Cleveland's Only Downtown Movie Theater Tower City Cinemas Closes Its Doors
By Ginny Reese
August 31, 2020
The last remaining movie theater in Cleveland, Tower City Cinemas, has closed its doors for good.
The theater has been open since 1990 and owned by Cleveland Cinemas since 1998. It closed at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic six months ago when many business were ordered to close to slow the spread of COVID-19. It is now shutting down permanently after the building's lease has expired.
Cleveland Cinemas, Jon Forman, said in a release, "While Tower City Cinemas has been closed since March due to the on-going health crisis, with the lease expiring, a decision was made to not reopen the theater. Our management team and staff have done an incredible job during the 20+ years we've operated this theater. We remain committed to move-goers in Cleveland and look forward to serving our Tower City patrons at our other cinemas."
Cleveland Cinemas has reopened two of its locations across the city amid the pandemic: the Cedar Lee in Cleveland Heights and Chagrin Cinemas in Chagrin Falls. However, Capitol Theatre remains closed at this time.
Tower City Cinemas was the home of the Cleveland International Film Festival from 1991 to 2019.
Photo Credit: Getty