Credit: Airbnb

The last bastion of the 90s, available for your rooming pleasure.

As convenient as modern streaming is, I genuinely miss Blockbuster Video. It wasn’t just a place to rent movies, it was a family activity; I’d go with my dad on the weekends, rent a comedy movie or a new video game, and we’d have ourselves a grand old time. Those were the days… nowadays, though, all but one Blockbuster location has closed, and the very last one in Bend, Oregon has been having a hard go of things due to the pandemic. This is why, in order to make some extra scratch, the final store is offering a truly nostalgic experience.

The Bend Blockbuster has gone up as a listing on Airbnb for a special sleepover deal. For one night, you can rent out the store and spend the night in a pop-up living living room steeped in 90s flavor, including a fold-out couch with Jazz-patterned sheets, a big TV with a VHS player, and all the tapes you could want (you gotta leave when the store opens, though).

Store Manager Sandi Harding, who has been caring for the location for over 15 years, came up with the idea as a sign of thanks for the Bend community for supporting the store in these tough times. This is also why the reservation only costs $4 a night.

Credit: Airbnb

“It’s only a penny more than what we would normally charge for a three-night rental or a brand new release,” Harding said. “The whole point again is to give back, and to be able to experience that. It’s not meant to cost a lot of money.”

In the interest of pandemic safety, though, there are some rules. Only residents of Deschutes County can reserve the space, and if it’s more than one person, they all have to be from the same household. Security staff will be present during the night to ensure both the store and guests remain safe and follow the rules. Between reservations, the store will be cleaned and sanitized to CDC standards.

Reservations will open on August 17 for three night slots: September 18, September 19, and September 20. If you don’t score the reservation, you can still see the living room set-up during the store’s normal business hours.