.. lol.. that sh*t was expensive.. Still loved it though.
Hey! This is where I met my soon to be ex wife! lol.
Good they will both go in the history books of your life.
I used to work at lechters housewares back in the day here. I can't believe what happened to the mall. And the entire food court is gone. Sbarros, Taco Bell Panda Express gone. KB toys etc etc
I went there as. Kid in the mid 60’s. Loved the out door version.
I wish they'd keep it like that. For comparison look at how well Old Orchard is doing (and it's all outdoors). People just like the fresh air. The indoor design of Golf Mill makes it depressing to visit.
I used to go here with my grandparents when I was a little kid in the early-mid 90s. I loved it. Sad that it looks like this now.
decades before GameStop, there was BABBAGE's in Golf Mill.
I remember that! There was one in Woodfield too. I remember there being a Kay Bee toys as well.
The ultra beauty place ruined the mall
good song in the background. Peter Gabriel in your eyes
Thanks. This instrumental version was composed by John Tesh.
I used to go to this mall with my grandma all the time when I was younger. Now I haven’t been there’s since like 2018 and it’s so dead. Personally I think that they should tear it down and re-build it (minus ulta and target).
This mall used to be THE mall to go to. My family and I didn't even live near Niles but we'd come all the way out there just to enjoy our Saturday there. We'd eat at Chi-Chi's for a nice dinner, my brother and I would go to Spencer Gifts and Babbages/EB Games, and can't forget, Kay-Bee Toys to get Toybiz figures 3 for $10. I also remember sitting in the fountain in the middle while playing on my Gameboy. This mall used to be so beautiful.
The Ulta in the food court totally ruined that area, there are no good places to eat, no good electronic stores, no game store, Hell not even a toy store for kids. 90% clothing stores. Awful.
Remember the Disney Store as well?
beewave Oh yes for sure
Oh yeah I feel the same. The early 2000's was my heyday here and I always had a lot of fun at the arcade or the game stop. The toy-shop was usually a popular destination for little me too. The best part was the food court. MikkiDs every time. I now see recently how HORRIBLE this place became. Like you mentioned the food court is trashed now and the only things left are the crappy restaurants that nobody I know likes. The good stores and places are all long gone and the demographic in the mall as a result is all old timers who probably remember the place like us or just want a place to sit around with their old timer friends all day. If it wouldn't be for the Grandparents who hang out here, I'm not sure if the Mall would even be around still. It's depressing to even drive by now.
Man, if retailers want to add a location in Golf Mill, then Golf Mill should've been expanded. If Golf Mill doesn't expand, then Golf Mill will be in BIG trouble.
omg someone else remembers Babbages…. I used to buy NES games there. Damn i'm old now....
I have a memory as a very very young age that Before there was a Ross there was this helicopter kiddie ride that I went on with my siblings but I can barley remember it 😔
Lived near there in the 60s and 70s. My dentist was in the professional building. Used to shop at Albert K, Jackie's Circle, Woolworth, before it was enclosed. Also went to the Mill Run theater for live performances.
It’s called Golf Mill because it’s at the corner of GOLF Rd and MILwaukee Avenue. Perhaps that’s why some of the surrounding businesses outside of the mall were also called Golf Mill this and that. Remember that it also used to have the Bowling Alley (Bowl N Dine) and Golf Mill Theaters 1-2-3 with the huge two story auditoriums.
Sad to see. I haven't been there in a long time. I see what used to be Spencer ' s by the Sears is now a men's suit place, but Gloria Jean's Coffee is still there.
spencers opened in the mall right after the 1986 enclosure.
My mom and I always went into Spencer's. It's just sad as to what is happening to a lot of these malls. The problem is a lot of them aren't keeping up with the times. The other problem is everyone shops online. Amazon really hurts the retail industry. Most places can't even keep up with Amazon, so they close. I just wish we could go back to the days when malls were filled with people and had great stores
I grew up by golf mill, it was a outdoor mall, in late 1983 started construction for conversion to a indoor mall, it was completed in early-mid 1986
actually it started in august 1984, bunch of construction happening throughout 1985. and it was completed in fall 1986
How sad to watch how malls like this have gone down hill namely Golf Mill. As a kid I remember it had the theater in the round, movie theater & more, now, it’s just a shell of itself. Not that I went shopping there with my mom a lot , but I do remember shopping at Randhurst mall in Mt. Prospect , there’s a mall that went through changes galore, stores like Carson’s, Wieboldts, & Montgomery Wards that no longer exists & now is more of a mini version of Oakbrook Mall , I mean I can remember many a movie at the theater outside at Randhurst, but that too is a memory, which is why I will do chart the changes tours anytime I’m in Chicago
Can you do a other non dying series harlem irving plaza norridge illinois.
