• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Fun Things To Do
  • Restaurants & Food
  • Shopping & Business
  • Local Celebrities
  • Franklin / Nashville Basics
  • More
    • Electronics & Gadgets
    • Health & Beauty
    • Hobbies & Crafts
    • Home & Garden
    • Jobs & Money
    • Outdoor Fun
    • Travel

Franklin / Nashville TN Guide

Real People. Real Experiences. Real Helpful.

a Fun Times Guide site

search

Home » Travel » Shopping & Business » Re-Opening Franklin Theatre: The Downtown Movie Theater Becomes More Than Just A Franklin Cinema

Re-Opening Franklin Theatre: The Downtown Movie Theater Becomes More Than Just A Franklin Cinema

Pin
Share
Tweet

We write about products and services that we use. This page may contain affiliate links for which we receive a commission.


franklin-cinema-closed-2007.jpg Those of you who went to the downtown Franklin movie theater know how great it was!

After 70 years of showing movies in downtown Franklin, the Franklin Cinema closed its doors in January 2007 due to the ever-increasing rent in the area.

That was such a sad day for those of us who frequented the theater.

 

Franklin Cinema In The Past

Besides playing current movies, Franklin Cinema was a neat venue and it offered a unique service.

The historic building offered 2 movie houses with not only comfy seats, but also tables in front of each seat to either put your food and drinks on or to rest your feet on.

Besides the typical soft drinks and popcorn, Franklin Cinema also offered beer and pizza! It was just a cool place to see a movie and I always ran into friends there.

I will never forget the night my husband and I went to see Austin Powers in Goldmember. (Yup, we like goofy movies!) We were still new to the area and didn’t know too many people. The movie was funny and we had a good time.

When we were leaving, we noticed a couple from our neighborhood was there. They were our age and didn’t have kids yet either. So we stopped and talked to them. Then, another couple we kind of knew from the neighborhood came out of the theater too. Again, our age, no kids. Well, the 6 of us stayed downtown Franklin and had dinner and laughed about the movie. Seven years later, we are all still great friends!

That is the kind of experience we had at the Franklin Cinema.


Efforts To Re-Open The Franklin Theatre

So, what’s happening now?

Thanks to The Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County, efforts are being made to re-open the theater. They have purchased the building and are in the process of determining how the theater can be profitable.

save-the-franklin-theatre.jpg

They are going to be renovating it first, and they’re planning to use it as a mixed-use entertainment facility for not just movies but also live entertainment and events. These other events will financially help sustain the movie theater portion of the building.

What they need now are the funds. They estimate needing around $7 million. The community has shown that they are behind this renovation. They got a good start on their goal by getting almost half of the money from 2 locals who believe in the cause, Emily Magid and the Cal Turner Family Foundation.

Also, Southern Exposure Magazine’s annual Turning the Tables fundraiser benefited Save the Franklin Theater in 2008. This event is big and brings in local celebrities as servers for the evening of food, drinks, and entertainment. As well, Franklin resident Jimmy Gentry donated the money from his movie premier, “An American Adventure” to the theater renovations.


Help Get The Franklin Movie Theater Re-Opened

How can you help?

Here are a few ways you can help to save the Franklin Theatre:

philanthropy-franklin-tennessee.jpg 1. You can purchase Franklin Theater t-shirts from Philanthropy, a downtown boutique near the Franklin Cinema. They are neat looking with the historic 1937 photo of the theater on the shirt. (I bought 2!) They sell them for $25 and half of the money goes back the theater.

2. The Heritage Foundation is selling framed shadow boxes with a piece of the original 1937 curtain for $40. (I purchased one as a Christmas gift for a friend.)

3. Of course, you can simply make a donation. The Save The Franklin Theatre brochure has all of the details.

Nowadays, all 3 couples from that one night at Franklin Cinema 7 years ago have kids. Hopefully, one day we can all take them to the Franklin Theater too.

 

Keep your eye on these sites for the most recent updates: Franklin Theatre Facebook Page and Franklin Theatre Tweets. Here’s the official website for The Franklin Theatre.

 

UPDATE: Franklin Theater Re-opens!

The new Franklin Theater opened its doors on June 1, 2011.

Here’s a little of the history behind the Franklin Theatre.

Lindsy
Lindsy

I live in Franklin with my husband and our toddler son. I enjoy writing about our experiences visiting places in Franklin, Cool Springs, and the Brentwood area.

Pin
Share
Tweet

Filed Under: Shopping & Business, Travel Tagged With: Historic Stuff, Movies

Primary Sidebar

About Us

LynnetteWe moved from Florida to Tennessee in 2001. All signs point to the fact that we will probably retire here -- by choice. We L O V E Nashville! Our favorite places to live are just south of the City -- we've had houses in Brentwood, Franklin, and Spring Hill. And we have properties in Leipers Fork, Cookeville, and Lewisburg. This site is where I share my best tips for moving your family to Nashville and/or visiting Nashville for the first time -- with the ultimate goal of helping you find fun things to do in Williamson County and Davidson County. When I'm not out & about enjoying the Nashville area, you'll find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I’ve written over 500 articles on this site! Many of them have upwards of 100K shares.

Lynnette: View My Blog Posts

JennI'm a happily married mom to 3 wonderful children: Taylor (13), Gavin (10) and Garrett (8). We recently relocated to the Nashville area from Florida and we're enjoying exploring Middle Tennessee and all it has to offer. My hobbies are: writing, photography, digital scrapbooking, cooking, and all things parenting.

Jenn: View My Blog Posts

Top Searches

All The Best Stuff American Idol Art Fun Bluebird Cafe Christmas Church Clothing And Shoes Cowboy Stuff Craig Wiseman Day Trips Dogs Elizabethtown Movie Premiere Franklin Factory Franklin Fun Stuff Franklin Neighborhoods Free Stuff Fun For Kids Gatlinburg TN Gifts And Memorabilia Gone Country Grand Ole Opry Historic Stuff Holidays House Shopping And Real Estate Johnny Reid Leipers Fork TN Movies Murfreesboro TN Music And Songwriters Nashville Fun Stuff Nashville Star Parks Photos Of Franklin And Nashville Pizza Predators Hockey Reality TV In Tennessee Restaurant Reviews Roads And Driving Schools Shawn Mullins Sports Spring Hill TN Strange And Funny Water Fun Wildhorse Saloon

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
Fun Times Guide logo
Shop Our Favorite Items

Copyright © 2004-2021 The Fun Times Guide | Privacy Policy | About | Contact | Sitemap