The Grandin Theatre

Fantastic old school theater. The staff were absolutely awesome and very friendly. However for those that have mobility issues such a wheelchair they dont have an elevator so please keep this in mind if the movie you are seeing is upstairs. My wife had to practically take the stairs a step at a time which was exhausting for her but overall it was a great experience and a good movie in a nice small theater. Plus you can't beat the cost!

This theater is SO so neat! Friendly people, and good popcorn. We saw our movie in one of the smaller rooms upstairs but the larger room was open and we peaked in there after our movie. WOW, what a room. Lots of history here, we really enjoyed it. I especially liked the bathroom floor (hence the photo). Highly recommend it.

We love The Grandin Theatre. Always like going here and the nostalgic atmosphere takes me back to my younger days. Staff is super friendly and the venue is clean and inviting. If I could give more than 5 stars, I would!!

Grand old place. Smallish venue but seating is comfortable. Every seat has a good view. Saw a dueling pianos event which was lots of fun!

I was born and raised in Roanoke, VA., and The Grandin has always been a staple as far as a "movie spot" goes. My first time visiting to see a music show at this lovely venue was on 05/16/24 to see a band by the name of "Gangstagrass", and it was freghin' RAD. Great vibes, small, comfortable venue, friendly employees.....just top-notch all the way around. Great job, guys and gals!! 👏🏻 👏🏻

Attended matinee showing of West Side Story on its first Saturday opening. Was astonished that there were no more them 5-6 people in attendance. There were no ticket takers in the lobby, and the concession staff waved us through. Yes, this is an older theatre, so the seats were not as plush, but the ambience is wonderful. Saw no other staff, except at front window and concession. The quality of the projection was great and the surround sound was awsome! Totally enjoyed the movie and the experience! Will definitely return, as this theatre is a monument to movies in Roanoke. So glad it's still around! Added March, 2022: Returned to the Grandin for it's 90th Anniversary Celebration. Free popcorn and other give away momentos were nice. (Posters, mugs etc) Grandin is hosting free classic movies every other Saturday at 10:00am. See an in house flyer or on line promotion for the schedule. Today we saw the 1932 release of Grand Hotel with Garbo, Crawford and the Barrymore brothers. The sound and picture were great, the comfort was adequate, with about 100 in attendance. A relaxing way the start the weekend, with a movie and then lunch at a Grandin neighborhood restaurant. Upcoming classics include On The Waterfront, Rear Window and more interesting pics! Check out the Grandin! 12/10/22 Returned to The Grandin today for a free showing of "Holiday", a 1938 production starring Cary Grant and a young and beautiful Katharine Hepburn. I was only dissappointed when I realized "Holiday" was not a Christmas related movie! Lol! This showing drew a nice size crowd of over 100 patrons. The sound and visual presentation was excellent, the temperature and movie seats were comfortable and the facility was very clean with no "sticky movie floor". Popcorn and beverages were available. Free community offerings of this nature are a real treat for the community. 7/6/23 Saw a special showing of Pulp Fiction, shown to a packed audience. I had forgotten how graphic some scenes were, and seeing on the big screen made it a little jarring! Also forgot how funny it was at times, and this audience was certainly receptive to the humor. The showing was delayed 20 minutes because the lobby was packed with patrons purchasing tickets and concessions. This showing is part of a weekly Summer Blockbuster Series with a special admission price of $6. Photo of the schedule follows.

We just started going to Grandin Theatre for our movies, and I have no desire to switch back. The place is gorgeous and the staff super friendly. It doesn't have assigned seating, but it hasn't been crowded enough for it to matter much. And it's way cleaner than the other local options.

A theater that has been an iconic institution to the Greater Roanoke area for decades !!! In my youth in the summer, the Rocky Horror Picture show would play at Midnight and 2am on Fridays !!! Plus you could sit in the balcony back then too !! Love the addition of the local walk of Fame too !! After our date watching Cyrano Debergerac the other night, I'm just glad my wife and I can still go to a movie in such a great theater !! Staff was great !! We'll will go again !!

