On October 9, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Midtown had its final movie showing before closing its doors forever. Known for being one of the few theaters in Omaha to serve food with their showings, the Alamo was visited often by staff and students from Omaha North High. 

The official Alamo Facebook page posted, “It is with a heavy heart that we officially announce that today was the final day of screenings at Alamo Midtown due to the lasting impact related to the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

Chase Magnett, North High English and Creative Writing teacher, used to visit the Alamo theater often with his wife, as well as once a month with the North Movie Club. The club, led by Magnett, typically has six to twelve students attending each movie. The club decided on the Alamo due to their no talking policy and a previously poor experience at a different theater. 

“We went to Halloween Kills last year at Aksarben, and it was a miserable moviegoing experience. There were just a bunch of other teenagers, not ours, talking, laughing, making jokes through the movie and it was hard to actually enjoy the moviegoing experience,” said Magnett.  

The Midtown location opened in 2019 on 32nd and Farnam where a Marcus Theater previously resided. The Alamo closed temporarily in 2020 during the pandemic, reopened in June of 2021, and ultimately shut down this October.  

“I’d seen it coming. There were clear signs. Midtown’s a tough location to survive in, and I know there had been staffing issues in theaters after coming back 100 percent since the pandemic,” said Magnett. 

After the Midtown location closed down, the movie club had to find a new theater to go to. They held a vote and it was split, “because, frankly, that was the best location we had that kind of accommodated everyone,” said Magnett. 

The club ultimately decided that for now, they would go to the Majestic theater on 144th and Maple, but also considered the La Vista Alamo and the Aksarben Theater.  

“We were all fans of the Alamo rules, and it was a convenient location, there was free parking, there are at least some places to eat or grab ice cream afterwards. So it was convenient, it was fun, and it fit our needs,” said Magnett. 

While the midtown location is now closed, the La Vista Alamo theater remains open to “continue serving and providing the best movie-going experience to Omaha moviegoers,” said the Alamo’s Facebook post. 

Alamo’s final post via Facebook was one of gratitude: “To our Midtown team members past and present — our endless thanks and gratitude for the passion, hard work, and dedication that helped make so many memories over the past few years.”