Take an Eerie Tour of a Once-Prosperous Now-Dead Colorado Mall
If you grew up in Colorado, it's very likely that you have fond memories of numerous shopping malls. While the Western Slope had malls in Grand Junction and Glenwood Springs, the Front Range was filled with malls in Denver, along with many of its suburbs, as well as Boulder, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Fort Collins, and Greeley.
However, by the end of the 1990s many of these malls began to suffer and one by one, started closing shop.
While some malls are still around, one of the most prominent malls in Colorado has now been closed for over a decade, after being open for over 30 years.
Keep scrolling to take a virtual tour of the iconic Westminster Mall back when it was still around, but was nearing the end of its long, prosperous life.
Flashback: Colorado's Westminster Mall Becomes a Dying Mall
The Westminster Mall first opened its doors in 1977 at 5433 W. 88th Avenue and remained a staple of the area, and the state as a whole, for over 30 years. The mall had as many as 187 stores with six department stores and 1.2 million square feet of retail area.
The mall was known for many things, but most notably the faux hot air balloons just outside of the food court that would put on a show for shoppers.
Unfortunately, the mall became what many refer to as a "dying mall" by the early 2010s, and one by one, the stores inside began going out of business.
Finally, the Westminster Mall closed for good in 2011, leaving behind plenty of memories for those who experienced it in its prime.
The gallery below will serve as nostalgia for some, and heartache for many of those that have these memories:
Take an Eerie Tour of a Once-Prosperous Now-Dead Colorado Mall
Gallery Credit: Nate Wilde
FLASHBACK: What Glenwood Springs Mall Looked Like in 2018
Gallery Credit: Nate Wilde
Flashback: See What Downtown Denver Colorado Looked Like in 1986
Gallery Credit: Nate Wilde