I finally checked out that dead mall everyone said was sad and it was honestly peaceful

For years I heard people online talk about the Oakwood Mall in Tulsa and how depressing it was. I finally drove over there last Saturday with my camera. No anchor stores left, just a weird little arcade still running and a pretzel stand that looked like it hadn't been cleaned since 2005. But walking around with zero crowds and hearing the old fountain trickle was kind of nice honestly. I took about 60 photos of the empty food court. Has anyone else found a dead mall that was more relaxing than sad?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_spencer14d ago

I found this one mall in Michigan that had an old arcade that still used actual quarters, not tokens or cards. The carpet was this wild 90s pattern and the lights were half burnt out but it felt like a weird time capsule. I sat on a bench there for like 20 minutes just listening to the air conditioner hum.

cole_mitchell815d ago

I used to think dead malls were just depressing too. I saw the photos online and figured it was all just sad and abandoned. But last month I stopped at a place called Cortland Square in Ohio and honestly the "peaceful" part is real. There was a tiny bookstore still open in the old Sears wing and the guy running it just let me browse for an hour with no music or announcements. It felt more like a quiet Sunday afternoon than a ghost town.