I visited the world's last Blockbuster, and the video-rental store took me back to my childhood

On a recent trip to Bend, Oregon, I took a walk down memory lane by visiting the last Blockbuster store in the US.

Blockbuster got its start in 1985 and became a major video-rental company in the US. In 2010, Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy. As locations around the world closed, the location in Bend held on and became the last remaining store in operation in 2019.

Now, it's a fully operational video-rental store (and nostalgia museum of sorts) that's open seven days a week.

The canary-yellow capital letters on the building were just as bright as I remembered. As I got out of the car, I laughed at just how normal it felt to see Blockbuster, with a Papa Murphy's pizza store right next door.

I had anticipated that the last Blockbuster might look a bit out of place, but I was wrong.

The big glass windows resembled the ones on the stores I visited as a kid, with vibrant advertisements shouting the promise of new releases and a great movie selection. There was a return drop box right next to the double doors, and the Blockbuster sign stood like a giant marquee.

Walking through the front doors, I was met with the same bright-blue counter and security gates I remembered.

The employees welcomed me into the store as I began my walk down memory lane.

The walls of this location were still bright yellow. Fluorescent lighting flooded the space and the distinct smell of plastic movie cases filled the air.

It's been years since I stepped foot in a Blockbuster store. And, quite frankly, I'm not a huge movie buff.

But, for me, Blockbuster isn't necessarily about the actual movies – it's about the joyful memory of wandering the aisles with my sister and parents on a Friday night and selecting a movie or two to take home for the weekend.

I wandered over to look at the wall of new releases, which was always my first stop as a kid. It was filled with options that truly had just made their way to market on DVD.

The back of the store had a section devoted to Blockbuster history and film memorabilia.

Movie posters were on display for sale, and I was able to browse a collection of key movie props such as Robin Hood's cape and hood and the robe Russell Crowe wore in "Cinderella Man."

I saw old gift cards, posters, and other Blockbuster memorabilia.

There was even beer on display – a Blockbuster-inspired Sinister Black ale crafted by Oregon brewery 10 Barrel Brewing Company.

Visits to Blockbuster when I was younger were never complete without me begging for a snack to go with my movie selection.

Somehow everything from Blockbuster tasted better than the groceries we had at home. The snack selection was still just as full of options as I remembered, from Pringles and Pez to every type of gummy candy.

Giant buckets of popcorn, along with boxes of favorite movie candies, were also on display.

These would be perfect to pair with a movie or to buy as a gift for a friend.

You can absolutely visit the store just to look at it. But if you're local to the area, or you're visiting for a few nights, the store functions as it always has.

I saw a couple in the store snapping photos like I was, but I also watched customers browsing movies to rent and take home.

I made sure to ask an employee if they still had membership cards, and I was thrilled when one employee showed me that they're still definitely in use.

Wandering the aisles, I was surprised to see just how many titles were in stock. This didn't seem like a location that was struggling to get inventory in — and it certainly wasn't displaying dilapidated cases.

Its selection of movies seemed extensive. I found every comedy, drama, classic, and new release I sought out.

My favorite part of my visit was listening to other families come in. As I overheard them decide between movie options, it was as if I was listening in on what I had done with my sister as a young girl.

This was still very much a functioning video-rental store, but I loved the touches of memorabilia throughout.

Many Blockbuster customers remember the "Be Kind, Rewind" slogan prominently displayed on every VHS we rented. It was cool to see a collection of VHS movies with those stickers hung on the wall, backlit with rope lights.

It was also fun to look at the Blockbuster-branded merchandise for sale at the store. Everything from sweatpants and sunglasses to postcards was on display.

Some of the location's business indeed comes from movie rentals. But a large percentage of income is from tourism and the purchase of Blockbuster merch, both at the store and online.

It was cool to visit the last Blockbuster in person and see the swag for sale. Although I wasn't there to rent a movie, I loved visiting the location for a quick trip to the past.