Source link : https://las-vegas-news.com/9-single-screen-cinemas-in-small-american-towns-worth-a-detour/
Most of us watch films in buildings with a dozen auditoriums and a menu board full of combo deals. A single screen theater runs on a different logic. There’s one room, one show at a time, and usually a marquee that tells you what’s on without any scrolling.
These places have become rare. A few small towns have held onto theirs anyway, through fires, closures, storms and a lot of volunteer effort. Here are nine worth planning a route around, with notes on what’s current as of 2026.
Crandell Theatre, Chatham, New York
The Crandell was built in 1926 in the Spanish Renaissance style. Chronogram describes it as one of just 54 single screen theaters left in the country. A full restoration and modernization of the theater was completed in October 2025.
The marquee is now digital, though the light fixtures were restored to their 1926 look, and there are 449 new seats with a pocket of original wooden ones in the balcony. FilmColumbia, the annual festival held here, runs October 16 to 25 in 2026. That makes this month a good moment for a visit.
Rivoli Theatre, Cedarburg, Wisconsin
The Rivoli sits in a building that began as a dry goods store in the 1800s. It opened as a theater on January 11, 1936, with A Tale of Two Cities, and tickets cost a quarter.
It’s the only single screen theater left in Ozaukee County. Cedarburg is a pleasant town to…
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Author : Matthias Binder
Publish date : 2026-10-13 11:18:00
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