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Don Boyd | all galleries >> Memories of Old Hialeah, Old Miami and Old South Florida Photo Galleries - largest non-Facebook collection on the internet >> South Florida SHOPPING CENTERS, STORES, and MALLS Historical Photos Gallery - All Years - click on image to view > 1970's - interior of Hollywood Mall, South Florida's first enclosed air-conditioned mall with a major department store
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1970's Courtesy of Bob Hynes

1970's - interior of Hollywood Mall, South Florida's first enclosed air-conditioned mall with a major department store

Hollywood Mall, Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, Florida


(originally posted 6/3/09) Thank you to Bob Hynes, owner of the Mall Barber Shop, for letting me take a photo of the original photo that he had on display in his shop which is still located in the north end of the old mall and on the far left side of this photo. I've been going to the Mall Barber Shop since 1970 and Bob has been my barber and friend since 1974 or 1975. A recent photo of Bob in his shop is at http://www.pbase.com/donboyd/image/113313913 .

Hollywood Mall opened in October 1964 and was the first enclosed air-conditioned mall with a department store in South Florida. Dadeland was enclosed and air-conditioned years later, 163rd Street Shopping Center was enclosed in the 1980's, and Northside Shopping Center was open air until it closed and still open air when some of it re-opened without the big Sears. Hollywood Mall had a large Sears with a cafeteria/restaurant (on the left side in this photo), a Woolworths and numerous other stores. The planter area on the left disappeared in a remake of the mall after this photo was taken and a large food court on the east side was built in the late 1970's/early 1980's. You can see the "Allstate Insurance" counter on the left side before the Sears restaurant entrance. There was also a good deli on the left side between the Sears restaurant and the Mall Barber Shop.

Most of the Hollywood Mall was closed in the 1990's as I recall (correct me if I'm wrong) and converted into office spaces and a large Target was built where Sears used to be. The closest Sears are now at Aventura Mall and further west at Pembroke Lakes Mall. It is ironic that Hollywood lost both the Hollywood Mall, and the newer nearby Hollywood Fashion Center that was built in the early 1970's, and no longer has a mall for area residents.

Update 11/1/09: the Mall Barber Shop is no more due to failure in lease negotiations. Bob Hynes and Dave relocated to TODAY's MAN at 4747 Hollywood Boulevard, just east of the famous Rickey's on the north side of the road and west of Presidential Circle. Bob Hynes retired after the move to TODAY'S MAN. 40-something years at the mall has come to an end. :(


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CJ 21-Dec-2021 18:12
Lee - you're the best thanks! - CJ
Jillo 14-May-2018 19:07
I worked at the Publix many years in the 80s during high school. It was great fun. My best friend and I would ride bikes to Hollywood Mall for many years in ES and MS. We would sit at the counter in Woolworth and get shakes, later buy candy on that little strip called Bourbon Street. I too miss that German Restaurant and the authentic bakery that put goodies in white boxes with white string...these are a few of my favorite things.
Lee Oliver 04-Mar-2018 08:32
***CJ*** HERE IS YOUR ANSWER: Your childhood memory is correct! The Hollywood Fashion Centre DID have covered parking (It also had second floor parking throughout the entire roof of the Fashion Centre). The store you would have entered would have been Burdines. Burdines was a 2 story store, and could be entered from the roof parking lot, or if you parked directly under the 2nd floor parking, you were (obviously) covered. There was a second covered parking area w/ access to the roof parking at the southeast corner behind the mall. (where the bus stop was), People didn't park here a lot because the area was a lot smaller and it had access to two of the four anchor stores (which I believe) were Marshall's and J.C. Penny's. My first real job was in the HFC, at a shoe store, although I can't for the life of me remember the name. The store was located through the main entrance of the mall on the southeast corner of the main east-west / north-south junction. It was across from Fanny Farmer candy store (southwest corner), and diagonal from Orange Julius (northwest corner) I cannot remember what was on the northeast corner. There was a fountain in the middle of the intersection, and that was also the location of the elevator to the roof parking. I have placed a .JPG image of the mall with the streets and anchor stores marked at leeoliver . com / hfc.htm (REMOVE SPACES)
Glen13-Dec-2017 15:52
OMG! Such memories. The Hollywood Mall, even more so than the Fashion Center was the true hangout in Hollywood for our group from the entire 1970's beyond a doubt. I grew up south of Hollywood Blvd in the section known as 'Hollywood Hills' south on 44th Ave, near Orange Brook Elementary School. My very first job was at the Woolworth's store in that mall. Do you remember their luncheon counter, WOW--old school! I think about 60% or better of our wardrobe back then came from that mall, mostly Sears if I remember. Most of the stuff in our dad's garage came from Sears also, it was the staple for the homeowners at that time. Tools, lawnmowers, hardware, garage door openers, furniture and accessories, etc. Probably the Kmart also down west on Washington and 441 was second beyond the Sears.