We love this place. It's such a great throwback to the good old days. My wife and I have gone to movies, concerts etc. The service is always great and a lot of fun. It beats the mega theaters. We attended the Rocky Horror Picture Show here also. It was a lot of fun. They had a theater group along with the movie. It's a cult classic. It's a can't miss if they have it this fall. The staff upbeat also. Very friendly.

This Historic and Non-profit theatre which opened its doors more than 90 years ago as a local icon in Grandin Village, continues to be the center of attraction of this dynamic neighborhood in the City of Roanoke. Today I decided to go visit and experience first hand the magic behind this theatre that besides showing movies and holding special events, it has and will always be the heart of this community, and as I was able to see and experience for myself offers a unique movie going experience. When I first arrived, I was fascinated with the magnificent restoration of this Historic Art Deco Architectural building. Little did I know that I was about to experience one of the best movie going experiences of a lifetime. For I discovered that a local community movie theatre is more than just a place to go watch a movie and eat popcorn. It is a place to feel the pulse of fervent community in action. At the ticket booth I was greeted by a young lady and asked to go inside to purchase my ticket because her computer was not working as it should. So I proceeded to do so and walked over to the concession stand where a lady greeted me with a warm welcome and not only sold me the ticket but after I asked her about the theatre, she gave me a personal description of key points of its structure as well as other activities that took place here. Among other things she told me about the Art Gallery on the second floor, the different viewing rooms and the two owls located in the main one, and other events and activities that they have year round including the fundraisers. Also, tonight they were having the Rocky Horror Picture Show showcased by the Tolls of Madness Troupe from Virginia Tech. The cast will dress like the ionic characters and encourage audience participation through callback lilines aimed at the screen and throwing various props as called for by the film. Needless to say the two shows for tonight were sold out. What an exciting event here in this community movie theatre in the Star City of Roanoke! One could see the excitement and enthusiasm of all the theatre employees, from the ones behind the concession stand selling the popcorn to the ones finishing putting up some light up the stairs to the second floor as part of the Halloween decorations. Inside the main viewing room I was impressed with natural red brick walls and the two owls. The chairs even though they weren't as reclinable as some of the ones in new modern theatres, they made you feel at home, maybe because they reminded me of the many time I went to my hometown movie theatre before many of them have become extinct due to lack of creative management and competition from the big new modern ones. Last time I went to one of those the room temperature was so hot to the point of being uncomfortable. But here, in this cozy and warm not so little theatre, the air-condition worked just fine and contributed to the excellent movie watching experience. As I was leaving there was a crowd of people outside waiting to come in for the Rocky Horror Picture Show; and I thought to myself: Now I know and have experienced the magic behind the Grandin Theatre and wish everyone who reads my review can do the same.

Best popcorn there is. Wish they were open during the week. Tough parking most times, plan accordingly.

It's an old school theater that does foundation work as well, and they have delicious popcorn too.

Cool Theatre Friendly employées clean fresh popcorn Greattttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt!

Have not been in this theatre for at least 40 years. Just saw the new Indiana Jones movie here and it was awesome. Seating is very comfortable. I am tall so I need lots of leg room and this place has it in every row. Epic sound system! Loved everything about the experience. Everyone should support this grand old theatre and keep it going for years to come!

Nice old fashioned theater charm with updated digital hi-def screens and excellent sound.

A fantastic gem of an independent theatre. During Covid19 times they have special films being shown and open each Friday evening for popcorn and sweets to go. They have the best popcorn, because it is popped fresh daily. The flic selection when open outside of Covid19 times consist of mainstream movies and some classics features. Not as many Art house or independent films as some independents show. The concessions options are nice, in addition to have beverage choices for adults. Enjoy the show!

This was my first visit to this historic theatre. My wife and I wanted to see a movie called Loving Vincent and it was there. This theatre is in a really interesting community and is super cool. This is an old historic theatre and a sign there says it is the only non-profit theatre in the Roanoke area. If you are looking for reclining seats, super expensive sound systems, etc.. this is not the place. But if you want a great little place to see a movie.. this is it. The staff were VERY nice. There were several theatres in the building with two being upstairs. In the upstairs area, they had a seating area and local work by artists displayed and for sale. Lots of original looking walls and beams. We really enjoyed the movie and the theatre! Definitely give this place a try.

