We’re currently living through an apocalypse: the Retail Apocalypse. Over the past two decades, as e-commerce has rapidly evolved to be the default form of shopping for most consumers in most industries, physical stores are dying by the thousands. This has transformed malls from go-to shopping spots and social hubs into empty, abandoned shells. And these shells are massive.

With hundreds of vacant spaces and acres of isolated shelter, these ghost malls have become meccas for criminals, the homeless, and allegedly even paranormal entities. Time is only making things worse; every year, these monuments to obsolescence decay further and play host to more shady activity. Abandoned malls are just plain creepy, and this list gathers together ten of the creepiest.

Related: 10 Eerie Abandoned Animal Parks

10 The Acropolis, Mexico City

The Acropolis was a shopping center in a suburb of Mexico City called Naucalpan de Juárez. The mall’s heyday was the late ’80s, but by the end of the ’90s, low traffic numbers had caused the mall to close altogether. It has sat abandoned ever since. Though abandoned malls are all a little bit the same, the Acropolis has developed a particularly unique creepiness among all those on this list.

The mall was designed as a tribute to Ancient Greek culture, as its name suggests. Visitors would enter through towering white Greek columns, intentionally designed to look dilapidated like their real counterparts. The theme continues inside, with columns placed throughout. Open, agora-like storefronts and stucco walls that look straight out of Spartan homes in 300 try to bring you closer to the Greek ruins. That’s why its current decay is so haunting; a place deliberately alluding to ancient ruins is itself becoming one. The combination of artificial rot and very real rot atop it is a poignant reminder of humility.

9 Hawthorne Plaza Shopping Center, Hawthorne

Hawthorne Plaza is located in Hawthorne, a city just outside of Los Angeles (not New York). The mall was open from 1977 to 1999, and during that time, it slowly succumbed to crime and a changing economy. Since its death, it has found new life as a movie shooting set. No, not just for student films or YouTube videos, but rather numerous movies and television shows, including Teen Wolf, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Despite the occasional use, the area sits vacant most of the time, and over the years, it has deteriorated rapidly. Looters have stripped the mall of seemingly everything not drilled down—plus some pieces that were. Much of the mall is without handrails, windows, or doors. Walls are smashed inward, and windows shattered. Staircases lead nowhere, and as for its gaping holes in the floor—you might not want to know where they go.

8 Wayne Hills Mall, Wayne

The Wayne Hills Mall in Wayne, New Jersey, was open from 1973 to 2015, and over that impressive 42-year run, the mall came to be seen by its community as more than a mall. A series of articles and video essays on the mall all paint it as a warm place, social center, and an exceptionally popular Christmas destination. Memories of Wayne Hills are warm, fuzzy, and nostalgic. And then there’s the hellscape it became after closing.

The New Jersey weather took its toll on the building, and wet, heavy snow collapsed portions of the roof. The result was an interior that spent half of every year alternating between flooding, icing over, and filling with snow. The inevitable mold and rot then had all summer to spread. Before demolition, the Wayne Hills Mall became a damp, sludgy cesspool that looked about a century older than it was. 

7 Rolling Acres Mall, Akron

The abandoned Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio, was so dangerous that the mayor of Akron made a public statement about its safety. He urged people to steer clear of it. The mall was no stranger to violent crime while open, and things did not improve while it was closed. Which, you know, we could expect since it was empty.

Most famously, in 1986, the field behind the mall was the site of the brutal torture and murder of Wendy Offredo and Dawn McCreery. The details of the case were horrific, and it achieved nationwide fame. Coupled with varying degrees of theft in the area, Rolling Acres gained a poor reputation. This reputation, as it should have, is thought to have played a role in the mall’s demise. Honestly, it just seemed like it was cursed from the beginning. After the mall closed, the body of another murder victim was discovered there. If that wasn’t enough, a man was electrocuted and fatally caught fire attempting to steal copper wiring inside, among others.

6 Randall Park Mall, North Randall

When the Randall Park Mall opened in 1976 in North Randall, Ohio (what’s going on with you, Ohio?), it was the largest mall in the entire world. Between 2013 and 2015, just a few short years after its closure in 2009, photographer Johnny Joo took a series of photos showing just how far the mall had fallen.

