MOUNDS MALL: ANDERSON, IN
Kevin Brown's Commentary:
Posted January 17, 2019 (user submitted)
Mounds Mall in Anderson, Indiana opened in 1965. It was built one mile down the road from some of the town's General Motors plants that were the backbone of Andeson's economy. At one time, one in three people in the area worked for GM. These well-paid auto workers would happily spend their paychecks at this beautiful shrine to consumerism. Being the first indoor mall in central Indiana, people from the surrounding communities would make the drive to spend their money too.
By 2006, all of the auto plants had closed and Anderson had sustained a decades long economic downturn. Shortly after that, people started shopping online. Despite its 50-year history, the changing landscape of shopping and entertainment could not support this particular rendition of this American creation. Mounds Mall closed April 1, 2018.
Interestingly, Mounds Mall was built on top of a former landfill. As a kid, I always thought that was a perfect metaphor for American innovation. We took an eyesore and built something useful on top of it. We covered up what we didn't need anymore with something we did need. Now I wonder how long it will be until we eliminate any trace of this mall. I'm sure we'll cover it up, never to be seen again except in our memories of lunches at MCL, arcade games at Pac-Man Palace, and first dates at the movie theater.
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Caroline Kahikina McCloud’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2022Some of my favorite memories of Mounds Mall are eating at Woolworth's, the soda fountain at J.C. Penney's back in the day, getting ice cream from Baskin Robbins, smiley face cookies from Roslyn Bakery, almond bark from the Peanut Shack, iced sugar cookies from Blondies, going to Girl Scout lock-ins as a child AND taking my children and their friends to Girl Scout lock-ins as an adult, 80s fashion from Paul Harris such as stirrup pants and shirts and jackets with shoulder pads, shopping at Meis, going to MCL with my mom and grandma, hanging out at Pac-Man Palace, and pepperoni breadsticks from the pizza place! I think my kids miss Garfield's Restaurant and Pub more than anything. They practically grew up there since my husband worked there for about 20 years. He was a manager, and they thought it was "their" restaurant haha. We definitely have lots of good memories at that mall. It would be nice if they would turn it into something useful for the community.
Jeff McCrystal’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2020I am three years older than this mall and grew up in Anderson, IN. Sad to see it go. I worked at the MCL cafeteria BITD. Thanks for posting!