Columbia (WACH)- Columbia's Nickelodeon Theatre has been a mainstay on the 900 block of Main Street for the last three decades, but the storefront cinema is on the move. It’s heading just up the street to the Fox Theatre building at the corner of Main and Taylor streets. The new location will house the Nicks quaint historic style.
Executive director, Larry Hembree says, "What our staff wants to do is create a film culture and you gotta have a building to do it and this is the building."
Early Monday crews start taking out hundreds of the Fox Theatres original chairs. The demolition is revealing several pieces of history including a popcorn machine likely used during the first years of the theatre which opened in 1962. The renovation is also helping to stimulate the growth of the arts on Main Street.
"We've been sitting here for 5 years by ourselves and now we have all these friends and family all of the sudden," says Hembree.
The move gives the non-profit nick almost 260 seats and two theatres for viewing; right now they have only 75 seats for patrons. Hembree says it will be at least a year before the new Nick is up and running. But he has already decided on the debut film.
"I really want it to be Cinema Paradiso. It's an Italian film about an old movie theatre and every time someone comes in here they say this reminds me of Cinema Paradiso"
The Nickelodeon Theatre will be open seven days a week. They have raised sixty percent of the funds they need for the project. Visit the Nickelodeon Theatre’s website if you would like to help out.
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