After Walmart purchased Pennsylvania’s Monroeville Mall in February of 2025, news reports indicated that major changes are planned for the property that has been a Mecca of sorts for legions of horror fans, ever since the site was used as the main shooting location for George A. Romero’s zombie classic Dawn of the Dead. After hearing about the possibility of the Mall going the way of so many other retail properties in the United States, the actor, who played the iconic character of “Peter” in the horror movie, took to Instagram and made a passionate request to save the Mall, with the possibility of turning the site into a National Historical Landmark as one method of doing just that.

Foree stated:

This place means a great deal to millions. It is now going to be replaced by a major retailer. The question is: does the Monroeville Mall have the necessary requirements to become a Historical Landmark? Historical Landmarks are places where people visit because it has a significant place in their life. It is a building or place that has achieved fame and notoriety because of the significant contribution to our history. The Monroeville Mall may not qualify, but let’s look at its history. The Washington or Lincoln Monuments it’s not and, of course not Mount Rushmore. But I would dare to say that it’s visited and celebrated by more vacationers, sightseers, and fans than a lot of the Historical Landmarks in America.

The mall was built in 1969 as a hub of consumerism. In 1978 George Romero, the innovative auteur who changed the face of the horror genre, directed and Richard Rubinstein produced a film titled Dawn of the Dead, most of which was filmed in the Monroeville Mall. It became a blockbuster hit seen worldwide. DOTD was seen by horror fans and non-horror fans. It was unique because no one had ever seen anything like it before. Of course, Night of the Living Dead had attracted a lot of attention, but nothing like Dawn of the Dead. Richard and Dario Argento distributed it to every major movie theater, drive in, art house, and especially those with midnight screenings. I don’t know the exact screen count, but I know it was vast. I personally could view it at three different locations in Manhattan, NYC. It was shown in every community here and abroad. Each major national television reviewer included this phenomenal film in their broadcast and recommended it with a thumbs up. Its fans have cherished and preserved this film to hand down from grandfather to son, son to grandson; a rite of passage. This small low budget film led Variety in gross sales for almost three weeks; unheard of! It impacted a generation. DOTD was so popular that fans from all over visit “The Mall” just to be where it all happened.

Dawn of the Dead takes place during an escalating zombie epidemic, centering on a group of survivors, including two Philadelphia SWAT team members, a traffic reporter and his TV executive girlfriend, that all seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall. Written and directed by George A. Romero, Dawn of the Dead also stars David Emge, Scott H. Reiniger, Gaylen Ross, David Crawford, David Early, Richard France, Howard Smith, Daniel Dietrich, Fred Baker, James A. Baffico, Rod Stouffer, Jese Del Gre, Clayton McKinnon, John Rice, Ted Bank, Randy Kovitz, Patrick McCloskey, Joseph Pilato, Pasquale Buba, Tony Buba and Tom Savini.

As of 2025, the Monroeville Mall has a statue of filmmaker George A. Romero on-site, along with a store called the Living Dead Museum, a themed attraction that celebrates zombies in popular culture.

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