Midway Mall
Elyria, Ohio - 1970
And also click right here to see a larger, better-quality version of the above photo, in b&w. (Image source.)
Elyria, Ohio - 1970
Awesome interior fountain photo! (Image source.)
Midway's current generic website.
posted by Keith @ 8/23/2005
51 Comments:
I am from Elyria and still frequent this mall. We used to make fun of the decor, but I now wish it was restored to its original look. It has since been expanded to twice it's original size. In the bottom photo, you can see on the left, the edge of the Harvest House Cafeteria sign that was part of Woolworth's. On the right, behind where the photo was taken, was a movie theatre, it was a huge single screen with seats that rocked back and forth...kind of like the stadium style theatres of today. They eventually split it in to 2 screens and 2 separate theatres. It has since closed and now is a separate complex adjacent to the mall property. On the top photo, you can't see it too well, but, in front of Higbee's are glycerin tubes...they basically looked like harp strings with water drops cascading down them from the ceiling to the floor...that has been removed, along with the water fountains. Inside Higbee's was a gazebo resturant (Harvest House type of menu) and upstairs was a full service resturant called The Attic. All of the anchor stores had some sort of resturant in them. There used to be a huge clock in the ground with roman numerals that you walked over, it was located on the right side of the bottom photo. Now that I am getting older, I miss the old mall, but, I have mixed feelings about the mall because it was responsible for the demise of downtown Elyria. Penneys, Sears, and Woolworths all used to be downtown.
I think I might've went to this mall back in the '80s, but I can't remember too well besides the long corridor with the old "Penny's" logo and such. I went back there again around the mid '90s had took one or two photos of it, when it had it's first expansion I assume. Haven't been back since, though I'm kinda surrpised they're now owned by the same multi-national firm that also owns Franklin Park in Toledo.
Remember the huge talking christmas tree? That used to freak me out! I remember the big clock in the floor, too. I got my ears pierced when I was 7 at Higbee's.
Wow, that takes me back! Thanks to jayjay for reminding me of the Friendly's that used to be in the corner by the front entrance. I also remember Hot Sam's pretzel shop and -- probably my favorite mall shop as a kid -- Karmelkorn. I remember the harp-string-oil-drip "fountain" was almost always broken in the later years before the big remodeling.
The renovation, as someone else noted, nearly doubled the size of the mall. It added a May Co. (later Kaufmann's) and a food court. It also updated the 1966 styling for a very distinctive early 1990s scheme (sea green, mauve, and beige diamond shapes galore). I was thrilled to see that the video arcade -- once Aladdin's Castle -- still had a Ms. Pac-Man machine right up until it closed its doors.
The Attic, the full-service restaurant in Higbee's, actually did pretty good business. It had a steady stream of regulars who lamented its closing once Dillard's took over. My aunt was a waitress there for 16 years, and Dillard's offered her nothing when they closed the restaurant, other than a shot at a part-time retail position.
Much like every other city in the U.S., Elyria's downtown retail fled to the edge of town to take up shop in the new mall back in the '60s. And now, just like every other city in the U.S., the big retailers are realizing they can have more space and flexibility if they build their own free-standing stores separate from a mall. We have a Target, a Wal*Mart, and soon will have a Wal*Mart Supercenter. Still plenty of distance from downtown though, so we haven't really come full circle as some have claimed.
I was the "Talking Christmas Tree" 1974 to 1977. Positioned right outside of Pennys. Somewhere I still have my "Midway Mall" employee's badge.
A few other features long gone and forgotten. A stock brokerage, barber shop and pet store in the south wing. A live monkey in one of the shoe stores. A fake police sentry on the roof guarding the parking lot. A wonderful hobby shop. Numerous banks. A drug store.
