Grab the popcorn and a box of Buncha Crunch and call the Dominos down the street on your landline: Your childhood dreams are coming true.
The world's very last Blockbuster Location in Bend, Oregon is doing something completely different: It's listed on Airbnb for a movie night sleepover.
Few will be eligible to rent it for the perfect movie night, but this is pure nostalgia. Those days of walking row after row of VHS tapes (and then DVDs), struggling to find the three or four films to take home and grabbing an armful of candy at the register are back – at least for now.
The Last Blockbuster in the World
As the Netflix superpower and other streaming platforms transformed entertainment, movie stores around the globe closed their doors and went out of business over the last decade. But not this one.
The Blockbuster in Bend, Oregon has remained open all this time, outlasting the final few locations remaining open worldwide after Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy in 2010. After a branch in Australia closed last spring, the Bend location earned the title: “The Last Blockbuster in the World.”
Store manager Sandi Harding gives the people of Bend all the credit in Airbnb's press release this week for keeping the store in business all this time, and even through the pandemic. Now, she's thanking them in a special way: by opening up the Blockbuster store for a movie night experience.
A Movie Night Sleepover in Bend's Blockbuster
Harding is putting a night's stay in the Blockbuster on Airbnb for only $4 a night – just a penny more than a movie rental will run you. But don't book a plane ticket to Bend just yet.
If you live near this iconic store, we're jealous. The chance to snag one of the night stays at this Blockbuster is only available to Deschutes County residents. Drooling over this opportunity from afar? Join the club.
On Aug.17, Deschutes County residents can request to book one of the three nights available: Sept. 18, 19, and 20.
The nostalgia of renting a VCR almost makes us forget our 2020 worries for a moment. But that doesn't mean host Sandi and Airbnb aren't taking COVID-19 precautions lightly. Airbnb's press release requests that guests who book be from the same household to minimize risk (hosts up to four guests) and ensures that the store will be prepared each night following their enhanced cleaning protocol.
Not a resident of Deschutes County? Don't worry – there are still some fun ways you can transport yourself back to the Blockbuster golden days.
- Stalk the Airbnb listing and daydream about a nostalgic movie sleepover.
- Call the Bend Blockbuster at +1 (541) 385-9111 for their “Callgorithm”. Tell the staff what kinds of movies you like and don’t like, and a real human will give you some spot-on recommendations for your own movie night.
- Support the store from afar and lean into vintage fashion by treating yourself to something from their online store.
Thrifty Tip: While this is maybe one of the more unique Airbnbs we've ever seen, it isn't the only one. Check out these awesome – and strange – Airbnbs you can stay in around the world.
Bottom Line
2020 has us all yearning for “simpler times,” and that definitely includes walking out of a Blockbuster with the latest horror film and a box of Buncha Crunch.
Lead image courtesy of Airbnb
