Lots of memories at this mall. I think the developers were hoping the city would continue expanding to the northeast but it never happened. Everything stayed at the 281 and I-10 corridor. They used to have some beautiful (iron?) horse statues at the main entrance. I still go there every once in awhile and do a couple of loops around the entire mall to look at it. So sad. 😢
This is one of my local malls. Also, I heard that this mall has a haunted house walkthrough. I don't know if it's just open during the Halloween season or all year round.
It’s seasonal, we have the killer klowns from outer space coming down to the mall in August for SA Retro Con. Monster con is in September that would be a great video walk through as well !
I saw one of those really dead malls in S. Austin years ago. Unfair comparison Back then Wonderland Mall built in early 60's when Rolling Oaks built in late 80's.
I remember this mall in the 90's, it was never super busy but obviously it wasn't this bad. Really speaks to how out of style malls are considering this is in no way an economically depressed area.
I worked there during the mass shooting at that tattoo parlor. I had people hiding in the back of the store while I posted up near our gate. We didn’t have a back door and people were rushing in as I was closing the doors. The shooters were scattered and we had to lock down. My friend worked at Earthbound at the time and I could see her gate open. I called her and asked if she could completely see inside of her store from the cameras? She said yes and I made my way to make sure the front of the store was clear and she was able to lock the doors and keep herself and coworkers safe. Btw that was a Hollister. Lol
Wow so much has changed. That wrestling store used to be an arcade, before that it was a western wear/boot store and originally a James Avery jewelry store and they moved to Gateway Plaza between this mall and The Forum shopping center. The “student lounge” used to be a bank (IIRC it was the Security Service that moved just outside the mall but my memory is fuzzy) Back in the day I worked at the Sears there and stayed for 2 weeks lol your pay was determined by getting credit applications
When was the wrestling store an arcade? I remember from 92-99, the arcade was where Wizard Music is located (2:45 in the video). I love seeing how these malls evolve over time. Rolling Oaks seems to have found a niche in that its lower rents allow a lot of unique and one-off stores to find a home within the mall. I've never seen a mall with such a low percentage of stores that are national chains. Good for them! If this mall went under, a lot of my childhood memories would go with it.
University of the Incarnate Word is one of the leading universities in SAT. I believe that is a satellite location used for... well I'm not sure. But it's not the schools main location.
So I've heard. I didn't know it was such an esteemed college. I just went off of the location and the name, which, to be honest, does sound like a scam.
This mall still has some kick to it so long as the San Antonio NE corridor develops along with the close proximity of Randolph AFB. Unfortunately, the mall itself is a victim of slow real estate development in the area between residential and industrial that has placed the mall in a "hinterland" position. When one thinks of the successful malls in SA, Rolling Oaks is not thought of but rather a "nice to have mall" in the location of NE communites like Garden Ridge, Selma and Live Oak. So long as the NE corridor devlops residentially, the mall will manage.
My old elementary school goes to that Inflatable Wonderland at the end of every school year. And it does indeed still have a theater area and they occasionally showed older kids movie.
Fun fact: that store with the castle storefront used to be a wrestling school/studio. I trained there briefly and you can find videos of the shows on TH-cam just look up Heavy Metal Wrestling
Thank you! I actually just went today to the brick shops for some legos and I passed by the castle wondering if anyone was ever going to comment the answer. How eerie.
A funny story about the antique store. Me, my now ex wife, and my friend went in to check it out. Keep in mind we all look very punk and goth and the owner asks how we're doing and says to follow him. We follow him to the back storage area and he shows us he had a giant coffin for sale and was telling us how he acquired it and we ended up talking about music with him. Really nice guy and we joked about how he saw 2 punks and a goth and right away had to show him the coffin lol
Believe it or not, UIW (University of Incarnate Word) is a real private college here in San Antonio. I agree that they hurt themselves buying doing shit like this.
@@SlayZombi For real this is one of the weirdest inhabitants. UIW was kind of an uppity school even. Now you go to their main campus to get raped or carjacked apparently but it was a big deal in its day. San Antonio was a nice town less than 20 years ago. Such a shame Military City became an insurgent encampment, but it is a solid reminder of just how insanely fast bad decisions can destroy lifetimes of effort. That Turkish jewelry store upstairs is where I got my last Citizen watch, good folks. The RC store always had a crowd with the tourneys.
Lots of memories at this mall. I think the developers were hoping the city would continue expanding to the northeast but it never happened. Everything stayed at the 281 and I-10 corridor. They used to have some beautiful (iron?) horse statues at the main entrance. I still go there every once in awhile and do a couple of loops around the entire mall to look at it. So sad. 😢
I agree! Why is it fading???
This is one of my local malls. Also, I heard that this mall has a haunted house walkthrough. I don't know if it's just open during the Halloween season or all year round.
It’s seasonal, we have the killer klowns from outer space coming down to the mall in August for SA Retro Con. Monster con is in September that would be a great video walk through as well !
