Movie Theaters of Rochester Minnesota

Rochester, Minnesota offers events and activitiessimilar features to Chateau, but only contains 12
to its residents and visitors throughout the year.screens. With the closing of Carmike Cinemas'
From parks and hiking to shopping, to catching atheaters, these two enjoined dominance over the
concert at the Mayo Civic Center, there is alwaystheater business in Rochester for three years until
a possibility to stay active. During the cold winter2007 when Wehrenberg Theaters opened the
months, or hot, humid summer days when it canGalaxy 14 Cine. When news of the new theater
be hard to stay active, Rochester can also offercame to Rochester, the two existing theaters
relaxing alternatives, such as going to a movie atstarted talking and formed an agreement that
one of its three movie theaters. The currentplaced both under the management of CineMagic.
locations are spread out around the city, offeringThe two had enjoyed cooperating over the years
residents and visitors a close option no matterand felt it unnecessary to compete when the
where they are staying.third theater opened. With CineMagic's experience,
Although three state-of-the art theaters operatethat company took over.
in Rochester today, the current set up is fairlyThe Galaxy 14 Cine is part of the 100+-year-old
recent. At one time, a national theater chain,company, Wehrenberg Theaters. Wehrenberg is
Carmike Cinemas, owned and operated fourcurrently the oldest family-owned and operated
movie theaters in Rochester, including Apache,theater circuit in the country. The Galaxy 14
Galleria, Barclay Square, and Cinema theaters.came to Rochester offering stadium style seating,
Cinema became known as the "cheap seats," asdigital sound with the latest technology, and
towards the end of its career, it offered olderwall-to-wall screens, including the new
movies at a very reduced price. It was the first"Mega-Screen," which is 65 feet wide and 25 feet
of the four to close. Gradually, the other threetall. This will be the largest screen in the region.
disappeared until in 2004 Carmike Cinemas' era inAnother feature that the Galaxy offers is Fred's
Rochester came to a close with the screensDrive-In, a food court in the lobby resembling a
going dark at Barclay Square 6. During this declinedrive-in theater with seating made from classic
other new theaters started making their mark.50's cars. The building also contains party rooms
Chateau Theater and CineMagic Stadium enteredfor birthday parties, and allows the auditoriums to
the scene.be rented for group or corporate events.
The Chateau was Rochester first "modern"These theaters now offer Rochester with three
theater, opening in December of 2001 andunique movie-going experiences. From the medival
offering 14 wall-to-wall screens, stadium styletheme of Chateau, to the 50's Driving-In at
rocker seating, a large themed lobby, and digitalWehrenberg, residents and visitors can enjoy
sound. The lobby of Chateau is a replica of thefilms at anytime throughout the year. Besides the
medieval village décor of the originalmovies found in most theaters across the
Chateau Theater that was opened in downtowncountry, Rochester also offers a yearly Film
Rochester in 1927. It provided operas, plays,Festival in the early summer, showcasing
concerts, vaudeville, and silent and talking moviesindependent and foreign films from around the
until 1983 when it was closed. The building hasworld. Escaping the winter cold, summer rains, or
since been renovated and converted into asimply catching the latest blockbuster has turned
bookstore.into a one of a kind experience for Rochester
CineMagic Hollywood Luxury Stadium, orMinnesota.
Hollywood 12, opened about six months later with