We’re in the midst of what many call the Retail Apocalypse, and the phrase top 10 abandoned malls perfectly captures the eerie aftermath. Over the last twenty years, online shopping has become the norm, leaving once‑bustling shopping complexes to decay into massive, empty shells. These hulking structures now serve as playgrounds for trespassers, the homeless, and even rumored paranormal activity. Each one on our list carries its own chilling story, and together they paint a portrait of modern decay.

Why the Top 10 Abandoned Malls Haunt Us

Abandoned malls aren’t just empty buildings; they’re monuments to a vanished era of consumer culture. Their vast corridors, once filled with chatter and cash registers, now echo with the sounds of wind and occasional graffiti. Over time, nature and neglect transform them into eerie, almost post‑apocalyptic landscapes. Below, we count down the most unsettling examples, from a Greek‑themed ruin in Mexico to a flooded fish‑filled cavern in Bangkok.

10 The Acropolis

The Acropolis once thrived as a shopping hub in Naucalpan de Juárez, a suburb of Mexico City, during the late 1980s. By the close of the 1990s, dwindling foot traffic forced its doors shut, leaving it to sit desolate ever since. While many abandoned malls share a similar vibe, the Acropolis distinguishes itself with a uniquely unsettling atmosphere.

Designed as an homage to ancient Greek architecture, the complex greeted visitors with towering, deliberately weathered white columns that mimicked the crumbling ruins of antiquity. Inside, the theme continued with scattered columns, open‑air storefronts resembling a classical agora, and stucco walls that could have been lifted straight from the set of the film 300. The irony is palpable: a structure intentionally styled after ancient decay is now undergoing genuine rot, creating a haunting juxtaposition of fabricated antiquity and real deterioration.

9 Hawthorne Plaza Shopping Center

Located just outside Los Angeles in the city of Hawthorne, Hawthorne Plaza opened its doors in 1977 and operated until 1999. Over its lifespan, the mall succumbed gradually to rising crime rates and shifting economic tides. Since its closure, it’s found a second life as a backdrop for film and television, appearing in titles such as Teen Wolf, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..

Despite occasional filming sessions, the majority of the complex sits vacant, and years of neglect have taken a severe toll. Looters stripped the premises of anything not bolted down, leaving behind a skeletal framework. Handrails, windows, and doors have vanished; walls are pounded inward, glass is shattered, and staircases lead nowhere. Gaping holes in the flooring hint at unseen depths, making the whole site feel like a labyrinth of decay.

8 Wayne Hills Mall

Wayne Hills Mall served the community of Wayne, New Jersey, from 1973 until its final closure in 2015. Over its impressive 42‑year run, it became more than just a retail space—it was a beloved social hub and a festive Christmas destination, celebrated in countless articles and video essays for its warm, nostalgic atmosphere.

When the doors finally shut, New Jersey’s harsh weather took a cruel toll. Heavy snowfall caused sections of the roof to cave, flooding the interior and leaving it alternately submerged, iced over, or buried under snow for half the year. The resulting moisture fostered rampant mold and rot, turning the once‑vibrant mall into a damp, sludgy cesspool that appeared a century older than its actual age before demolition finally erased it.

7 Rolling Acres Mall

Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio, earned such a notorious reputation that the city’s mayor publicly warned residents to stay away. Even while operational, the mall was plagued by violent crime, and the situation only worsened after its closure.

The most infamous incident occurred in 1986 when the field behind the mall became the site of the brutal torture and murder of Wendy Offredo and Dawn McCreery—a case that captured national attention. Subsequent crimes, including the discovery of another murder victim’s body, an electrician who was electrocuted and set aflame while stealing copper wiring, and ongoing theft, cemented the mall’s cursed aura.

6 Randall Park Mall

When Randall Park Mall opened in North Randall, Ohio, in 1976, it claimed the title of the world’s largest shopping center. After its 2009 closure, photographer Johnny Joo captured a series of haunting images between 2013 and 2015, documenting the mall’s rapid decline.

The photographs reveal a tragic tableau: a lone Christmas tree, still adorned, stands amid mud, broken glass, and crumbling plaster in the central courtyard. Even more striking is an image of a solitary Christmas teddy bear, posed against a backdrop of filth and decay, underscoring the eerie juxtaposition of holiday cheer and abandonment.

5 Old Town Mall

Old Town Mall, situated in Baltimore, Maryland, carries a reputation for danger that mirrors the city’s broader safety challenges. This outdoor mall, originally named the Bel Air Market, dates back to 1818 and spans an entire neighborhood.

Over the centuries, the mall has experienced repeated cycles of decline and failed revitalization attempts. By the 1980s, it had devolved into a hazardous wasteland, with a violent crime rate approximately five times the national average, solidifying its status as a perilous ghost town.

4 Dixie Square Mall

Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, Illinois, operated from 1966 until 1978. After its closure, it achieved cinematic fame as the setting for the iconic mid‑mall car chase in the 1980 film Blues Brothers. Since then, its condition has deteriorated beyond most other abandoned malls.

National news outlets have repeatedly highlighted the rampant trespassing, vandalism, and theft that plagued the site. Detailed reports chronicled the progressive loss of windows and the theft of the distinctive “Dixie” sign. The mall endured two fires, served as the scene of at least one brutal murder, and now stands as a decaying relic in dire need of demolition.

3 Gwinnett Place Mall

Many viewers recognize Gwinnett Place Mall from its role as the fictional StarCourt Mall in season three of Stranger Things. Despite this recent high‑profile exposure, the mall’s dark reputation persisted.

The vacant complex has been a hotspot for a litany of crimes, including drug offenses, prostitution, and violent assaults. Most notably, in 2017, Georgia State University student Silling Man was discovered murdered and left to decompose in a back‑room of the food court’s Subway, underscoring the mall’s grim reality.

2 New World Mall

Bangkok’s New World Mall earned worldwide notoriety after its closure, presenting a fate unlike any other ghost mall. The Thai Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that seven of its eleven floors violated safety standards, prompting the shutdown.

Two years later, a fire caused the roof to collapse inward. Subsequent rainfall flooded the lowest level, turning it into a mosquito breeding ground. To combat the infestation, locals introduced thousands of fish—tilapia, mango fish, carp, koi, and catfish—to feast on the larvae. By 2015, before the water was finally drained, the mall had become a one‑meter‑deep lake teeming with over 3,000 fish.

1 Metro North Mall

Metro North Mall in Kansas City consistently appears on every list of haunted shopping centers, thanks in large part to photojournalist Seph Lawless, who described it as “the creepiest place I’ve ever stepped foot in.” His words are echoed by the stark images he captured.

The interior is shrouded in near‑total darkness, with only narrow shafts of light piercing the roof to reveal yellowed, mold‑infested, warped surfaces, all heavily graffitied. The space no longer resembles a mall; it feels more like an abandoned sanitarium, its eerie silence broken only by the echo of distant footsteps.

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.