Northglenn Mall: From Penny Fountains to Forgotten Halls
If you grew up in Northglenn in the 1970s and 80s, chances are the Northglenn Mall was part of your weekend routine. Opened in 1968, the mall was one of the early shopping centers along I-25 and quickly became a hub for Adams County families. Anchored by stores like Joslins, Montgomery Ward, and Sears, the mall wasn’t just a place to shop—it was a community gathering space, filled with everything from teenage hangouts to family errands.
By the 1980s, Northglenn Mall was in its prime. Locals can still remember walking into the bright, echoing atrium, tossing pennies into the central fountain, and catching the faint smell of chlorine mixed with popcorn and pretzels. Shops like Waldenbooks, Chess King, and Musicland drew teens, while restaurants like Orange Julius fueled mall walkers and high schoolers killing time on a Friday night. The arcade buzzed with the sounds of Pac-Man and pinball, while the movie theater offered cheap tickets to the latest blockbusters. For many, the mall was more than retail—it was part of growing up in suburban Denver.
But as with many malls across America, the 1990s and 2000s brought decline. Bigger, newer shopping centers like Westminster Mall (now gone itself) and FlatIron Crossing drew customers away. Anchor stores closed one by one, and the once-bustling fountain area grew quiet. By the early 2000s, much of the mall had shuttered, and the property was eventually demolished to make way for redevelopment.
Today, the site of the former Northglenn Mall has been transformed into the Webster Lake Promenade, an open-air retail and dining destination with modern tenants like Panera Bread, Parry’s Pizza, and Red Robin. While it reflects the way shopping has changed, longtime locals still reminisce about the old enclosed mall—the smell of chlorine, the sound of coins hitting the fountain, and the memories of a suburban hub that defined an era.
The Northglenn Mall may be gone, but for those who grew up there, it remains a vivid snapshot of Denver metro life in the 80s and 90s.
