This Abandoned Mall Is A Piece Of Bay Area History The Shops at Tanforan in San Bruno, California, was once a popular shopping destination where people spent hours shopping, eating, and hanging out. After opening in 1971, the mall became a familiar part of life for generations of Bay Area residents. Its future changed as plans emerged to redevelop the property into a mixed-use community with housing, retail, and office space. What makes Tanforan especially interesting is its history. Before becoming a shopping mall, the site was home to the Tanforan Racetrack, which opened in 1899 and hosted horse racing. In 1942, during World War II, the racetrack was turned into a temporary incarceration center where thousands of Japanese Americans were forcibly detained by the U.S. government because of their ancestry. They were held there before being transferred to longer-term camps. Today, a memorial near the San Bruno BART station honors the Japanese Americans who were incarcerated at Tanforan, preserving an important part of the site’s history. Places like this remind us that even the busiest places can eventually become memories, while their history continues long after their original purpose is gone. #TanforanMall #SanBruno #BayArea #urbanexplorer #urbex - @selbafk