Cute, cute, and cute. I guess the whole Grandin Village is cute (please don't get me started on Pop's). We came here during the week on Wonder Woman's last day at the Theatre. A matinee ticket for $7.75 is not terrible and we'd been wanting to come here, and I'm glad we did. We ordered our tickets online and picked them up from the concession (cute, again), and got a small popcorn. After AMC 10, we were just glad they actually had a small at all, and at a decent price ($4.25), too. The theatre was "upper left" upstairs, and there were only two but a beautifully furnished waiting/lounging area complete with bathrooms (cuuuuuute!!). The theatre was compact, a lot more so than we expected, and it actually made for a great cozy, loungeroom atmosphere. Screen and sound were fine, although seats would have started to become a little uncomfortable with more than one showing. Cup holders were attached to the backside of the chairs, which is usual but better than nothing. All the staff seemed to be young and friendly, and we enjoyed the experience. I'd certainly go back.

Love it! Such a good time! Prices are par for the course. I love coming here so much ! :)

It was lovely! $33 1 adult ticket 2 child ticket 1 medium popcorn 1 large drink 1 box of Milk Duds 1 box of Junior Mints

Lovely, old style venue. It was a perfect spot to watch Yesterday and I'd recommend it to anyone in the area.

I was at the theatre last night. My mom and I came to see Downton Abby. We had a wonderful time I felt so welcomed by Connor! He was so polite & professional! The perfect example wonderful customer service!!

Pros: It's a cute theater with a lot of the old charm that I love in the grandin area. The inside is beautiful! !! Cons: The popcorn is stale as crap, It doesn't look like they ever clean, the seats don't have cup holders and trying to have your kids hold their drinks through a whole movie is impossible, I fell on the floor because it's so nasty and covered in candy and popcorn, and the seats were sticky and gross .... Point being, unless someone wants to go there, I stay away. It's pretty, but is gross.

The Grandin has amazing old fashioned character and shows the best movies in Roanoke. Always a great selection of Indie movies as well as some new "regular" releases. My favorite thing that the Grandin shows is the Oscar nominated short films-- a must see! It's a real community movie theatre which also gives locals an opportunity to showcase their work. I just love having dinner at one of the local spots then going to a movie at the Grandin.... In their lobby they have also this huge leather sofa that is the most comfy thing I've ever sat in. Go there and sit in it, you'll know what I mean.

Always charming and affordable. Every single worker is nice and I've never had a bad experience here. My first date with my boyfriend of a year and a half was here and we saw Spider-Man: Homecoming. Everything was perfect and we could actually afford the snacks. This is the first place I check whenever I want to see a movie!

The Grandin is Roanoke's only surviving historic movie theatre, and Roanoke's only real indie theatre. I've been going to the Grandin since I was a kid (Heck, it's been around so long that my grandmother went there as a kid, too) and it's generally the theatre that I hold other small indie theatres against. Thanks to some successful fund raising, The Grandin had major work done on it in the early '00s to save it from age, and renovate it into a more useful space. This is the place in Roanoke to check for movies like Brokeback Mountain, Milk, The Triplets of Belleville... things that you're not likely to find at most big mainstream theatres. My mom loves this place so much that my parents have a little resin statue of it on the buffet in their dining room. Need I say more?

Support local! This theater is awesome. The staff is friendly and kind, the prices are great, and the movie selection(while not as large as the big box theater) is perfect. Nestled in the Grandin Neighborhood make a night perfect with a movie and dinner at Grace's Place with some ice cream from Pops after, it's a perfect date night spot or girls night out!

The Grandin is a quaint indie theater in downtown Roanoke, VA. It not only shows great movies, I saw Milk there, but they also have great events like open projector night where locals can show their own movie shorts on the big screen. By the way, it was the only theater in the area that was showing Milk; goes to show they are a bit more open minded than most other places in the region. I prefer to support smaller theaters like the Grandin over the big commercial theaters. If you're ever in town in Roanoke, Virginia try to find an excuse to go!

