A ONCE thriving shopping mall is now covered in mould and growing new life after being left to rot for 15 years.
An urban explorer revealed a shocking insight into the abandoned location where shops and restaurants have become a shadow of their former selves.
Jam Press/@feathers.everywhereThe abandoned shopping mall is encompassed by mould[/caption]
Jam Press/@feathers.everywhereThe empty food court taken over by dirt and filth[/caption]
Jam Press/@feathers.everywhereThe floors inside of the stores inside the mall appear to be growing new life[/caption]
The woman, who remains anonymous, took to social media to document her trip inside the undisclosed location within the US.
She explained how the eerie mall used to be the hub for people to shop and spend time with friends – until it met its ultimate demise in 2009 due to a decline in visitors.
Footage uploaded to her TikTok (@feathers.everywhere) revealed how mould and rotting walls now encompass the decaying centre.
The food court is pictured falling to bits and in disarray, while jewellery stands are covered in dirt and rust.
The floors are even shown to be growing algae and other forms of bacteria as a result of being forgotten-in-time.
The infrastructure of the once thriving mall has been left to stand, yet everyone and everything inside it has disappeared.
“The food court has an eerie feel with all of the chairs sitting at tables as if it’s only a few hours before opening,” the woman said.
“Many stores seemed to have completely cleared their space, while others seemed to have left quickly with scattered remnants of supplies.”
She then explains how it’s hard not to notice the amount of rot that has consumed the restaurants as a result of water damage.
Broken windows and ceiling have allowed years of rainfall to seep into the building, creating an “overwhelming smell of musk”.
“In the darkest areas you can just see all the dust particles floating around you,” the explorer continues.
“It is extremely quiet and echoing.”
It isn’t just the food court and its restaurants that have fallen victim to the elements, however.
Images also reveal a jewellery store caked in algae, while paint peels off large pillars inside the vicinity.
The result of rain, mould and algae growing on the floor has made the surfaces “extremely slippery”, the woman explains.
Miraculously, some things have been left untouched and look exactly as they should inside a thriving mall.
Images show bubblegum dispensers still full to the brim, while maintenance supplies in one room are still in abundance.
“Just imagining I could have been a child putting a quarter into that machine 15 years ago before it closed and here it still sits almost un-aged looking,” the woman said.
The video has since gone viral and social media wasted no time in flocking to the comments to share their reactions.
The urban explorer documented her visit to the abandoned mall in a video on TikTokJam Press Vid/@feathers.everywhe
She highlighted the dangerous amounts of mould within the vicinityJam Press Vid/@feathers.everywhe
Green algae surrounded a jewellery storeJam Press Vid/@feathers.everywhe
“Oh wow. I’ve never seen an abandoned mall in that level of decay,” said one person.
Another commented: “The rot is definitely consuming.” [sic]
A third even advised the woman to “wear a gas mask” to protect herself from all the mould.
Other shopping mall’s have also fallen victim to rot and decay after being abandoned.
That includes the £143million Randall Park Mall in Ohio, US, which is today an eerie shell of its former self.
Once the largest shopping centre in the world, it now lies derelict after bearing witness to a grim succession of crimes, from murder and kidnapping to rape.
And a mall in Australia that once boomed with shoppers now looks like a scene from Zombie apocalypse, causing a widespread outrage.
Horrifying images show a former food court with a collapsed ceiling and debris everywhere, while the lift’s glass is completely shattered.
Mother nature has taken over centre of the food courtJam Press/@feathers.everywhere
Jam Press/@feathers.everywhereCeilings have caved in and allowed water to dampen the walls[/caption]
Jam Press/@feathers.everywherePaint has been stripped back from pillars as a result of being exposed to the elements[/caption]
Jam Press/@feathers.everywhereA stand full of gumball machines are still full to the brim[/caption]
Jam Press/@feathers.everywherePopular shoe brand, Footlocker, appears to have been ransacked[/caption]