Conestoga Mall
Grand Island, Nebraska - circa 1960s(?)
This is a rough one quality-wise (trying to get a better version), but that interior on the right looks so garish and old-school mall tacky, that it needs to be seen (to be believed). The bloodred carpeting alone is worth the price of admission. Yikes!
From what I last heard, this mall is still hanging on, but purportedly breathing its last breaths as we speak--I don't know if that's technically true or not, though. Good luck to the old girl, I say!
Mall History: ? - present
Current website: here
Current aerial view
Previous entries: none
posted by Keith @ 8/03/2006
8 Comments:
You ever seen something so ugly it turns cool again? This is it.
This one is an oddity. I'm not even going to try and describe the interior. Well, it looks like something John Denver would have used in one of his videos.
Conestoga mall isn't dead according to their site - sure there are some vacancies but it doesn't look desperate.
It's Nebraska, I think they are all dead anyway.
That attempt at Early American mixed with 70's decor produced what is quite possibly the ugliest mall I've ever seen there. Normally I'm a fan of the old-school, but that is frightening and literally caused eyestrain to look at.
I grew up in Grand Island and have fond memories of the mall... It is the only mall in Grand Island and in its early years had some very nice stores. The mall had a western theme. The copper sculpture in the picture was a maze a copper pipe and pieces that water travelled through. Other areas of the mall had recessed seating areas surrounded by cactus, old saddles, and other western artifacts all in sand surrounded by a brick border. These areas are now level with the shopping mall floor and all sand, cactus, and the copper fountain are long gone. Liability perhaps? Miller and Paine, Brandeis were the original anchor stores. Next came Sears and JCPenney's was last. One of the strangest memories of that mall was the Barrio Cheese House. ( I believe that is the proper spelling) The closest thing I can compare it to was a Hickory farms store. It had coolers full of every cheese known to man... You never know when you might want to pick up some cheese while shopping. It also had a Magnavox electronics store called Crabtree's Magnavox (named after the owner) This was a popular place becuse it had working tv's on display where many people could see the football game scores while at the mall. Also there was a cool hobby shop called World of Toys and Hobbies. It had a working model train set in the window - a popular gathering place for kids. It was also a very strict store. I remember a sign stating something along the lines that children under a certain age had to be accompanied by an adult in the store. All of these stores are long gone except for the anchors. Brandeis became Younkers, Miller and Paine became Dillards. Sears and Penneys are still there. Ahh the memories - to be young again...
Hi, just FYI this mall was built in 1974. It is still thriving.
Not anymore!
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