The Artcraft Theater is not like any other theater in Indiana. By keeping an old fashioned theme, it gives customers a unique experience.

“It’s more than a movie and more of an event. You can see a classic movie in a classic theater, and there’s so few left. To have one in such good shape is like stepping back in time,” Mr. Rob Shilts, manager, said.

The unconventional atmosphere brings in the crowd.

“They still keep it looking original; it’s still a one screen theater, and when you walk in, you feel like you are back in the ‘50s,” junior Karoline Smith said.

Tickets are $3 to $5, depending on age, but the tickets are not the only items available at the door.

“One of the things that’s different is you walk in, and with every ticket you have, you get a chance to win a fabulous prize. We give out prizes related to the movie in a funny way and also to the person who has traveled the farthest,” Mr. Shilts said.

For example when showing the movie a Christmas Story, one of the gifts the theater hands out is a bar of soap.

Some customers enjoy the atmosphere even after the showing is over.

“Most theaters are built so they can get you in to see the movie and out,” Mr. Shilts said. “Here, it’s built for people to stick around and talk about the movie. If someone screams up front, it goes through the theater like the wave. I think most people in other theaters are scared to do that; here it’s like one big family.”

The atmosphere of the theater is not the only thing that attracts the customers, but it is the many things that happen outside of the theater.

“Whatever movie that’s playing, they have the characters outside and you can take pictures with them,” freshman Casey Despain said.

The mainstream theaters have to show blockbuster movies, but the Artcraft Theater’s audience chooses what they want to see.

“We have a film committee that picks the movies, and it’s also based on the audience request,” Mr. Shilts said. “We have contracts with eight major studios where we get our films.” Some of the films that have been shown are Scrooge, Home Alone, Tootsie, E.T., and more.

The theatre always shows different movies, but every year there is one classic film that is shown around Christmas time.

“The only movie we show every year is The Christmas Story,” Mr. Shilts said. “It’s a 1940 film that fits with the era of the theater.”