5 Things You Won’t See Again in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is loved by many as residents and tourists alike enjoy all the Bay State has to offer. Whether it's the four seasons, summer/winter sports, natural beauty, friendly people, or the state's historical aspects, there is something for everyone in Massachusetts.

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Massachusetts like any other state also has some fun memories of items, stores, and cultural trends that were popular years ago but are no longer active or en vogue. There were so many things I loved as a kid that I probably will not be able to experience again but that's how reality goes. As time moves forward trends come and go. Technology constantly improves, moving old technology out leaving only fond memories.

Here are 5 Things That We'll Probably Never See or Experience Again in Massachusetts

As a kid, I loved going to the local video store whether in North Adams or Adams, and renting the latest movies and video games. Of course, technology has improved over the years and people can watch or play almost any movie or game they want on the internet. Streaming services have made the video rental market, for the most part, extinct. While there may be a town here or there that still has a video store, it's likely, that we won't see video rental stores in Massachusetts ever again.

What used to be a thriving retail business has declined so much over the years that there are only 12 Kmart stores remaining in the U.S. and none of those are located in Massachusetts. I have many fond memories of shopping at Kmart in North Adams, Great Barrington, and Bennington, VT but shopping in a Kmart in the future is something that is probably not going to happen again in Massachusetts.

Squeeze Soda was founded in the Town of Adams in Berkshire County in 1920. I loved drinking this stuff when I was a kid. The soda offered fun flavors like black cherry, birch beer, pineapple, cream, and more. Squeeze came to an end in 2004 when the owners sold the drink to Florida-based soft drink company X-Stream Beverage Group. Unless you find some unopened bottles on eBay, it's a safe bet that Massachusetts folks won't see Squeeze soda again.

I spent much of my youth at malls when I was kid specifically the Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough. However, malls have declined and suffered over the years due to online shopping among other factors. While there are still some malls remaining, many of the malls that have closed probably won't reopen as malls and will instead serve a different purpose. Never say never but we probably won't experience malls the same way we used to again. It was a different time then and it's certainly a different time now.

Before Six Flags there was Riverside Park in Agawam, Massachusetts. While Riverside Park wasn't as built up as Six Flags, the park had a certain charm to it. The crowds were also smaller and the park felt less chaotic. I saw my first concert at Riverside Park in 1993. It was a triple bill featuring the Spin Doctors, Gin Blossoms, and Cracker. Those were the days. Six Flags took over Riverside Park in the late '90s thus leaving the charming park nothing but a fond memory. I think it's safe to say that we'll never see Riverside Park in Massachusetts again.