Welcome to the largest mall and retail history site on the internet. The MALL HALL OF FAME is a vintage shopping mall scrapbook. Its focus is on shopping complexes built -in the USA- between 1946 and 1979. Don't forget to visit our four Shopping Mall Memory Lanes, which transport you through time to a mall in 1956, 1963, 1970 and 1977!
Cleveland's Great Lakes Mall



The first shopping mall developed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation was located approximately 20 miles northeast of downtown Cleveland, in the bedroom community of Mentor. A sign such as this beckoned mid-century shoppers.  
 
 
A June 1961 ad commemorates the "fabulous," shiny new, GREAT LAKES MALL. 
Graphic from the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation. 


Some of the original GREAT LAKES MALL stores. Theses opened for business between 1961 and 1963.