Crandell Theatre

The nonprofit Crandell Theatre is located in the Village of Chatham, N.Y., and is Columbia County’s oldest and largest single-screen movie theater. The nearly 100-year-old community cinema is supported by ticket sales and earned revenue, contributions of members and friends, and private and public grants, including the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The theater is dedicated to enriching the cultural vitality of the region through film programming that challenges, inspires, educates and entertains.

The Crandell was built by Walter S. Crandell, a Chatham native and local banker. Considered an architectural gem, the theater was constructed in Spanish Renaissance style and remains largely unchanged since it opened on Christmas Day, 1926, with a Jules Verne photoplay.