Our Proud History
The Strand Theatre Celebrates 108 Years In Delaware, Ohio.
The Strand Theatre and Cultural Arts Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our mission is to foster the public’s appreciation of films and historic movie theaters as part of the American culture.
The Strand Theatre has survived the Spanish Flu, the Great Depression, as well as the birth and rise of movie multiplexes. The Strand is one of the ten oldest movie theaters in America and is also older than the largest movie chains in the country. We are still here, and we have survived.
We look forward to seeing you soon at The Strand Theatre, your home for first-run movies!
The Strand Theatre stands today as one of the few remaining independent movie theaters showing first-run films. The theater attracts 75,000 patrons annually and operates throughout the year.
On April 10, 1916, the Strand Theatre was opened by proprietor Henry Bieberson Jr. in the New York Cash Store building. We have been showing movies continually ever since!
In January of 1936, the Strand was purchased by Schine Theaters out of Gloversville, NY and was part of that chain of movie theaters until 1971.
In 1971, Schine manager George Johnson and his wife Cindy bought the single screen theater. Under the Johnson's, the Strand grew from one screen to three screens.
In 1982, the second screen was opened in the adjoining storefront to the left of the original lobby.
In 1986, the balcony was closed and reconstructed to form the third screen.
The Johnson's owned the Strand until retiring in 1994, when Cathy and Jerry Amato took over the helm.
In 2002 Ohio Wesleyan University took temporary ownership and helped create the Strand Theatre and Cultural Arts Association.
The Strand Theatre and Cultural Arts Association is an independent 501 (c) 3 non-profit board that currently owns The Strand.
In 2024, Strand Cinema LTD was formed as a wholly-owned for-profit subsidiary of the nonprofit Strand Theatre and Cultural Arts Association. It was formed and operates to separate the showing of first-run commercial movies from the tax-exempt charitable and education activities of the nonprofit."