Multiplexes / Downtown Alpena
Sanctuary Cinema
A three-screen luxury cinema in downtown Alpena, named for the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and its shipwrecks. Recliners, reserved seats and Dolby sound in a former J.C. Penney store.
Quick facts
- Opened
- 2023
- Screens
- 3
What makes it special: Luxury recliners, reserved seating, Dolby surround sound.
01 / Now showing
Now showing
Nothing on our calendar from this venue right now. Its full, current lineup is on its own site.
Full lineup on the venue’s site ↗02 / The story of this place
Make time for these
Sanctuary Cinema takes its name from the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and its shipwrecks. The mid-1920s building became Alpena's first national department store when J.C. Penney moved in in 1929. Later it housed the Royal Knight Cinema, which had closed by 2018. Alpena natives Jeff and Tina Konczak bought it in 2020, renovated it with recliners and restored storefront windows, and reopened it on May 19, 2023. The three screens offer reserved luxury recliners and Dolby surround sound.
- Luxury recliners, reserved seating
- In the old J.C. Penney building
- Bargain Tuesday: $6 tickets
Plan your visit
It's at 101 S 2nd Ave in downtown Alpena; call (989) 340-0314. Adult tickets after 3 p.m. are $10.50 and Tuesdays are $6; buying online adds a $1.50 fee.
Ticket prices
Adults after 3 p.m. $10.50; adult matinee $7.50; Bargain Tuesday $6; kids 11 and under $6; $1.50 online fee.
Cinemas nearby
Back to cinemas ↗
Film festivals / Alpena
Thunder Bay International Film Festival
A January festival of ocean and Great Lakes films in Alpena, run by NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. More than 50 films, a gala and a student shorts competition; the 15th edition runs January 20–24, 2027.
Drive-ins / Honor
Cherry Bowl Drive-In Theatre
A 1950s-themed drive-in in Honor, deep in Northwest Michigan's cherry country, since 1953. Always a double feature, vintage cartoons on 35mm, and sound from the original tube-amp speaker posts.
Historic movie palaces / Elk Rapids
Elk Rapids Cinema
A well-preserved Art Deco single-screen house in Elk Rapids since 1940. The ceiling is covered by what the owners call the world's largest black-light mural, and Monday nights bring free classics.