Featured Member: The Colonial Theatre
Featured member, The Colonial Theatre, has been showing films in Bethlehem since 1915, making it one of the oldest continuously operated movie theaters in the country. More than a century later, the 300-seat theater on Main Street remains the home of arts, film, music, and culture in New Hampshire’s North Country.
Born in the Era of the Grand Hotels
The Colonial opened its doors on July 1, 1915, with a screening of Cecil B. DeMille’s silent film The Girl of the Golden West. It was built by Karl Abbott, son of prominent Bethlehem hotelier Frank Abbott, who saw an opportunity in the vacant lot across from the family stables he had recently converted to house automobiles. Architect Francis J. Kennard, known for hotels and public buildings across Florida, designed the theater, and its electrically lighted marquee announced that modern times had arrived in the White Mountains.
The timing was no accident. During the 1910s and 1920s, Bethlehem was the premier summer resort destination in the Northeast, with more than 30 hotels and four trains arriving daily. Because The Colonial drew such a sophisticated seasonal audience, film studios used it as a venue to test market their new releases. The theater remains one of the last tangible links to that grand hotel era, and a genuine chapter in American film history.
Recognized and Preserved
The Colonial was added to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in 2002 and has been named “Best Vintage Movie Theatre” by Yankee Magazine. A series of renovations has brought state-of-the-art digital projection and surround sound to the building without stripping away the intimate charm of a vintage summer theater. In October 2025, the theater activated a solar array funded by hundreds of individual donors, grants, and tax credit purchases, a step that reflects its long-term commitment to responsible stewardship.
Programming for the Whole Community
Today The Colonial presents an ambitious mix of independent and world cinema, live music, family programming, and community events. Feature films run weekly, and the theater curates several ongoing film series, including Anniversary Classics, Science on Screen in partnership with White Mountain Science, New Leaf in partnership with Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust, Reel Outdoors, National Theatre Live, and Saturday Morning Cartoons. The White Mountain Jewish Film Festival and White Mountain Cinema Camp round out the year.
The LIVE! series brings nationally touring and Grammy-recognized artists to a stage most towns this size could never sustain. The KIDS! series offers free and low-cost performances designed for young audiences and families.
What’s Coming Up
The summer and fall calendar is full. Music highlights include Shovels & Rope on July 17, Malian balafon virtuoso Balla Kouyaté on July 31, blues guitarist Larry McCray on August 8, Spanish singer-songwriter Pedro Pastor y Los Locos Descalzos on August 15, saxophonist Vanessa Collier on September 26, guitarist Yasmin Williams on October 17, and six-time Grammy winner Sarah Jarosz on November 13. Comedian Paula Poundstone takes the stage August 22.
On screen, look for Charlie Chaplin double feature City Lights and Modern Times on July 25, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly on August 13, National Theatre Live’s Fleabag on August 29, the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival on September 10, the Manhattan Short Film Festival October 2 through 4, and Science on Screen’s presentation of The Martian on October 8. Family programming continues with Peter and the Wolf performed by the North Country Chamber Players on July 22, free and open to the public.
The Ethos Behind the Marquee
The Colonial’s mission is to inspire and invite participation in the cultural conversation. The organization believes that relevant arts and cultural programming creates a sense of belonging and fellowship, that exposure to different perspectives deepens understanding of both what unites people and what makes each person unique, and that responsible stewardship leaves a lasting legacy of cultural enrichment. Its Open Door Ticket Program helps ensure that cost is not a barrier to attending.
The Colonial Theatre is located at 2050 Main Street in Bethlehem. Visit bethlehemcolonial.org for the full calendar, tickets, membership, and volunteer opportunities, or call the event line at 603-869-3422.
