Prologue

Five years ago, the Grand Foundation was formed to save The Grand Theatre. At that time, it meant raising money to acquire the building and to purchase equipment in order to keep the theater open. Now, the Grand Foundation presents The Grand Plan, an effort to fully restore the theater as the iconic fixture it was in 1937. Our aim is to produce something Grand Island can truly be proud of, a cultural touchstone of the downtown community. We hope you consider becoming a part of The Grand Plan, and our effort to Revive Nebraska’s Finest Theater!

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Vision Statement

A Star is Born premieres May 7th, 1937. This film event marked The Grand Theatre’s opening night. Moviegoers lined the streets in front of a marquee boasting, “Nebraska’s Finest Theater” That night, a tradition was also born.

With the country in the wake of the Great Depression, The Grand served as a means of escape. For a few hours on a Friday night, Grand Islanders could put the hardships of the real world on hold as they were enveloped by the splendor of Hollywood’s classic cinema.

75 years later, much has changed. The Grand Theatre still serves as a beloved mainstay of downtown Grand Island, but it’s in need of a revival. From the outside façade that once boasted of the theater’s modernity, to projection equipment in need of a 21st century update.

And while the shape of this country has changed drastically in the last 75 years, some parallels with 1937 yet remain. The country is gripped by economic uncertainty, and the public is still in need of a place to escape from time to time.

For these reasons, we present The Grand Plan, an initiative aimed at restoring The Grand Theatre. Primarily, the restoration will focus on physical improvements, such as a refurbishment of the marquee and façade and upgrades to projection equipment. But in a larger sense, The Grand Plan is about restoring the classic cinema experience to Grand Island moviegoers. It’s about building a new means of departure from the real world, and restoring the sense of pride and wonderment that The Grand Theatre initially created 75 years ago.p