Battlepub for the win!
I saw one of those really dead malls in S. Austin years ago.
Unfair comparison Back then Wonderland Mall built in early 60's when Rolling Oaks built in late 80's.
Damn Crossroads Mall looks good compared to that.
I remember this mall in the 90's, it was never super busy but obviously it wasn't this bad. Really speaks to how out of style malls are considering this is in no way an economically depressed area.
No man Incarnate Word is no mickey mouse university.
Highly accredited and established just private , not much publicity outside San Antonio
I worked there during the mass shooting at that tattoo parlor. I had people hiding in the back of the store while I posted up near our gate. We didn’t have a back door and people were rushing in as I was closing the doors. The shooters were scattered and we had to lock down. My friend worked at Earthbound at the time and I could see her gate open. I called her and asked if she could completely see inside of her store from the cameras? She said yes and I made my way to make sure the front of the store was clear and she was able to lock the doors and keep herself and coworkers safe.
Btw that was a Hollister. Lol
Good story. Scary stuff.
Wow so much has changed.
That wrestling store used to be an arcade, before that it was a western wear/boot store and originally a James Avery jewelry store and they moved to Gateway Plaza between this mall and The Forum shopping center.
The “student lounge” used to be a bank (IIRC it was the Security Service that moved just outside the mall but my memory is fuzzy)
Back in the day I worked at the Sears there and stayed for 2 weeks lol your pay was determined by getting credit applications
When was the wrestling store an arcade? I remember from 92-99, the arcade was where Wizard Music is located (2:45 in the video).
I love seeing how these malls evolve over time. Rolling Oaks seems to have found a niche in that its lower rents allow a lot of unique and one-off stores to find a home within the mall. I've never seen a mall with such a low percentage of stores that are national chains. Good for them! If this mall went under, a lot of my childhood memories would go with it.
University of the Incarnate Word is one of the leading universities in SAT. I believe that is a satellite location used for... well I'm not sure. But it's not the schools main location.
So I've heard. I didn't know it was such an esteemed college. I just went off of the location and the name, which, to be honest, does sound like a scam.
This mall still has some kick to it so long as the San Antonio NE corridor develops along with the close proximity of Randolph AFB. Unfortunately, the mall itself is a victim of slow real estate development in the area between residential and industrial that has placed the mall in a "hinterland" position. When one thinks of the successful malls in SA, Rolling Oaks is not thought of but rather a "nice to have mall" in the location of NE communites like Garden Ridge, Selma and Live Oak.
So long as the NE corridor devlops residentially, the mall will manage.
That idea was killed once they built the Forum.
My old elementary school goes to that Inflatable Wonderland at the end of every school year. And it does indeed still have a theater area and they occasionally showed older kids movie.
Fun fact: that store with the castle storefront used to be a wrestling school/studio. I trained there briefly and you can find videos of the shows on TH-cam just look up Heavy Metal Wrestling
Thank you! I actually just went today to the brick shops for some legos and I passed by the castle wondering if anyone was ever going to comment the answer. How eerie.
A funny story about the antique store. Me, my now ex wife, and my friend went in to check it out. Keep in mind we all look very punk and goth and the owner asks how we're doing and says to follow him. We follow him to the back storage area and he shows us he had a giant coffin for sale and was telling us how he acquired it and we ended up talking about music with him. Really nice guy and we joked about how he saw 2 punks and a goth and right away had to show him the coffin lol
Believe it or not, UIW (University of Incarnate Word) is a real private college here in San Antonio. I agree that they hurt themselves buying doing shit like this.
Was there a Disney Store location at Rolling Oaks mall?
Nope
You're probably thinking of North Star mall, which used to have a Disney Store
@@orion6926 yeah North Star, Rivercenter, and Ingram had Disney Stores, but I thought I was sure Rolling Oaks had one too
Covid completely destroyed that mall
Still some fun shops in there though.
How does everyone forget Foley's? Foley's was one of the biggest department stotes in Rolling Oaks Mall and i believe they converted it into a Macy's!
Correct. It was a Foley’s before it was converted into Macy’s.
Foleys Red Apple Sales! Memory unlocked!
I used to work at that Foley's.
UIW fake university 😂😂😂 It’s one of the best private universities in San Antonio.
Yeah so I've heard. The name and location doesn't exactly represent something I would think is high quality though.
The main campus is actually a downtown San Antonio. This is what is considered a satellite campus.
@@SlayZombi For real this is one of the weirdest inhabitants. UIW was kind of an uppity school even. Now you go to their main campus to get raped or carjacked apparently but it was a big deal in its day. San Antonio was a nice town less than 20 years ago. Such a shame Military City became an insurgent encampment, but it is a solid reminder of just how insanely fast bad decisions can destroy lifetimes of effort. That Turkish jewelry store upstairs is where I got my last Citizen watch, good folks. The RC store always had a crowd with the tourneys.