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    Riverside Theatre

    5.0 (1 review)
    Closed Closed

    Riverside Theatre Performing Arts Photos

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    5 months ago

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    The Englert Theatre

    The Englert Theatre

    4.6(16 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    The Englert Theatre is an Iowa City treasure…read more I had the pleasure of attending the Nutcracker with my family this past weekend and The Englert Theatre did not disappoint. The theatre is well maintained; it's a cozy space and there isn't a bad seat in the house. Additionally, the staff is passionate and insanely helpful. The Theatre was opened over 100 years ago (1912) by a husband and wife (the Englerts) -- it actually used to be a stable. Mr. Englert passed away in 1920 and it changed ownership (of which ended up running the theatre for 80 years before selling). It almost burned down in 1926 but after a huge amount of fundraising, was rebuilt to its 1920s glory and charm. Eventually, the City of Iowa City was persuaded to purchase the theater and hold it in trust until funds could be raised for a newly formed nonprofit to purchase and renovate the space. In 2004, after an immense amount of fundraising, the Englert returned to the community with its first live performance in over 40 years. Truly, a Downtown Iowa City, gem. The Englert has two huge festivals each year -- Mission Creek and Witching Hour. Beside that you can catch a plethora of different shows throughout the year-- all of which seem to be priced accordingly. I'd probably give this closer to a 4.5 rating, vs 5. I only say that because in my nearly 30 years as an Iowa City resident, I can't say many of the shows have attracted me to attend. Additionally, concessions are limited. I must note: my mother-in-law wasn't insanely thrilled with how handicapped accessible the bathrooms were. (Though there is an elevator and there are wheelchair accessible seating areas on both floors.) Iowa City has a parking problem, so it's not the Englert's fault. I'd recommend the Dubuque Street Parking Ramp. But all in all, how lucky are we to have The Englert live and thrive in Iowa City?

    It's our holiday tradition to have a nice dinner and see the Nutcracker. We had a wonderful time…read morelast night. It was a beautiful night and the Englert sign lights up so nice. The theater has plenty of seating and we always choose to sit on the balcony. They have a variety of refreshments for before and during the show. It was a great show and we are already looking forward to next year!

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    The Englert Theatre
    The Englert Theatre - Old theatre. Fully seated.

    Old theatre. Fully seated.

    The Englert Theatre - Deluxe Bakery Cookies

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    Deluxe Bakery Cookies

    FilmScene - Entry lounge

    FilmScene

    4.7(26 reviews)
    0.0 mi

    What can you say about this gem of a theater but has not already been said? Having worked at movie…read moretheaters throughout college I can tell you that the pressure for the big movie theaters to play the biggest movies that will sell out or bring it the largest crowd is, is immense. Those theaters rarely take any kind of risk with a small movie that may or may not be the next Hollywood blockbuster. Honestly, they really are a blockbuster hit but are often really good movies that have a voice which should be heard. That is where Film Scene comes in. It fills the void created by monstrous movie theaters which are more concerned with the quality of their heated reclining seats as opposed to the quality of the movie. Now, you should know, when you go to see a movie at this theater, do not expect super comfortable seats. There are some good seats in the back of the theater but the closer you get to the screen, the worse they are, so be sure you get there early. The concession stand is reasonably priced with a good selection of candy, decent popcorn, and a wonderful selection of beer. I would also highly recommend the rooftop viewing of any movie they show. It is really awesome up there. Get some tickets, grab some popcorn, twizzlers, a cold beer, and enjoy a really good movie lovingly presented by true film lovers.

    What a gift to Iowa City! Right downtown + an amazing film selection spanning major blockbusters…read moreand independent films. Please check it out!

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    FilmScene
    FilmScene - Small theater!

    Small theater!

    FilmScene - Best of the area 2014!

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    Best of the area 2014!

    Riverside Theatre - theater - Updated May 2026

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