The night guard at the dead mall in Mesquite handed me his flashlight and said one thing I still think about

Henry Roberts · 2026-09-18T00:50:03.234037+00:00

Back in 2018 I got permission to walk the old Town East Mall in Mesquite, Texas after hours with the guy who did security there, and he let me poke around the food court while he did his rounds. When I asked why he still patrolled a place with no stores left, he said somebody has to remember where things were, otherwise it's like it never happened. He walked me to a boarded-up spot by the fountain and told me that was a pretzel stand his daughter worked at for two summers, then he handed me his flashlight to get a better look at the tile. I don't get out to dead malls much anymore, but I still wonder how many other people are quietly keeping a place alive just by walking it. What's the one store or food court spot you'd want somebody to remember if your local mall ever shuts down?

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The night guard at the dead mall in Mesquite handed me his flashlight and said one thing I still think about | Abandoned Mall Stories - Talk Freely