18 Photos That Capture 1970s Mall Life

Vintage Photos History Nostalgia April 28, 2025

Last Updated on April 28, 2025 by Matt Staff

Stepping back into a shopping mall in the electric decade of the 1970s was like entering a completely different world. You had your earth-toned department stores, neon-lit arcades, and the overriding fact that malls were more than just mere places to hang out.

Malls back then were true hubs for social life and also community-building events. This collection of photos captures what kinds of experiences you could come to hope for when visiting malls back in the iconic decade that was the ’70s.

1. Just another day in paradise at a Swedish mall in the ’70s

A woman in a light blue suit with a red purse smiles while crossing a street in a busy city area. Behind her, people walk near shops, bicycles are parked, and cars drive by a large modern building.
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2. Edina, Minnesota. Interior Garden Court with stairway to upper level in Southdale Mall

A 1970s shopping mall interior with people sitting on benches and walking around, large round pendant lights hanging from the ceiling, plants, and a central escalator leading to an upper level with more shoppers.
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3. Part of the crowd at the then-new (now-defunct) Shepherd Mall Shopping Center

Black and white photo of people, including women with children in strollers, walking past a store with a large "KERRS" sign inside a shopping mall. A staircase is visible on the left.
axlcobainvedder

4. A 1970s-era mall, somewhere in Massachusetts

Black and white photo of people inside a shopping mall. A woman pushes a stroller with a baby, another child walks in front, and other shoppers walk by shops including Musicland and Hallmark Cards in the background.
axlcobainvedder

5. The still shiny and new Lincoln Mall in Matteson

Indoor shopping mall with a circular fountain in the center, surrounded by plants and trees. Shoppers walk and gather on both levels, with natural light streaming in through large windows above.
axlcobainvedder

6. Charlotte Town Mall 1970s

Black and white photo of people sitting at a counter in front of a retro diner-style food stand called “Silver Grill,” with servers behind the counter and a few people walking in the background.
jdalton545

7. Pearl Street Mall, Boulder Colorado, 1977

People relax and socialize on a grassy area in a small town, surrounded by shops and lamp posts, with mountains in the background. The scene has a vintage, sepia tone, evoking a nostalgic, peaceful atmosphere.
thesanityinsprector

8. Fiesta Mall, Mesa, AZ, Circa 1979

A vintage mall interior with a large SEARS store entrance, people sitting on benches, a woman walking, and stores like Rings 'n Things and Musicland visible. Natural light enters from a large skylight above.
anonymous

9. JC Penney at Orangefair Shopping Center in Fullerton, CA, circa late 1970s

Black and white photo of people walking outside shops along a wide, covered sidewalk with geometric ceiling decorations. A woman, child, and other figures are visible; palm trees and plants line the open area.
axlcobainvedder

10. A group of ladies play with “Clackers” at the Menlo Park Mall in Edison, NJ

Three women in a store play with yo-yos, standing near a counter with various items. One woman wears stripes, another a sweater, and the third a black top. Shelves and products fill the background. The image is in black and white.
axlcobainvedder

11. First day opening of Eaton Centre in Toronto, 1977

Black and white photo of a busy shopping mall with many people walking and standing on two levels. Large “EATON’S” sign is visible above a store entrance. The scene appears to be from a past decade, likely the 1970s or 1980s.
axlcobainvedder

It remains a highly successful mall to this day.

12. View of shoppers in sewing and fabric store at the Columbia Mall, Columbia, Maryland, 1973

Black-and-white photo of a busy fabric and sewing accessories store. Shoppers browse and look at fabric bolts, while a woman sits at a desk near the entrance. Store shelves and a mall walkway are visible.
axlcobainvedder

13. Cumberland Mall, Smyrna (just north of Atlanta), GA, circa early 70s

A retro indoor mall scene featuring a large circular balcony supported by columns, decorated with plants and flowers. Above, red and yellow fabric panels hang from the ceiling in a sunburst pattern. People stand on the balcony.
axlcobainvedder

14. Moorestown Mall in Moorestown, NJ

A large statue of a bird stands atop a fountain in the center of a spacious, plant-filled indoor area. A person sits in the foreground while another walks past the fountain in the background.
axlcobainvedder

15. Sunshine Mall in Clearwater, Florida, 1970s

A tall outdoor sign for Sunshine Mall features a smiling sun logo at the top. The sign reads, "OPEN 9:30 AM to 9 PM" against a blue sky with some trees in the background.
axlcobainvedder

16. Mall entrance of Macy’s Department Store at the Staten Island Mall (1970s)

Black and white photo of a Macy’s store entrance inside a mall, with a large illuminated sign above. In the foreground, a water fountain is surrounded by low lights and plants. Shoppers are visible in the background.
anonymous

17. Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor at Cross Creek Mall (Fayetteville, NC) on June 25, 1976

A young man in a straw hat and bow tie stands holding drumsticks next to a large bass drum labeled "Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour Fun Food" inside a vintage-style restaurant.
axlcobainvedder

18. JCPenney (then known as Penneys) at Tacoma Mall, Tacoma, WA, circa mid-1970s

Black and white photo of a vintage gas station with two cars at the pumps, a visible “Penneys” sign in the background, and overhead lights illuminating the scene.
axlcobainvedder

Craving even more nostalgia? Feel the neon buzz with 20 Pics and Memes That Capture the Electric Spirit of the 1970s, relive everyday bell-bottom bliss in 70 Photos That Show the Way We Were in the 1970s, or window-shop memory lane with 20 Mall Stores From the ’80s and ’90s That You Totally Forgot About.

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