05-05-2025
Community helps save historic Webster Theater again
WEBSTER CITY, Iowa — The Webster Theater in Hamilton County welcomed audiences back last week for the first time in 18 months after a fire next door caused extensive damage.
Since 1906, the historic theater has been a staple in Webster City's downtown square, and the community has shown its support many times.
In the early 2010s, a difficult economy plagued Webster City. A washing machine factory, Electrolux, closed its doors in 2011 and moved to Mexico, taking away 500 jobs in the city. Many local businesses closed shortly after, including the Webster Theater in 2013.
However, the public soon rallied behind the theater, proving its importance to the community.
Residents created the Help Entertain and Restore Organization, or HERO. The nonprofit's purpose was to reopen the theater and operate it moving forward.
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Community donations helped save the theater then, and now, over a decade later, the community pulled through yet again for this beloved, historic theater.
In November 2023, a fire in Webster City's downtown brought multiple crews to the area. The blaze took place next door to the theater, and it took crews over three hours to extinguish. Extensive damage was left behind, and standing water even flooded the theater floors.
HERO's board president, Jeff Pingel, said the restoration process was met with a lot of waiting until they were able to begin. That's why it took 18 months for the curtains to rise again at the theater.
Pingel said the total restoration process cost was close to $2 million. While insurance helped, community donations are the reason they were able to reopen.
The theater's front entrance still has a poster with QR codes that link to ways community members can donate to the restoration process. Another banner by the entrance lists the names of people who have contributed to saving the theater. At the bottom, it reads, 'Thank you to all the stars who've contributed to the Webster Theater! Without you, we'd be closed.'
HERO wasn't sure how collecting donations again would turn out since they had asked for the community's help only one decade before, but they were overwhelmed by the outcome.
'The world's changed a lot in a decade, streaming [has] really become a thing and you kind of wonder, would people still want to donate and to help out, and we've come to find out real fast that people want it back,' said Pingel.
The theater's soft launch was held on Thursday, May 1st, with a showing of Thunderbolts by Marvel Studios. Of their 100 seats, 52 were occupied.
Audiences also came out to the theater throughout the weekend.
Pingel said many were shocked by the theater's upgrades. While the building's structure is the same, there are many changes.
Upon entering the theater, there is a new color scheme and wall art. A design by the entrance highlights photos from the theater's history, connecting all different generations of movie-goers. There's also a new light-up popcorn sign above their concessions stand. HERO also wrote the names of different donors on stars and posted them along the doorways.
'It looks dramatically different, but still comfortably the same,' said Pingel about the entrance. 'But then when you walk into the auditorium, that's like 100-percent different than what it was like in the past.'
There's a new walkway in the auditorium, and the seats no longer split down the center. The seats were also upgraded to heated, reclining seats. There's also a new screen in the theater that the board is calling one of the largest single screens in North Central Iowa.
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While plenty has changed, some has stayed the same, including their popcorn, which Pingel said is the best in Iowa because of their secret recipe.
They also kept their family-friendly prices. 2D tickets for adults cost $5 and children's tickets cost $4. The price for all of the concessions is between $2.50 and $5.50, and there's even free small popcorn provided every Wednesday.
The Webster Theater has a screening every night at 7 p.m., but according to its website, some movie times are subject to change. They have additional screenings at 2 p.m. on Sundays and 1 p.m. on Thursdays.
New movies start screening every Friday.
There will be a reopening celebration for the community on Friday, May 23rd, with the screening of Disney's Lilo and Stitch.
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