Every photo is more tragic than the last. Many are due to hasty closures in the months after Christmas; a lone Christmas tree, still decorated, stands among the mud, glass shards, and plaster crumbles of the center courtyard. Perhaps even worse, a now-famous image shows a lone Christmas teddy bear, left posed in front of a long stretch of filth and decay.

5 Old Town Mall, Baltimore

Baltimore, Maryland, has a less-than-stellar reputation for safety as it is. Add to that a 200-year-old outdoor mall the size of a neighborhood, and you have a combination ghost-town/crime-den.

Originally named the Bel Air Market, Old Town Mall was built in 1818 and has a long history of decline and failed revitalization attempts. By the 1980s, it had deteriorated into a dangerous wasteland that now has almost nothing to boast about—unless you count the fact that its violent crime rate is about five times the national average. Yikes.

4 Dixie Square Mall, Harvey

The Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, Illinois, was open from 1966 to 1978. After closing for good, it was used as the setting for the famous mid-mall car chase scene from the 1980 movie Blues Brothers. Since then, it has fared worse than possibly any other ghost mall.

In the years after its closure, the mall was featured in multiple national news reports about the level of trespassing, vandalism, and theft within its walls. As a result, its deterioration was better documented than most, noting when the last window had been broken and when someone stole its trademark “Dixie” sign. Since then, conditions have only worsened; the ruins have caught fire twice, and the mall was the site of at least one brutal murder. Honestly, this seems like one “historical” site that needs to go.

3 Gwinnett Place Mall, Duluth

Chances are, you’ve seen the inside of Gwinnett Place Mall, whether you know it or not. The abandoned mall was used as the filming location for StarCourt Mall, the main setting for Stranger Things season three. Despite such a recent and high-profile use, the mall wasn’t able to shake its dark reputation.

The empty mall has been used for a laundry list of crimes over the years, and a search for news reports about the mall will reveal several charges involving drugs, prostitution, and violent attacks. Most notable among these is the 2017 discovery of Georgia State University student Silling Man, murdered and left to decompose in the back room of the food court’s Subway.

2 New World Mall, Bangkok

The New World Mall In Bangkok, Thailand, gained worldwide notoriety after its closure, as its fate was unlike that of any other ghost mall in the world.

The mall closed in 1997 after The Thai Supreme Court ruled that seven out of eleven of its floors violated safety standards. Two years later, a fire caused its roof to cave inward. Due to rainfall, the mall’s bottom floor flooded and became a mosquito breeding ground. In response, the locals introduced various species of tilapia, mango fish, carp, koi, and catfish to eat the mosquito larvae. Before its eventual drainage in 2015, the mall had become one deep lake filled with over 3,000 fish.

1 Metro North Mall, Kansas City

It’s hard to find an article on abandoned malls that doesn’t include Metro North Mall in Kansas City, and with good reason. If there is one definitive source on ghost malls, it’s photojournalist Seph Lawless, who has explored countless dead buildings and published books on his findings. That definitive source once told HuffPo that “the abandoned Metro North Mall in Kansas City is by far the creepiest place I’ve ever stepped foot in.”

You can’t argue with that and seeing his pictures, you wouldn’t want to, anyway. Most of the mall sits in total blackness, and the few beams of light that pour through the roof show spots that are yellowed, moldy, warped, and graffitied. Truly, Metro North Mall no longer looks like a mall, but a creepy, bygone, haunted sanitarium.

People go to the mall to shop, eat, or enjoy its air conditioning. But nobody goes shopping to get scared. Unfortunately, however, there are a handful of malls that feel haunted to the patrons and employees who frequent them.

Want to know which ones they are and why they’re considered creepy? Strap yourselves in as we take a tour of the 10 most haunted malls in the world. Visit any of these 10 haunted malls and have a BOO-tiful shopping adventure with some loitering ghosts.