The mall was our hangout, we would ride our bicycles down Hollywood Blvd and go to that model raceway track store on the south side of Hollywood Blvd, just west of the City Hall Circle (AKA: The Middle Circle) and race the slot cars. Then we would go tot he Howard Johnson's on Hlwd. Blvd., next to I-95 and get some ice cream or a milk shake. Then we would wind up at the Hollywood Mall, every time. That was our regime. Even if we went to the movie, I remember a movie theater on the west side of Park Ave, west side of the mall and then we told mom to pick us up from the mall at a certain time, etc.

Myself and my couple of good friends I grew up with all had mini bikes. We would ride them side saddle in case we saw a cop car, we could then jump off and pretend like we were walking them, from our houses to that large wooded area directly across from the mall. This is before the city built the new police department there and that was still on the middle circle next to the library if i recall. We had a ton of trails and some jumps set up in that field inside the wooded area. No one ever bothered us at the time. Then we would stash the mini bikes inside that wooded area, walk across the streeet to the mall and get stuff to eat or drink. My friend was Barry, his dad owned King Pest Control with all those bright yellow vehicles and his grandparents owned Stuarts Garage on Dixie Highway in Dania just north of Sheridan street at the railroad tracks. We drove his grandparents wreckers when we had restricted drivers licenses picking up cars and impounds for the police departments. LOL.

I do remember getting my hair cut at the mall also, but dont remember the barbers, just know it was at the mall. Mom gave us money for the movies, get stuff to eat, the hair cut, etc., We did it all at the Hollywood Mall. The fashion center came along and it was larger and more classy at the time, but we always liked the Hollywood Mall better.

Great memories and great times at the mall. Always think of the place once leaving South Florida back for the northeast and everywhere I have lived. The Hollywood Mall, just one of those memorable places growing up that was the #1 hangout and 'go to' type of place.
Glen13-Dec-2017 15:30
Just wanted to see if I was logged in, as I typed a lengthy response yesterday and then it was lost while i logged in.
CJ 05-Dec-2017 15:09
Can someone help me out? I am having an extremely early childhood memory (this would have been circa 1987-1990ish and my mom and I are having a dispute about it. I have a memory - specifically at the Hollywood Fashion Center - of parking underneath covered parking, and without leaving that structure, entering the mall through some sort of drug store or shopping store (and then that store itself possibly having an entrance to the actual mall). My memory may be wrong about the mall itself (mom is saying it’s hollywood mall or broward mall) but I feel confident it’s the Hollywood Fashion Center. Can anyone confirm my memory in any way? I am remembering toys, snacks and possibly housewares? Thanks! bacarli@gmail.com
Mark 22-Dec-2016 06:43
Just remembered in mid-late 70's I used to get the bus on Old Federal Hwy (small little road) near SW 8th street & Dixie Hwy in Hallandale. We lived on 8th street. There was a gay bar about 1 block from the bus called "Keiths" and the freight train track used to be strewn with thrown away issues of a free gay zine called David-always had a photo of a "clone" dude on the cover then porn on page 2 to the last page. The bar turned straight & into rock & roll place about 1980ish called the Treehouse. The bus took "new" Federal Hwy north to Young Circle then headed west on Hollywood Blvd to this mall and to Hollywood Fashion Center mall. Bought many records & cassettes at both malls. I think it was about .40 cents to ride to bus.
Don Boyd22-Sep-2016 02:33
Thank you for posting Kathy. No, Mr. Dunderbak's was at the Hollywood Fashion Center and at the Galleria Mall in Ft. Lauderdale. I used to patronize the one at the Fashion Center often because I loved their food and beer selection. My last meal at a Mr. Dunderbak was at the Galleria about 10 years ago after the Air & Sea Show on Ft. Lauderdale beach and it was awesome after so many years. The German restaurant at Hollywood Mall was a one-of-a-kind locally owned restaurant and not part of a chain. There is one Mr. Dunderbak in Tampa (the other two in the country - Daytona and Whitehall, PA - are now unaffiliated and uniquely different) and the website is at:http://dunderbaks.ieasysite.com/?page_id=6

