photos by Mike Kalasnik
kaz@deadanddyingretail.com
description by Nicholas Eckhart
nicholas@deadanddyingretail.com
The Great Mall of the Great Plains is a massive outlet mall at 20700 West 151st Street in
Olathe, Kansas. When this mall opened in 1997 it had many well know anchor stores and plans for further expansion. This mall was built similar to some Mills Malls.
Here is a list of the original anchor stores
- Burlington Coat Factory
- Dickinson Theatres
- Dillard's Outlet
- DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse)
- Eddie Bauer Outlet
- Foozles Bookstore
- Group USA
- Jeepers! Amusement Center
- Linens N Things
- Marshalls
- Old Navy
- Oshman's Sports
- Saks Fifth Avenue (opened 2000)
In 2002 the mall lost its Dillard's Outlet, Linens N Things, Oshman's Sports, and Saks Fifth Avenue stores. Later in 2002 the former Dillard's Outlet became VF (Vanity Fair) Outlet. Cosmic mini golf later opened in the former Oshman's Sports store, then relocated to the former Saks Fifth Avenue store, and finally relocated again to its current site in the former DSW store. In 2005 Steve & Barry's opened in the former Oshman's store and Marshalls relocated to a shopping center on the north side of Olathe. The Old Navy store also moved to a shopping center on the north side of town, but I am unsure when. In 2007 Jeepers! closed and later became Zonkers amusement center. In 2007 Famous labels also opened in the former Saks Fifth Avenue store, only to close in 2009. Steve & Barry's was another 2009 fatality.
Currently only three original anchors survive (Burlington Coat Factory, Dickinson Theatres, and Group USA). The former Dillard's Outlet is now Treasure Hunt since VF Outlet closed in 2008. The Foozles Bookstore is now Book Warehouse. The former Jeepers! is still Zonkers. The former Linens N Things is currently Monkey Bizness. The former Old Navy is now Hibbett Sports. The former Marshalls, Oshman's / Steve & Barry's, and the Saks Fifth Avenue remain vacant. The Marketplace Food Court and the rest of the mall seem very isolated.
I am working on creating an interactive map, but for now here is a photo of the mall directory.
 |
| Picture of the mall directory |
Exterior
 |
| The Group USA signage |
 |
| The former Dillard's Outlet. This was later VF (Vanity Fair) Outlet and is now Treasure Hunt. |
 |
| The Fashion entrance |
 |
| The former Marshalls store |
 |
| The Home & Hobby entrance |
 |
| This was originally a Jeepers amusement center and is now Zonkers. |
 |
| The Techtainment entrance. Somehow a Famous Labels sign managed to survive here. |
 |
| Dickinson Theatres |
 |
| Area of once planned expansion. |
 |
| The former Oshman's and Steve & Barry's store. |
 |
| The Sports & Adventure entrance |
 |
| The former Saks Fifth Avenue and Famous Labels store |
 |
| The Burlington Coat Factory |
Interior
 |
| An anchor store was supposed to be built here, but one was never built. |
 |
| Many abandoned stores in just this one hallway. |
 |
| Looking towards the Home & Hobby entrance |
 |
| The closed-up former Marshalls mall entrance |
 |
| A hall without many shoppers |
 |
| Another hall without many shoppers |
 |
| The Marketplace Food Court |
 |
| The Marketplace Food Court |
 |
| Sweet! |
 |
| Sorry, the gumball machine is out of order. |
 |
| The Marketplace food court. Aeropostale is to the left. |
 |
| The Dickinson Theatres mall entrance |
 |
| ICING |
 |
| A former Johnny Rocket's restaurant. The hallway that abruptly ends to the right is where they planned to expand the mall. |
 |
| The former Johnny Rocket's restaurant. |
 |
| An odd pool with plastic fish floating in water |
 |
| The Sports & Adventure entrance |
 |
| The Steve & Barry's mall entrance |
 |
| The interior of Steve & Barry's |
 |
| A place where the paths cross (by the Sports & Adventure entrance) |
 |
| The mall entrance for the former Saks Fifth Avenue and Famous Labels store. |
 |
| For some reason I find the name "OK Fashions" funny. |
 |
| The Burlington Coat Factory mall entrance |
 |
| A empty inside corridor. |
 |
| The Treasure Hunt Mall entrance. As mentioned above, this store was originally a Dillard's Outlet, then became a VF (Vanity Fair) Outlet. |
