The Top Five Movie Theaters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Even in an economic recession, people still love their movies. Harrisburg might be a small city, but its residents are no different when it comes to wanting to catch a good flick. Harrisburg offers several movie theaters with relatively low prices where patrons can choose from a variety of unique movie-going experiences. Here's a look at five of the cinema centers residents of Harrisburg, or visitors to the city, can enjoy!

The Most Bang for Your Buck: Great Escape (3501 Paxton St., Harrisburg)

The Great Escape theater is one of Harrisburg's most recent theaters. Located inside the Harrisburg Mall (previously known as the East Mall), this theaters offers stadium seating, a fully equipped concession stand, and a mini arcade. Each of its fourteen screen auditoriums features reclining seats. There is also a family room, which can be used as a party room and child care center. Show times start at around eleven in the morning, and run until around eleven in the evening. All minors (moviegoers ages 16 and under) wanting to watch a show after nine in the evening must be accompanied by a parent or legal adult guardian. Considering the size and resources of the theater, the ticket prices are pretty reasonable. Adult tickets are $9, with a discount for Seniors, children, and students. Student tickets are $7.50, while Senior and children's tickets are $6.50. While customers cannot purchase tickets online, the Great Escape theater features a fast ticket pick-up station, where patrons can purchase and pick up tickets with a credit or debit card. The theater also offers a membership card, with which moviegoers can earn points toward discounted concessions and tickets. As an added bonus, the theater is located right next to the Harrisburg Mall's food court, allowing customers to pick up a quick meal before or after their feature!

Flicks for the Independent Soul: Midtown Cinema (250 Reily St., Harrisburg)

The Midtown Cinema is an independent theater located on Reily Street in Harrisburg. The theater has only three screens, meaning the theater can only show up to three films at a time. The Midtown features independent and vintage films; it also hosts the Harrisburg Film Festival. Its independent spirit means the Midtown doesn't feature many popular films, but the theater also doesn't make great efforts to appeal to the popular film going crowd! The theater is very artsy, something of a cultural center, with an intimate lobby, cash-only purchases, and very limited seating. Shows airing before six in the evening run at $5.50, while shows after six are $6.50. Show times run between three and nine in the evening on Fridays and Saturdays; from Sunday to Thursday, show times are between three and six in the evening. What the theater lacks in space and show times, it makes up for with atmosphere! Patrons can treat themselves to desserts and coffee before and after films, plus board games in the lobby! Ticket sales begin forty-five minutes before show time, and can be made with cash only.

More Screens for Your Scenes: Regal Harrisburg 14 (1500 Caughey Dr., Harrisburg)

Harrisburg's Regal Cinema, located on Caughey Drive on the outskirts of Harrisburg, features stadium seating and fourteen screens. Though the theater started out as one of Harrisburg's premiere theaters, it has recently fallen out of grace with many patrons, namely due to issues of cleanliness and concession quality. Despite complaints in these regards, the theater still offers some pretty good discounts, including a $2 discount for adult matinee tickets (regular adult tickets are $9, while matinee are $7), and a discount for Seniors and children. Senior and child tickets are $6.50. The theater also offers a VIP card which offers discounts an free tickets, gift certificates, and online ticket purchasing. The theaters are wheelchair accessible. Typically shows start at around ten in the morning and run through around 10:30 in the evening.

Put the Big in Big Screen: Select Medical IMAX (Whitaker Center, Harrisburg)

While Whitaker Center's Select Medical IMAX theater is not your typical movie theater, it has recently become popular among some filmgoers for showing films like Superman Returns, Monsters -vs- Aliens: 3-D, and . The theater features a 1570 screen format (translated, a very, very big screen), with 3-D format support, and seats 200 visitors. Show times for regular IMAX films run from around 11:15 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. through the week, with an early start-time of around 10:15 a.m. on Saturdays. IMAX DMR full-length feature film times are harder to approximate, as the theater typically only shows one at a time, and those times are subject to change. As far as ticket prices go, be prepared to dish out a little. Adult tickets are $9.50, with a student (with student ID) and Senior (age 55 and up) discounted price at $8.75, and a child price of $7.50. Members save a dollar on ticket prices, and may receive free ticket vouchers to select shows (not including IMAX DMR). IMAX DMR feature film prices are a bit steeper. Adult tickets are $13.75, with a Student/Senior price of $11.75 and child tickets at $11.75. For regular IMAX features, Whitaker Center offers a special double-feature offer; patrons can see a second show for only $4 with the purchase of a regular IMAX ticket. The discount also applies if patrons purchase tickets to the science center. The Select Medical IMAX Theater, and Whitaker Center, are located in Downtown Harrisburg on the corner of 3rd and Market Streets.

Cinema on the Cheap: Colonial Commons 9 AMC Theater (5114 Jonestown Rd., Harrisburg)

The Colonial Commons 9 theater is an AMC theater located on Jonestown Road just outside of Harrisburg. This theater features handicap access, listening devices, digital sound, and online ticket purchasing. Gift certificates are available, as well as a MovieWatchers loyalty card. The MovieWatchers card is a free service that allows patrons to earn points toward free tickets and concessions. The theater's nine screens show features from around ten in the morning to eleven in the evening on weekends, with showings from 4-9 on weekdays. The Colonial Commons has some of the best ticket prices for a feature film in Harrisburg. Adult tickets are $8.25, with Senior (60+) tickets are $7.25, and children's tickets are $5.25. The theater offers a matinee discount called "A.M. Cinema" for films shown before noon; with this discount, all tickets are just $4. For online purchases, patrons should add a $1.50 service charge for regular tickets (including Senior and children), and $1 for matinee shows.