BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – After two decades of delighting audiences, Burlington’s Merrill’s Roxy Cinema has closed its doors.
Signs for upcoming blockbusters like “Gladiator II” may still line the walls of the Roxy, but the theater, which announced its closure on social media, appears to have taken its final curtain call.
“I like getting out of the house, I like seeing the movies, I like being with the crowds,” said Lindsay Sampson, a regular Burlington moviegoer.
“Change is inevitable, and I get that, but at the same time I just think it’s really sad that, you know, our communal experience of going to the movies together is really probably coming to an end.”
We broke the news Friday to Ben and Jessica Thiefels, who say they have a special connection to the Roxy. “Jess and I had our first date here. And right afterwards, I asked her at the University Mall parking lot. That was 19 years ago today, which is crazy, but yeah, it’s sad to see it closed. The Roxy is an institution of Burlington,” Ben said.
But streaming the latest releases at home has put a strain on theaters, many of which have closed in recent years.
Owner Merrill Jarvis has also said the decline in customers was, in part, driven by downtown public safety issues. It’s a concern echoed by the Burlington Business Association’s Kelly Devine. “We really need to all be pulling together to make the city great. And if we really lose our cultural foothold, I think it’ll be a big loss,” she said.
For moviegoers who still want to make memories sitting in front of the silver screen, they will now need to go to Essex or Williston to catch the latest flick.