10 CherryVale Mall—Rockford, IL, USA

The ghosts in CherryVale Mall in Rockford, Illinois, are quite naughty. Employees often complain of feeling like they’re being watched at night while closing down the stores. When they reopen the next day, many of the products are usually in disarray.

Rockford’s prime shopping destination is almost 50 years old. It has several large anchor stores, including Macy’s and JCPenney, with numerous other smaller stores and family entertainment centers. CherryVale also hosts various events and becomes really lively during Halloween for obvious reasons.

Here’s an important tip when shopping at CherryVale: Don’t go to the bathroom alone. Some people have reported using the bathroom and having an “unknown force” hold the bathroom door shut. Now that would just be pee-in-your-pants scary!^[1]

9 Star Mall Alabang—Muntinlupa, Philippines

Alabang is the business district of the city of Muntinlupa. In the 1990s, the sprawling district transformed its skyline with large buildings in favor of business and commerce. Part of that transformation entailed building over a cemetery. In its place stands Star Mall Alabang, considered one of the scariest haunted places in Metro Manila.

According to lore, the spirits became enraged that their place of rest was turned into a source of loud entertainment for many Filipinos. Can you blame them?

One of the funniest (or scariest) stories is about a couple who was laughing loudly with the rest of the theatergoers while watching a movie in the cinema. As the credits rolled and the couple got up to leave, they were startled to realize they were the only two people inside.

Apparently, Star Mall Alabang is like The Sixth Sense in real life. Some will see dead people walking around like real people.^[2]

8 Dimond Center—Anchorage, AK, USA

At the Dimond Center in Anchorage, ghosts don’t go “boo” at people. No, they’re far too refined for that. Instead, you’ll hear drums and flute music. Now, that’s the kind of haunting people, particularly music lovers, will surely enjoy.

Dimond Center stands on an ancient burial ground of Native Alaskans. When it was built in the 1970s, construction workers found a few burial sites. Since there weren’t that many, development continued until the mall opened in 1977. It is now one of Alaska’s most important landmarks. However, some of the mall goers claim that the Native Alaskans are haunting Dimond Center’s hallways.

Many claim to have seen Native Americans wandering inside the mall in their native clothing. Some people also say that they’ve heard drums and flutes playing.

Sounds fun, right? Well, here’s the scary part: Some say they’ve seen transparent wolves milling about. Now that should make anyone howl in fear.^[3]

7 Yogya Department Store—Jakarta, Indonesia

Imagine going to work in a mall and seeing the charred toes of children on the floor. If you’re a janitor from Yogya Department Store, you will simply sweep them up and throw them away. It’s a common occurrence, after all.

Some have it a tad easier—just complaints of noises like crashing tables and shattered glass. Though they’re just noises, the experience is no less eerie.

You’ll be even more creeped out when you hear the history of the Yogya Department Store.

The 1998 Asian financial crisis prompted deadly riots in Indonesia that killed more than a thousand people. Some of these people were trapped in the mall where Yogya now stands. It caught fire, burning them alive. There were rumors that the fire that destroyed the mall was intentional.

In 2000, Yogya was erected in its place. Many believe those who perished in the fire are walking around its hallways, looking for justice.^[4]
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jul-04-la-fg-indonesia-chinese-20100704-story.html

6 Westfield Santa Anita—Arcadia, CA, USA

A boy dressed in 1930s attire is often seen wandering around the Westfield Santa Anita Mall in California. Though many have tried calling out to him, he’s quite shy and usually runs away when discovered. The creepy thing is his feet don’t touch the ground, and he becomes transparent.

In case you’re interested in seeing him, he’s usually loitering around the escalators. Sometimes, he goes inside the stores too.

Westfield Santa Anita will soon undergo a change in management as its French owners are planning to sell the mall. Hopefully, the new owners won’t destroy the store and render the boy homeless.^[5]

5 Plaza Singapura—Singapore

Located along the famous Orchard Road, Plaza Singapura is one of the most famous malls in Singapore and also among the oldest. Many believe it is haunted, especially the toilets on the seventh floor.

According to online forums, people often see a little girl in the restroom. Sometimes, she would be in the cinema. Many believe she is the ghost of an aborted child since the Old Plaza Singapura used to house an abortion clinic on the seventh floor of the mall. The mall has since undergone significant renovations between 1997 and 1999.

