1

Randall Park Mall, Ohio

Image: Carl Raw

Randall Park Mall opened in 1976 when huge retail complexes were designed to be at the heart of their communities. It was one of the largest indoor malls in the country, with more than 200 shops. However by 2009, following years of declining business and the more immediate impact of the Great Recession, Randall Park Mall closed its doors.

Encompassing nearly 2.2 million square feet of space and reportedly costing $175 million to build, Randall Park Mall was deemed such a colossal miscalculation that it closed after only 33 years in operation and was demolished before reaching forty years.

2

Circle Centre Mall, Indiana

Image: Michael Weidemann

Circle Centre opened to the public on September 8, 1995, incorporating existing downtown structures such as the former L. S. Ayres flagship store. Real efforts were made in its design to incorporate historic elements, such as the retention of the facades of buildings that had previously existed on the site.

Most malls rely on their department and anchor stores to survive, but, with the closure of Nordstrom in 2011 and of Carson's on April 29, 2018, the mall has been left without any department stores. In response to the changing retail conditions, the mall has explored non-traditional uses; for example, in 2014 The Indianapolis Star moved its offices into part of the space vacated by Nordstrom.

3

East Hills Shopping Center, Missouri

Image: Alexander Kovacs

East Hills Shopping Center is an enclosed shopping mall that opened in 1965, as one of the first malls in the Midwestern U.S. After enjoying several decades of success during the early days of malls, East Hills lost many tenants throughout the 1990s.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many businesses to a close. On August 27, 2022, Dillard's permanently closed its doors followed by Party City in April 2023. The mall currently features JCPenney as its only anchor tenant.

4

Exton Square Mall, Pennsylvania

Image: mostafa meraji

The Exton Square Mall opened its doors in March 1973. Among its earlier memories, it holds the distinction of hosting the first Chick-fil-A restaurant on its premises.

In recent years, the mall has experienced an increase in vacancy rates, due to declining mall traffic and ongoing competition from the larger King of Prussia mall located 14 miles away. Many of the remaining stores are non-traditional tenants such as medical offices, a chess club, an art studio and gallery, and a chamber of commerce office.

5

Pittsburgh Mills Galleria, Pennsylvania

Image: Alexander Kovacs

Pittsburgh Mills Galleria is a dead mall that opened to much fanfare on July 14, 2005, but it never achieved the success its owners had hoped for. Only a year after opening, Lucky Strike Lanes closed and was eventually replaced with two restaurants and a banquet hall.

As of February 2023, there are only about 20 stores left, including 6 major chain stores. The food court, which once housed two full-service restaurants, a Starbucks, 10 counter restaurants, and several push-cart vendors, is now completely vacant.

6

Midway Mall, Ohio

Image: Pascal Bernardon

Midway Mall originally opened on September 22, 1966. Its anchor stores were Higbees, JCPenney, and Sears but over the years, brands changed and eventually left. As of 2023, with former anchor Dunham's Sports closing its branch there, it is considered a dead mall.

In 2023, the Lorain County Port Authority voted to buy and develop the mall site but, on May 1, 2024, the port authority sold the property to Industrial Commercial Properties, which intends to turn the mall into an industrial park.

7

Signal Hill Mall, North Carolina

Image: Ervan Sugiana

Signal Hill Mall was a regional enclosed shopping mall that opened in 1973 with more than 40 stores. The mall experienced a great deal of decline since the 2010s, losing most of its major stores throughout the decade and receiving significant media attention as an example of what is popularly known as a dead mall.

As of 2022, the mall has continued to decline, and despite discussions about the possibility of the mall being repurposed for non-retail use, nothing has been done. The mall is occasionally used as a space for community and recreational events by Statesville residents but that is all the activity on its premises.

8

Century III Mall, Pennsylvania

Image: Raymond Kotewicz

The eighth entry on this list hailing from Pennsylvania is an already abandoned mall. Century III Mall was built on a former slag dump and it operated from 1979 to 2019 - almost 40 years, which is not a bad number for a mall. It was the third-largest shopping mall in the world when it opened, but it has since been surpassed by much larger malls.

Following a similar route to the ones we have seen before, its occupancy rate fell from 40 percent in January 2016 to 10 percent by December 2017. Demolition of the mall began on March 26, 2024, starting with the attached external parking garage structure, but it will take a year until the entire structure is gone.

9

Gwinnett Place Mall, Georgia

Image: Casey Lovegrove

Stranger Things fans might recognize this building as the "Starcourt Mall" featured in the third season of the series. Once the leading mall in the region, Gwinnett Place Mall is now largely vacant.

It was challenged by the openings of the Mall of Georgia in 1999 and Sugarloaf Mills in 2001 and lost a large part of its customer base. It also failed to attract any new anchor stores for several years. In 2008, Gwinnett Technical College opened an International Education Center in the mall, where students take foreign language classes. Not much of a mall anymore.

