The Uptown theater has been open since 1936 and was built by Warner Brothers for 35mm/70mm projections in the heart of Cleveland Park in Washington, D.C. The theater has hosted a number of historical cinematic events, including the world premier’s of Jurassic Park and 2001: A Space Odyssey. For generations The Uptown has been the go to destination for large scale theatrical experiences from the Harry Potter series to an all day marathon of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Today we learn that The Uptown is in jeopardy. Recently run by AMC, the theater has now shut its doors to the public, and its future is undeniably uncertain. While we can only hope that another movie theater company secures a deal to continue The Uptown’s historic cinematic run, it is up to us to secure its historical place within DC. 

One way to see that The Uptown continues to serve the greater Washington metropolitan is to secure its historical designation. DC preservation law states that there are two ways to designate a building as historic. It can either be nominated as an individual landmark, or it can be included with a group of similar neighboring buildings and designatedas a historic district.

If you have memories of lining up around the block to see a movie, if you’ve camped out in the rain to see a midnight showing, if you’ve clapped and cried in the balcony of The Uptown, please sign this petition!