The Historic Artcraft Theatre

SMILES all around of huge volunteer group passing out complimentary tickets for today, popcorn donated by local farm and soda pop! Everyone was so welcoming, Franklin looks like a very nice to live.Rio Bravo was John Wayne flick that was shown, very entertaining with many laughs thanks to Walter Brennan.Thank you Franklin, IN~~~for a great day with my handsome husband.FREE, easy parking also~~~the gifts keep coming

In Franklin, old restored awesome Theater! Great movies and good popcorn, most still shown on 35 mm film! Just a great place to see the old classics.

A little odd that they still say the pledge of allegiance before a movie plays, but it's a great local theatre with affordable prices and fun events throughout the year. When I think of a hallmark movie theatre, I think of this place.

We love this theater! Seats, pint and carpet are old but the films never looked so good. You come to The Historic Artcraft Theater for the nostalgia, the flickering projector, reasonably priced snacks and old movies. If you are looking for flash, you will be disappointed but if you are looking for a place where the movies of yesteryear still stir a crowd and an usher help you to your seat, you will fall in love!

We love going to this theater! Not only is it historic and this worthy of being a tradition and cherished, but they have fabulously fun older movies and invest in the community.We went to see the movie Elf (a holiday favorite) so had to buy tickets ahead of time, but normally you can buy them day of with no problems. We had ours at will call which was super fast and easy. Plus it isn't that expensive for the experience, which was also nice.Once you enter there are concessions to the left in a squished historic kind of way but then you walk into the main space and either go left or right to lead into the theater. The seats are the older ones (no recliners here) but it allows for a throw back kind of fun experience. The popcorn is delicious and comes from a local producer in Franklin, amazing!Another fun aspect is they have a cartoon before the main show as well as having everyone stand for the playing of the national anthem. Very moving actually as several older veterans were present.The show was fun and the atmosphere made me want to come back soon for another 'classic' film. A landmark for sure!They also feature a matinee during the week that is free for older patrons, which is a great blessing to the community. How cool!We already have mapped out our next visit!

This place is pretty cool and has been a theater for 100 years. The community supports the theater by encouraging people to sponsor movie nights. There is an annual event where you check out the list of movies that they have and then you can bid on being a sponsor for a specific movie. I was there for an Elvis movie so the highlights of the evening were watching the crowd know what to say during different parts of the introduction. Yes a man comes on stage greets the audience and names the sponsors for the evening. This particular evening a girl was celebrating her 13th birthday so the entire place sang happy birthday. Keep your ticket handy because the do a raffle of prizes from random to cool. To start the movie every one stands for to sing the national anthem. This place is was a step back in time in a good way and I would definitely recommend visiting. Look in advance to see when they are playing a old movie you love or pop up randomly.

We visited here for a showing of Elf a few weeks ago. It was an afternoon showing but it was still a near-sellout. Though we watch this movie every year at home it was fun to watch with an audience. Many people were singing along near the end. It seemed like some kids were watching for the first time. The Artcraft relies on volunteers for staff and they do an excellent job. They only have one screen, like most old theaters, but it can seat over 700. This is quite a different experience from a 50 seat shoebox at the local multiplex. Before the movie the Star Spangled Banner was played, then a short cartoon (Duck Dodgers). Little touches like this gave it an old fashioned charm. We did not have drinks but the popcorn is excellent. It's from a Franklin farm. I'm looking forward to going again.

As I approached my 1,000th Yelp review, I knew that I wanted to tackle a special review to mark the occasion. When I got an invite to a friend's birthday party at The Historic Artcraft Theatre's Cottage, I knew I had my plan in place. The Historic Artcraft Theatre allows me to mark my 1,000th review in a way that touches upon several areas of my life. First, it is a Yelp review. Secondly, it is a cinema and I'm a film critic. Third, I was celebrating the birthday of a friend and a co-worker for my full-time gig. Finally, the theatre also plays host to Heartland International Film Festival events throughout the year and I'm heavily involved in Heartland. So, with a birthday party to attend at 4pm I made plans to head down to Franklin, Indiana earlier to enjoy lunch at a nearby restaurant and I decided to catch a film as the theatre is slowly opening up after a year of pandemic-influenced moviegoing (or mostly not going to movies). The Artcraft Theatre is the marquee project of Franklin Heritage, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization that has practically written the textbook on how to renew a historic theatre and give it new life. The Artcraft Theatre is a 625-seat single-theatre cinema that has been open on Franklin's town square since 1922. It was built, and remains, in an art deco style. It was originally used for Vaudeville and silent movies. It was one of the first in the area to offer "cool air" and operated continuously for 75 years until shutting down due to the growth of multiplexes. The building features a full stage and an orchestra pit. The theatre had renovations in both 1936 and 1948. Franklin Heritage, Inc. purchased the building in 2004 and launched a $500,000 campaign to renovate the building. They continue to have a campaign going on to improve the seating in the theatre. The theatre hosts bi-weekly screenings of classic films at great prices (the highest price being $6). In 2015, Midwest Living chose it as one of the 4 Favorite Restores Small-Town Cinemas. Despite my familiarity with the theatre, I'd never been to it before today. I fell in love with it, though it's fair to say that wheelchair accessibility is not its strong suit. They've tried - even installing a single user accessible bathroom on the main floor - but there's only so much that can be done in a theatre this old. The doorways are wide enough. There's a second level that is obviously not accessible. There's an incline that's surprisingly steep into the auditorium - there are spots for chairs, though the auditorium slant means you'll want to use brakes (or sit in a theatre seat). Movies here are primarily 35mm. They showed a cartoon before today's screening of "Dr. Strangelove (Or How I Learned to Love the Bomb)." They are still currently limiting capacity to 30% and masks are required/social distancing expected. While Johnson County does not have a mask mandate, it seems like most places are at least recommending masks. It seems like it's mostly staffed by volunteers who are super friendly. You get a program as you go into the screening. I love that. They do offer concessions, though I didn't get any. I did use the accessible restroom and it's quite well done. They offer memberships with quite a few perks. Oh, and the traditional marquee is still there. The Artcraft Cottage is a former residential house behind the theater that you can rent for special events (like today's birthday party). You can also rent the theatre and they also have a handful of films where you can rent the theatre and do a private screening. They did play the national anthem prior to the screening - I wasn't sure if that was due to the film or a regular happening. If you look on their website, they even have some Zoom backgrounds you can use. They have a senior movie series and do other special screenings throughout the year. Sponsoring events, chairs, screenings, and other items is surprisingly affordable. As a community, Franklin has really embraced the Artcraft and despite the challenges of 2020 it has continued to survive. Franklin is only about 30 minutes south of Indianapolis. There's lots to do in Johnson County and a visit to Artcraft Theatre definitely needs to be on the schedule. It was the perfect place to visit for my 1,000th Yelp review!

Wow, talk about taking a step back in time. The moment I laid eyes on this theater I was in love. Tickets were $6 a piece and popcorn/pop varied between 3-5$. We saw a black and white film from 1962 and it was phenomenal. Before the movie started they played the star spangled banner then a short cartoon. The theater is beautiful in every way and staff was amazing. I can't wait to go back to see another film sometime. Perfect date night spot!

This restored theater is not only beautiful inside and out, but going to see a show is a fun experience. Before each movie, there are a few drawings with prizes, the National Anthem is played and you get to watch an old school cartoon. It's a delight! I encourage you to check it out and become a supporter of this historic theater.