Step back in time and attend this historic little theater. Glen Ellyns landmark makes you feel like you are back in Mayberry. Good popcorn and - they have a bar too. read more

Prices are great but.... Rude employee when we walked in. No greeting just pointed at ticket kiosk machine. Seats had metal springs protruding into me, definitely need some new seat or bare minimum new seat cushions. This alone will make me never come back. During the movie I could hear another movie starting in a near by theater. Very distracting I get this theater has been here a long time but it needs some TLC read more

Little expensive ($9) for being an old school theater. Finally added self service ticket screens but otherwise a classic theater. read more

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Old timey movie theater in Glen Ellyn. Appreciate the inexpensive cost of the theatre. Matinee is $5, Regular is $7. I watched the Barbie movie here and the experience was appropriate for the cost. They have concessions when you first arrive, restrooms, etc. It was a pretty standard layout. Cons: they don't accept Apple Pay, the seating in the theatre gives little to no comfort, and the security man that is in the front is very unfriendly. He has little to no customer service presence and it almost as if he treats people as if they are coming into the building to not pay and watch a free movie. I've been there twice trying to get tickets and walked out both times. He was literally standing over me, asking if there is anything wrong or if I needed help. I had just gotten to the second screen on the kiosk. I just walked away, his energy was not worth it. I ended up going to a bigger theatre, experienced great customer service beginning to end. If you are looking for an inexpensive theatre, this may be the place for you. Personally, I think spending the extra $8-$10 dollars elsewhere is worth getting the full movie experience we all hope for. read more

Glen Art Theatre - You know why I came. 💗 - Cinema Near Me - Glen Ellyn, Illinois

RUDE EMPLOYEES, Movie Theater didn't even dim the lights until 10 minutes after movie started, and when I went to ask them to dim the lights they were rude to me. The walls are super thin so while watching SING SING, you could hear the other movies dialogue loudly bleed into our theater. Rude employees, terrible atmosphere, I wish I could give 0 stars. DO NOT GO HERE! read more

This place was a disaster. It is definitely past its prime. The theater was disgusting and I was scared to set my food down in case a spider crawled into my trashy popcorn( there were no cup holders). Disgusting bathroom disgusting smell,and disgusting seats. DO NOT RECCOMEND!! Look at the photos to save yourself!!!!! read more

Glen Art Theatre - Small theater - Cinema Near Me - Glen Ellyn, Illinois

Glen Art Theater is everything you could want from a small town movie theater: a few screens playing select films (usually all the popular stuff) and offering delicious refreshments with reclining seats. What's not to love? Well, there is just one thing... I come to see a movie as often as I can because I really enjoy the nostalgia of this place. From the ticket booth to the concessions and onward there is just something pleasant about seeing a movie here. Not only have they updated the seating to the (now seemingly industry standard) reclining seats but I've never run into a problem with picture or sound quality. And the staff has never been anything but friendly! The only downside is that I feel like the ticket prices are just a bit too high. However, I get it: it's Glen Ellyn and they are now hosting (assumedly) less movie-goers per showing (with the new, larger seats). If it means keeping this theater around for many years to come then so be it. If you want a quaint movie experience then I urge you to check out this theater. It's fun, down to earth, and will still leave you spending about half what the other theaters are charging these days. Here's to many years of prosperous service, Glen Art Theater! read more

I love this little local theater. You can see new movies for just $5 before 5pm and $7 after. They sell wine and beer plus your typical theater treats (mmmm popcorn). This is a no frills theater so don't expect an IMAX experience. Do expect to have a nice viewing of a current movie in a cute little local gem in downtown Glen Ellyn. This place is perfect to bring kids to for their first movie experience. read more

If you want a classic movie going experience with first run films at reasonable prices you and your family will love The Glen Art in downtown Glen Ellyn. It's a very quaint theatre with comfortable enough seating and sort of a vintage vibe. It's far more interesting to me than a big AMC. The auditoriums are intimate and the audio is very acceptable. I respect the selection of films at Glen Art because there's always something for people of all ages. This is a valuable asset to the Glen Ellyn community. read more

The Glen Art shows both mainstream and independent features. The theatre has excellent digital projection and audio. Seat to screen viewing distance is excellent, especially for an older, subdivided theatre..... AND MATINEES ARE ONLY FIVE DOLLARS ! That's less than half of what you'd pay at AMC ! If you have complaints go waste your money at the megaplex. read more

