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Huntingdon's historic Clifton 5 theater is for sale

The Clifton 5 theater is keeping its lights on with the help of fundraisers and donations.
Photo courtesy of Huntingdon Cinema: Clifton 5 Facebook page
The Clifton 5 theater is staying open with the help of fundraisers and donations.

The owner of the historic Clifton 5 theater in Huntingdon is selling it after years of economic problems.

Owner Dave Peoples said the theater has dealt with unpopular movies, being shut down during the pandemic and technology upgrades they're still paying off.

Recently, the business has limped along with the help of fundraisers and donations.

The Clifton 5 opened in the 1930s and was built on the remains of an 1850s opera house that burned down. Despite its history, Peoples said he's now forced to sell it.

Along with the building, Peoples is selling the business and the theater equipment. He said if someone buys it, he hopes they'll continue to use it as a theater.

Peoples said he hopes someone who values history will step in to buy the building.

"It's rough once a small-town theater disappears. It really hurts the downtown," Peoples said. "I would love to see somebody take this over — like the borough of Huntingdon buy it or Juniata College — because it is a historical building."

For now, the Clifton 5 theater is showing movies on its five screens during the day and offering ghost tours at night.

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Katie Knol is a WPSU radio news intern for fall 2022.