Venue Cinemas announced in July it would be closing its doors at the end of October, opting not to renew its lease after nearly a decade in business. The theater closed Oct. 26, following its last showing.
“The past nine years have been fantastic, but it is time for us to move on to the next chapter of our lives,” management shared in a July 9 Facebook post.
Venue Cinemas opened November 2016 in the former Visulite Lynchburg building which closed in 2012, according to Cinema Treasures.
The theater offered a variety of screenings, from newer releases to timeless classics. Venue Cinemas commonly hosted Venue Classics events, in which they would play older movies often based on the season. Many enjoyed visiting the theater during the seasonal screenings for Christmas and Halloween.
“I’m really sad the movie theater is leaving,” senior Hannah Dugan said. “My friends and I would come every fall to see the Halloween movies, and I am going to miss doing that.”
Though the theater shared on Facebook that they are searching for someone to take over their lease, there has been no public response — other than that of residents sad to see it go.
“It’s incredibly unfortunate to see such an amazing business close down. I used to love to go almost weekly,” Autumn Jade, a regular customer, said.
When the theater opened, it announced that it would continue the tradition of cheap movies, offering $3 matinees and $4 evening showings. This tradition made the theater a hotspot for college students as well as local families searching for affordable leisure activities.
In an article by the Champion covering the opening of the theater in 2016, Robert Harrison Jr., the original owner of Venue Cinemas, spoke of his passion for movies.
“Seeing those big climactic movies like ‘Star Wars’ on the big screen makes a huge difference,” Harrison said. “I want to make sure people still have that chance, but at a reasonable price.”
Harrison bought the property with the goal of sharing his love for movies with the community.
“Venue Cinemas will mirror what the Cinemark 10 theater did here in Lynchburg,” Harrison said. “The price per movie will be low to attract college students and people in the community to come out and watch.”
Now the hope is that someone will follow suit and purchase the theater to continue its legacy. Many members of the community have shown support for the theater online and have called for someone to continue its legacy of affordable movies in Lynchburg.
“Venue Cinemas was so fantastic because the affordable tickets, delicious popcorn, friendly staff and old-fashioned feel of the movie theater would give me nostalgia in the best way,” Jade said.
Despite attempts to reach out to the business for a statement, no response was given.
White is the sports editor.