Old-school theatre in downtown Glen Ellyn; we made the trek over to see a film that wasn't in wide release in the 'burbs. It's a small venue, only 4 theaters, that originally dates back to the 1920s according to their website. Pros: - tickets before 5 pm are only $5 - classic ambiance Cons: - had a distinctly "old" smell. Like, eau de nursing home or something. - it was FREEZING in there. I kept on my coat and had my hands in the pockets during the whole film; considered putting my gloves on as well! Brrrrr! Hope they'll crank up the heat as winter approaches! - film quality was not the best. Don't know if this was due to the equipment or what, but the sound was rather poor (there was also a lot of bleed-through from adjoining theatres), and the "flicker" was very prominent in the film (again, don't know if this was due to the equipment, but not good for photo-sensitive folk) Overall, a vintage theater with classic styling, but don't expect a lot of fancy details. read more

I enjoy coming here, want to support community business but sometimes it's hard. The guys who run the place are crabby, the place really needs updated more comfortable seats and it'd be nice if they served beer and wine like you get at most theaters now. If they don't make some changes it's hard to know how a place like this will survive SMG, AMC etc. all not far away. Come on guys !!! read more

So the coolest part is that there really is a guy selling tickets in the little ticket booth! Nostalgia! We came here because I needed to see a movie that was not main stream released and was too lazy to haul ass to the North side. Glen Art is in the middle of the Glen Elyn downtown. Cute, plenty of street parking available, at least when we went. Popcorn and concession prices not obscene. Movie theater was small but again, this was not a big release movie, no it was not crowded. The screen has definitely seen better days. Floors were not cleaned between shows. Yuck. read more

They're nearly 90 years old but the projection has finally been updated to digital. It's been a while since I've been here and the last time or two before, the film did the classic melt on screen and we got our money back and a free pass... each of us. Tonight's show, "The East" should have made it to all of the theaters but glad I got a chance to see it here. It's a four theatre 200 seat each set up here. I would have liked to have seen the original 1000 seat theatre. Plenty of leg room in the last row... my favorite spot. Seats could use updating and cup holders. read more

Glen Art Theatre - Nearly 90 years old... - Cinema Near Me - Glen Ellyn, Illinois

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This is the first time back at Glen Art in 2 years. While it looks as if it got a paint job, the smell in the theater is just as bad. The toilets have no hooks for your coat. And the seats, lumpy and broken, are just as crappy as ever. Why don't they replace them? I would gladly pay a couple of dollars more to have comfortable seating. Just sat through a 3 hour movie and I could barely walk out of there afterwards. CHANGE THOSE SEATS. read more

It was a theatre that once you stepped through the doors it was like stepping back into time. A good time, a simpler time where the theatre was small and quaint. Sure it is not like the theatres now with the large capacity of reclining seats. It was just perfect for the lovely little main street town of Glen Ellyn. I look forward to meeting up again with my girlfriends to again enjoy a movie. read more

The Glen Art theatre is an old time movie house located in downtown Glen Ellyn. When I say old time, I mean nearly a century old and still in operation. There's a certain charm of walking down a dimly lit hallway into a theater that might have less than 200 seats, many of them seemingly remaining from the Coolidge administration. First let me go over the pluses of this theater. It definitely has a nostalgic charm that can't be found at many other cinemas. It's dark, the seats are old, there's even a small little ticket booth. I can't think of a better venue to watch a black and white movie, the fact that it's so dark, the theater is so small and generally empty creates a feeling of isolation that would be perfect for old time suspense and horror moves. This is also an art theater so they play movies that can otherwise only be found in movie theaters the city. So for many indie flicks, the Glen Art is the only venue in the suburbs. Now, let's go over the downsides. If you're wanting a clean theater look elsewhere, the seats are shot. There's lots of junk all over the floor of the auditorium. The projection is often muddy with lines through the screen, the speakers make very frequent buzzing, hissing and scratching sounds. To say the theater isn't up to par with your average megaplex in terms of picture quality and sound would be a huge understatement. The Glen Art theater is definitely worth visiting if not just for the experience of walking through such an old theater that is still in operation. If you're a fan of independent films you'll eventually find yourself here as their unique selection of movies gives it a near monopoly on certain films in the suburbs. read more