Don
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Kathy Bruce 21-Sep-2016 14:07
KJB One of my favorite memories of The Hollywood Mall was a prank some of us played on the organist who played just south of Sears on the mall near the exit . Someone had one of those bags that when you sit on it it sounds like a big fart. We were hanging out with him talking and when he went to sit down to play, someone - NOT ME, slipped it on the seat as he sat. The look on his face was hilarious!
Was the German restaurant Dunderbaks? Maybe not.It's funny that none of us remember. Also, I got my first job at Baker's Shoes when I was 15, 1972.
Don Boyd18-Sep-2016 02:47
LoLo, you're thinking of the Hollywood Fashion Center that is now a Walmart. Only the Burdine's building is left (now a discount store) and the new Walmart is set further back from 441 and Hollywood Boulevard. The photo above is Hollywood Mall, which was much older than the Fashion Center, and it is now a large Target store and office space.

Don
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LoLo 17-Sep-2016 01:10
I lived in Miami until 1980. My aunt from Hollywood would pick me up & take me to this mall. I thought she must be rich, it was so fancy to me. We would then go across the street to Circus Playhouse. I then moved to Pines & would go there with my now husband when we were teens. It's all gone now. It's now a Walmart. Circus Playhouse is a church.
Mark 30-Jun-2016 04:31
Just remembered a 1950's styled café place, think it was on the east side of the mall early 80's. Used to grab an ice cold Coke Cola in a glass and check out the memorabilia on the walls.
Don Boyd11-Jun-2016 16:01
Roger, Dave the owner cut hair in the back where the three chairs were, correct? He had the chair in the corner, the northwest corner if you know directions. Tall, thin and a distinguished-looking guy, correct? He was there until a couple of years before the end when he sold the shop to Bob Hynes as I recall. He was my backup barber in case Bob Hynes was on vacation or something and a nice guy. I believe Dave moved up the coast from what I recall but I could be wrong on that. Unfortunately I don't know anything else. Maybe someday he'll see this page and comment or maybe someone else who knows him will comment, hopefully.

Don
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Roger M Lohse 11-Jun-2016 13:17
Don. Whatever happened to Dave the owner of the shop back in the late 60's and early 70's? He cut my hair and my kids hair for years. Thanks. Roger M. Lohse
Guest 25-Sep-2015 22:09
In the early 1980s my best friend and I always walked up and down the mall as kids while mom shopped at Publix. We would always visit "Bourbon Street" and get candy in the candy shop. I do remember a counter at the Woolworths too and we'd get milkshakes there. As teens we went to see and meet up with the Riverrats in uniform. I LOVED the German restaurant that was near the barber shop.
My eldest sister worked at Baskin Robbins and later Pants Place.
I worked at the Publix from 1984-1986.
Robert 08-Jul-2015 02:07
Many good times at the old Hollywood Mall! That post card brings back soooooo many memories of my youth in the late 70s and all throughout the 80s. I was even there for its decline in the 90s I worked at the old 1964 style Publix and at the Golden Wok in the food court. I bought my first record at Specs in 1983, ate at the German restaurant many many times, bought plenty of electronic gadgets from the Radio Shack, Remember the WW2 surplus M1 Garands at the Woolworths (God I wish I would have bought one when they were 99 bucks), Also ate many many lunches at the Woolworths diner. Theres just too much I can list about this special little mall at that special time im history.
Tom Witherspoon 23-Feb-2015 19:50
Before our Super Malls of today this was one of the creme de la creme (am I dating myself). There was a Sears there also and just happens to be the Mall where Adam Walsh was abducted from, sad memories of those times. The location now anchored by a Super Target. and some small shops.
Mark 19-Feb-2015 06:17
A bit more: Morrison's Cafeteria (I think was a chain), but the one near Sears was special when we were kids. Since we rarely ate out I used to love the Chocolate milk in little 1/2 pint milk cartons and choosing what you wanted (me, chicken!)-pretty neat when you're 9 years old and the laid back waiters who brought the food over. There was also a mini self-serve post office on the west side of the mall in the actual parking lot adjacent to that movie theater across the street. The Hollywood Amtrak train station nearby was used many times by us to go up north to New Jersey/New York to see family.
Don Boyd18-Feb-2015 09:07
Guest and Mark, thank you for posting. It was a great little mall in its time and I shopped there, mostly at Sears, many times over the years. It's a shame that we have lost it and it's another reason to brag that we lived at the best time to live in South Florida.

