There are important locations in your life, that when they change you might be the only one that truly misses them. While I doubt that will be there case with this post (you’re here after all), this happened with me finding out about it far after it happened.

The Picture Show at Altamonte has closed after decades of entertaining the Seminole County community.

First movie, I saw there? Lethal Weapon 3 in 1992.

Back then, it was an AMC theater at war with the Altamonte Renaissance across the street. I did double features at Picture Show, and between the two theaters for years.

In the 90s, I saw Dumb and Dumber, Jerry Maguire, From Dusk til Dawn, and my legendary midnight screening of Seven there.

It was a spectacular place to watch movies in your childhood.

In the two thousands it was dwarfed by the multiplex that ate it’s former competition, but the Picture Show eventually became a dollar theater. A true gift at the time, because none were left in the area, and all families deserve an afternoon at the movies from time to time, even if they can’t afford a $15 dollar ticket.

The 2010s saw the slow continued decline of audiences. but it was still a well attended location. The age was beginning to show. It was after all, only a 6 theater location. The upholstery began to swell. The imperfections in the screen showed. Lighting in the theater before and during the film was an adventure.

When the 2020s rolled around, you could feel that the end was near. Streaming is what you could say actually killed the theater. As a dollar, second run location, streaming would often have the movies before they did. But it was also a luxury to still watch the movie on the big screen if you loved it. And the movie would also get indie hits that you could watch for 14 dollars less than the big theater across the street. Still, the audiences declined sharply. Watching a movie alone wasn’t unusual for a matineee in the final days.

But my goodness, did I love going to that theater. Every time from the first time to the last time in a span of 30 years. I will never forget it

And I’m just so happy it was in my life.