A strong effort is being made in Dodge City to revitalize its historic theater. It’s one of many communities across the state hoping to do so.

Built in 1928, the Dodge Theater was once the city’s place to be, but it shut down in 2004 after a steady decline in popularity. For many, renovating the theater will help provide a link to their past.

“Every Saturday for 25 cents we used to to the Saturday matinee in these beautiful old theaters,” says Dodge Theater supporter, Jim Johnson. “Sometimes it was live performances and sometimes it was just movies. We remember all of that stuff, and there’s a nostalgia there.”

Before it can reopen, the Dodge Theater needs to raise nearly a quarter-million dollars in grants and donations to make improvements on the building.