Iron Lung

After the last movie theater in McMinn County closed in early 2013, local businessman, Sekhar Reddy, decided to bring a new state of the art theater to the town he’s called home for most of his life.

The original plan to renovate the old Plaza Twin Cinema turned into an almost complete rebuild and expansion. The theater became a luxury building housing five screens including complete digital projection and 3D.

The name, Athens Movie Palace, reflects our commitment to providing the community with a luxury theater. This is more than a new coat of paint.

Theater patrons will be surrounded by upscale amenities throughout the building. The theater has ultra plush leatherette stadium style seating in all of the auditoriums. Cutting edge technology, such as Dolby® Atmos, was implemented to bring a premium experience to local residents without the need to drive to Knoxville. The Dolby® brand is recognized far and wide as standing for the best in cinema sound. According to the Dolby® website, “Dolby® has established standardized sound replay conditions for cinemas and for mixing studios to ensure that films will be consistently replayed as they were envisioned.”

Luxury bathroom facilities welcome guests without leaving them with that “icky” feeling associated with public restrooms. A full service concession area offers the standards as well as unique custom items.

The theater also has a room for parties and events. In addition to first run movies, Athens Movie Palace offers special events to bring the community together and classic films to give old movies a new audience."