Let me start by saying I wholeheartedly agree that this is the optimum set-up for a theater: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/movie_theater_layout I don't like going to the movies because my urge to kill will most likely reach the red zone. Seems as if no one has any sort of movie going etiquette anymore. I normally go to Hollywood Blvd/Palms because my Dr.'s instructions specifically state: "When around a-holes, consume no less than 3-5 alcoholic beverages" I appreciate this Theater for 3 reasons: 1. Prices are reasonable 2. They show foreign and independent films. 3. The individual theaters themselves are small. This means less a-holes quarantined in one area. There is a downside to the old school charm in that it's.. obviously, old. Stinky, uncomfortable, etc. When we went to see Safety Not Guaranteed there was a glitch in the film reel. We sat in the dark for 20 minutes listening to divorcees crack unfunny jokes about the predicament we were all in. In a horror movie this is where the killing would start... and I almost wished it was because I would've volunteered to go first. After that there was no more problems, the movie was good and I didn't have to stab someone. I would go here again. read more

I love this theatre for its selection of non-mainstream and foreign films, cheap ticket price ($5 matinees) and its location in the cute downtown of Glen Ellyn with good dining options around, right by the Metra station too. It is an old theatre and there is only one person sitting in a booth at the entrance selling tickets. It smells a bit funky inside, some seats are torn and there are no cup holders, but at least you get a lot of leg room with the wide space between rows. Treat yourself to a different movie here! P.S. Catch The Lunchbox if you can. read more

Did you know this was the theater in the movie Lucas? They were going to watch a movie and Lucas and his friend confront the bully but are saved by a young Charlie Sheen! I loved that movie. Anyway. I like the Glen Art Theatre. I agree with many of the other reviewers that say that this theater is showing its age. It's shabby, it's worn, but this one of the few places in the Western Burbs that will show foreign/independent movies. The theater rooms are small and the seating is "weird"--the aisles are uneven is the best way I can explain it. In winter, it gets too hot, so much that I've fallen asleep during the movie (can't help it if I got too warm and toasty--I'm sure it had nothing to do with the movie). But independent movie theaters are now a dying breed, it's nice to see the Glen still around. It needs renovation, but it makes dinner and a movie in downtown Glen Ellyn pretty easy. read more

Your best bet for independent films in the Western suburbs. And cheap! $6.50 a seat, $5 before 5:00. Tip: Show up ON TIME. I don't think I've ever seen a trailer or commercial at the Glen Art, other than on an old-school slideshow prior to the movie. Kind of refreshing, when I'm used to seeing an average of 8 trailers plus a Pepsi ad or two before the management reminds me to turn off my cell phone. read more

Ok, so it's not a movie megaplex, but the inside of the theater I was in was very dumpy. Some of the chairs had the stuffing coming out of them and it was just run down. Now you can't beat the price, $6.50 or $5 for a matinee, but the concessions make up for the cheap tickets. $3.50 for a small soda! Also in line with the smaller theater is the one man show. One guy sells the tickets and one guy runs the entire concession stand. So be prepared to wait (or bring in a bottle of water and snack in your bag). Since it is a smaller theater, so you don't have to be paranoid about letting your kids sit away from you. Also the restrooms are close, so they can go out there without you wondering if they are lost when they don't come back or you can make a quick dash and not miss much. They don't show previews here, just the movie and isn't that nice! read more

I love this old theater dearly, which is why I'm so sad it's fallen into such disrepair. The Glen Art is such a lovely reminder of the past decades, of a more glamorous era when going to the movies was quite an affair. In its day, this theater was so elegant. The interior is still true to the 1920s, when it was built, with some great art-deco details. They've got an old marquee out front (the semi-circular kind that was usually back-lit, on which they'd change out the letters to show which movies were playing), which is cute. The movies change out pretty frequently and the showtimes are a broad selection, so whenever you're free throughout the day you can still find a showtime to fit your schedule. They show a good variety of foreign, indie, and popular/current films, which is nice. It's such a pleasant relief to be able to sit and wait for your show to start without having advertisements pelted at your face. Don't worry - the previews are still there. You can't buy your tickets at the original ticket booth anymore - you have to purchase them at the snacks counter. The tickets are very modestly priced, which I like. The theaters themselves are so nostalgic! They're small, without stadium seating, and provide a great ambiance/atmosphere. It's such a quaint, vintage trade-up for the mega-theaters of today. It's a shame that this place is in such shambles, though. It really needs a little love and a spruce-up. The floors are sticky and need refinishing, the seats seem pretty frail and could use some tightening at least, the lighting is horribly dim (even for a movie theater). I might sound like a fuddy-duddy, but I thought the volume on the previews/movie was a little too loud - but maybe I just have sensitive ears. I go here because it's got movies that aren't playing anywhere else, the prices are incredibly low, I like the ambiance of being in a historical theater (no matter how run-down), and I like to support local, private businesses. I wish people wouldn't avoid this place just because it's so old and not as kept up as some other theaters - it's got so much charm to offer, and there's nothing else like it around. read more