Wow! Thanks for screwing me up in the head! You guys brought back all kinds of memories I had totally forgotten about. I'm 45 and lived here all my life (except for college). My mom and grandmother would take me to The Attic often. I used to get the cardboard "stove" - which was a kids meal there all the time around the holidays. Anybody remember that? Harvest house I had forgotten about too. Always would get pudding and beg for some candy at the checkout when you were walking out. Where are the pictures that several of you are referring to in your blogs? By the way, I was there yesterday. The Dillards is closing but I found the Attic!!! It is filled with display stuff but looks exactly the same as I remember - kind of like a hidden room in a house that has been boarded up for 100 years. Eerie. I took some pic's but don't know how to share them. This whole excursion had meup last night until 4 am remembering stuff ....
I AM FROM ELYRIA LIVED HERE FOR 36 YEARS I REMEMBER THE TALKING CHRISTMAS TREE WHEN I WAS LITTLE A GRABBED THE TREES NOSE AND GOT YELLED AT BY THE TREE NEVER DID LIKE THAT TREE MUCH AFTER THAT HEHEHE .THE GYRO PLACE IN THE MALL WAS THE OLIVE BRANCH MAN I LOVED THOSE GYRO'S.THE ATTIC HAD SOME GOOD FOOD AND PRICES WISHED IT WAS STILL THERE.NOW THE MALL IS JUST FALLING APART WHERE LOSING DILLARDS JUST WHAT ELYRIA NEEDS IS ANOTHER PLACE TO LEAVE.MORE LOST JOBS .
I used to love the Midway Mall! I remember the monkey in the shoe store .. it used to be behind just bars and people gave it every type of food under the sun .. from candy to icecream cones. I remember once giving him gum and watching him try and figure it out. I also remember getting pelted with monkey poop. Shortly after that incident they put in a plexiglass shield and you couldn't feed him (or get hit by poop!).
I was born in Elyria and have lived in the area for my entire life. I did not frequent the mall much when I was younger in the 80's but since then I have spent alot of time there either working for a retailer or shopping. I hope the mall continues to survive in the future to provide memories for others. Speaking of memories I wonder how many people can remember what stores "opened" the mall and of those how many are left.
This mall is just depressing now. Elyria as a whole is anymore. I may be young still, but living in Elyria all 20 years of my life, I've spent more time at this mall than I can recall. The mall is decaying, with 1/8 of the shops closed up, and nothing ever replacing them. I recently worked in the mall at Ritz Cameras. I worked there for 6 months up until its closing in January. From what I read, the store had been there since 1987, but due to the economic plight of the area, suffered a fate I see similarly around the area. Of the shops that due exist in the mall, most are jewelry stores or some sort of independently owned clothing store, or a dollar store! And also, the Dillard's in the mall has closed. So now there are only three anchor stores left in the mall. I look at those old pictures, and my jaw dropped. There was a fountain in the mall! Hah! From the looks of it the mall looked rather breathtaking and intriguing. The area's sad. Numerous restaurants have closed, the plaza's nearby are littered with empty retail space and dollar stores. Only store that seems to do well in the area is wal-mart. But, hopefully the area turns around... I still can't find a job!
The shoe store with the monkey...Faflic's. How about Rose's Jewelers where the clock was inthe ground. I bought my wedding dress at Ted Jacob's that was on the corner outside of Higbee's/Dillard's. How about Casual Corner that was behind the dripping wax display. I used to work at Jean Nicole, the cookie shop that was across from Woolworth's. My husband used to work at the movie theatre when it was one screen and when it split into two screens. How about the Paul Harris store. Boulvard Shoes, Parkland Hosiery, Stride Rite shoes, Harvest House. Gray Drugs, Jo-Ann Fabric, Baskin-Robbin 31 Ice cream place, Petries when they took the entire corner where Osterman's Jewelers was at, are they still there? Hough Bakeries and they would wrap thin string around the boxes like 20 times and you would get a "free" gingerbread man cookie and it was HUGE! I shopped for most all of my clothes while in High School at Higbee's and Penney's. Capri Pizza, Camelot Music, Aladdin's Castle, the cafeteria inside Sears, the food place inside Penney's. My mom bought her wedding dress at Penney's right there in the mall (not online). The Pet Store. I remember the fountains, the weird lights, but I wish it were all back now. Someday someone will want to restore it to it's former beauty, I just hope I'm still around to see it. I remember it being the "in place" to be seen at on a Saturday evening with your friends from school just walking around having tons of fun.
