The Glen Theater is the only first-run, fully digital, movie theater in Schuyler County and is proud to serve its local and visiting patrons by providing affordable prices for movies and concessions, a clean and comfortable show floor, and friendly staff.  Customers can enjoy a step back in time by visiting the original movie theater, which houses over 400 seats, and admire the ornate architecture and antique movie posters or celebrity headshots, or they can feel like they are “on top of the world” when they sit in the very back row in one of the 90 stadium-style seats in the second theater next door.

A brief history

1920’s: The Glen Theater opened to a large crowd on January 22, 1924.  Owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. David White, the single screen, five hundred seat theater was one of the first movie theaters in Schuyler County to show live performances and the latest “talkies”—movies with synchronized sound and film— the first being “The Rainbow Man” premiering on July 6, 1929.  The Glen Theater had once been located in a smaller building further downtown but the Whites deemed it unsuitable for a movie house, considering the growing popularity of attending shows, which thus prompted them to build a new movie theater on the corner of Franklin and Fourth Streets, on the site of the old Baldwin building which had burned down in 1919.

An article in the local Watkins Express, described the interior of the new Glen Theater: “The color scheme throughout is old ivory—trimmed with golden oak.  A large ‘G’ stands at the head of the ten pilasters which hold the weight of the roof beams.”

The Theater passed through many owners’ hands shortly after 1924 when Mr. White fell ill.  Some of the most notable of proprietors were the Ryan Brothers who featured many live shows, mainly vaudeville performances.  Today, you can see autographed headshots of many celebrities lining the walls of the original Glen Theater with messages written to the duo.  

1990’s: Unfortunately, not everyone recognized how important The Glen Theater was to the town of Watkins Glen and its patrons because the theater was shut down in the mid-1980’s and sat empty for over twelve years until 1996 when Mr. John “Jack” Scanlon and Mr. Ron Mathews brought the Theater back to life by financing a complete renovation of the tired building.

The building was given renewed spirit when the floor was restored, over 400 seats re-upholstered (some were taken out for added leg room), and the historical grandeur brought back with antique movie posters and photographs, found during the renovation, adorning the wall.  The village came together to re-open the theater on December 12, 1996 to a sell-out crowd hosting musical guests, The Lettermen.  $2 movies were shown throughout Christmas of that year.  Other musical acts to grace The Glen Theater’s stage around that time included Rascal Flats, Daryl Singletary, Brad Paisley, and Jessica Andrews.

2003: Owner, Ron Mathews, turned the village pharmacy, next door to the original Theater, into another single screen movie theater.  Commonly known as “the new theater”, this building boasts stadium-style seating and more modern amenities while maintaining the same historical feel of the “old theater”.  This brought The Glen Theater into the forefront of movie entertainment in the area—now having the ability to show first-run movies while still keeping prices low.

2006: Having worked at The Glen Theater as an attendant since he was fourteen, Mr. Erich Herzig bought The Glen Theater, becoming the youngest entrepreneur in Watkins Glen.  The buildings housing both theaters were purchased by Dr. Robert Wylie and Mrs. Sharon Vogt.    

2008: Yet another change has come to The Glen Theater!  Due, in part, to a state grant, the exterior of the original Theater has been restored to its turn-of-the-century motif.  The interior maintains the gold and maroon color scheme but now with a light blue adorning the pillars, much of which was done by local contractors and artists.  A new marquee has been constructed to match the original design and the exterior is now red brick—what it was when the Theater opened in 1924.