I remember I liked their food court layout. I didn't know this place was actually dying down though. Everything around it is always constantly busy, and last time I was there in 2014 it was still quite often.
Anyway, I mostly grew up with Harlem Irving Plaza since I grew up in Schiller Park, and went to Woodfield mainly for Rain Forest Cafe.
I too grew up with Harlem Irving Plaza. I used to live like 30 seconds from there. I also liked the food court layout of Golf Mill too. The Sears in the mall recently closed, and now there's almost nothing in this mall. I remember back in the 90's this mall was always crowded. It's just sad as to what is happening to these retailers. The problem is they just can't compete with Amazon and these high end retailers.
I went to the mall a few days ago and since they closed the Sears they also decided to cut off the path to the other side of the mall (since Sears you have to go through sears to get to the other side of the mall.) So now you have to go outside and walk around the whole building just to get to the other side of the mall. SMH! They need to make some changes and new stores because it attracts bearly any people and is running it out of business .
The thing I notice most about this mall is how it spurred almost all the development around it. It's surrounded by tons of businesses called "Golf Mill _____" that have no affiliation with the mall itself (Golf Mill Florist, Golf Mill Ford, etc). Once upon a time it must have been a thriving mall. Today, not so much.
I wonder if the Sears in the center is a result of enclosing the mall. When it was an outdoor mall you may not have had to walk through Sears to get to the other half. Having Sears as one of your main anchors is definitely not a good prospect for any mall...
If I remember right, Sears was at the end of the mall until it was expanded and Target and Kohls were added.
In 1981 I saw Amy Grant at the Mill Run Playhouse, a 4000 seat theater with a revolving stage in the center. It was located in the Golf Mill Shopping Center boundaries. Does anyone remember if the entrance to the theater was inside the mall, or outside of it? Also, if anyone knows where the theater was within the shopping center complex, your comments would be much appreciated. I truly miss that concert venue.
From my (78 year old) memories...
"Mill Run Playhouse" was somewhat separate from the rest, located near the Northeast corner of the greater Mall property; which is now a large parking area, directly north of the Target store. Having moved from North Side Chicago, in 1978, and knowing fellow musicians who occasionally worked there with famous acts, I remember well how active it was; until its sad closing and demolishment in August of 1984. It was regularly mentioned on the old "Tonight Show" (with Johnny Carson) by many famous performers as a regular "go to" venue. For more info on that:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Run_Playhouse
Another long gone feature of the Mall was the old, original, Golf Mill Theater; which was located in a large separate building near the Southeast corner of the greater Mall area. It closed in 2000; and became an "Xsport"(?) Fitness Center. On that note (A=440 bps?):
cinematreasures.org/theaters/4143
And yet another odd-ball shtick(?)...there was a large combination bowling lanes/restaurant (with a really good "Gyros" sandwich!)/"Show Lounge" building; located slightly Southeast of the JC Penney Store; which is still (but for how long?) at the very Southeast portion of the Main Mall. It was completely demolished in 2007(?); and a "Whole Foods"(?) Store went up slightly East in that emptied area.
(Pardon my lengthy blabbing?) It was rather sad for me, having lived in the Niles, Illinois area since 1978; and, yesterday...(8/23/2018, having gone for a Prescription pickup at CVS/Target in the Mall)...walking through the whole center corridor, (and Yeah) through Sears, etc...how rather totally deserted every area was; including the essentially chopped-in-half, Food Court. In my previous monthly visit, I inquired, through the open door of the Mall's office (located off a small corridor /off the Southwest Main Corridor , to someone at a desk) if Golf Mill was in dire danger of closing. Understandably, absolutely no info was offered. ;)
I still love this mall. I haven't been there since 2014, but last time I was there they still had the Arcade, a sports card store, a Gamestop and a sporting goods store. They had a Target and Kohl's and movie theater. And a great coffee shop. What else do you need? I guess it's a better mall for guys than women.
