Where Did You Used To See Movies?

Article by Ben Shlesinger

In 2020 there were almost 5,800 movie theaters and drive-ins across the country. Just 15 years earlier though, there were more than 7,700 of these cinema sites. As populations grow and moviegoing habits change, the number of theaters continues to decline.

For those who have lived in Montgomery County for a while, you can see how development has changed once old theaters into new office buildings, grocery stores, shops and more. And for some, nothing has replaced them yet, like White Flint. In rare cases, new ones pop up in redevelopments, like iPic at Pike and Rose.

Living in Rockville for the first 32 years of my life before moving to Wheaton/Silver Spring a decade ago, I have seen the area evolve. One thing I have always remembered is where I used to go see movies as a kid, and that the buildings are now something else. I of course went to the Cineplex Odeon in Bethesda and the old school Montgomery Mall movie theaters but from a historical standpoint, I’m always interested in former movie houses. I remember seeing Free Willy in 1993 at the movie theater in Congressional Plaza that is now Fresh Market. I also vividly can recollect watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988 at the theater off Boiling Brook Parkway in Rockville, which is now a Goodwill Store.

What movies did you see at former theaters and what are those theaters now?