The California shopping center made famous by the Back to the Future film is now a shadow of its former self after more than 140 stores closed due to a lack of customers.
Located in City of Industry, California, the Puente Hills Mall appeared as the Twin Pines/Lone Pine Mall in the iconic 1985 film.
It saw Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, use the mall parking lot as a starting point for the time travel experiments conducted by Dr. Emmett Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd, with a DeLorean as a time machine.
In the famous scene, the JCPenney department store stands out in the background, but that too is long gone, along with so many other things inside.
The mall opened in 1974 and was one of Southern California's largest, vibrant shopping centers
Some of the people visiting Puente Hills Mall are from those fascinated by young malls
Only ten tenants remain in the once busy Puente Hills shopping center in City of Industry, California
YouTubers are also taking the time to film themselves walking through what is now essentially a retail graveyard
Some of the enormous 1.2 million square feet of commercial space can be seen here
Foot traffic has declined as several major chains and mom-and-pop stores have recently closed
It's hard to believe this was once one of the busiest shopping centers in the state
The complex was made famous by the Back to the Future film, but is now a shell of its former self
The mall was featured under two different names during the film, with a long-shuttered JC Penny store in the background
Locals are taken back in time as they reminisce about how busy this place used to be, but customers are greeted with signs saying the shops are closed – or about to close.
Opened in 1974, the mall was one of Southern California's largest, vibrant shopping centers, once housing 155 tenants across 1.2 million square feet of commercial space.
The mall's website currently shows only 10 remain open, including a movie theater.
The slow decline began in 2011 when Toys 'R' Us closed. In 2018, Sears closed as part of a plan to shutter 72 stores nationwide.
In 2019, Forever 21 announced it would also close its mall location as part of 90 closures across the province.
At one point there were 155 tenants spread over 1.2 million square feet of commercial space
There is no line for Santa with children able to come straight to the front and make their wishes known
Customers are now more likely to be greeted with signs saying stores are closed
There is plenty of parking available and virtually no stores have remained open to attract shoppers
The abandoned malls are chronicled on websites such as DeadMalls.com
Dozens of stores have closed due to lack of customers
“It's sad to see many stores closing,” said shopper Isaias Zambrano. “We've probably been to three stores and we're already hitting the road.”
Last year, Macy's, one of the (major) tenants of the shopping centers, withdrew, leaving Burlington, Round 1 Bowling and AMC Theater as the three last remaining anchors in the shopping center.
The pandemic, coupled with the rise of online shopping, has only hastened the mall's decline.
“It's sad to see many stores closing,” said shopper Isaias Zambrano ABC7. “We've probably been to three stores and we're already hitting the road.”
Despite the lack of shops, there is still a chance for children to visit Santa, even though only ten families came by to make their requests in a five-hour shift.
“Honestly, it's a little concerning,” 40-year-old Albert Sanchez, who played Santa Claus, told the Los Angeles Times. 'At this rate? Who knows how long this mall will last?'
The sign for the fictional Twin Pines Mall in Back to the Future. The fake electronic clock is permanently set to 1:16 a.m., the time Marty McFly arrives to see Doc Brown's time machine
Christopher Lloyd, left, and Michael J. Fox in Back To The Future in a scene filmed at the mall
A scene from the 1985 film Back to the Future, where the Puente Hills Mall in California was the Twin Pines Mall and the Lone Pine Mall
Dr. Emmett Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd, shows Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, how to use the DeLorean time machine.
The mall's parking lot is used for some of the show's most famous scenes
Another customer, Glory Bacon, 67, brought her grandson to the mall to visit the big man and remembers a time when the mall glittered.
“When it first opened, it was brand new. It was big and it was beautiful [but now] it's heartbreaking.
'Maybe it won't be here for a long time? It's part of my growing up – not exactly my childhood, but my growing up. My memories,” Bacon said.
Some of the traffic coming to Puente Hills Mall comes from people who are fascinated by young malls and then capture them on websites like DeadMalls.com.
YouTubers Also take the time to film themselves walking through what is now essentially a shopping graveyard.