I'm sure we can all agree...a night out at the movies can be quite costly! Two tickets, two drinks, popcorn, candy...whatever. It all adds up. Everyone likes a good ol' dated movie theater once in a while, right? $5 tickets in the afternoon for a new release? That's this place! I was wandering around downtown Glen Ellyn a few weeks ago after dinner and didn't even realize there was a movie theater there. I live a few burbs over so this was new to me. A movie I wanted to see was playing there this past weekend so I decided to go check it out. Afternoon movies are $5 - that also includes new releases! For a 1:40 movie on a Sunday, we had no trouble finding parking right up close on the street. There was no line, we just paid and went in. We stopped for drinks - I will say concessions are typical movie theater prices, $3.50 for a bottle of water. The place is clean, dated...but clean, and smells clean too. The seats are fine, lots of leg room, though it was pretty cold in there. Typically movie theaters are cold but this one was just COLD, almost uncomfortable but...I survived. I'd definitely come back here again to check out a flick. read more

Cozy theater, however, it shows it age and it appears very worn. Movie experience was shabby in all honesty.

Great theatre I thought, tons of room between the seats, it reminded me of the little local theatre I went to growing up. Nothing fancy, but very fulfilling, there's a spiritual richness to these little places that just can't be found at any megaplex. It's kind of like vinyl records verse CD's, take your pick. read more

If you love the big mega movie theaters this isn't your place. If you love the look and feel of a small, old, neighborhood theatre Glen Art is awesome. Yes, it is old. You have to actually touch the sink, soap dispenser and towel holder in the bathroom and GASP you have to physically touch the toilet. There is a faint scent of oldness but they play recent movies and before 5 the price is 5 dollars! You can get a refill on your popcorn for 75cents. The seat are comfortable and I took my coat off which for me is huge as I'm usually freezing. If you want to see a movie and not deal with the hundreds of prepubescents running around the huge ACME 19 on a friday night this is the place. We saw MegaMind (which is a great kid/adult movie by the way) read more

For a local classic movie theatre it's ok. I come here sometimes mainly because I want this theatre to remain viable. The worst issue for me is that screen which doesn't seem well lit. The movies just seem dark. Each time I go there is a hand full of people - maybe because I mostly see second run movies here either earlier in the afternoon or the last showing during the week. I never go on weekends. I think the prices are reasonable and so are the consessions. I love the like old lady that takes tickets. it's in beautiful downtown Glen Ellyn, thereare wonderful restaurants all about, you can take the train there since the commuter Metra train is directly across the street, and for goodness sake it's a local gem. Support your local theatres people!!!! read more

Other than the fact that we went to see Melancholia (and walked out an hour into the movie) and it was terrible (Both the BF and I were sitting there hoping it would get better...afraid that the other was into the movie and of course, neither of us were. When he busted out his phone and started looking at Digg, I knew it was time to roll), the theater is a decent place. Reminiscent of my childhood, it was cool to walk back into this theater after years of AMC and other fancy theaters... I love the atmosphere. The classic theater look is awesome. BUT. The theater is unfortunately getting a little old. While it's great that this old school theater is still around and kicking, I think that some updating could be useful--like the theater chairs (the one I was sitting in wobbled the whole time). In short: Love the theater, but it needs some touch ups. read more

I love that this theater plays art movies that are difficult to find outside of the city. Moving from the city to the suburbs, we were worried we might pine for city culture (i.e. foreign/independent films, theater, fine dining), but the Glen Art Theatre is just one of the many places we've discovered that have made us fall in love with suburbia. That being said, the theater is in need of some updates - the seats are rather uncomfortable, and the carpet a bit shabby. I was a bit distracted during a recent movie by a constant ticking noise that seemed to come from the projection room. Still, I very happily overlook these things for the opportunity of seeing some truly amazing films at a low price! read more

One of my favorite movie theaters. Affordable & friendly, just might want to bring pillow if your tush gets sore. Usually has a great variety of movies. read more

Just an old school theatre. A real mix of movies offered , nice location, always parking close by. Don't expect a new place.. expect a 1970s feel , but once your engaged in your movie the rest fades away. Fair prices as well. read more