10

Hawthorne Plaza Shopping Center, California

Image: David Valentine

Let us close the list with Hawthorne Plaza , an abandoned enclosed shopping mall with 134 stores that opened in February 1977. It included an indoor mall with three anchor stores and freestanding stores. Despite its initial popularity, the mall went into decline in the 1980s and 1990s.

The number of occupied stores declined from 130 in the late 1980s to around 70 in 1998. The mall's final anchor, JCPenney, closed in 1998 and the mall itself closed in 1999. The southern section of the mall across from the parking structure was demolished in 1998 and rebuilt as a strip mall. It currently includes a supermarket, a pharmacy, and some small restaurants.

1

The Kentucky meat shower

On March 3, 1876, residents near Olympia Springs in Bath County, Kentucky, witnessed one of the strangest events in American history. Chunks of meat suddenly fell from an apparently clear sky, covering an area estimated at 100 by 50 yards. One of the witnesses, Mrs. Allen Crouch, was making soap outdoors when the bizarre shower began.

Scientists examined samples and argued over whether the meat came from horses, sheep, or other mammals. The leading modern explanation is far less supernatural: a flock of vultures likely regurgitated partially digested meat while flying overhead, a defensive behavior the birds still exhibit today . Tasty, right? The incident remains so famous that Kentucky now celebrates it with an annual Meat Shower Festival.

2

A frog rain

Reports of frogs raining from the sky have appeared across the country for well over a century. Although they sound impossible, meteorologists consider them entirely plausible under the right weather conditions.

The usual explanation involves waterspouts or tornadoes passing over ponds or marshes . These powerful rotating columns of air can lift small frogs into the atmosphere before carrying them several miles away. When the storm weakens, the animals fall back to Earth, sometimes astonishing entire neighborhoods as tiny frogs suddenly cover roads, sidewalks, and backyards.

3

Louisiana’s fish storm

Residents of Marksville, Louisiana, experienced one of this country’s best-known fish rains on October 23, 1947. During a storm, dozens of small fish reportedly began falling from the sky, surprising everyone who witnessed the event.

Scientists quickly pointed toward nearby lakes and bayous as the likely source. A waterspout probably sucked up the fish before releasing them inland once the storm lost strength . Cases like Marksville have become classic examples used by meteorologists when explaining how unusual "animal rain" can occur without breaking the laws of physics.

4

The red rain

Few things are more unsettling than seeing rainwater that looks like blood, right? Throughout American history, scattered reports of reddish rainfall have sparked fears, newspaper headlines, and plenty of speculation.

Modern science offers much less frightening explanations. Fine dust rich in iron oxide can tint rain a rusty red after traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles through the atmosphere . Certain airborne microorganisms may also contribute to unusual coloration. While dramatic, these events have repeatedly turned out to be natural rather than supernatural.

5

A worm shower in Louisiana

In 2007, residents of Jennings, Louisiana, reported seeing worms apparently falling after severe weather. The strange event attracted widespread attention because the ground seemed to become covered almost overnight.

Meteorologists note that intense storms are capable of lifting lightweight organisms from flooded fields or shallow water . At the same time, heavy rain naturally forces many earthworms to the surface, making it difficult to determine exactly how they arrived. Whatever the explanation, the Jennings incident remains one of America's best-known modern worm rains.

6

Sea snails from above

Along parts of the Atlantic Coast, powerful coastal storms have occasionally been followed by reports of periwinkles, a type of small sea snails, appearing well away from the shoreline.

Scientists believe waterspouts or hurricane-force winds can lift lightweight marine creatures from shallow coastal waters before dropping them inland . While such reports are uncommon and often difficult to document completely, they fit the same weather processes believed to produce fish and frog rains.

7

Crab rain in Chesapeake Bay

Communities near Chesapeake Bay have periodically reported finding small crabs scattered across roads and fields after severe storms. Discovering shellfish where there was no flooding certainly makes for an unforgettable morning.

Meteorologists consider these reports believable because the bay regularly experiences waterspouts and strong thunderstorms. Small juvenile crabs are light enough to be carried short distances by powerful updrafts before falling back to the ground once the storm weakens .

8

Tadpoles after the storm

Several Midwestern communities have reported storms that seemed to leave roads covered with tiny tadpoles. Unlike adult frogs, these young amphibians are incredibly light, making them easier for violent weather to transport .

Spring is the most likely time for such events because shallow ponds contain enormous numbers of developing tadpoles. If a storm passes directly over one of these breeding areas, the rotating winds may lift thousands of them into the air before dropping them elsewhere in surprisingly concentrated patches.

9

The star jelly rain

For centuries, people across the country have occasionally discovered mysterious transparent blobs lying on the ground after storms. Known as "star jelly," the gooey substance has inspired countless legends claiming it literally fell from the heavens.

Scientists have proposed several possible explanations, including slime molds, cyanobacteria, amphibian reproductive tissue, or biological material left behind by predators . None explains every reported case, leaving star jelly as one of nature's longest-running mysteries.

