Arena Grand

THIS THEATER IS NOT CLOSED!!! They have reopened under new ownership and new management, I was there for «American Sniper» Thursday night (2÷6÷2015) with my family. Because we purchased a Groupon our tickets were only $ 5 dollars each. Then as you are seated they give you this 8 page menu to select your drinks and any food you want including popcorn. I am old fashioned, I wan’t to purchase my drinks and food from the concession stand. I am sorry to say there is no concession stand here. First let me say the entire staff was excellent!!! Where I saw our experience start downhill was the actual seats you sit in, TERRIBLE!!! After going to AMC Dublin where they have red leather power recliners that you could actually almost fall asleep in, the seats at the Arena Grand were stiff, didn’t recline and were so very generic. The special (every night) is 2 entrees, one appetizer for $ 25. Since we hadn’t ate dinner I said what the hell. We had 2 orders of Chicken Tenders and fries. When we got the bill I was shocked they had charged us .50 cents twice for ketchup, .50 cents for Ranch dressing and $ 4 each for 2 cokes. THEN, they added an 18% tip for themselves. So my $ 25 turned into a $ 45 bill. Add in the $ 20 for the Groupon now the evening costs $ 65 then you have to pay for parking in an empty garage while you watched the movie.
I am headed back to AMC Dublin!!!
Jerry

I loved this place — it was easy to get to, the staff was nice, it always seemed pretty chill, and seldom did I encounter the gaggles of screaming teenagers that can be found at more suburban theaters.
But, Arena Grand is no more. It was announced earlier this year that a Texas-​based company, Studio Movie Grill, had purchased the Arena Grand and they would remodel it into a dine-​in theater, similar to the AMC Easton. I’m a little heartbroken — not only did I have lose my go-​to place for summer movie watching but it’s also not going to be a locally-​owned and operated deal anymore.
SMG originally said that the reopening would be late summer, but then pushed that back to November. More recently, they’ve reported that it will most likely be late December — so I’m guessing that means 2014. :-p
So, RIP Arena Grand… I am hopeful Studio Movie Grill does you justice in your next life.

One of my lunchtime favorites, the Grand has changed management and is under going retrofit as a dine in movie theater. It was supposed to be open in late August but the date has moved to «fall».
So we have to put up with the losd for a while longer.

I do not think this place needs any renovations! It was perfect! Awesome spacious place, comfortable chairs, and a balcony!

This is the closest theater to my house and it usually has a good number of movie times with plenty of movies available. The theater just comes off as cold and empty.
I appreciate you can get a drink (of the alcoholic variety) and a sandwich if you want, but not one seems particularly happy to work here, nor do they seem all the jazzed that I showed up to pay for a ticket. I don’t want a parade or anything, just a smile would be nice. It is hit or miss on theater cleanliness. The chairs are comfortable. The parking kind a blows– mostly I just object to having to pay for parking on Sunday, even if it is only a dollar.
I just don’t get excited about going to see a movie here. I’d prefer to drive myself another few miles and hit up the Lennox, just somehow knowing that are actually pretty happy to take my money.

Big mutiplex in the rather touristy Arena District. Usually fairly empty, especially during the week, which I like. In a few of the theaters there is a balcony seating option for an upcharge of $ 4 a seat, but comes with free popcorn. The balcony is fabulous, btw and generally child free (a plus for us). There’s parking for a dollar with validation from the theater. There’s a bar and ok food and all the candy that theaters always have. A great film option IMHO.

This is the best place to see a movie in Columbus. You won’t find the hoards of kids you see at The Lennox. You can order food/​drink/​alcohol prior to the movie and take it in the theatre with you. You can park at the adjacent garage and get the ticket validated for $ 1.00. Excellent stadium seating and variety of movies.

Tickets are cheaper then around Worthington, there 3 floors to this theater… and parking is only $ 1 when you get your parking ticket stamed, but Im disapointed!
I was really looking forward to the ‘old fashioned theater seats’ and ‘old time theater feel’ that I read online and at so many other sites that raved about this ”old time theater.” Shame on me for taking the words at face value and expecting a broadway type old fashion theater. I didnt see it. To make it worse, I grew up going to broadway plays with my mother, so this past mothers day she was over for a weekend visit and I took her here thinking it would blow her mind. Wrong. She tried to hide her disapointment after I kept this outing from her as a secret, not to mention our 30 mins drive (heavy traffic) into the city.
Bummer. Total bummer. The seats were hard and the theater was tiny as hell… didnt leave much room to spread out; right next to other people (mom likes to talk durring movies dispite my attempts to quite her).
Wont be going back even thought the prices cant be beat. I have too many other theaters around my apt that I like better; like AMC in Lenox.

