The Historic Artcraft Theatre — Attraction in Franklin

This is my review of the historical Artcraft Theatre in downtown, Franklin, IN, about 20 minutes away from Greenwood, IN.

The facade/outside of the theatre is gorgeous, with color bright red, white, and yellow lights. They did a wonderful job renovating this older theater and making it look like new. The outside has almost an Indiana State Fair Midway amusement ride-like feel to it, but it is done in a classy and beautiful manner. Also has an old Roaring 20's Broadway feel to it as well.

The inside is bright and colorful, and staffed well with what seems like primarily high school to college kids, with some older adults as well. They even sell clothing merchandise if you are a fan of the Artcraft. Going inside the movie theater, you feel like you are in the 80's, with the retro looking popsicle lights on the walls and original posters for "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" hanging on the walls. It definitely feels retro inside.

Before the screening of the movie, the general owner/manager of the theatre comes out and talks about shows to come, the turning off of all electronic devices, and other things.

He leaves and they screen a short little comical film from the 30's or 40's that is like Looney Tunes that is silly, and makes one laugh.

Then everyone in the audience is asked to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, as the national anthem is played. A surprising twist, but I have no issue with a little patriotism.

Then the movie you came to see begins. The film quality is not bad, but you can definitely tell it is not high definition, like what you would expect at a movie theater. If I were to compare it to a format, it would be 480p as compared to 720p or 1080p definition.

Movie ticket prices are really cheap- most of the time it is $5 and sometimes $10 for special events. Concessions are VERY reasonable- when I went a medium tub of popcorn was $4 and a large was $6, and you got unlimited refills. So concessions are refreshingly cheap compared to what you would receive at a movie theater.

All and all, I give this place a 9.5/10. The only real improvement they can do is to somehow increase the resolution of some of their films to higher definition. But an outstanding venue to watch old movies, cheap concessions, and accommodations. For the atmosphere, you pay very little. Great place for a cheap date or movie night with someone...

This vintage small-town theatre is run entirely by volunteers, and you can feel the pride and affection the moment you walk inside! Everyone loves the Artcraft, and with good reason.

The Artcraft was built in 1922 as a combination silent film theatre/Vaudeville house and served as Franklin's entertainment center through much of the 20th century. After many decades it fell into disrepair, but through the work of Franklin Heritage, Inc., it was saved from demolition. It has now been restored to its late-1930s renovation appearance, with new mirrors and tile, reconstructed Art Deco wall murals, and restored neon. The theatre auditorium has 625 seats, with a full stage and a modest orchestra pit in addition to the movie screen. Modern dressing rooms and green room space are located in an attached historic house. (The original dressing rooms beneath the stage are now primarily used for storage, but can be viewed on tours.)

Now a classic movie house, the Artcraft screens vintage films and cartoons to raise money for the theatre's ongoing restoration. Live events such as lectures, concerts and plays also grace the stage. Evening showings in the regular film series are preceded by skits, prize drawings, and a short subject. It's always a fun and unique experience!

The Artcraft is also home to the world's best theatre popcorn, grown 5 miles from the theatre at Norton Grain Farms and popped fresh right in front of you. It will spoil you for all other...

The Historic Artcraft Theater was amazing. We went to watch a movie on a Friday night, but what we got was an amazing experience.

We arrived about 30 minutes early and there were plenty of seats left; it's a very large theater. Something we noticed nearly immediately was that the leg room was ample! It was enough that I could relax and people could pass through without issue! By the time the experience started, the theater was less than 1\2 full, so there was plenty of room for comfort.

Instead of pre-roll video advertisements, the theater did an introduction of some of the staff\volunteers, found out who was from the furthest away, had a raffle, and even showed an old Daffy Duck cartoon! The prizes were curated by a local volunteer and were related to the movie; it was pretty awesome.

An interesting throwback to yesteryear was the singing of the National Anthem before the main picture. The theater requested that we stand and sing, but I noticed plenty of people just standing and a handful of people that stayed seated; they were not harassed.

The theater itself has good sound quality, a good screen, and a good projector. The parking across the street was full, but there was plenty of close, free, street parking available. There was more than enough room to navigate around other guests. The building was kept tidy and...