AMC Fresh Meadows 7

This large theatre, which sits along the Long Island Expressway, began its life on November 23, 1949. It was a giant 2,184-seat suburban movie palace serving a 3,000-family, middle income housing project in Fresh Meadows, Queens, New York.

It was constructed by the firm of Voorhies, Walker, Foley & Smith and was built for Century Circuit Inc. which had the automobile in mind when it constructed an adjoining parking lot with space for 1,000 cars.

The theatre itself contained an enormous auditorium with a balcony, a large lobby and foyer, and a lounge in the theatre’s mezzanine.

The modern opulence of the Meadows, and its late-1940’s stylings, have been lost over the years, beginning on March 16, 1979 when it was twinned. As the former Century Theatres movie house has slowly morphed into a seven-screen multiplex operated by Cineplex Odeon on May 27, 1988.

Now operated by AMC Theatres, the ghost of its former operators, Cineplex Odeon, can still be seen in the theatre’s marquee.

The AMC Loews Fresh Meadows 7, became known as AMC Fresh Meadows 7 is located near a five-screen Loews theatre on the other side of the Long Island Expressway that recently closed. In the fall of 2019, following the installation of larger seats, the total seating capacity has been reduced to 652.

Recent comments (view all 174 comments)

Comfortably Cool on September 29, 2019 at 3:04 pm

The largest single-screen cinema built in the NYC borough of Queens after the end of WW2 will be 70 years old in November of this year. Many photos taken by patrons of the current multiplex can be viewed here

ridethectrain on November 8, 2019 at 8:48 am

Seating capacity 1. 62 2. 74 3. 84 4. 123 (IMAX) 5. 94 6. 100 7. 96 Total seats 633 Please update total seat count

robboehm on November 8, 2019 at 3:11 pm

Far cry from the 2,200 it started life with.

Comfortably Cool on November 8, 2019 at 8:44 pm

Even with its original 2,200 seats, it was hardly “giant” sized or even a “movie palace” in the sense of grandiose cinemas built in the 1920s into the early 1930s. And the free parking facilities were shared with the entire shopping complex, and not restricted to theatre patrons.

robboehm on November 8, 2019 at 10:44 pm

2,200 for a single screen theater built on Long Island after World War II was a big thing. A number of Hollywood stars were there for the opening. I remember seeing the newsreel of the opening that Century showed in it’s theaters after the event.

ridethectrain on November 8, 2019 at 10:46 pm

The seat reduction was in either 2013 or 2014, that was one of AMC Recliner theatres.

robboehm on March 16, 2021 at 5:01 pm

Uploaded cover from Box Office Magazine showing the opening of Century’s Meadows as the lead story.

ridethectrain on March 16, 2021 at 9:27 pm

add previous operator RKO Century Warner

ridethectrain on June 12, 2021 at 8:38 pm

Please update, became a twin on March 16, 1979. Grand opening ad in photos section

Michael R. Rambo Jr. on October 27, 2024 at 1:44 am

From what I counted on the Fandango and AMC apps for the seating, here is what I got: Theatre #1: 62; Theatre #2: 74; Theatre #3: 84; Theatre #4 (IMAX at AMC,): 127; Theatre #5: 98; Theatre #6: 106; Theatre #7: 101. Total: 652