Secret Mall Apartment | They Hid in the Mall for Four Years

Things I Learned Last Night

Space Tim Media

Comedy, History, Education

4.7 • 717 Ratings

🗓️ 6 January 2026

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the late 1990s, a strange housing experiment unfolded in Rhode Island. It was not advertised or permitted. It existed quietly inside a busy shopping mall. This hidden space, known as the secret mall apartment, was built by artist Michael Townsend. What began as an art protest turned into one of the most unusual living experiments ever documented. To protest the mall, Townsend and friends planned a short experiment. They challenged themselves to remain inside the mall in secret. The goal was to last ten days without detection. During this time, Townsend noticed a structural flaw. Two major mall buildings were never fully connected. Between them sat unused space. That gap sparked the idea for the secret mall apartment. Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode today! Become a Patron and Get Early Access to Ad-Free Episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tilln.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Episode link: https://tilln.com/secretmall Support TILLN & Join The Mailing List: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/tillnpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch this next: American Dream → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45C66XNi4Ds&t=2028s Text TILLN to 66866 to become a patron and gain access to ad-free episodes, the exclusive discord, and earn discounts on TILLN Merch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Why do growing businesses love working in Slack?
0:02.8	Let's ask Christia Ari Bikes.
0:04.6	Running things in Slack saves me so much time.
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0:10.4	What say you?
0:11.4	Rocks from Gosney.
0:12.4	Slack helps us build community.
0:13.9	It helps us build connection.
0:15.2	Your partners, vendors and customers all in one place.
0:18.3	Take us on home, Ashley from Carraway.
0:20.3	If we did have Slack tomorrow, I would explode. Well, let's not let that happen. Visit Slack.com slash podcast to get 50% of Slack Business Plus. Listen up. Huh? That means you. Yes, you. We know you're pointing at yourself. When it comes to Paddy Power Games, we've got a place made for all sorts. From the experts to the Drama Queens. It's made the JC. The finance bros. Look at those stocks, lads! We'll stick with slots. It's what we're good at. And not forgetting you. Yes, you, the one listening. Because at Paddy Power Games, we've got all sorts of games for all sorts of
0:55.1	treacles. Eligibility rules in terms of conditions apply. Please campbellor responsibly. Aitm plus, gamble away. Dot-or. Hey, man. What's up? Have you heard of, um, what do I want to call this? I haven't thought about that. Uh, let's call it, um, I don't know. Have you heard of the Secret Mall apartment?
1:12.2	Secret Mall apartment?
1:14.1	Yeah.
1:14.7	Um, Let's call it, um, I don't know. We'll just, have you heard of the secret mall apartment?
1:12.3	Secret mall apartment.
1:14.1	Yeah.
1:17.2	No, I got, well, no.
1:22.5	We're putting the P and podcast today and in our shoes.
1:31.3	But not our own I'm going to pee in his shoes and he's going
1:33.3	to pee in mine
1:34.3	but who will
	...

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