Movie theater in Columbia closed for repairs
One of the more popular movie theaters in Columbia is temporarily closing for repairs.
The Nickelodeon will be closed Sunday because of problems with the theater’s air conditioning.
“It’s finally Famously Hot in Columbia anddddd our AC decided it wasn’t quite ready,” Nick officials said Sunday. “Unfortunately, we will be closed today while we work to get it back up running. We are sincerely sorry for the inconvenience and thank you all for your patience and support.”
Anyone who was going to the long-running arthouse theater, located at 1607 Main St. in downtown Columbia, to see either “Downton Abbey: A New Era” or “Men” will have to change plans.
There was no word on how long it would take to get the air conditioning running, but theater officials said they planned to reopen the Nick next weekend.
The Nick will refund all tickets sold for Sunday’s shows and will also include a complimentary ticket to a future movie screening.
The Nick was founded in 1979 and has been located in the 1600 block of Main since 2012. It has been a key centerpiece in the revitalization of Main Street in the past decade, as the district has been reborn with new shops, restaurants, bars and hotels.
But the nonprofit theater has been on a roller coaster ride in the past two years.
Like many movie theaters across the country, it was closed for large swaths of 2020 and early 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened in summer 2021 and once again began showing a slate of independent and unique films. It also has been mixing in more mainstream fare.
But in March, the theater shut down for about a month in what Nick officials called a “post-pandemic reset.” That included a spring cleaning of the facility and a reorganization of the operational infrastructure.
In late April, Sumner Bender was named the new executive director at the Nick. The previous director, Anita Floyd, resigned in August 2021 to take another nonprofit position in Columbia.
When she was named executive director, Bender said she’s confident Columbia will continue to support the theater as it recovers from the last two years.
“There is absolutely nothing like a shared experience. People want popcorn and beer, and they want to watch movies with their friends,” Bender said in a news release.