Don
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Mark 18-Feb-2015 05:56
Went to the Sears w/ Mom to shop for elementary school clothes late 60's/early 70's. Had great warm Spanish peanuts (bagged) @ snack store in the store for about 50-60 cents. Great record shop in mall and good old Publix on the north side of mall. Also got to mall by bus from Young Circle that started in Hallandale. Saw movies @ cool theater just west of mall-many midnight flicks! Later used the east side food court & great magazine stand in early 80's when I could get there w/ my first car. I'm 52 yo now. Whoa.
Guest 29-Jul-2014 17:19
Thanks for the memories. The recent John Walsh coverage on CNN made me think of the Hollywood Mall and how I spent a lot of time there with friends in high school (1977-81). I remember the book and record stores, the video arcade at the back parking lot entrance, and that weird abstract sculpture that boggled me as a child (good to see it again in the pic). I ended up spending more time at the Hollywood Fashion Center, which was an easy walk from my house, when a Radio Shack Computer Center opened up there (1977?) and I could sit for hours in air conditioning and teach myself how to write BASIC programs. I bought my first programming book ("Basic BASIC") at the Waldenbooks at HFC too. Glad I could turn that experience into a career.
Don Boyd11-Jun-2014 19:54
Thank you for posting Jeremy, along with the other folks who have posted their comments and memories. It was a nice small mall with nice stores, especially the large Sears where you could buy just about anything you needed. It's a shame that the mall is gone, along with the Hollywood Fashion Center.

Don
Jeremy 11-Jun-2014 19:26
I left a message earlier about my grandpa taking me here all the time when I was little. So many great memories. The food court was my favorite. The fountains, the foot locker, the jewelry and watch stores, clothing stores, etc. Even the barber shop. Me and my grandpa would get haircuts. I loved that mall. At tennis camp, I used to be at mall for my hour lunch. It was my favorite place as a kid and I hate that's it's gone. I work out at memorial gym in that shopping center and I still get sad it's not there.
Carolyn 17-Apr-2014 12:13
I miss old Hollywood! Does anyone one remember the photography studio on the circle? I'm trying to find a guy named Mark who used to shoot weddings,etc!
Bette 03-Apr-2014 14:32
Just found your site. Thanks for posting these. I worked at the MineBender (a hand-made jewelry store) in the 70,s. It was down a short hallway that faced east. Then I was assistant manager for Waldenbooks in 1977 - '79. While I was there Edward Bloor, the author of Tangerine and other YA novels, (then he was a struggling author) was one of the booksellers. I loved this mall it was smallish but people knew each other. The German Deli was great, we ate there a lot! Can't remember the name of it; we just called it 'the German Deli'.
Don Boyd11-Feb-2014 15:53
Guest, thank you for your comment. Morrison's was at the south end of the mall closest to Hollywood Boulevard. Are you saying that they also operated the cafeteria/restaurant inside Sears on the north mall side of Sears for Sears? Sears used to have small restaurants inside most of their large stores and I always thought Sears personnel worked there. Can you elaborate on your comment? Thanks.

Don
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Guest 11-Feb-2014 03:06
the cafeteria was morrison's, next to sears
Don Boyd19-Sep-2013 05:49
Mike, thank you for clarifying the present status of what used to be Hollywood Mall as we knew it and what tenants are in different areas of the site. That's doing great if the occupancy rate is almost 100% now and if additional tenants are coming. The Publix and CVS on the north end of the mall sure attract a lot of traffic and hopefully people can be attracted to tenants on the interior of the mall on the north end. Good luck!

