CANYON CITY – Visitors to Grant County no longer have to travel far to get to get their popcorn and a movie. The Grantville Theater at the Canyon City Community Hall had its start in the fall of 2007 and has proven to be a popular entertainment venue for children, teens and adults.

Operated through a committee appointed by the city council, the movie house is open every other Saturday for a matinee at 2 p.m. and an evening show at 7 p.m. Shows cost $1 per person to pay for utilities, and refreshments are offered for sale with all the proceeds going toward operating costs and improvements to the building.

The theater, located in the main room upstairs, sports 100 comfortable movie seats, surround-sound speakers, and the shows are seen on a white wall, using a DVD projector. Newly released DVDs are generally shown – the committee works together to decide what will be shown.

If walls could talk, the community hall would have many a tale to tell. The hall, located at 131 S. Washington St., was built about 1937 and was used by groups such as the Masons, Eastern Star, Odd Fellows and Daughters of the Nile over the years.

The lower portion of the building is currently used for concerts, weddings, dances and other activities.

Movie licensing requirements prevent the committee from advertising the movie titles by newspaper or radio, so to learn which movie is coming up, visitors may drive by the theater to see the announcement or they may contact City Hall at 575-0509.

Anyone interested in renting the building may call the same number for more information.