posted by Michael Zoldessy on July 19, 2012 at 3:47 pm

WILDWOOD, NJ — The iconic small theater on the Wildwood, NJ Pacific Avenue strip is up for sale. The Sea Theater, possibly the last nickelodeon built in the United States, has suspended its film program for this summer, making it impossible to see a film on this island — leaving Wildwood without a single motion picture theater.

The Sea Theater was well known for its unique cinematic fare. It played first-run blockbusters with a mixture of avant-garde, retro and classics. It showed films that were exclusively featured on its screen and brought back some old-fashioned showmanship to its patrons.

This theater, catering to a broad band of visitors, never lost sight of its community responsibilities. It played host and eventually home to Cinema Club NJ, featured special films for schools to firefighters, and held one-of-a-kind silent-film festivals with special equipment, film and emcee from the West Coast. And nowhere else would one be able to find a concession stand with Jersey fresh apple cider, Polish candies, and fresh sweet South Jersey butter on freshly popped popcorn.

Visitors were impressed with the Cinema boutique. It made available to anyone antique crystal champagne glasses from the silent era, the famous Hollywood Codes of Ethics, rare books and memorabilia about the industry.

“All this was extremely fun,” say Philadelphians Dr. Taras and Alexandra Penkalskyj, who rebuilt and recreated the Sea Theater to its guilded past. “This was truly a family project, which involved my wife, children, parents, family, and a wide group of friends and good people, but for personal and health reasons I have to give it up, far from realizing the theater’s potential.”

Bids for the Sea Theater will be entertained starting mid-July. Serious inquiries will be accepted at 609-827-6357.

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Contact: Taras Penkalskyj, 609-827-6357 or .

Theaters in this post

• Old Movies by The Sea