Woodland Mall, Bowling Green Ohio
If you ever find yourself passing through Bowling Green Ohio, you may pass by the small, rundown, little mall known as Woodland Mall on Main St. This mall was originally built in 1987. It was a product of the 80s Mall boom, a time when many towns and cities would build malls to attract more business. It sits today as a step back in time, hidden away in rural Ohio. The photos below were all taken throughout 2024, and in 2024 I made a YouTube video about the mall, click HERE to see the video
Woodland mall would face some struggles in its planning phase, originally being denied permits to build across the street behind the car dealers. It also faced some backlash from local business owners, afraid it would beat out their stores and businesses.The mall would end up opening officially on May 13th, 1987 with great fanfare, with a ribbon cutting hosted by the mayor, and a performance from the local high school band. Two of its anchor tenants, JC Penny and Elder-Beerman, had opened a few days prior, each with great success. The mall would even expand in 1988, gaining a third anchor store, Hills, and a movie theater.
The mall would lose Hills in 1993, and with that the decline of the mall would begin. With the loss of Hills, stores would slowly leave the mall, and with the mall only having 61 stores, the decline would be felt easily. It did not help that JC penny would leave in 2002 despite the store reporting strong sales. The mall would operate with only one anchor, Elder-Beerman, until 2004, when Steve and Barry’s would open in the former Hills, and Dunham’s Sports would open in the former JC Penny.
The short-lived growth would die out in 2009, when Steve and Barry’s would declare bankruptcy, and subsequently leave the mall. The mall would slowly lose shops throughout the 2010s, and didn’t help when Elder-Beerman would close in 2018, leaving Just Dunham sports as the sole anchor. By 2020, roughly 30 shops would exist, including a Sears of all things. The events of 2020 would see the end of the movie theater, and in 2022, the Sears hometown would finally close for good.
This leaves us with today. The mall still has the Dunham’s although its mall entrance has been closed permanently, due to theft issues. The food court has 1 shop, a japanese restaurant that is actually pretty good. There’s a Dollar Mart, A sports memorabilia shop, a thrift store, a gym, and my personal favorite, the Distracted Haunted House. The mall’s decor is very much still in the 1980s, but it adds to the charm. The mall is up for auction, so I am curious where the future of this mall lies. However, the future hasn’t been written yet, no one’s has, so perhaps the mall can make it a good one.
The Woodland mall is an interesting case of the past still living in the modern age. The mall feels like a step back in time, and I enjoy every visit I make here. The thrift shop has good deals, and if you are passing through here, especially in the fall, I would make a stop. The aesthetics inside are truly a unique part of the mall that few places have left today.