Although I'm from Toledo, I'd often stop at the Midway Mall, with my parents, on our way to visit relatives in Cleveland.
I definitely remember the talking Christmas tree, the floor clock, and coolest of all, the glycerin filaments by Higbee's!! You could actually touch them! (You couldn't have a public decoration like that today...either some kid would find a way to get hurt and his parents would sue, or some jerk would simply vandalize it).
I remember playing the Atari 2600 version of Asteroids, for the first time, at Sears.
Growing up in the 70's and 80's, video games are a big memory of my youth...Aladdin's Castle, a chain, like the Red Baron, was a great arcade.
My other indelible memory is outside Woolworth's. In 1970, at 4 years old, I pulled away from my Mom's hand to run and look at a "Sea Monkey" display in the window. I tripped on some broken concrete and bashed my head on the metal strip between the bricks and the glass. Next stop Elyria Memorial Hospital for stiches. (The manager of Woolworth's drove us in his own car.) Yeah, so every time I look at the scar on my forehead, I think of the Midway Mall. My little accident notwithstanding, these memories are all pretty fond.
I agree with everyone else who said "gees this brought back some memories!"
I remember Woolworth's- I got my first pet, a hamster named "hershey" there. My mom got a t-shirt made there- back in the early 80's, that featured her and my father in a black and white photo that was printed from a dot matrix printer that took 30 minutes to do it's job.
I remember the candy, and the little eatery outside the Woolworth's where you could buy popcorn and pretzels. And that Friendly's where the hibachi place is now- oh, how I begged my mother to let me get the happy ending sundae after I ate my dinner- the sundae with the chocolate cone that looked like a hat on a little ice cream face.
I had bad, BAD nightmares because of the talking Christmas tree as a child. Dreams of a whole forest of them coming after me. LOL.
Ahhh remember the days when you could go to the mall without the annoying cell phone salespeople bugging you as you walked?
I miss the old Elyria!
This is Jay Jay again. So I heard form some late teen/ early adult that the mall is going through a "cleaning phase". First off I know some of the shops we all have talked about may not come back to the Midway Mall because, well some are totally out of busness. However, I do think if the mall can get its act together and bring in the trendy shops and some actul real stores, then I do believe the mall can come back. Also I am all for the mall going back to what it looked like in the last 60's. I mean everyone loves retro now, why not bring some of that crazy mod retro stuff back? And I also Heard the J.C. Penny will be closing in 2009 WTF? Where are all the older people going to shop that cannot go out to other malls or want to shop at Crocker? We need to honestly save the Midway Mall!
Lets go Retro!
i'm so glad i found this sit....
i was born,raised and still live in lorain(just down the road from elyria). i was ten the first christmaas the mall was open(1966) and yes i talked to the talking christmas tree.my 2 sisters and i got our picture taken with santa that day too. the only time we did.
it was a beautiful place then and still is, just kind of empty now.
i will write more soon
I lived in a home on west river road- down the street from the"mall"!! i remember it being built and yes, it did lead to the demise of downtown Elyria- hey, want some memories- how about Neisners downtown or Brandau jewelers or Rigby's Toys!!! Back to the mall- I worked at the Gap-my first job!! and ate at the Attic in Higbees pretty much every Friday night with my family. Sadly,those days are gone- thankfully the memories remain- how sad that the Department stores no longer exist- Higbee's, Halle's, May Co. Now society builds amusement park-like "Lifestyle Centers" complete with Cheescake factories and other chain sores and restaurants- I miss the old days!!