Though it’s weird to think of babies growing up to haunt a place, it’s probably just an attempt to give the lonesome child a backstory.^[6]

4 Mt. Pocono Mall—Mt. Pocono, PA, USA

For some reason, Kmart seems to have a fine collection of ghosts on its premises. Let’s start with the one in Mt. Pocono Mall. Apparently, nighttime employees usually see a lady in white milling about.

The ghostly lady must’ve been feeling pretty friendly because it called out to one of the mall employees twice, and it did so using the person’s name! From time to time, feminine products were also known to fall from the shelves. The Mt. Pocono branch is now closed.

Speaking of another closed Kmart, New York’s Astor Place Kmart announced its closure last year. In response, tributes, which included ghost stories, started pouring in. One person said that shopping there made them think of the zombie apocalypse. It’s not really that scary, is it? Perhaps the final creepy Kmart story will take the cake.

Kmart #7625 in Los Angeles was once a Zody’s Store, which was reportedly where a love triangle turned into a gruesome double homicide and suicide. According to the stories, a couple used to work at Zody’s. One night, the man caught his girlfriend in a compromising situation with a fellow male employee. His anger got the best of him, so he got a box cutter and killed his girlfriend and her paramour. He then slashed his wrist with the same cutter.

After the crime, employees would often hear screaming in the stockroom. Sometimes, they would see a girl running in the store. The scariest tale was when an employee suffered a seven-inch laceration on his chest from a knife that appeared out of nowhere. And they say ghosts can never harm the living.^[7]

3 Tiring Building—Cairo, Egypt

The Tiring Building was one of Egypt’s first department stores. It’s still standing in Cairo, but it’s no longer the bustling commercial establishment it used to be. The change was part of Ataba Square’s natural progression, making Cairo’s business district a historical and cultural hub.

Ataba Square is now the city’s largest marketplace, with Tiring’s many spaces used as storage places for vendors’ goods. But there’s one place vendors would never set foot in: the attic. According to unconfirmed rumors, it used to be an execution chamber. The attic has remained untouched for decades and is sealed with several chains and locks. People are afraid that opening it will set the place’s many ghosts from the past free.^[8]

2 Harrisburg Mall—E. Harrisburg, PA, USA

Harrisburg Mall is the second Pennsylvania mall on this list, which begs the question: Why is Pennsylvania so haunted? Incidentally, this is also the top question when you do a Google search about the state. Many say it’s because the Keystone State was one of the locations of the Civil War, which means hundreds, maybe even thousands, of soldiers perished there and are now haunting the living.

But back to Harrisburg Mall: It’s not a soldier that’s been reportedly haunting people. Or at least, there have been no indications that it was a soldier. According to nighttime security guards of the mall, a person would watch them through the glass doors when the JCPenney store would close. They always had a spooky feeling when it happened. Fortunately, the apparition stopped when Boscov’s took over the store.^[9]

Perhaps the ghost was a JCPenney loyalist?

1 Silverburn Shopping Centre—Glasgow, Scotland

If a ghostly apparition is based on one person’s account, it’s easy to dismiss it as a figment of one’s imagination. However, in the case of Silverburn Shopping Centre, multiple people have seen a woman in black period clothing hovering in different parts of the mall. You read that right! Hovering—meaning her feet were not on the floor, spooking many of the mall goers.

The multiple sightings alarmed Silverburn’s management enough that they called Glasgow Paranormal Investigations. The investigators said the woman’s spirit may have been disturbed when the mall was built or when the new cinema was developed, so it was normal for the spirits to haunt their new surroundings.^[10]

Many people enjoy going to the mall. Unfortunately, it seems so do ghosts. It’s hard to determine if ghosts are real since not everybody sees them, and they can’t tell their own stories. What’s important to note is that in most of the stories, ghosts are harmless. They may spook you, but they will not hurt you. As for the Zody’s slashing incident, there was no solid proof that the ghost of the jilted boyfriend was responsible for the injury.