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Varsity Cinema in Des Moines begins renovations

New additions include expanding the lobby and adding a second auditorium upstairs.

DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines staple is getting a major facelift, and it's an especially exciting one for movie lovers.

The Varsity Cinema in Des Moines is more than 80 years old, but it closed down at the end of 2018. Now, work has started to bring it back and make it better than ever.

The Varsity has a storied history. The building was built in 1917 and originally served as an automotive shop. After that, it was a bottling plant. 

Finally, in 1938, it was renovated into the Varsity Cinema. It's safe to say there is a lot of history in the single-screen theater.

"They've been playing more or less exclusively arthouse films since the mid-'70s. So it's also an extremely long-running arthouse cinema. And we're really excited to be able to continue that legacy," said Ben Godar, Director of Des Moines Film, which purchased the theater in 2020.

Construction is officially underway on some long-awaited renovations. Des Moines Film is working to keep a lot of the historical elements, but when doors open again, there will be some changes. The lobby is being expanded, and an additional mini-auditorium is being added to the second floor.

"We wanted more space there, and that really goes back to that mission about providing a community space, providing a space for conversations about the film, whether formal or informal," Godar said.

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The renovations do not come cheap; so far, Des Moines Film has raised about $2 million towards the project.

"We need to get to a little bit less of a million dollars to our goal of three million, so we're very excited," said Fabiola Schirrmeister, a board member of Des Moines Film.

Although the Varsity may end up looking a bit different than Des Moines residents remember, Godar says audiences can expect the theater's legacy to live on.

"Bev Mahon, the beloved, longtime owner and operator of The Varsity, used to advertise it by saying they showed films worth talking about, and that's something that we very much aspire to as well," Godar said.

That means there's one big question left: When will you be able to get back to seeing movies at the Varsity? There is no official date yet, but the goal is to be ready for showtime sometime this fall.

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