Vinton theater a community treasure

VINTON - As manager of the Palace Theatre in Vinton, Marcy Horst wants to make each movie outing a special experience.

The Palace shows mostly family-friendly movies (G, PG and PG-13) nightly at 7 and also Mondays at 2 p.m.

Sure kids' movies get messy - popcorn spills are inevitable - but she thoroughly enjoys seeing how movie goers react to the show.

'There's just nothing better than when a 3-D movie starts,” she said.

Horst and her husband Gerald have managed the Palace Theatre since 2008. But the history of this one-screen theater in the heart of Vinton's main street goes back much further.

The then 500-seat theater opened in 1915. It was often a sold-out audience for silent movies and live performances.

By the 1970s, though, everything had changed.

'The movie theater went away and several different businesses occupied the space,” Horst said.

The theater was all but lost.

Then, in the early 1990s, interest grew in restoring the Palace Theatre to its former glory and purposes.

'A group of people affiliated with Act I of Benton County - our community theater - wanted to find a home for their organization, but they needed a way to pay for it,” Horst said.

Led by volunteers Lu Karr and Julie Zimmer, the group raised some $500,000 to do just that. The theater was purchased, renovated and restored. It reopened in November 1999.

'Our first movie was Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in ‘Runaway Bride,' ” Horst said.

Today, they keep track of their most popular movies by keeping the posters up in the lobby. 'Frozen,” 'Cars” and 'Shrek 2” are the reigning champs.

Since reopening, there have been continued renovations to the Palace Theatre. The stage still is functional and each year is used by Act I of Benton County for live theater performances.

The latest round of renovations - including transitioning from film to digital in 2010 and the installation of what Horst said is 'very plush” new seating in 2012 - affords Palace Theatre the ability to seat 160 people on the main floor and 50 in the balcony. Ticket prices range from $3 to $8.

Unlike most movie theaters, the Palace uses a reserved seating ticket system.

'Whether you buy tickets online or at the box office, you get to pick where you sit. And we do often sell out so we really recommend buying tickets in advance,” she said

The theater continues to operate as a community project. At each show, the box office and concession stand are partially staffed by community volunteers. A board of trustees oversees the operation of the building.

The theater 'is really owned by the public,” Horst said. 'If we want to do anything major to this theater we have to ask them.”

The majority of the audiences - 60 percent - though, comes from outside the community.

'The theater is a big draw,” Horst said. 'We are proud that it brings people in to town, and that really benefits our restaurants and other businesses.”

IF YOU GO

'Where

: Palace Theatre, 210 W. Fourth St., Vinton

'For more information

: (319) 472-9958; Vintonpalace.org