The Twin Cities area’s oldest movie theater has been sold

The longest-running movie theater in the Twin Cities has been sold, but to new owners with the will and know-how to keep it running a lot longer.

Ahead of its 100th anniversary in 2026, the Heights Theater in Columbia Heights is being bought by the operators of the Music Box Theatre in Chicago, a similarly vintage yet adventurous movie house with a good reputation. They intend to keep a lot of the current film programming in place and add a lot more.

And have no fear: The new proprietors are keeping the theater’s famous Wurlitzer organ and not canceling any of this month’s “White Christmas” screenings.

“This is a very niche business, and they appreciate that and have a handle on that niche,” said Tom Letness, the Heights’ dedicated owner of the past 27 years.

The new ownership deal was announced Tuesday on the Heights’ website and social media pages with a promise that “audiences can expect the Heights experience they know and love: meticulous film presentation in digital, 35 and 70mm, classic programming, and the familiar faces of longtime staff.”

In a statement, the Music Box Theatre’s Ryan Oestreich said he and his team are “honored to continue the legacy Tom cultivated.

“We share his belief that the movie theater is a sacred space for discovery, laughter, and community,” Oestreich continued, “and we’re excited to bring even more film experiences to the Twin Cities.”

Located just north of northeast Minneapolis at 3951 Central Av. NE, the 239-seat Heights, which is the oldest one in the Twin Cities that’s still being operated as a movie house, was opened by the Gluek beer family in 1926. It was outdated and pretty well forgotten in 1998 when Letness took it over.

Using the theater’s original blueprints and old photos, Letness restored its original beaux arts and Egyptian décor and layout. He brought in the famed 96-year-old Wurlitzer organ, too, which rises up off the floor in front of the screen before and sometimes during many screenings.

The theater’s original organ from the silent movie era had been ripped out, but Letness was able to get a suitable replacement from WCCO Radio.

“People always said this must be a labor of love for me, and it was, but it was also a business that had to make money,” Letness said. “I’m very proud I was able to make it work and am leaving it in good shape.”

Letness, 65, said he’s selling now simply to travel more and ease into retirement, but he said the timing “also had to do with finding the perfect new owners.” He declined to share the financial aspects of the deal but said the Music Box operators were the ones who first broached the idea of taking over.

Just a few years older than the Heights — it opened two months before the start of the Great Depression in 1929 — the Music Box Theatre has been a repeat winner for best film programming in the Chicago Reader’s annual Best of Chicago poll. Among the films showing this week in its 700-seat main auditorium and smaller theater room are the Oscar-buzzy Norwegian feature “Sentimental Value,” the George Clooney-led ensemble movie “Jay Kelly” and singalong screenings of “The Sound of Music.”

The Heights’ customers reacted optimistically to the news and voiced their appreciation for Letness on the theater’s social media pages.

Happily dissuaded of a fear that new owners “might aim to turn the Heights into a concert venue,” Kay Vesley suggested on Facebook, “I think there oughtta be a fine portrait honoring Tom as founder in the lobby.”

Jason McGrath, a former Chicagoan who had “incredibly fond memories” of seeing movies at the Music Box, wrote, “If the Heights has to change hands, I can’t imagine a better scenario.”

He added: “Thanks to Tom Letness for all the wonderful cinematic experiences, and thanks for making sure your beautiful theater goes only to new owners who will keep up the tradition and not let Twin Cities cinephiles down!”