Glen Art Theatre

The Glen Art Theatre is a historic movie theater in downtown Glen Ellyn, Illinois, in the United States. According to the theater's own history, it first opened its doors in the early 1920s and quickly became a staple of downtown Glen Ellyn. The original house seated about 1,000 people. After passing through several hands, the theater was acquired by its current owners in the early 1980s. Anticipating the rise of the modern multiplex, those owners divided the auditorium in half and then in half again, creating the four roughly 200-seat auditoriums that operate today. The Glen Art has had its share of local fame over more than 80 years of operation. The 1986 film "Lucas," starring Corey Haim, Charlie Sheen and Kerri Green, was filmed on location in Glen Ellyn, and the theater appears in the film when the main characters go to the movies; some employees were used as extras, and the film's Midwest premiere was held at the theater. The marquee is a local landmark used for prom and school-dance invitations, and at least one couple had wedding photos taken beneath it. Today the Glen Art Theatre operates as a small, independently run cinema drawing customers from across Chicagoland to see films from around the world. Its official website lists showtimes, coming-soon titles, directions, parking, history and contact information. The theater has updated its operations in recent years: it now offers reserved seating, which it says supports enhanced sanitation protocols, with seat selection available at two lobby kiosks for contactless entry. Beer and wine are also sold on the premises. The website publishes weekly showtime grids, with multiple daily screenings and late shows on weekends. As a single-screen-turned-four-screen neighborhood cinema, the Glen Art occupies a niche between the historic downtown movie palace and the contemporary art house. It is a private, locally owned business rather than part of a national exhibition chain, and it functions as a community gathering place and a piece of Glen Ellyn's commercial and cultural history.

The Glen Art Theatre opened in the early 1920s and quickly became a fixture of downtown Glen Ellyn, Illinois. As originally built, it was a single auditorium seating about 1,000 people. Over the following decades the theater passed through several owners. In the early 1980s it was acquired by its current owners, who, foreseeing the rise of the modern multiplex, split the auditorium in half and then in half again, converting it into four auditoriums of roughly 200 seats each. In its more than 80 years of operation the theater has had several moments in the spotlight. One came in 1986, when the film "Lucas," starring Corey Haim, Charlie Sheen and Kerri Green, was shot on location in Glen Ellyn. The theater was featured in the film when the main characters go to the movies, and some of its employees were used as extras. The film's Midwest premiere was held at the theater, with the town turning out in its finest. The marquee has also become a local tradition: according to the theater, every year a lucky girl is invited to the prom or another school dance from the marquee, and one couple even had wedding photos taken beneath it. In the 21st century the Glen Art has continued to operate as a small independent cinema, regularly drawing customers from all over Chicagoland to see films from around the world. Its website provides showtimes, coming-soon listings, directions, parking information, history and contact details. In recent years the theater introduced reserved seating, which it says allows it to follow enhanced sanitation protocols in a timely fashion, with seat selection available at two lobby kiosks for a contactless experience. Beer and wine were added to the concessions menu. The theater publishes weekly showtime grids with multiple daily screenings and late shows on weekends, and it remains a privately owned, locally run business rather than part of a national chain.

• 1986

  The film "Lucas" is shot on location in Glen Ellyn and features the theater; its Midwest premiere is held at the Glen Art.

• 1980

  The theater is acquired by its current owners in the early 1980s.

• 1980

  The auditorium is divided in half and then in half again into four roughly 200-seat auditoriums.

• 1920

  The Glen Art Theatre opens in the early 1920s in downtown Glen Ellyn, Illinois, as a roughly 1,000-seat single-screen cinema.

• The theater introduces reserved seating and lobby kiosks for contactless seat selection, and adds beer and wine to concessions.

A historic, locally owned neighborhood cinema and art house drawing audiences from across Chicagoland.

• Movie screenings

  Daily screenings of first-run, independent and international films across four auditoriums.

• Reserved seating

  Seat selection available at two lobby kiosks for a contactless experience.

• Beer and wine concessions

  Beer and wine are offered on the concessions menu.

1. 1Glen Art Theatreglenarttheater.com
2. 2Glen Art Theatre: Historyglenarttheater.com
3. 3Glen Art Theatrewikidata.org