Gem Theatre (Kannapolis, North Carolina)

The Gem Theatre in Kannapolis, North Carolina is a theater first opened December 31, 1936, built by Cannon Mills for its workers. After a 1942 fire, only the façade, offices, projection booth and part of the lobby remained. The theater was rebuilt and reopened in 1948 with 916 seats and a new balcony to replace the old one. The Gem is one of the oldest movie theaters with one screen in the United States. Steve Morris bought a share of the theater in 1995 and became general manager and later the owner. With competition from newer theaters, the Gem showed movies that had already been shown elsewhere. First-run movies returned in 2000. The city of Kannapolis bought the theater in 2015 as part of a downtown revitalization project. Renovations done in 2021 include the marquee, roof, and HVAC. The theater reopened May 16, 2024 after five months of interior renovations costing $1.2 million.