Berk’s County’s only IMAX theater has reopened after extensive upgrades.
Officials with R/C Reading Movies 11 & IMAX celebrated the IMAX auditorium’s grand reopening on May 28.
The IMAX auditorium at the theater on North Second Street in Reading was closed for renovations in April. Other theaters at RC remained open.
IMAX theaters are designed to maximize audience immersion. They feature large curved screens, a proprietary sound system, and steeper, stadium-style seating.
“The new IMAX experience includes luxury heated recliners, immersive sound, next-generation IMAX projection and brand-new screen,” said Shelbi Gutowski, director of brand and business strategy at R/C Reading Movies. “We are really excited to introduce our reimagined IMAX to the community.”
Guests are treated to a showing of movie previews in the refurbished IMAX theater during a grand reopening of the R/C Reading Movies 11 and IMAX, 30 N. Second St., on Thursday, May 28, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
The new screen offers “crystal-clear picture that is three times brighter than before,” she said.
The IMAX renovations are the first of several phases of upgrades planned for the theater, which opened in 2008.
“A luxury heated recliner conversion in all other auditoriums is planned to be completed by early fall,” Gutowski said. “(It) will be rolled out in a phased approach, so customers will be able to start enjoying the recliners in some auditoriums this summer.”
The theater will stay open during those changes, with a few auditoriums closed at a time as the work progresses.
“The moviegoing experience for our guests shouldn’t be interrupted,” Gutowski said.
She noted that ticket prices would not be affected by the renovations.
Upcoming deals planned for the theater include Bargain Tuesdays, where customers can buy tickets for as little as $6, and a $1 family-friendly summer movie series Tuesday and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. from June 16 to Aug. 5.
The theater will also be running a back-to-school promotion in the fall where students can get tickets for $5.
For further information on tickets and showtimes, visit rctheatres.com.
R/C Theatres has six other locations in Pennsylvania: Carlisle, Gettysburg, Hanover, York, Quakertown and Wilkes-Barre.
The company also has seven theaters across Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.
In early May, a Florida contractor fell to his death while working on the renovations to the IMAX theater. He fell through a drop ceiling about 50 feet, Berks County Coroner Matthew J. Stitzel said. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was notified and responded to the theater.
A grand reopening of the R/C Reading Movies 11 and IMAX, 30 N. Second St., on Thursday, May 28, 2026, features an upgraded IMAX experience. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)