Reel Mountain Theater in Estes Park shuts its doors

ESTES PARK, Colo. — Reel Mountain Theater in Estes Park closed its doors this week due to advances in technology that allow people to enjoy movies from home.

Reel Mountain Theater opened on May 20th, 1987, as Stanley Village Cinemas.

“I think we opened up with ‘Beverly Hills Cop Two’ and ‘Big,’” said Barbara Pratt, who opened the theater decades ago. “People wanted to line up and see them. You couldn’t get your hands on them before that time. They were not streamed. It was a big deal.”

Pratt said she remembers the day she and her husband opened the theater. They were still vacuuming the floors as people came in. The theater was later passed on a few times, eventually landing in the hands of Jenna MacGregor in 2019. 

“Our first year was great,” MacGregor said. “It was so exciting, and we were so busy, and there were so many great movies coming out, and it was exciting.”

With help from another former owner, she tore down the screen on Thursday that brought so much joy to the community.

“Well, we’re closing because of a change in the way that people do movies,” MacGregor said. “They don’t go and sit together in a big theater any longer and enjoy the thrills together. They stay at home and they watch by themselves. And I find that really sad.”

“I was very, very sad, but I was very grateful for everything,” Pratt said. “It’s emotional.” 

Reel Mountain Theater auctioned off most of what was inside.

“So many things are going to a new home,” MacGregor said. “We know that our chairs are going to Wyoming, to a small independent theater.”

The screen will get a new life too, to bring more incredible memories to more people just like it’s brought to MacGregor.

“I just want people to go back to the movies,” she said. “We just want you to enjoy that feeling of love and, and fear even when you go to a scary movie or you go and, and you can laugh together. We just want people to go back to the movies and be together.”