Buffalo Grove Theater
120 McHenry Road,
Buffalo Grove,
IL
60089
120 McHenry Road,
Buffalo Grove,
IL
60089
3 people
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This theater closed in March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic and never reopened. In July 2022, it announced that the strip mall was being demolished and the theater was looking for another location.
Buffalo Grove, IL: Mall Demolition Plans Mark the End of the Buffalo Grove Theater [Jul 18, 2022]
The theater’s owner has launched a fundraising drive to raise the funds to convert to digital projection; if it fails, the theater may close. View article
Who owns this theatre these days? Is it independent? Value Theatres certainly didn’t last long.
It opened November 24 1995, so Goodfellas and Total Recall are out. It might’ve played the others but it was family-focused second run, so I would think it unlikely. It was at first planned as a 4-screen discount second run operated by the Pickwick management. This was supposed to be at the north end of the mall, in a free standing building. The Town Center was envisioned as a sort of downtown for the community when first built in the late 80s, but as it failed to take off, redevelopment was necessary. With the town stepping in, they forced the addition of the theater to raise bonds. The project then passed to Mark Stern of Chicago Area Theaters, the same Stern family with a long history of theaters in Chicago, most notably the Wilmette, Cinema, Devon, and Three Penny. Architect was Barry Weinstein. It shared some interior accents with Marche restaurant in chicago, such as “free-form metal accents in several places. Among the most obvious are the numbers that identify each of the five theaters inside the multi-screen complex.” created by Jerry Kleiner. It also featured handpainted walls and designated rows for birthday parties.
Did the theatre ever show “Goodfellas”, “Total Recall”, “Casino” or “Boogie Nights”?
Photos of this theater are HERE
This is a great second-run theater. They are not too many in the Chicago area now. Saw “Miss Potter” in theater #3, after a few of the theaters had played it and a couple of sneak preview showings in regular theaters and no wide release. On Tuesdays admission, is $1.00 all times and $2.00 all times for the rest of the days.
LongGrovemom, I’ve been going to the BGTheatre for over 15 years. While I agree the place could use a lot of cleaning up, I have never been cheated or treated disrespectfully by staff. A savvy “practicing attorney and …full time marketing consultant and writer” should certainly be intelligent enough to check their change before leaving the window. Especially if it’s their last $10. Sorry you had a bad day and needed to kick the dog. I hope you’re feeling better now.
Here are photos of this theater.
Don’t worry LongGrovemom, if I ever take over this place, I’ll fire those people. People like them are the reason why people nationwide are staying away from theaters.
Disrespectful Management and Dirty Theatre!
Saturday night my husband and I enjoyed a quiet dinner without our 3 children and planned on taking in an inexpensive movie at the Buffalo Grove Theatres. Their seats are always $2 a ticket and we decided that given our current financial constraints as a result of moving and having not sold our other home we could barely afford a night out. After standing in a swiftly moving line, we handed the cashier the last $10.00 in my husband’s wallet and received $1.00 in change. Before stepping away, he turned to the cashier to tell her that he had given her a $10 bill and she replied, “yes, and I gave you the correct change.” We stepped away because we were holding the line up but as we did, I read the sign and thought….maybe the seats were $4 tonight and I wasn’t going to make a stink over $1. We went inside where there were theatre goers jockeying for seats in a filthy sticky floored theatre, and insulting a handicapped woman on a scooter because she was blocking their way. The entire experience was an assault to our senses. In an attempt to try to enjoy our evening out, we sat down and listened as the couple behind us discussed how this whole environment was only acceptable because of the $2 ticket price – at which point my husband and I became enraged. We stepped outside and asked for the manager. The manager was insubordinate to me personally and professionally committed the greatest sin. She lied and said she had been standing there when our change had been made. She defended her cashier by saying that she had been there 8 years and knows the ticket price and that we were the ones mistaken and not her or the theatre. If I wanted to further contest the situation I would have to wait til the end ofthe night when they counted the drawer. I have never been so insulted or humiliated. Having exactly $1.00 left in our wallet that night, after buying 2 tickets to a $2 film with the last $10 bill either of us had, both my husband who is a practicing attorney and I who am a full time marketing consultant and writer knew the truth. As I left muttering that I was a writer and that her unacceptable behavior towards us would not go unheard, she yelled, “ Yah, you do that Maaaaaam, Write me up Maaaaam, Write me up”. Job done and satisfaction ensues even though I have spent another $10.00 in what I would have been paid for my word count in this letter! No Irony is lost on me or my husband that the movie was entitled “Friends with Money” as we left the theatre having not seen the movie and broke!
I recently moved to wheeling. I have not really been to thrilled about movie theaters since the invention and subsequent craze of cell phones. BUT I have to admit I found this theater experience plesant and ok not all the theater are large but it was a great value and for $16 I got a coupon book with 10 tickets! If you do the math 2x10=20 that equal a great deal with 4 FREE movies!
I love the crowd here not only families but young hipsters, teenagers, and pride! ;)
www.oldraveflyers.com
http://valuetheatres.com is the offical web site for the owners of this theatre. They owned Harlem Corners but closed it a few weeks back.
If you want to see a
REEL beautiful picture of this theatre check out the link below!!
View link
Marquee Shot
View link
Sorry to tell you Jeff, but, this theaters concession prices are way less than any other theater within a 20 mile radius. If you can find a large popcorn with a refill for $4.25 or $1.00 candy like the Buffalo Grove please let me know. I can’t immagine what you could have complained about, I can bring my family of 4 to this theater watch a movie and eat concession for $20.00. You also failed to mention that on Tuesday this theater only charges $1.00 for admission. Perhaps you need to stay home and rent a movie for $2.99 and watch in on your own tv since the theater screen was to small for you.
Just got back from watching Ray at this theatre. It was out of the way, but I wanted to check out this theatre just for the fun of it. I wasn’t expecting anything good or even average. Unfortunately, I wasn’t disappointed. The decor gives you almost a 60’s type feel. Screen #5 was one of the smallest 2nd run screens I have ever seen. The exterior is nothing special. As stated above, it’s just part of a typical 80’s type strip mall. Sorry to be so negative. A positve about this theatre would be the decor, it is unique. The price of admission is only $2, but the price of refreshments is comparable to a modern suburban type theatre.