
At the height of their glamour days, big malls were a thing of wonder. I remember, as a child, the thrill of spending a day with my family at the mall in Fort Worth. But since introducing online shopping, struggling through pandemics, and slack maintenance of these structures, big malls have become zombies and have led us to a fascination of the abandoned giants, much like ghost towns.
In the 1980s, America boasted about 2,500 malls. Today, it’s guessed there remains only about 700 living malls, with expectations that these too will die.
Among those that inspire our eerie fascination is Collin Creek Mall in Plano, Texas. Once a bustling shopping center that opened in 1981, Collin Creek Mall fell victim to the decline of brick-and-mortar retail in the 2010s. While its closure in 2019 marked the end of its commercial life, locals insist its story didn’t end there. According to urban legend, the mall may be home to more than just decaying storefronts—it harbors an unexplained supernatural presence.
The Collin Creek Mall Urban Legend
The urban legend surrounding Collin Creek Mall centers on its vast, sprawling layout and abandoned corridors. During its heyday, the mall drew thousands of shoppers daily with its major department stores, specialty shops, and food court. However, as foot traffic dwindled and retail giants departed, the once-lively mall became a desolate structure, ripe for strange occurrences.
After Collin Creek Mall’s closure, stories began circulating about nighttime security guards encountering inexplicable phenomena. Reports of flickering lights, strange shadows, and disembodied whispers spread. Some even claimed that a hidden basement beneath the mall housed something sinister, though no one has ever officially confirmed its existence.
The Phantom Shoppers
One of the most enduring tales involves sightings of ghostly figures resembling shoppers from decades past. Witnesses describe apparitions of men and women dressed in outdated 1980s and 1990s fashion, wandering through the mall’s corridors. The figures reportedly vanish when approached, leaving behind only the faint scent of perfume or cologne.
A chilling account involves a young boy who appears near the former entrance of a toy store. According to legend, this ghostly child clutches a faded balloon and stares blankly ahead. Those who have seen him say he disappears if they try to follow or speak to him. Some believe he represents a tragic accident that supposedly occurred during the mall’s early years, though no official records of such an incident exist.
Mysterious Music
Another eerie detail in the Collin Creek Mall legend is the mysterious music that some claim to hear late at night. Security personnel and trespassers have reported hearing faint strains of mall music—a blend of elevator tunes and old pop hits—playing from unseen speakers. The eerie part? Maintenance folks deactivated the mall’s sound system when it closed.
Some believe the music is a residual haunting, a phenomenon where sounds or events from the past replay in locations with strong emotional or historical imprints. Others think it’s simply the wind passing through the empty halls, creating an auditory illusion.
Exploring the Legend
As with many urban legends, the tales surrounding Collin Creek Mall likely blend fact with fiction. While it’s true that abandoned malls can feel unsettling—with their echoing hallways, decaying interiors, and memories of a more vibrant past—there’s no verifiable evidence of paranormal activity at Collin Creek Mall. Still, the stories persist, capturing the imagination of those who grew up shopping there or heard the tales secondhand.
Regardless of whether or not you believe in ghosts, the Collin Creek Mall urban legend is a compelling reminder of how we attach meaning to abandoned spaces. Long after the stores have closed and the shoppers have gone, echoes of the past linger—sometimes in ways we can’t quite explain.
Flash Fiction
The Lost Boy
The mall had been closed for years, its glass doors chained shut and its parking lot overrun with weeds. Once a beacon of commerce and community, it now stood as a decaying monument to forgotten times. But locals whispered that something more unexplainable lingered within its crumbling walls. They spoke of strange sounds, cold drafts that seemed to come from nowhere, and, most chillingly, the ghost of a little boy who haunted the mall’s lone, rusting elevator.
A group of teens—out for a good time and a scare—decided to film their adventure inside the abandoned mall. Armed with flashlights and a camera, they navigated the darkened corridors, their footsteps echoing ominously. When they reached the elevator, they hesitated. “Come on, scaredy cats,” Rick said, pressing the button.
The elevator creaked to life, its doors opened with a groan. The group stepped inside, their breath visible in the sudden chill. As the doors closed, the lights flickered, and the elevator jolted downward. Suddenly, the power shut off and plunged them into darkness.
Faintly, from somewhere within the elevator, came the unmistakable sound of a child’s laughter.
“Did you hear that?” Anna whispered.
When the elevator finally reopened, the friends stumbled out, shaken and pale. Reviewing the footage later, they saw something that sent a collective chill down their spines. A brief glimpse of a small boy standing in the elevator’s corner, his eyes wide and pleading. Suddenly, he vanished into the shadows and howled, “I’m still here!”

How Martha Lost Danny
Back when the mall was still thriving, on a busy holiday weekend, a young boy named Danny wandered away from his mother near the food court. Frantic, Martha searched every store, every hallway, calling his name, but he was nowhere to be found. Security footage from that day showed Danny stepping into the elevator alone. The doors closed—and no one ever saw him again.
For weeks, search teams scoured the mall. They checked every corner, every maintenance room, and even dismantled parts of the elevator shaft, but there was no sign of the boy.
Years later, as the mall fell into decline and stores closed, rumors of strange occurrences circulated. Employees reported hearing the faint sound of a child’s laughter echoing through the empty halls after closing time. Others claimed to have seen fleeting glimpses of a small figure darting around corners, only to disappear when they gave chase.
But it was the elevator where the strangest incidents occurred. People who dared to ride it said it sometimes stopped between floors, and they would hear soft knocking from outside the doors. One maintenance worker who tried to repair the malfunctioning elevator quit the next day, pale and trembling, muttering about hearing a child’s voice calling for help from the walls.
For more Urban Legends visit:
- Mall Urban Legends - January 15, 2025
- The Ghost Pilgrim of Plymouth Urban Legend - November 27, 2024
- The Ghost Doctor Urban Legend - November 6, 2024
2 replies on “Mall Urban Legends”
That’s a good one, pretty spooky, but it could happen… maybe! haha 🙂
Hello Barbara! So have you been in an abandoned mall? Or have you seen the videos on them? Indeed creepy. Ideas for stories are running wild. Thank you for commenting. —Clara