If you miss the days of picking out a video to rent at Blockbuster, we have good news for you. Seattleites are lucky enough to still have access to that special experience right here in the Emerald City. Seattle is home to one of the world’s oldest video rental stores and the largest publicly-accessible physical media library in the world: Scarecrow Video! This video rental store in Seattle has managed to survive since the ’80s and still has hundreds of thousands of movies for you to rent.
Read on for everything you need to know about Scarecrow Video!
When did it open?
Scarecrow Video first opened on Latona Avenue in Seattle in 1988. Founders Rebecca and George Latsios opened Scarecrow Video with an inventory of 600 titles. The store’s inventory grew so much that in 1993 they had to move to the larger current location at 5030 Roosevelt Way in the U District. At the time, the store’s second floor had an 18-seat movie theater called Sanctuary Cinema.
As the years passed, people turned to streaming movies and Blockbuster went out of business—but Scarecrow Video remained in Seattle. After changing ownership and weathering the changing landscape of video rentals, Scarecrow Video ultimately became a non-profit in 2014. Then in 2019, the state of Washington designated Scarecrow Video as a cultural museum. Scarecrow Video almost went out of business in 2024 but was able to raise over $1 million from over 7,000 individual contributions.
How many titles does it have?
According to the Scarecrow Video website, the two-story store adds 3,000 to 4,000 titles to its inventory every year. They now have over 150,000 unique titles! You can even find a title tracker on the Scarecrow Video’s library page, if you’d like to know the exact number.
Does Scarecrow have any special collections?
In addition to classic movie categories such as Anime, Romantic-Comedies, Disney, Musicals, and Westerns, Scarecrow Video also has some unique collections for those with niche interests. These include Bigfoot, Japanese Sci-Fi, Psychotronic, and even Laserdiscs. They also curate seasonal and timely sections, such as their current R.I.P. Robert Redford section, Life of a Showgirl section, and massive Halloween section. So if you’re looking for something ultra-specific, chances are they have it.
When and where is Scarecrow open?
Scarecrow Video is open daily from noon to 8:00 p.m. at 5030 Roosevelt Way. They also have extended hours on 2-for-1 Wednesdays: noon to 10:00 p.m. The store is within walking distance of the University District Light Rail station as well as multiple bus stops. It also has free parking available on the north side of the store. Well-behaved dogs are welcome.
How does it work?
You can rent or buy movies from Scarecrow Video by visiting in person, renting by mail, or shopping online. To rent movies you need to sign up for a free rental account, then you can rent videos from the Seattle store or from across the country via mail! Most rentals cost $3 to $4.50 for four to seven days (new releases have a two-day rental limit). On Wednesdays they offer a 2-for-1 rental deal. And they even rent out video players for every format that they carry.
Scarecrow Video also has a collection of hundreds of new and used movies for sale. You can shop the collection in-store or online. You’ll find links to their online storefronts on their website.
If you’d like to save money on rentals and support Scarecrow Video’s mission, you can become a member. In addition to membership perks, Scarecrow members get to feel good about supporting one of the sole remaining temples of physical media. Annual memberships start at $50 and go up from there.
Does Scarecrow Video do any special events?
Scarecrow Video often has fun events, such as a monthly members-only film screening in partnership with The Grand Illusion Cinema and an annual Video Store Day sale. For October 2025, Scarecrow has partnered with SIFF Cinema for spooky Halloween movie screenings. Scarecrow staff picked out some of their favorite spooky movies for you to view at SIFF Uptown this month. You can see the movie lineup on the SIFF website.
You can also visit Scarecrow to celebrate Video Store Day on Saturday, October 18 from noon to 9:00 p.m.. There will be all-day discounts, exclusive merch, hourly flash sales, raffle prizes, sweet treats, and a live DJ. Costumes are encouraged!
Follow Scarecrow Video on Instagram for updates and visit their website for more info.
Scarecrow Video
Address: 5030 Roosevelt Way, Seattle, WA
Hours: noon to 8:00 p.m. daily