A Christmas Tradition for us was going to Springfield Mall. It closed down June 2012.
My parents didn't want to guess what size we wore so we just went and bought the clothes we wanted. My brothers and sister loved shopping, but I used to drag my feet and because I could never find anything I liked. Most of my clothes came from Ashley Stewart and I had a few from New York and Company which was the store directly next to it. I actually remember sitting around for hours because my older sister wanted to try on everything.
Let's see how much else I remembered about the Mall ...
There were two Arcades. One was
Time Out a short walk from the Main Entrance. I played Dance Dance Revolution for the first time there. Also in that corridor was a Kiddie Kutz (not 100% sure that was the name) that had video games for you to play while you waited, an A&W (virtually extinct around here), an (extremely expensive) Anime Store where I bought a Ken-Oki Plush, and a Bridal Shop. The other Arcade was down by the Food Court, smaller, and seemed to be for older gamers. I remember playing Marvel VS Capcom and Tekken there.
There was a pay-per-ride Carousel in the Mall. It was a quarter a ride and spun around every 10 minutes. It was the only attraction still at the Mall the last time I visited. Santa's Workshop was set up here during the Winter Months. We had a cloth mural picture taken with that Santa which we still have. Me and my siblings together. Sports Authority was the Anchor Store here for as long as I could remember. Also in this corridor was a Sunglasses shop, the Claires I got my ears pierced, a T-Shirt shop with a pick up truck inside, and Yankee Candle. Yankee Candle was the only non-anchor I remember seeing last time.
My mom was a member of the Gym in this mall. It was still there the last time I visited, but I don't remember what used to be inside. I believe there was a heated swimming pool inside. My mom loves swimming so that would make sense. Incidentally, the secondary Food Court was within eyesight of the Gym for some reason. The only store I remember there was a Pizza Hut Express. It was something you just wouldn't find unless you were looking for it.
There used to be an Indoor Amusement Park called
Planet Fun downstairs from the Gym. The only ride I remember was the Ferris Wheel. There was also Laser Tag (the only reason anyone went) and a Mini Golf Course along with Arcade Games.
The best Comic Book Shop I've ever stepped foot in was very close to the Food Court. I can't remember the name, but it had a Space Theme and sold a mix of Manga and American Comic Books. The Manga Shop was when you first walked in. The American books were in a room towards the back held separately. I bought so much stuff out of this shop. Some Final Fantasy 7 Figures that I tried in vain to play with. An electronic Pikachu Bank I still have. The entirety of the Electric Tale of Pikachu. Trading Cards. Plushies ... I loved that store, but it closed about five years ago.
My mom went through an Native American phase. She bought thousands of dollars worth of Native American decor from the specialty shop directly across from the Comic Book Shop. It was also not there the last time I went.
My father shopped at a weapons shop (not joking) that I believe was called the Chesapeake Knife Company. He had a personal collection of functional weapons that he kept locked and bolted in a closet in the old house. I think the store was also known for selling dog statues which were lined up outside of the store. Some of them life sized.
For a very brief moment in history there was a Wizards of the Coast (!) store in this mall. It was right by the Food Court. I used to go in there after I finished eating. They had pay-as-you-go computers in the back, tables for playing card games, video games, and various table top games. I don't remember shopping there regularly but I remember looking around a lot and finally buying cases of Neopets TCG for $5 when they went out of business. They weren't the only store like it in the mall. I remember there being one that lasted a lot longer on the upper floor near the entrance.
The most popular Video Games Store wasn't the EB Games by the Comic Book Shop but an independently owned store on the upper level near a Food Court. I remember buying a few games and an " Official " Pokemon Guide out of there that ended up being total garbage. I actually remember demoing Pokemon Stadium in that store. It was still there when I went last but I can't for the life of me remember the name.
There were two Movie Theaters, and a reason for there being two Movie Theaters. The one in the Food Court was meant for families and showed family oriented movies. There was also one accessible by a side-entrance by the before mentioned Video Game Store. It was meant for adults and couples and showed mainly R rated movies. I only went in the former where I saw Pokemon 2000. Surprisingly, the theater in the Food Court was the one to close.
I never went to the other movie theater, but I loved the Cinnabon that was near there. I think I actually started to tear up when I saw it was no longer there. Also in that general area was Hot Topic / Spencers. I remember buying a Giga Pet in the former and being so excited to have it. KB Toys was on the lower level nearby. I loved going in there as a child and it was in just about every mall in the area for a while. The last time I went they were liquidating, and I found the mother load of Neopets Plushies. I was looking for three weeks for them and never thought to look there.
There used to be a pay-to-ride moving ride in the main Food Court. It was shaped like a Space Ship, but changed the actual movie about once a year. It was about a dollar to ride. There was also a five level playhouse in the Food Court. Originally it was free, but then it became something like a dollar per child per day. Neither were still there the last time I went.
Other Stores I remember:
The Disney Store - I remember buying some plushies out of it. I don't know of any left in the area.
Brookstore - A bedding store with massage chairs. Moved to another local mall.
Books-a-Million - By the Brookstore. I bought some Sonic Comics there before.
Zales - The jeweler my parents got their wedding rings at.
Candy Store - Can't remember the name, but they sold candy by weight by the food court.
Icing - A teenage accessories store.
The Tobacco Company - Sold a lot of old-timey things.
Mrs. Fields - The only one in the area. They got me a Mrs. Fields oven because I loved the cookies so much.
Arthurs Teachers(?) - Used to be the walk-in store in the Food Court. My oldest brother went there. Later I learned it was to drink.
Boardwalk Fries - We used to buy a cup to snack on while we figured out how we were going to eat.
Warner Bros Store - Very short lived on the lower level.
Radio Shack - Was there until the very end. I first played a Nintendo DS there. It was that crappy Diddy Kong Racing port.
I remember there being a Photography Shop on the lower level. We took family pictures there.
There was a Kitchen Goods Store by the entrance with the Time Out. I don't remember the name.
In the same area was a plus size store that sold super big sizes (5xl+)
The Silver Diner - Technically outside in the parking lot, but still a lot of good memories.
Toys R Us - Technically outside of the mall. I remember buying Genesis Games there. Closed when the roof collapsed from heavy snowfall.
There was also one more store outside that's worth mentioning. There was a toy store in the shopping center across from the mall called
Zainy Brainy. It was a modest size Toy Store that sold a mix of regular and Educational Toys. I remember it having a huge selection of Plastic Food for your play kitchen that I spent most of the trip sorting through. There was also a mini movie-theater in the corner that had a " playlist " of movies and times. They also offered snacks. There were learning workshops, labs, and musical performances. It was my favorite Toy Store but they went out of business in the early 2000s. My fondest memory was buying my very first Pokemon related thing there: the 2BA Master CD. It was on the counter as we were checking out and I had to have it.
These are some of the last pictures of that store. I did a double take but yes. That was the location I'm talking about.
