A company plans to remodel and revive a movie theater on Bloomington’s far east side that’s been closed for the past five years.
Golden Ticket Cinemas Ale House Bloomington plans to open in summer 2025 at 415 Detroit Drive, near Towanda Barnes Road and the Central Illinois Regional Airport. That’s the former home of New Vision Theatres (aka Ovation Cinema Grill), which closed in 2020 a few months into the pandemic.
After the remodel, Golden Ticket Cinemas will have luxury recliner seating in every auditorium, a self-pour beer wall with 30 selections on tap (including local and regional beer), hot food that can be delivered to your seat, and – of course – all-you-can-eat popcorn. The lobby will also be remodeled.
“We’re excited to bring a fresh, premium movie experience back to the Bloomington community,” Joe Horton, director of media relations at Golden Ticket Cinemas, said in a statement. “This remodel is about more than movies — it’s about creating a place to relax, connect, and enjoy the magic of cinema like never before. A new generation of moviegoing for a new generation of moviegoers.”
This will be Golden Ticket Cinemas’ first location in Illinois. It operates 19 locations and 122 screens across 12 states.
This will mean Bloomington-Normal will now have four movie theaters once again. The others are Marcus Theatres in west Bloomington, AMC Classic in Normal, and the Normal Theater.
