Valley Mall (As seen in 1998)

Westfield Royal Valley Mall, which opened in 1968 and was known as the Valley Mall until 1998, has been a mainstay of Royal Valley and it shoppers for decades. While humble and maybe even a little quaint compared to shopping centers these days, our city’s mostly single story mall (two of the anchor stores have two floors) remains a fine architectural example of the early era of the American mall scene. Its skylights, indoor greenery, fountains, and expansive food court continue to attract loyal walkers and shoppers alike to this day. Kept clean and scheduled with events, the glory days may be in the past but the place keeps on trucking. Enthusiasts will enjoy the condition of this time capsule and may even do some shopping, as a number of up and coming and modern stores do have a presence here. While many of its more beloved attractions disappeared, like its once very popular arcade (some of its machines live on in the city’s King Arcade amusement park), and its old neon lights are inactive and gathering dust, you’ll still leave this temple of commerce thinking, “That was nice.”

If you’re in the area, be sure to pay a visit to the classic Americana that is the series of strip malls behind the main attraction, once home to such 80s and 90s hangout spots like Little Green Putt-acular mini-golf, Skate pLace skating rink, Jolly Roger’s Treasure Trove, and what remains of the local dollar movie theater. You can practically feel the history.

~ Excerpt from Mall-Walkers of America blog post, June 2024.

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