State Theater cornerstone of Elizabethtown entertainment

Opened in 1942 as a state-of-the-art movie theater, the Historic State Theater Complex is the cornerstone of downtown Elizabethtown.

After closing in 1982, the State sat vacant for over a decade before being restored and renovated to also stage live performances. You’ll marvel at the historic features of the venue such as the original light fixtures, wall murals, the original ticket booth, the balcony level and the terrazzo flooring.

Today, The State, as it’s fondly known, is home to concerts, comedy shows, community and private events and, of course, movies. Our mission is to provide a wide variety of entertainment options and events for the citizens and those in our surrounding areas right here in Elizabethtown.

The State got its start as a movie theater, and today we are well known for our various movie series. We offer full concessions for each showing and tickets can be purchased in advance online or at our box office before each show.

Our Wayback Wednesday Series features classic movies we all love and haven’t seen on the big screen in years. Showings are at noon on the third Wednesday of select months throughout the year.

The State Theater offers a Spring Break Movie Series, with shows on Tuesday and Thursday of Spring Break each year, and a Summer Movie Series, which runs during the summer months, featuring some of the most beloved children’s titles and family movies. These series offer a fun and inexpensive entertainment option for our community when schools are out. We often have groups, camps and day care facilities join us for our showings.

Our Spooky Season Movies are shown on Friday and Saturday’s during the month of October and always include some of the best scary and not so scary movies of all time.

The State Christmas Series is shown in December, and you can find many of the best loved holiday movies around on our schedule each year. This series has become a favorite holiday tradition for many in our community.

The State also is a concert venue and has welcomed the likes of Shenandoah, Ronnie Milsap, Travis Tritt, Clay Walker, Wynona and The Bellamy Brothers in recent years. With 652 seats, it is the ideal venue for an intimate concert experience.

Our current list of live performance events for this spring include Little Texas, Comedian Killer Beaz, Sammy Kershaw, Rhonda Vincent, One Night in Memphis, the Southern Mama “Howz Ya Momma an Em Tour”, The Heart of Rock and Roll Huey Lewis Tribute, Exile and Mark Chestnut. You can get tickets for all upcoming events at thestate270.org

The State hosts several annual events such as Breakfast with Santa and the Cruisin’ the Heartland Breakfast and we also offer field trips for local schools and organizations.

Owned and operated by the city of Elizabethtown, the Historic State Theater Complex is a rental facility with two separate spaces that are perfect for corporate events, parties, receptions and meetings.

For information on upcoming events or rental facilities, go to our website thestate270.org or call our office at 270-234-8258.