Do you remember your first time in a movie theater or what film you saw? Maybe you remember the buttery smell of the popcorn, the lights fading as the film starts, and the thrill of sitting in the dark, maybe next to your first date, illuminated by the larger-than-life images on the screen. The potential for romance, adventure, laughter, or tingles down your spine is what makes us return to our local cinemas over and over again.

The Kota Theater first opened its doors to the people of Garrison in 1949, when the lit-up, angular, flat-panel marquee might’ve been promoting films such as Twelve O’Clock High starring Gary Cooper, The Red Pony starring Robert Mitchum and Myrna Loy, or On the Town starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Vera Ellen. With seating installed for 275, there was plenty of room for anyone wanting to be whisked away to Vienna with Joseph Cotton and Orson Welles in The Third Man or to Camelot with Bing Crosby in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.

Today, the Kota Theater is owned and operated by the Sakakawea Area Council for the Arts and is staffed by community volunteers who keep the projector whirring - but don’t expect film to be rolling or getting off track! The Kota may be among the top ten historic theaters in North Dakota, but the cinema is fully digital and offers first-run showings! And it’s not just movies that you can watch here - the theater is also set up for stage performances with lighting and sound systems. So if you’re in the mood for some high-quality entertainment at an affordable price, step right up to the box office for your tickets, and don’t forget the popcorn! After all, it’s still only fifty cents!