Trust me it's horrible now for both guys and girls. It was still good back in 14' because I remember going with my Uncle. He took me to GameStop to get a ps3 game and we had MikkiD. Good memories. Now it's all closed empty stores and crappy Chinese electronics/products keyosks that people ignore. There isn't even a good food court now because all the popular restaurants like Panda and MikkiD's got converted into a dumb beauty shop. Overall people stopped coming too as a result so you can see where this is heading. It's depressing when I even pass this place on my Saturday Drives.
I went up the tower, and it looks very 1960's and has a mail chute (not sure if it is still used)
+atomicjellydragon wow. Thanks for the info. When is it open.
If the mall ever closes, do you think they will keep the office tower or not? I hope they at least keep the tower.
I used to go here when I was little... man They had an arcade there but it closed... sad... there was a toy store there where I got toys there.. and go with my family there.... man those were the good days 😭
I remember the toy store too. I used to come here when I was little as well. This mall was always busy, and it’s just sad to see what has happened over the years. I always say there are many factors as to why the mall is the way it is. The biggest thing that I think is bringing down the mall is Amazon, and high end retailers.
The arcade was Cyber Station!
And the toy store was KB Toys!
3 years later and this mall is as good as gone. There is an AMC, Target, Ross, and Kohl's. Inside, Ulta took over the food court. There are 2 no name restaurants, Auntie Ann's and subway. Most of the store fronts are empty and what is there are companies that nobody has heard of mostly from Asia. The cardshop is still there and a gaming store moved in but that's about it.
Ulta is what is saving this mall.
@@UrbexAPeakInside Also target and kohls (the latter is likely moving to sawmill station when it opens)
The disney store arcade and Chinese buffet were dope. This place was bussin back in the early 2000s
early to mid 90's too.. I use to practically live in that arcade
@@aquawicket did they have the xmen one where like 4 people can play. It was there when we used to go.
@@firstlast8481 they had xmen: children of the atom, with psylock.. it played a lot like marvel vs Capcom with the double jumps n stuff. I think that's the one. 4 players.
@@aquawicket maybe. Then the back had the pinball machines. Miss those days frfr.
The Sears is closing in this mall
I’m so confused. I went to this mall about a month ago, and I went to the entrance near by target. There’s was this long strip with only 10 stores, so me and my mom just left. How do you get to the main part?
Moses Devadass you go through sears bro then you're in the main strip
Moses Devadass you go through sears. Sounds crazy but the main part is still there
I'm guessing that Sears has gotten so bad that you didn't want to walk through it.
you took the small area entrance. there's more to it however, but since sears has closed you must go to the main area parking lot entrance where the ulta is, there's your main part.
I remember how crowded it used to be. They'd have the arcade, the food court was much bigger and had a smaller arcade area before they replaced it with an Ulta store which obviously didn't help the mall one bit.
The play areas were crowded too. Many businesses were open and the theater would be packed. They'd even have a cute coffee shop near Sears. Shame to see my childhood mall going down.
I used to work at Waldenbooks briefly back in the mid 90s, right across where Ross now stands. I visited recently after 25 years, and felt I was in a ghost town . I felt very sad.
Mr. Bulky's employee for 3 years. I think it became a leather store after it closed. No idea what's there now but I should go take a look before it's too late. I think my last trip there was early 2017 and it wasn't pretty.
Holy crap, I remember 5 years ago I used to go there every day, but after we moved back I dont even think about the mall because of everything going away...
Tbh, although I loved this mall, it was always outshone by the HIP. Although, going to Norridge and seeing that the Kmart and Boston Market were both gone made the kid in me die a bit.
What if they gave the mall a retractable roof? I know Scottsdale Fashion Square has one over the 3 story section because that's where the food court is located. I thought I had seen an open roof in another part before. The new Luxury Collection expansion that's coming soon is supposed to have one. You can open it when the weather is nice. The mall also has its Camelback Tower at the west end. The tower sits at the end of what was Camelview Plaza. Since Dillard's consumed the old mall, you're greeted by entrances into Dillard's on the left and Neiman Marcus to the right. You can also take the old mall elevators up to the women's department of Dillard's. The tower has a very 70s facade and a never used penthouse.