I love going to see movies here. There’s a few good restaurants around to eat at before or after a show. The tickets are a little more expensive but you get what you pay for. They validate parking so you don’t have to sell your first-​born child into slavery just to park in the parking ramps on an event night. You only have to pay a buck with your ticket validated. There are some theaters that have a balcony, which is cool and usually the theaters are pretty quiet so you can enjoy a movie rather than listen to a bunch of people gossip or talk on their cell phones.

This is a nice theatre with a great location down in the Arena District. It’s great for dinner and a movie, since they offer a lot of food in the theatre itself, and there are a lot of great restaurants nearby (we are fans of Boston Pizza and a movie)! There’s often not a lot of people here, so it makes it a good place to watch if you’re not into crowds. There’s $ 1 parking with validation (remember to bring in your parking ticket) if you park in the garage, and concessions here include a bar, pizza, sandwiches, etc., in addition to the usual pop, popcorn, and candy choices.
The bathrooms are large and clean. The theatres are stadium style, with comfy chairs. The staff is friendly and efficient. I was slightly disappointed to see that there was a lot of trash left in our theatre the last time we visited, but it is usually much cleaner, so hopefully that was just a fluke.
Definitely worth checking out!

Went here on a Saturday afternoon. The theater we were in was relatively small, but the seats were very comfortable, clean, and everything worked well. Many of the smaller theaters seem to be down realtively narrow aisles and a ways off. We just got our popcorn and headed off, but the lobby apparently has lots of food options, bistro, bar, etc.
Handy to lots of Arena District food options and a pretty easy walk from our apartment.

I love the Arena Grand, and I’m lucky that I can walk here in about ten minutes to catch a movie. It’s quiet (not usually that crowded and fewer families/​teenagers come here), clean, and convenient. Also, the seats are comfy and spacious (think first-​class movie experience, not coach!) — win, win.
If you sign up for the Arena Grand rewards card (free!), you get 10% off all concessions. On top of that, once you reach 350 points, you get free parking (which is awesome for those of you driving). It’s pretty easy to accrue points, both from purchasing tickets and from buying concessions. The Arena Grand serves Jeni’s ice cream, and the popcorn is really tasty here. One minor complaint I have is that they serve Pepsi products, and I’m a Coke kind of girl (if I’m going to sip on some soda).

If you’re tired of paying $ 10 for a movie at Easton only to have it interrupted by rude teenagers and equally rude 20 somethings who are either drunk or texting, then you need to go see movies at Arena Grand.
Firslty, I’ve been there when it’s busy and empty and it’s always a very pleasant experience. The theaters are all clean, quiet, comfortable and it’s easy to find a seat.
The reserved seating on big opening nights is a genius idea. I hate getting to a theater an hour before a movie opens to have to stand in line to maybe get a good seat. At Arena Grand, you can pay a little extra and show up 5 minutes before start time and be assured of your seat with the reserved seating feature.
The food is also surprisingly good for a theater upstairs in the bar area. It’s not just the typical nachos and popcorn, which they also have, but pizzas, wraps, paninis, etc. And they do speciality drinks during big premieres.
Overall, once I found Arena Grand, I rarely if never go to other theaters in town. For the same price as Lennox or Easton, you get a much more pleasant movie theater experience with generally less obnoxious folks to disturb you.

High quality screens, good sound and very comfortable seating. This is in the heart of downtown, isolated from malls, and will tend to attract a smaller and slightly older crowd than most other theaters in Columbus. It makes for a pleasant atmosphere. The attached parking garage and $ 1 validation makes parking a breeze. The food and beverage selection is also good, though you’re still not going to find a satisfying meal here.
A few years ago The Arena Grand would have received five stars. They used to carry a better mix of films, including some independent and foreign films along with the Hollywood features, and we appreciated that. Also, the facility is not aging well. The place is starting to feel run down, and someone needs to invest in maintenance.

Is it just me or is this movie theatre always dead? I mean, it’s right downtown. But aside from when I come here for movie screenings, I never see anyone in the lobby, and the theatres themselves never even approach «full.» And hey, that works for me, ’cause I don’t want you to knock your soda over on my purse or have your little brat throw popcorn at me or watch you and your girlfriend making out next to me, anyway. ;)
Anyway…
+ full bar
+ $ 1 parking with validation
+ acceptable, albeit slightly overpriced, food upstairs (sammiches, etc)

I kinda just want to say «ditto» to Cheryl H’s review… but I’ll write a few of my own thoughts.
I first started going to the Arena Grand back in the day when Box Church met there. Does anybody else remember that? Oh, those were the days. I loved some Darren Hoover and Box Church. But I digress…
Here’s what I love about the Arena Grand:
* Parking — It’s a breeze! Don’t forget your parking ticket so you can get it validated.
* Snacks/​bar — They’ve got above-​par stuff.
* It’s always dead.
* Seats — super comfy

Great theater!
Went to opening night of Harry Potter and there were still seats!
The seats were comfy, the food was, well theater food and theater food priced but I ordered a kids combo — for myself :-) and got a small drink, just enough popcorn and a bag of m&m’s for $ 5.
Parking is great!
Only a $ 1 when you get your ticket validated at the movie.