Not only are the seats terrible, and the theaters are Dingy and gross, but don't even consider entering this place if you are under 18 and don't have a drivers license. My boyfriend and I (who are both over 18) attempted to see a Rated R movie and I did not bring my ID. The Box Office Worker, Alex, refused to let me in to see this movie. Even after proving to him that I was a college student, that I had graduated high school, and showing him on different social media accounts that I was of age to see this movie, he sternly refused to let me in. I even offered my social security number, but alas, I had no success. Not to mention, this man was extremely disrespectful and stubborn. If you are going to ID someone who is clearly over the age of 18, I expect you to do the same for ALL movie goers. read more

Let me start off with saying I live just a half block away from this place, which is the main attraction for me. This place is great for a small-theater atmosphere. It's nothing fancy, in fact it's fairly old. They have a popcorn and soda stand when you walk in. $7 for a movie isn't bad, but if you like the bog theater feel, this isn't the theater for you. read more

The Glen Art Theater screens independent films. The venue itself is a miserable environment to watch a film. The Glen Art, like many theaters, was carved up into multiple screens some time ago. The actual facility, including the seats, floor, walls, screen, projector and sound system are all noticeably poor. Unfortunately, this significantly detracts from the viewing experience. The low ticket price does not compensate for the loss of venue and equipment quality. I can recommend the Glen Art only to view a film that can't be seen elsewhere. Many indie films that Glen Art screens do fall into that category, so Glen Art manages to limp along. read more

I appreciate that this theater shows movies that other places don't show. We were happy to find The Way, Way Back playing here (excellent movie!). The prices are pretty affordable. We didn't find the people working very friendly and they didn't even say goodbye as we walked out. The popcorn tastes very different than most theaters- maybe heartier corn- but I didn't like it nearly as much as the Classic Cinemas popcorn. The large drink and large popcorn are HUGE- definitely enough to share and to have leftovers. The seats don't have cup holders and aren't the most comfortable but like another reviewer said, the back row has a lot of leg room and that was great. It was a pretty good experience but not our favorite. read more

This theater is a wreck, but I hope it never gets torn down. $5 for a matinee, quaint, charming, and easy to navigate. There are two things I can't stand about most theaters: first is that they hold a small city's worth of people, second is high cost. This theater wont waste too much of your time with previews and ads either. I don't know what they would do with the money. Also, it's stinky and sticky-floored, and without valet parking or a bar. Weeds out the amateurs. read more

Let me start out by saying the $7 ticket to get in was about $4 too expensive. Extremely shaky and off-center picture, with very poor sound quality (not surround sound by any means). This made dialogue very hard to understand. I saw Harry Potter and the whole movie may as well have been in Parseltongue. Also, after we left our movie, a guy from a different theatre came out and told the 16 year old employee that the film had simply stopped running. I swear, their reels must come off the back of a truck or something. read more

Love this Theatre! Located in charming, Downtown Glen Ellyn, with free parking. Ticket prices are $5 before 5:00 p.m. and $7 afterwards. The seats are comfortable - not the recliners the big chains now have. There are an assortment of restaurants in the area and Starbucks is next door. Great ticket prices, ambience and location! read more

I wanted to like this place, I really did. I like the old (albeit tiny) movie theater style, the art-house movies, the foreign stuff. I went there last Friday because it's the only theater in the suburbs showing the particular movie that my friend and I wanted to see - a subtitled Swedish movie. The theater itself is tiny, which isn't bad. The sound was okay, as well. But the picture, my god, the picture. To say that it was "a little shaky" is the understatement of the year. It looked like there was an earthquake in the projection booth. Now if this were a normal movie, it would have been supremely annoying. But this was a movie that required us to read subtitles. When you take that into account, it was almost unwatchable for most of the last half of the movie. If I had to take a completely uneducated guess, they were switching between two projectors: one that shook uncontrollably the entire time, and one that started off kinda blurry but mostly stable and started to shake more and more as the reel continued. I'm sure that not all the movies here will be subjected to these issues, but there is no way that projectors like that should be used EVER. I didn't bother to complain during the movie because I knew I'd be wasting my breath - what would they do, physically switch out the projectors while we waited? All of the other theaters were already showing movies. I emailed management and have not heard back. The fact is that these projectors just shouldn't be there. I wouldn't risk seeing another movie here knowing that there was a possibility that I'd get this theater again. Sorry. read more