The Grandin is the only indie theatre in town. Which isn't saying much. Sorry Roanoke, I have nothin' but love for ya, but your counter culture could use more...culture. Less "Transformers", more "Persepolis". I adored the Grandin in high school when it still showed independent movies. They closed up shop and reopened under new management and that's when everything changed - movies got more mainstream, and family-friendly flicks started showing their family friendly mugs. You can still catch "classics" (Harold and Maude, The Big Lebowski, Goonies) from time to time at midnight and once a month they show local movies. However, it's not the old Grandin. It's still your best option in town when you want to see something thoughtful and not full of boobs and guns, but odds are you won't be seeing any Tarantino retrospectives here anytime soon.

Cool old theatre. We stopped here to see star wars and enjoyed the show. Looks like they're doing some renovations in the lobby. We're out-of-towners, but are always happy to support local, independent theaters. So i would definitely attend films here if we were local. Also see they show classic films in the big screen downstairs so that's another food reason to support these folks. I'm also happy to see some amazing eateries in the immediate vicinity.

I used to go to the Grandin a lot and was recently in town and decided to revisit. It was the worst movie-watching experience I've ever had. The picture quality was atrocious because all of the main theatre lights were left on! (Who leaves the lights on in a movie theatre!?) 30 minutes into the movie, I finally went out to complain to the staff -- something which I have never done before in my life! What do you think the staff at the Grandin did? Did they dim the lights to ensure a quality movie viewing experience? No. They just said, "We always leave them on." I'm sorry-- WHAT? There are certain standards of picture quality which ought to be observed by a movie theatre. I have poor low-contrast vision and I love to go to the movies because in a properly-darkened theatre, the contrast is excellent, but when the ambient lights are left on, the picture becomes washed out. The ambient lights were so bright it was possible to read a book! Worse, when I asked for a refund, I was told no refunds except for technical problems. Does poor picture quality not qualify as a technical problem? I paid more than $8 to spend 30 minutes staring at a barely-visible screen. I did not get to watch the movie, I did not receive any refund, and I'm not sure which gets me angrier: the fact that I was not given a refund which I feel I was entitled to, or the fact that there was a problem in the first place. A movie theatre, of all places, should have some respect for all the work that goes into making motion pictures, particularly since the movie theatre owes all of its profits to that hard work. The Grandin -- a movie theatre with absolutely no respect for movies or movie-goers. They're just milking their status as a historic community symbol. They should be ashamed.

Favorite place to see a movie. Discovered the Grandin in college, and anytime I'm in town I try to catch a movie there. Love it!

I love the Grandin! Friendly staff and fresh pop popcorn. The theater definitely has a historical feel to it with it's posters proclaiming that they are one of the few theaters that haven't been turned into a parking lot. I definitely enjoy my time here and it's so much cheaper than going to a chain theatre. 7.25 for student discount every day! And you can get refill on your drinks whatever size but popcorn refills on large. Support your local theatre!!!

Simply superb. If you're looking to go back in time then this is the place for the you. I love the independent movies, ticket prices are reasonable, popcorn is fresh, cheap and great, oh and free refills on large. I love the support the Grandin receives.

The Grandin Theater is my favorite theater. They play all kinds of movies from popular to documentaries. Since moving to Lynchburg, sadly I don't get the opportunity to come here on a regular basis. Well there was a documentary I was very excited to see and I completely botched the time. The management and staff went way above and beyond to accommodate me by even showing the movie just for me if they didn't sell tickets for two different movies. Unfortunately someone bought a ticket for the other movies. I still hung around for two hours until my movie started. They still wanted to make sure I was happy by offering me a free beer even though it was my mistake. Now that is what I call customer service!! Yes some of the theaters are small but I love the nostalgia and the old time marquee. It is a great place to see a movie. The staff are very friendly and hospitable.

I wanted to watch Moonrise Kingdom and this was the only place in the area showing it. Not a bad theater. The floors weren't sticky and they had cupholders in front of you (as opposed to in the armrests). I didn't try any of their popcorn as I am typically fundamentally opposed to movie theater refreshments. Bottom line: If you're looking for an artsy film, this is probably your only option.

