BEND, Ore. — Make it a Blockbuster night in Bend!
The only remaining location of the video rental store is in a nondescript strip mall.
Movies are still checked out by hand and the décor hasn’t changed much in the past 25 years.
"It brings you back, it's like a time machine,” said assistant manager Ryan Martin. "There’s the old racks and the carpet smell that everybody talks about, weird stuff like that - the popcorn ceilings. We've kept the same IBM computers from the '90s."
When the system needs a reboot, the manager still uses a floppy disc.
The nostalgic allure is so strong, people book trips just to experience it. Half a dozen guest books are filled with signatures from all corners of the world.
Kristin Rogers drove in with her family from Georgia.
"We heard this was the last Blockbuster and I was like, ‘Let's go see it!’" she said.
Even though it was once a mammoth chain, the last Blockbuster is hyper-local. It's independently owned, souvenir shirts are made by a nearby mom-and-pop store and souvenir magnets are handcrafted by a school teacher.
Browsing is free, and visitors gravitate to the back of the store where a mini-museum of Blockbuster artifacts, memorabilia and fan mail are enclosed in glass. Every item was a donation, and more deliveries arrive every day.
"It's like, the mailbox is full right now, I can see it,” Martin said, looking out the store’s window.
Blockbuster is located at 211 NE Revere Avenue in Bend. You can follow the store on Twitter and Facebook.
Sponsored by Visit Bend. KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email.