I scanned your blog looking for familiar places of my childhood and realized that the mall in my own backyard is on here...granted I don't really remember it ever looking like that..although I felt four years old again when I saw the Higbee's sign and the old Woolworth. When I was 'sick' and my grandparents had to get me from school they took me to their lunchcounter for soup and as other said, it's now a Best Buy. Higbee's was great, then Dillard's good but not so great came, and it's now gone...my mom took a part time job there a few years before it closed and the biggest thing hurting that mall is that no one goes there...people want to say it's the kids or crime, etc...but they had zero sales, and theft was awful. It got so bad at Dillards they put security stickers on their items so if you returned them it linked to who purchased the item...everyone goes to North Olmsted or the new Crocker Park...which i'm sure in 10 years will die when people in Ohio realize it's not fun in the winter to walk outside to shop, isn't that why malls happend for the most part? Enclosure = ease to shop and walking and parking like downtown areas used to have isn't appealing, even today.
I now live in Chicago and went home to visit my mom, who married my dad before this place even existed..which always makes me laugh as the mall is 2 decades older than me...it's always interesting to hear her stories of it, and then see these photos which truly show in its glory...now it's off brand/private stores selling junk and crafts...
let me see...the gap is gone, they put a race track for remote control cars in right in front of where higbees/dillards was, but only at christmas, there are two 'quickie mart' like stores, and I hear JcPenny is out in a few years...kinda sad. it'll be gone too. I wish someone would do a deadmalls.com profile on it as I have a feeling lorain county isn't getting any better...any time soon.
"Jibber" was the name of the monkey at Faflic's. As a child I always had to go say hi to Jibber.
Used to always get a frozen coke at Woolworth's. Sure miss those days.
I also remember getting ice cream from the shop across from the harvest house.
Anyone remember "Seven Seas"?
And can't forget those trips to "Gold Circle".
I moved to North Ridgeville when I was 11 and lived there from 1973 to 1978. I have sinced moved back to and currently live in NJ. My mother worked in the attic restaurant and I remember when Wally Kinnan the weatherman (who lived in Mills Creek where I did) was participating at a small circus in the mall under a steel cage. He put his head in the lions mouth and he was disfigured for life. I always remember someone trying to clean your glasses as you passed by Woolworths, they wanted you to buy this blue liquid in a jar (probably Windex). I remember the Sveden house across the street from the mall (when I was 15 I ate 5 huge plates of food and got sick). I remember Gold Circle across from the mall also - long gone! Some memories!
Del Donahoo Was the weatherman who was actually "clawed" in the face. The trainer had Del sit on the cat while doing a broadcast from Midway mall. Apparently the cat had enough and swatted him leaving a cut that went down along his face. The incident was directly in Front of JCPenny's.
http://www.wkyc.com/video/player.aspx?aid=30441&bw=
Video of the cat attack of Del Donahoo in the Midway Mall.
Hi everyone,
I remember going downtown in Elyria about 1964. The Mall was being built about 1966 and I rmember going there and seeing the Sears store through construction windows....it had no floor yet. The Mall was where we kids would go. We got tired of going downtown to Elryia because any bad weather would change your plans. I can't beleive that the Mall has one leg in the grave. I still live in the Elyria--Lorain area and this area is so depressed I am suprised anything survives. Those pictures brought wonderful memories...I never new the monkey had a name.
Hey, those are all some great memories. I work in Elryia on 57 at the Turnpike gate. I remember Midway Mall from years gone by, Harvest House Cafeteria, they also used to have one at Richmond Mall on the East side. I have great memories of Hough Bakery too. My dad was a baker at the main plant in Cleveland on Lakeview Rd. for over 30 years. He is now gone.My brother worked at the Pet Center at Midway.
The mall today is very sad, there is really nothing that is that great there anymore. I really miss the good old days.
LOL! These comments are bringing back wonderful memories. I also talked to the Christmas tree. I worked at Camelot Music in the early 80's and ate at Olive Branch and Capri pizza on lunch breaks. Fannie Farmer was the candy/bakery shop. And Woolworth always had those great punching balloons and frozen cokes. *And I remember the fake guard on top of Higbees in his fake lookout tower (my dad sold suits in Higbees as a second job in the 60's.) We got our "good" shoes from Boulevard Shoe store (a kids shoe store). And what was the women's gym that later became a recruiting station?