One of the most beautiful theaters (cinema or production play) that I've ever been in. Saw infinity war and it was an amazing atmosphere. Only downside is I wish they had more summer blockbuster options. There's usually just one playing. Still love it and instantly my favorite theater in the Roanoke area.

Saw Lincoln here & it was my first time inside the theater, really cool, historic place to visit and catch a flick, it will definitely be my first choice next time I want a night out at the movies!

It is a really beautiful theater but the sound is not very good. We watched the latest Batman and could not understand Bane. Funny right? We ended up watching it again in another theater a couple weeks later. We bought tickets for a later show and when we showed up there was no one to be found. No concession person and no ticket taker. We walked right in. When we left it was the same way, no one seemed to be working.

Support your local independent theatre! The Grandin has modest but essential food options and even an option for hot tea! They are known for always having a great selection of movies and hosting independent films. The theatre is old, well maintained, interesting, and has a great atmosphere.

I love the Grandin. They play an eclectic selection of movies ranging from local to independent to mainstream to classics. Your wallet (or purse, or man-purse, or whatever entity you use to carry cash) won't be completely drained at the end of the evening as the price of both entrance and 'food' is below that of the Roanoke chain theaters. The interior decor is also quite unique; should you find the movie to be less than interesting, the mind can be occupied by glancing at the decorations. From my perspective, this is the preferred theater in Roanoke with the only downside being the somewhat scant number of movie options on a given night.

Wanted to thank management for placing Saving Mr. Banks in the main theatre. My friend and I went,yesterday and the film and location (the Grandin) brought back good memories of my Disney films I saw there as a kid and older. I live on Bluemont ,near the manager of the theatre.

The Grandin is one of 2 indie theaters in Roanoke (the other one would be the Cinema Cafe...but that's more of a discount theater). Restored within the last 6 years, the Grandin is where you go if you want to see something foreign, something small, something disturbing, or something depicting that crazy thing called "real life." They'll get a blockbuster or 2 to make a buck (Harry Potter), but I only wish the best for them since they can't make much from the indies they show normally. The Grandin hosts old movies (sponsored by Brandon Oaks Retirement Center if I do remember correctly) for $2 one Saturday morning a month, kids movies one saturday morning, and midnight movies when the time of year strikes them to do so. The care that goes into this theater makes it so much a part of the community that if it were to close for good, Roanoke would lose a part of its soul. Consolidated Theaters (the theater over at the mall) is just that...faceless, cold, and jammed to the brim with technology. See Star Wars at Consolidated Theaters if you want your body to vibrate, see everything else at the Grandin and feel as though you are actually a part of Roanoke.

Just finished a weekend of movies at The Grandin...caught 3 movies that have limited distribution. It was wonderful as always!

Although the original theatre has been chopped up into many screens, the place has not lost its ambiance. Its in the Grandin Village neighborhood with shops, restaurants bar next to it. I think having so many businesses closeby really helps the theatre. They have a small cafe there and the seats are comfortable and the people well behaved. Worth an evening.

It is a little bit cheaper than the other theaters, the employees are friendly, the building is beautiful. All great reasons to watch a film here. I love that, for better or worse, they play movies that your main line theaters won't even touch. Come out here for something different.

I have always loved the Grandin Theatre because of it's charm and because of it's unique qualities. It is unlike most other movie experiences and must be experienced at least once!

Love this place, but the popcorn is always stale! They show Indie movies that the other theatres don't.

The Grandin is not disabled-friendly, owing to its age: no elevator to second-floor screening room, no floor-level lighting in tight spots. I am visually impaired -- not blind-- and I dare got go there by myself, and I always take a small flashlight. Btw, I bought a sidewalk star @ $1,000 during renovation fundraising, so I'm not a hater, but a fan. Hope I don't fall and get hurt.

This place is gross. Seats are not clean and the popcorn is nasty. The floors are gross too and the carpets have stains all over. How do you expect people to come back here? Seriously, I went there because this is an historic place but whoever runs it, does not know what the heck their doing