I used to go there all the time and remember the mill outside. I was shocked when they enclosed it and put a fountain in and didn't move the mill inside.
This is truly the worst mall! 5 mins from my house I only go there for target and now Ulta, every store is gone even the food court!
Horrible horrible what happen to this mall!
Seriously. It seemed somewhat busy when I went but times have changed.
The problem is everything is about online shopping, and these retailers just can't compete with a big name which is Amazon. Everything is shifting to online and that is really hurting retailers such as JCPenney and others.
Hey, u didn't show our mall, linens and decor next to jcpenny
I remember back in the 90's that place was awesome. Also, I worked at Spencer gifts there, we threw some awesome parties there in the back room after hours.
Too bad it is not as busy as it was then.
I love seeing malls with built-in towers like this one; it really gives out that vaporwave ideal where all your needs are met in a sterile, consumerist environment. As you mentioned in the video, this place has a diverse mix of tenants and quite a lot of Asian businesses actually. From a guy from California, are Asian businesses prominent in the Midwest? Great work as always!
Thanks for watching. There are not a lot of asian businesses in malls in the midwest. There are though the massage parlors and the massage areas in the center of the aisles as you walk down the center. Always found those massage areas with the massage chairs kinda creepy though.
A lot of Asian Americans live in the North suburbs of Chicago. Niles itself is 17% Asian, and some of the neighboring suburbs are 20-30% Asian. So yeah, lots of Asian businesses there.
Damn! I haven’t been inside that place since Black Friday of 2011 . Wow
In junior high I'd play hooky there. Spent all day wandering around the mall then walk home. Sears had a candy counter with the best chocolate covered peanuts....
Intestine video. Well done. The tower with offices in the middle makes this place unique. The interior design is kind of bland but the large pots of plants were a nice touch. Thanks for producing this. (meant to say interesting not intestine)
+Nancy Darling yeah this mall was Bland. It looks like back in its time it would be a busier and active mall. But it's dying. Better it was pretty cool wish I could have gotten pictures and video inside of it.
The renovation that was done to Golf Mill in the mid-2000s, is about when the mall started to lose a lot of its character. There was even a little bit of a sunken center court area, between the food court and the theater. The Showplace 12 Theater was Kerasotes when it first opened, then became AMC about 6-7 years ago(whenever they bought out Kerasotes). Also, the Ross was built in the area where there was a totally dead wing of shops. They're kinda essentially doing the same, with building the Ulta over half of what was the food court area. :) The dance studio you walked by that was close to the 'golf ball' office tower used to be Replay Arcade, btw. Not surprised that closed down sometime like 3-5 years ago, since it always looked dead everytime I visited this mall.
The old look of this shopping center before it became an indoor mall, looks really cool. Too bad they didn't more closely go with the 'mill' look it used to have, years ago. I guess that's typical with a lot of shopping centers and malls, where they unfortunately didn't keep their older look when they first opened(i.e. Stratford Square in Bloomingdale per Labelscar.com used to have a fountain with rocks near their food court, and got rid of that years and years ago).
BoratWanksta Interesting recollections.
BoratWanksta wow didn't know that thanks for all for all the info
Totally lost in this video and the described history of Golf Mill was the theatre in the round on the north side of the shopping portion. Great acts would come and perform here. I would go in the 70's.
I’ve been getting my flu shots here since I was little… the mall might be run down but my doctor is great 😌
That’s cuz rent goes sky high and people can’t afford it and people now days don’t really shop at malls that much anymore
That's right not only are people stopping less ad malz but the rents at malls are Increasing as well.
At the Dance Studio used to be an arcade. That place made my child hood. I used to beat adults up as a kid in street fighter and tekken. my dad thought they would try and kick my ass haha.
So many fond memories.
Hell yea.. That was the arcade right by the entrance and elevators.. Back when they came out with Mortal Kombat, MK2 Mk3, Killer Instinct, SSFII the new challengers.. Use to be a comic book shop right across from there too. Man I practically lived in that arcade.. Went to Mark Twain Elementary and Gemini Jr High. Kids will never know how cool it was back then.
@@aquawicket exactly! That arcade was HUGE. The first time I saw MK3 was on a 60inch in the arcades at golf mill.
