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The one time ignoring the 'no entry' sign actually paid off
I was at the old Valley View Galleria in Springfield last month, the place that's been a ghost town since the Sears left. Every door was chained, every loading dock gate was down, and the usual spots were a bust. I was about to call it when I noticed a single, unmarked metal door near the old food court, half hidden by overgrown bushes. The handle was just a flat piece of metal, no lock in sight. I figured it was welded shut like the rest, but gave it a solid shoulder check. It swung right open with this awful groan, leading straight into the back halls of the mall. It was like a time capsule back there, with old store stock still on carts and employee time sheets from 2012 pinned to a board. I got shots of the main concourse from a service balcony nobody had seen in a decade. Sometimes the most obvious looking door is the one everyone forgets. Has anyone else found a weird, unsecured entry point that felt like a secret backstage pass?
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leo6031mo ago
Totally get that. Found an unlocked roof hatch on an old office building downtown last year. Place was supposed to be sealed tight for asbestos work. Just sitting there, ladder still down. Got up top and the whole city was right there. Felt like winning the lottery. Those forgotten doors are the best finds.
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dylanbell1mo ago
Found a forgotten fire escape once with the same feeling.
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