Don
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Mike 18-Sep-2013 19:44
James / An all interested parties.
Just to avoid confusion:
Target is still there. Harris Art Studio is now in the interior mall where HearX was until recently. Prospective tenants are negotiating for the old German Restaurant space.
Target took over 1/2 of Sears and expanded west. A call Center resides in the majority of the rest of the interior mall including the other half of Sears. All other space was converted to conventional exterior storefronts
There is considerable value for many for opening a business in a historical building. Soon the entire property will be 100% leased.
James 10-Aug-2013 20:13
What are all these ppl talking about when they talk of moving into the mall and bringing it back? There is one tiny section open with three stores. One barber shop, a modeling agency, then a vacant spot. That's it. The rest of what once was is target.
jmore 19-Jul-2013 04:58
publix supermarket on the north end
of the back entrance
Kyle Harris 23-Jun-2013 16:45
I've lived in Hollywood for 10 years and only know the history of the mall from conversations. I'm moving my business, Harris Art Studio inside the mall later this summer and I hope to see other businesses along with the nail salon, barber shop and pageant business bring that space back to life. Stop by and see me in August.
Faye 12-Jun-2013 21:13
I worked at the House Of Rhythm Music Store & the mall was a beautiful place.
Steve 23-May-2013 14:09
I worked in that Sears store for many years it was a wonderful place to work. Sears had just completed a beautiful complete remodel to the Hollywood Mall Store, but, the landlord would not put a new roof on the store, and the roof would leak onto the furniture in the furniture department, Sears got tired of having damaged merchandise so they decided to close the store. The Hollywood Mall Sears was the number one store in sales in South Florida. The Hollywood Mall was once a beautiful place to shop, it is now nothing but a mess
Jeremy 14-May-2013 23:05
I was born in 1982. My grandpa would always take me here. We would go to the food court and eat pizza at the place all the way at the end. We'd go to all the stores and he'd always buy me stuff at the foot locker. I was a little kid. When I got older I went to David park tennis camp and at lunch we'd always go and have fun at the mall. So many memories.
Alex Wolack 13-Aug-2012 10:42
Don I worked in the Sears at the mall from 1970 until 1981. I had a lot of fond memories after seeing you picture. In a way I hated to see the mall close. It was kind of a land mark that people were drawn to. I see the entrance to Sears in the back ground where Allstate was and the furniture department was. I wish there were more photos. Thanks for sharing.
Jeff Shipskie 15-Jan-2012 20:12
I grew up in this mall, my dad worked at Sears. One of my most vivid memories was walking through the mall by my self one day and suddenly seeing women running, screaming and crying through the mall. Scared the piss outa me and I ran back to Sears to my dad.... Elvis had died!
Don Boyd18-May-2011 03:13
Guest, you are correct in stating that the barber shop is no longer there but that is mentioned in the first sentence of the description under the photo.

Don
Guest 17-May-2011 18:18
Wow! I grew up right next to here in the 90's. I't didn't look like that by the 90's. I remember that it was right next to publix and there was only vitamin shop and a barber shop by that time,I think. I got my haircut there as a little girl. I don't think the barbershop is there anymore. It's weird seeing what it used to look like.
michael spinelli Jr 25-Jan-2011 15:44
WOW.. Thank you so much for this memory i was born and raised in Hollywood (1965). My dad was a department manager in that Sears. i used to go see him at work when i was a little kid. in middle school my friends and i would take the bus from taft street and 22 ave to the mall it cost .25 and you could smoke on the bus.
Elliot 13-Sep-2010 21:08
This brought back a few memories. My dad was a pharmacist in this mall. At the South entrance was a Gray Drugs. What nobody did mention was this malls darker history. This was the Sears that Adam Walsh was kidnapped from.
Don Boyd14-Nov-2009 17:32
Randy, thanks for posting your great memories. I have often wondered why Hollywood Mall closed and I believe I heard that Sears left because of a greedy landlord refusing to lower his lease payment demands when the lease was up. The Hollywood Fashion Center was absolutely great in the 70's and early 80's and I was there all the time while living in Miramar in the early 70's. Hopefully I can find some photos of the interior that I have in the boxes somewhere.

Don
Randy 14-Nov-2009 08:13
Wow, talk about memories. We used to go to this mall all the time in the 60s. Later, when we moved to Hollywood in 1970 the world was really different for me. Lots of nice stores and nice people. Hollywood Hills was one of the nicest neighborhoods in S. Fl. There were some great stores in that mall. For some reason that puzzled us, the Sears in Hollywood Mall and the JCP and other stores in the Fashion Center just up and went away leaving thousands of people without a major department store. We just could never understand why, the surrounding area didn't turn into a no man's land like what happened to Northside on 7th ave. A lot of really nice smaller stores in the Hollywood Mall tried to hang on but disappeared. We saw the same thing happen on 7th ave- the cheap stores with undesireables moved in, well at least to the Fashion Center. BTW, after HS and before college, I worked at the JCP in the Fashion Center. What a great mall that was for a while. Nothing better for a kid to work full time, live at home and have the world waiting for him.
Don Boyd11-Nov-2009 14:47
I've never seen that in print or heard of it, but I have changed the title to add the words "with a major department store" to make it factually accurate.

Don
Randy H. 11-Nov-2009 05:33
I understand that in the 1950s on NW 22 Avenue and just north of 151 Street on the north side of a canal west of 22 Avenue where now a park is there was the first indoor closed mall in FLorida opened. It was small but the first.