We loved Sveden House and Harvest House (broccoli with cheese sauce).
And who can remember what Lyle Alzado's restaurant was before and after it was Alzado's???
Fisher Fazio's grocery store. The Ups-n-Downs. Foxmoore. Higbees' white retro columns outside the entrances that went from vogue to outdated to retro vogue again. And who remembers the shooting outside of Sears at Christmas time back in 1984 or so?
And the car shows. And the school kids singing at Christmas time on the risers? And the card shop that was called Seven Seas or something like that? And Jean Nicole. And yes, I loved that clock at Roses Jewelers. And saw great movies at the theater: Strongest Man in the World (Kurt Russel), Apple Dumpling Gang, Mary Poppins. Ah, good memories.
Does anyone remember what the name of the "gazebo" resturant was on the first floor of Higbees?
Alzado's Restaurant. Was it Tavern on the Mall first or was it Tavern on the Mall after Alzado's?
Does anyone remember the Bread Pudding from Harvest House in Midway Mall ?
I have been trying to find the recipe that they used but I can't find one that even comes close.
Their Bread Pudding was to die for. It had a Custard Base to it . Does anyone know how I can get the recipe?
Very sad. Visited there last month. A mall with no reason to exist. Probably best to take it down. Stripped of its ornamentation and design features. Not a friendly public space. The shops are an odd collection that would require someone to visit box stores to complete a shopping or holiday list. Missed the Puppy Palace, the great diner in Penny's , the lockers and music.
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Midway Mall is really great. I wish to visit that mall and do shopping too. Thanks.^_^
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Everybody wants to shop here at Midway Mall and I wish I can do that also. Anyway, thanks for posting this info. Keep it up.
You may visit this website too @ malls in Subic
I remember when Midway Mall was just built, JC Penney, Neisner's Merthe's, Giant Tiger all left downtown Elyria for the new Mall. My sister worked at Woolworth's in the diner. She had to wear a teal-colored uniform. Harvest House was a cafeteria-line style restaurant next to Woolworth's, and across from Woolworth's was a crappy "restaurant" called The Sidewalk Cafe. It pretended to be French. Next to that was Seven Seas, which sold little glass figurines, buddhas and those sorts of things. Had two levels. Hough Bakeries, The BEST! Fanny Farmer wasn't too bad either. That odd dripping fountain. Strange, yet intriguing. All the posts I have read brought back so many memories!
All these posts brought back so many memories! JC Penney, Neisners, Merthe's, Grant's all left downtown Elyria when the new Midway Mall was built. Used to be woods where the Mall now stands. My sister worked at the Woolworth diner, wore a teal-colored uniform. Harvest House was next to Woolworth's and a crappy "restaurant", The Sidewalk Cafe, was across from Woolworth's. Seven Seas was nearby. Sold glass figurines, and knicknacks, two levels, cool store. Hough Bakeries and Fanny Farmer were the BEST! I remember that odd dripping fountain, looked like wax instead of water. Winkleman's ... So many memories!
Ah, Midway Mall! I remember the Gazebo at Higbee's and we used to eat at the Attic all the time. The walls were covered in 'antique' farm implements like horseshoes and scythes, and at the far end of the restaurant were two "windows" that had curved artwork in them to make it look like you were looking outside. I always wanted to sit right next to them!
And I remember the glycerin fountain too,was very bummed when they took that out! There was also a wax novelty-making machine where I had a Jiminy Cricket made once. And I remember the clock in the floor (had to go stomp on it every time we went) and the talking Christmas tree. They don't make malls like that anymore!
