Is It Time To Say Goodbye To Wyoming’s Movie Theaters?

Are movie theaters in Wyoming a thing of the past?

According to a recent study by Octane Seating, it could be.

I remember, as a kid, a long time ago, going to the movies was a big deal. The movie theater is where we discovered our favorite odd candy, popcorn, and drink combo, which many of us still enjoy as adults. Many first dates, first kisses, and first social experiences happened.

The pandemic in 2020 changed the way many people watched movies.

Theaters have been declining since 2002

1.5 billion movie tickets were sold in the US and Canada. In 2023, that number was cut nearly in half. In 2002, moviegoers flocked to theaters to see films that changed the movie industry. Many will say that Spiderman kicked off the record-setting era of Superhero movies.

The big movies of 2002

• Spiderman
• The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers
• Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Men in Black II
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding
• Minority Report
• Ice Age
• Die Another Day

Why don't we go to the theater as much?

Why pay all that money to go to the theater when you can sit on your couch, purchase the snacks you want cheaper, and not feel embarrassed about getting up in the middle of the movie because you drank your entire 32-ounce soda before the first scene was over?

For many Wyomingites, it's been a while since we've been in a movie theater to see a flick. The study shows that 78% prefer to watch movies in the comfort of their own homes, but 72% say that if the prices of tickets and concessions weren't so expensive, they would attend.

Here are all of the movie theaters around Wyoming.

At the national level, only 1% of people polled said they attend movie theaters regularly.

For me, it's been well over two years, but because of that movie theater combo I discovered as a kid, I still swing into the theater to buy movie theater popcorn.

When was your last movie theater trip, and what did you see?