Ottawa boasts world's oldest continuously operating movie theater

OTTAWA — If you ever wondered where the oldest continuously operating movie theater in the world is located, look no further than this Franklin County town about 50 miles southeast of Topeka.

The Plaza 1907 Cinema, 209 S. Main in downtown Ottawa, has been showing films since May 22, 1907 — when black-and-white silent movies mesmerized audiences.

Over the past century, the theater has seen it all, at least as it pertains to movies: from Bogey and Bacall to Redford and Streisand; from Hanks and Ryan to Winslet and DiCaprio; and all the famed actors and actresses before and since.

The theater now has two screens and shows first-run movies. Recent films included "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"; "The Angry Birds 2"; "The Art of Racing in the Rain"; "Dora and the Lost City of Gold"; and "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark."

What sets the theater apart from all the rest is that it never shut down and has remained at the same location for 112 years.

"One of the reasons we're the oldest continuously operating theater in the world is we didn't burn down," said owner Scott Zaremba. "A lot of the others didn't make it because they burned down."

Zaremba said in the early days of movies, films were made of a highly flammable material. The projectors themselves used an arc that also could set off a fire.

In 2017, the Plaza theater applied for inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records. In 2018, it achieved the distinction of being the "World's Oldest Operating Purpose-Built Cinema" after it was determined it was two days older than another movie house in Denmark.

Zaremba, 53, became co-owner of the Plaza in 2014. He took over as the sole proprietor in July 2018.

These days, Zaremba said, he is working on making improvements to the historic movie house, which previously operated as the Crystal Plaza and the Bijou theater.

At the same time, he said, he wants to preserve the theater's historical features.

Among current projects: converting an upstairs section of the movie house into a pair of Airbnbs that people can rent by the day.

Other work includes adding a balcony; turning the old projector room, which has a concrete and steel-lined room, into a lounge; and adding wooden seats like those that were in place when the theater opened more than a century ago.

In addition to making the theater a more inviting place for guests, Zaremba said, he also is working on developing self-guided tours of Ottawa's downtown area.

The Plaza will offer special film showings in the coming weeks. "Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blache," will be presented Sept. 20 to 26. "The Mark of Zorro," a silent film with live music, will be presented on Sept. 26.

In a day in which people can view movies on their smartphones, televisions or mobile devices, Zaremba said, movie theaters are making a comeback.

"The viewing public really enjoys the experience of coming to the theater," Zaremba said. "You just can't get that at home or on your phone. You can't get that experience anywhere else, with the sound systems we have.

"Even the younger generation enjoys that experience. If you can get them in the theater and get that experience, they come back time and time again."

Ottawa, a town of 12,342 people, is located on Interstate 35, a major north-south highway in the center of the United States.

In addition to showing movies, the Plaza also rents its space for special events, such as weddings, seminars and business training events. It also rents its facility as a place for families to show their home movies starting at $95 an hour.

The Plaza has a museum that showcases movie memorabilia, with tours offered by Peggy Armstrong, 71, known as "the resident historian, tour guide and theater manager."

Ticket prices for movies are $9.25 for adults; $8.25 for military and seniors 65 and older; $8.25 for children 10 and under; and $7.95 for matinees for all ages. All tickets are $6 on Wednesdays.

For more information, visit www.plaza1907.com.