PLEASE IF ANYONE OUT THERE HAS A PICTURE WITH MIDWAY MALL'S FIRST SANTA CAN YOU PLEASE SEND ME A COPY? A BLOGGER THAT WAS ON HERE SAID HE HAD HIS PICTURE TAKEN WITH THE MIDWAY MALL'S FIRST SANTA. THAT WOULD OF BEEN IN 1966 AND YEARS AFTER THAT. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO MY HUSBAND AND HIS BROTHERS AND SISTER AS IT WAS THEIR GRANDFATHER. NO ONE IN THE FAMILY HAS ANY PICTURES OF THEIR GRANDFATHER AS THE FIRST SANTA. THE FAMILY'S MOTHER AND FATHER ARE ALSO GONE NOW. THIS WOULD MAKE MY HUSBANDS FAMILY SO HAPPY. YOU CAN FRIEND HIM ON FACEBOOK BUT EXPLAIN WHY AS HE HAS A PRIVATE SITE. THANK YOU SO MUCH PTRICIA BOWEN. HIS SITE IS DAVID BOWEN THERE IS A PICTURE OF HIM ON HIS TIMELINE AND THE BIG PICTURE ON HIS TIMELINE IS OF HIM AND ME OUTSIDE, HIM SITTIN AND ME STANDING BEHIND HIM. THANK YOU SO MUCH IF SOMEONE CAN FIND A PICTURE . WE HAVE TRIED THE MALL AND HAVE HAD NO LUCK
does anyone remember the oily string thing that ran from ceiling to the floor,oil ran from top to botton. in the mall. down by higbees i think.
The mall is dying a slow painful death not much there anymore 3/4 of the stores are closed and most of the ones that are open are not worth shopping at.
David Bowen!!! I may have a picture of that Santa! I was born in '68 & went to Midway Mall as a kid until '74. I know we have pics of my sister & me with the Santa there. I will check and try to post the pic if I have it.
I loved that mall & was practically tearing up reading all these comments. Does anyone remember the shoe dept in either Higbees or Penneys with the stairs & soldiers painted on the wall?
I lived in the area in the 70s and remember a restaurant called Sidewalk Cafe. Does anyone remember it?
Do you have pictures?
I totally remember the cardboard box stove
I agree! Retro!
The Attic
I was born in 1970. Your memory is good. In the mall There was a shoe store that had a live monkey in the far back. Yes Higbee's had a gazebo on the first floor...a snack bar I would call it but it was built to look like a carousel..and I think it was called that. Also across from that was the record department. During Christmas the mall Also had the talking Christmas tree. The bakery was called Hough bakery. Sears had a cafeteria and a small snack bar with the best popcorn..I still remember the large orange box which I think had an owl on it. It seemed also that every department store had it's own santa at Christmas which made it confusing to me as a kid.. But mom would tell me they were Santa's helpers. Oh I could go on and on...loved the sport shows with baseball card dealers, loved the antique shows, craft shows, the RV and new car shows. Great mall in it's heyday. We went just about every Saturday afternoon. Oh and Penny's had a little restaurant, sporting goods, and a really nice toy department on the first floor.
Yeah the barbershop. That's right. Wasn't that near Baskin Robbins? Clock was in front of the jewelry store. Their was a drugstore also on that side.
Loved gold circle's toy department.
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My father owned the barbershop and I spent my first 14 years there. I remember going to Aladdin castle everyday. It was right next door. He sold it in 1983 I believe, my parents got divorced and me and my father moved to Florida, been here ever since. I have find memories of the barber shop and the mall. I miss it.
Dino Sanchez - Father Clemente Sanchez he just passed away at 93 on June 13th 2021
You have a very good memory of the origin of Midway Mall. And apt descriptions of the Mall from the 60s. It’s unfortunate that not very many financial ventures did well in Lorain County. It was a great time place to grow up in the 60s.
Lived in Elyria from 59 to 70 my mom shopped at the mall of course I was roaming the mall .Standing on the clock staring at the oil dripping .My grandmother worked at Higbees always got a milkshake from there
Great memories now I'm the grandparent.
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