10

A haystorm on the Great Plains

Not every strange rain involves animals. Across the Great Plains, tornadoes have repeatedly lifted hay, straw, and other lightweight farm materials into the atmosphere before dropping them miles away .

Farmers occasionally discover freshly fallen hay that clearly came from another property entirely. These events demonstrate just how powerful severe storms can be, transporting ordinary agricultural materials across remarkable distances before gravity finally takes over.

11

Storms that drop insects

Thunderstorms can also seem to rain insects. Swarms of flying ants, termites, aphids, and other tiny creatures have occasionally appeared immediately after powerful storms , leaving the impression that they fell directly from the clouds.

In reality, strong updrafts can sweep huge numbers of lightweight insects into the air and carry them well beyond their original location. When the winds weaken, the insects settle back to the ground, sometimes creating spectacular and slightly unsettling natural displays.

12

It’s raining golf balls

Florida's violent thunderstorms have produced reports of golf balls suddenly pelting neighborhoods near golf courses and driving ranges . Unlike hail, these were actual golf balls launched by nature's incredible force.

Powerful wind gusts, tornadoes, and hurricanes are capable of lifting and scattering thousands of golf balls across nearby communities. While they aren't technically falling from the upper atmosphere, they certainly create the unforgettable impression that the sky itself has started playing a round of golf.

1

Supplies

Image: Diego Marín

Pets may not need as many things as humans do, but they still require a few essentials of their own. Depending on your pet, this may include items like a bed , food and water bowls , a litter box , toys , and a kennel or enclosure, if needed. Make sure to have these items ready in advance to help your pet feel comfortable as soon as it arrives.

2

Pet-proofing your home

Image: Prasad Panchakshari

Another important consideration is whether your home is a safe environment for your new pet or if it needs some adjustments. Check if your windows, balconies, or fences require nets to prevent your pet from escaping. Also, examine toilet seats , electrical cords and outlets , houseplants , garbage cans, and fragile items—all these things should be examined from the perspective of a pet owner.

3

No cuddling and playing

Image: Manuel Meza

While puppies and kittens are especially playful and love to fool around, it’s important to let them gain confidence at their own pace . Allow them to sniff around and explore so they can find safe spaces and feel more at ease.

This doesn’t mean you should ignore them, but rather resist the temptation to overwhelm them with attention or surround them with a crowd of family and friends. There will be plenty of time for that, once the pet is relaxed.

4

Vaccinations

Image: Judy Beth Morris

Young puppies and kittens are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases because their immune systems are not yet fully developed. That’s why it’s essential to take your new pets to the veterinarian and ensure they receive their vaccinations on time .

5

Appropriate diet

Image: Bonnie Kittle

Before bringing your new pet home, make sure to consult with a veterinarian regarding the best type of food , and check with the breeder or rescue center to find out what your pet has been eating. If you want to change their diet, do so gradually—otherwise, a sudden change could make them sick.

6

Bathroom training

Image: Andrew S

If your new pet is a dog, consistency and patience are paramount . Establish a regular potty schedule, take your puppy out frequently, and reward them for using the designated area. If your new pet is a cat, place a litter box in a quiet, easily accessible spot and use a clumping litter that’s gentle on their paws.

7

Toys

Image: Amy Chen

Pets can turn almost anything into a toy, but both cats and dogs will especially enjoy age- and size-appropriate pet toys . Be mindful of objects or toys that might seem interesting or edible to your pet, as they could be swallowed and cause serious problems.

8

Collar ID

Image: Jake Oates

If your new pet already has a name, make sure they have a sturdy collar ID with their name and your phone number. Pets can get lost in various situations, and a collar ID is essential to ensure anyone who finds your furry friend can contact you .

9

Consistent rules

Image: Christopher Cassidy

If your new pet is going to live in a house where there are other people besides yourself, make sure the rest of the household knows which behaviors to reward and which to ignore . Consistency in training is crucial to ensure your pet becomes polite and obedient.

10

Older pets

Image: Christian V.

Maybe your new pet isn’t a young pup or kitten. If your new friend is an older dog or cat, try to learn as much as possible about any training or health issues they might have , and be proactive by making a plan to address them. Don’t try to tackle everything at once—gradually introduce new experiences in controlled circumstances.

11

Exercise

Image: Arjan Stalpers

A bored pet can quickly become a mischievous one. A healthy dog should be taken for a walk at least 20–30 minutes a day . Cats naturally love to jump, climb, and scratch. If your cat is indoor-only, provide one or more cat trees to climb and scratching posts . Wand toys or laser pointers are great for stimulating cats and getting them moving.

12

Keep a Routine

Image: Paul Hanaoka

Routines are beneficial for all animals, and pets are no exception . Schedules give them a sense of security and stability. You can promote this by establishing regular feeding times, walk schedules, and play sessions.

Remember what we said about consistency? Regular routines help reduce anxiety and prevent behavioral issues. For puppies, maintaining a routine is especially important as it aids in house training and social development.