Senate Theatre — Local services in Elsberry

SIMPLY A GEM since 1905 (I think that is the correct year… I need to verify. It is also the oldest theater still in operation in Missouri and possibly the entire USA.) We’ve been dying to go to The Senate movie theater since we moved to Elsberry a few months ago. The Senate offers free matinee movies for kids on Saturday mornings through the summer. We finally had time to go and thought this was a perfect opportunity to check it out with our grandkids. I didn’t know what to expect and was seriously surprised at how darling it is inside. I actually met the owner outside as we were waiting for the kids. What a great gentleman! Super sweet and engaging! Inside we met more family at the concession stand who were so gracious. I was curious how cool it would be inside since the building is old and it’s been so hot outside. The a/c works great! The seats were comfy with cup holders. The bathroom clean and cute. And when you walk inside the theater into the little lobby with the concession stand, you feel like you’re in Mayberry. Very nostalgic. The Senate runs current movies and my husband and I are excited to find such a fun place to go watch a movie in the adorable town of Elsberry. It’s worth the short drive from the St Charles/St Louis vicinity. It’s a beautiful drive up Hwy 79 to Elsberry! It feels like a little visit back to the good ol’ days when you step...

What a gem! This historic theater has been on our list to check out for quite a while and we are so glad we did. Not only is the outside reminiscent of yesteryear, the inside is beautifully preserved / decorated. We saw a current film but it would be so fun to check out a vintage one in this unique setting. A few things to note, the seating is not graduated so all guests sit on an even plane. The seat backs are also quite high, and we were initially concerned that our small boys would not be able to see the screen. We noticed they had a solution for this! Booster seats for kids! Such a great idea to allow smaller guests to enjoy the theater without removing the charm of the original style seats. Another thing to note, is this is a cash-only business. Luckily we saw this in a Facebook post but I missed it on Google maps. No problem at all, just mentioning in case someone happens to stumble upon this review before heading over. The only thing we found disappointing was unfortunately other guests letting their toddlers run up and down the center aisle. It was very distracting and ruined the ambiance. Definitely check out this historic landmark and everything else the growing down town of Elsberry has to offer!

Promoted while we were there was the option to rent out the entire theater for groups, parties,...

Just went and watched Sing here. This place was such an amazing theatre. It is ran by some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. It was one of my favorite experiences I’ve had at the movies!! My favorite things about tonight are, the prices are unbeatable by so so far, the service was amazing, the chairs were some of the most comfortable I’ve ever sat in at a movie, and the whole feel of the building itself was unbelievable. Started in 1911 and still putting on incredible shows. I want to thank you guys so much for a...