@@spidey677 Right, MK3 had the huge screen and was right by the entrance.. and they had the sound and bass cranked up.. Arcade use to be called Replay.. then it was called cyberstation
@@aquawicket that’s right! Cyberstation! Playing fighting games online isn’t the same. People growing up in this time have no idea! This was a magical time that brought so much hype to males of all ages
@@spidey677 @3:37 This is where the arcade was. edit* you pointed that out in your first comment. Man.. the nostalgia.. I miss it.
Is that "Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel playing around the 2:00 point of the video?
+Max Flanagan Yes it is.
+Max Flanagan This version is done by John Tesh.
I remember there used to be a survey company at that mall that they gave me five dollars to answer questions about Cool Whip.
This place is way worse now. The grocery store closed and the whole old sears wing has almost nothing in it.
Goodness will have to visit. Didn't get the Sears wing on the last visit.
Urbex- A Peak Inside The mall is worse than Stratford, it is starting to look like Charlestowne mall in there. I wish I could send a picture but I can’t because I don’t have any plus you can’t do that in comments anyway.
shoot it here. amarkrusin@gmail.com
Urbex- A Peak Inside Thanks.
Still up and looking worse. Really Erie passing it most night, wish it was still as good as it was when my lil cousins and I used to go.
I remember this place was awesome in the early 2000s. Why did the mall end up in this depressing state? This mall used to have lots of people
cause poor management that doesn't have creativity (aka sterling organization)
Amazon, Ebay and online shopping has destroyed malls all over the country. Same thing streaming did to Blockbuster and Hollywood video.
@@aquawicket Meh... Blockbuster and Hollywood video did it to themselves. Charging $4.00 plus tax to rent a new movie.. They didn't get with the times and lost...
Is it still there?
@Knight Yes
this is kinda sad :/ i used to got there a lot
Will you do one on Great Northern Mall in North Olmsted, OH? That would be amazing to see!
+Fiona Animates if I'm ever in the area I definitely will take a look at it.
Urbex- A Peak Inside thank you!
I live close to this mall. The target and kohls are on the other side of sears
My mom used to take me here to buy my jeans at the JCPenney for the low 😂
do you know the difference between peak and peek?
it's intended pun
Maybe they could put is some canadian stores in thos mall to entice canadian shoppers to go visit thos mall on holiday?
When I was little me and my dad went to the McDonald’s in that mall. Now, it’s nothing.
RIP Golf Mill McDonald's 1991-2014
golf mill owners planning a redevelopment. we currently don't know anything about it, except a 2021 opening of chick-fil-a on the corner of golf and greenwood. why they couldn't put in the food court is beyond me
The food court is really not needed at the mall. Every time I go there it is just not busy. Maybe that's what Chick-fil-A is thinking.
I've been to the medical building tower as a little girl back in the day.
+Tammy Goulet That's cool would kill to visit that building but it was locked up.
Haha I always tended to dislike this mall because how it was always empty and how all the stores seem run down and boring. My english class was actually having a discussion about how dead this mall was, since they grew up with this mall.
+Anooki yeah it seems to be really dated and segmented in a weird way. It'd be cool if they did more outdoor stuff. But I have to say the tower is cool.
U should see it now...Sears is gone
I actually have a second Dead Mall filming of this place that I'm posting tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Back in the 80s my dad said he got a beej by the manager lady at Sbarro
You are a freak.
@@ussco I'm not the freak, didn't happen to me....my dad's the asshat
Never saw this mall in its heyday, but I do miss the Sears being open, made it very easy to get to Target from there while my mom was at Ross. Now I gotta drive there after dropping her off 🥲
looks like it could use another facelift
+Cesar Medina it does. It might be active in some parts but it's definitely going downhill fast.
Honestly I understand why it’s dying. The mall is way too close to Woodfield Mall, another mall that is bigger, and better.
There was more people when the other side of the food court was there, since there was Sbarro’s, McDonald’s, Subway, and a few more. (Still don’t understandably they didn’t close the other side, since no one liked that part bet much)
Although Ulta is there, no one is there most of the time :///
+ashley the mistaKe its bad. But very interesting. Plan in doing Woodfield mall soon.
It’s actually not that close. It’s like 20 minutes away with light traffic and is usually more like 30 minutes. Northbrook Court is about the same distance and both did fine in the 80’s. Northbrook Court is approaching dead mall status, they are probably going to redevelop it into fancy senior housing.
