For Blockbuster lovers missing the store, and for video-rental virgins, here's what it's like to visit one of the few remaining Blockbusters in the US.
- Three of the few remaining Blockbusters in the US have already closed in 2018.
- Now, there are less than 10 Blockbuster locations still open in the US.
- Most of the remaining Blockbuster locations are in Alaska, where long winters and slow WiFi help keep a couple of stores open.
Blockbuster isn't extinct quite yet — but it is getting closer.
While roughly a dozen Blockbusters remained across the US in 2017, at least three have already closed this year.
In January, the last Blockbuster in Texas — located in Edinburg — finally shut its doors, the New York Daily News reported. Two Blockbusters in Alaksa, long the last frontier for the retailer thanks to long winters and slow WiFi, have also been shuttered since January.
Many Americans haven't seen a Blockbuster — much less gone inside — since the company filed for bankruptcy in 2010. For Blockbuster lovers desperately missing the store, and for video-rental virgins raised on Netflix, here's what it's like to visit one of the handful of remaining Blockbusters in the country.
If you drive through Alaska, Blockbuster's iconic blue-and-yellow signs may grab your eye.
You can't miss the distinctive sign.
This location in Anchorage is still open for business.
And it appears the membership cards haven't changed at all.
Inside, everything looks the same, with rows and rows of movies.
On the plus side, Blockbuster is renting DVDs now, so you won't have to rewind the tapes before returning them.
And yes, it has new releases ...
... alongside some older options.
Alaska's long, snowy winters make curling up to watch a video rental a tempting proposition.
Until recently, there was even a Blockbuster in North Pole — a small city near Fairbanks, about 1,700 miles south of the geographic North Pole.
The North Pole Blockbuster unfortunately closed earlier in March.
There is a dwindling handful of Blockbusters outside of Alaska.
The Blockbuster in Edinburg, Texas, was apparently the last location in the state before it closed in January.
There are a couple left in Washington.
Still, these endangered Blockbusters can't stay open forever.
So if you want to visit the video-rental chain before it goes extinct, you better start preparing for your road trip.
For Blockbuster lovers missing the store, and for video-rental virgins, here's what it's like to visit one of the few remaining Blockbusters in the US. Read Full Story
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