I really have never had a better movie theater experience than at the Arena Grand.
There’s the option of assigned, balcony seating, which I love. It is especially handy on holiday weekends and big-​releases (while other Unilocalers seem to say it’s not crowded, I have still been in a packed theater depending on the time and release).
My other favorite aspect is the full bar. They even have Strongbow! Also, there is usually a pretty good food selection (besides the usual movie concessions), though I’ve notice the items offered varies.
A few years ago, I saw the first Sex and the City movie with a bunch of girlfriends. The theater had a special on cosmos that night– it is cute touches like this that make the Arena Grand worth the trip.
I just love how this theater looks inside. It makes «going to a movie» feel special. Parking is a little nuts sometimes because it’s in the Arena District, but covered parking does have its benefits.

I’ve seen a few movies at the AG now and can say that it’s just an OK place. The seating angle and sound is good, and usually it’s not at all crowded.
The concessions leave a lot to be desired, I had quite possibly the dryest unappetizing pretzel ever here.
Also, you have to pay to park in the arena district, that knocks it way down in terms of places to go.

I don’t like going out to movie theaters all that much. They are just too expensive and so I prefer to just wait until the movie comes out on video or is on HBO. But for those times when I do want to go to the movies, I like this theater the best.
The main reason I like it is the location. It’s located in the arena district right by Mongolian Barbeque, so it’s a perfect spot for dinner and a movie. I love it because when the weather’s nice we walk here from my house. When The Dark Knight came out, I stopped here on my walk home from work and bought our tickets for later that evening before they sold out. Later that night we just took a 10 minute walk to the theater and walked home afterwards. I love not having to rely on vehicles all the time. That’s why I think the location is great. You could also catch the buses that come downtown if you don’t want to deal with parking. But parking isn’t a big deal. There is a big parking garage right there, and it only costs a dollar to park there.
I think this theater looks really cool — everything is neat and clean and new. The bathrooms are nice and big, the theaters range — some of them are kinda tiny and some are huge (like the one we saw The Dark Knight in). But they have pretty comfortable chairs and it’s overall a great experience. I’ve definitely grown a lot more fond of the place since I live so close.
Another thing I prefer about this theater is you don’t have to see all those stupid AMC «silence your phones» messages. Ugh, I hate those! Sure, they have similar ones, but at least here you can avoid the same old AMC ones. So sick of those. And here they also do that movie trivia stuff and commercials and then previews before you finally get to your movie. I think every theater must be required to play half an hour of crap before each showing.
The tickets can be expensive here, just like anywhere else. I think they are 8 or 9 dollars, but the student discount is pretty good — I think they give you $ 2 off instead of just one like everywhere else. When I came here to pick up the tickets for The Dark Knight, I think they were only $ 6 a piece. The guy at the ticket booth gave me the student discount for both tickets, and didn’t even ask to see my student ID. Awesome.
I came here once to see a free special screening of some stupid movie. I think it was National Treasure many years ago. They had us all line up and then filed us into the theater and it was packed. We got seats, but it was kinda weird how they made us all go in at once so people were stampeding for the good seats. But I think most theaters do things that way for special screenings.
The Arena Grand is nice because it seems like a more «grown up» theater. There is a bar and bistro inside, and you can buy food — pizzas, sandwiches, or your typical candy and popcorn. But you don’t have to stick to fountain pop since there’s also a bar in there. Pretty cool. The food here is pretty expensive, like you’d expect at any other theater. But I know they used to do this awesome special on Tuesdays. I’m not sure if they still do it, but they have neat specials all the time. It was a dinner and a movie for 2 package. You got 2 movie tickets, 2 personal pizzas, 2 small popcorns and 2 drinks all for $ 20. It was a steal, really. Especially considering it’s usually $ 8 or $ 9 for each movie ticket. Just another reason that I love Arena Grand. I really hope they still do that deal.
Me, I’d rather go to the drive-​in or something any day, but when Arena Grand has good movie specials like the one I just mentioned, I can’t help but check it out. It’s an independently owned theater, so they can do whatever they want with the events and specials and I think that makes it fun. They also have a great selection of movies — they play the popular new releases that everyone wants to see.