By Staff Writer: Trinidad Carrasco
After sitting dark for decades, the lights of Carlsbad’s historic Cavern Theater are glowing once more. Built in the 1950s, the downtown landmark was once the place where families gathered, teenagers met for first dates, and movie lovers lined up all the way downtown. Now, thanks to a community restoration effort, the Cavern Theater has officially reopened, bringing a piece of local history back to life.
Unlike the big multiplexes, the Cavern isn’t about the newest blockbusters. Instead, it celebrates the classics. From Casablanca and The Wizard of Oz to Back to the Future, the theater only shows older films that remind audiences why they fell in love with the movies in the first place.
The reopening has also given a nice look to downtown Carlsbad, drawing visitors to nearby cafés, shops, and restaurants. For many older locals, walking back through those doors feels like stepping into a memory.
“The Cavern theater was actually the first time I got to see a movie at 15, and it was with my husband who secretly took me, and we have now been married for 67 years,” said a local resident.
If you are down in the Carlsbad area, you too should take a stop and watch a classic movie in an even classical theater.