At the Mill Run Theatre I saw Tony Bennett with my grandmother.
Also saw Cheech and Chong.
Must have been 1974 or 1975
Also remember seeing Live and let Die at the movie theatre
Never been inside this one (passed by a bunch of times - the office building's almost a landmark). Looks like they made the mistake of enclosing it - bad decision seeing that open-air malls are back (yes, even in Chicago). At least Oakbrook Centre didn't make the same mistake...
+Greg Karris maybe enclosing wouldn't be a bad idea and leaving some areas open.
J.c. penney is the next to say goodbye
Used to live in des Plaines right down the street from this mall it's so dead I haven't been there in like a year but heard it's more dead now then before
+Hannah Finney it is unfortunately. They should be converted back to the outdoor theme
Last time I was there was 2016 my friend who still lives up that said it's more dead now I was so sad
And I totally agree but with it being close to Woodfield in Schaumburg and Westfield outdoor mall in Skokie Evanston area I just don't see them wanting to fix it up
+Hannah Finney I live in Milwaukee but I come down to Chicago quite a bit. This mall is very interesting.
Woodfield mall needs to be expanded it's so crowded haha good problem to have
I remembered when they closed there sears
Do a video of great northern mall in Clay ny. Wanna see a dying mall!! Lol
+Kyle Barbagallo I focus on the midwest but would like to go out there in the near future
And the Arcade is gone 😞
You're referring to Replay Arcade. I used to drop so many quarters in NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat during the early 90's in that place.
@@stevebartman7557 it was formerly called cyberstation
@@ssh_disney Hell Yes.. I lived at that arcade mid 90s.. both when it was replay and cyberstation.. memories
It's like more and more stores close every day
Snap-On kid very unfortunate.
It's all because of Amazon and these upscale stores. Nowadays everyone needs to be recognized by what they're wearing and walking around with. It's sad as to what the retail industry has turned into. I remember coming to Golf Mill when I was growing up, and there were always people in here. After seeing this video, it makes me almost want to cry after seeing all this.
There used to be a disney store here.... it’s now that crappy milwaukee furniture store.
disney store closed in 2008.
I call dying mall on this one. way too many mom and pop stores have moved in. too big to make a profit, they should close off the less populated sections.
+Gary Nullandvoid it's definitely on the edge.
Yikes... Many a time I wandered and bought stuff to keep the economy going in this burb even though I lived in Wrigleyville.
Go to River Oaks Center Mall
+Graeginator might go.
I went to this mall before it was enclosed. It originally it was an open strip mall.
It's amazing how they have such differences
Lmao this mall aboutta be full on dead soon. I've seen even less people there lately than usual :(
I live in Niles for 40 years. Golf mill needs a new mall it's completely dead now. Seriously Niles IL is boring.
Malls will come back all that cheap crap being sold online will come to an end in the future. People will wanna go to malls again to see feel and try things on before they buy.
+Dan The Gambler The Gambler online shopping really has taken a piece of the pie but there are different types of malls that are doing really well.
Honestly this mall cant be saved. Better to go to the HIP or Woodfield
dxvilwxrk an alternative to Golf Mill would be Old Orchard or Lincolnwood town mall, both less than 5 miles away
I would have said Oak Mill in Niles, but that's dead as well and the smallest mall if I remember.
Went there about a week ago in 2019 its a complete shit show every things closing down and the malls dirty with the way its going it probably will close in 5 years at best then only the main stores will be open
Golf Mill is really becoming empty
+Snap-On kid Indeed.
+Snap-On kid that's a shame because they sure are putting effort to try to revitalize it.
That's true. I wish they would go back to the water mill theme. Was just their looking for something and didn't even come close to what I was looking for than before.
What about maybe adding in a discount grocery store lile no thrills or fold basics?
the best thing here is prob target
+NickTheModder or the medical ;)
+NickTheModder never seen the target but it looked really busy
Yeah
RETAIL IN AMERICA REALLY IS DEAD WHAT IS GOING ON, NO MONEY?
Daniel Young I think it has to do with online retailers. More people buying online, are killing small businesses..
⁉️I live here , it is dead ❗️
+mrthunderbird5 it definitely did seem pretty dead hopefully the renovations will make it better that's why I didn't officially call this a dead Mall in my log title