The Palace has several unfunded but vital capital improvement projects. Even though the theatre is largely self-sufficient through rental of the building’s apartments, funds received from rental of the theatre, film sponsorships, and concessions, significant capital needs remain in maintaining and operating a historic theatre. The roof of the auditorium is about 30 years old and in need of replacement; seasonal roof repairs by our volunteers are becoming more substantial.

We’ve seen a lot of progress in the lobby over the past few years. However, in order to finish the project, volunteers still need to construct a bar and concession area and install wood trim and new flooring.

After work on the lobby is completed, our volunteers will turn toward the aging infrastructure in the auditorium. Maintenance efforts in the auditorium largely ceased as the exterior wall and lobby unexpectedly needed to be rebuilt. When those projects are complete, refurbishment of the auditorium can begin, including painting of the floors and replacement of acoustic paneling and deteriorated wall fabric. Further, due to the increased difficulty of finding movies on film, the theatre will also need to invest in a digital projector.

We are fortunate in having volunteers who are both capable and generous with their time. Still, even with donated labor, costs are substantial. Because the Palace’s mission is to serve the community, movies are only $5 and a bag of popcorn is still $2. We would need to sell about 25,000 bags of popcorn to fund replacement of our roof. This is where the donations can make a huge difference.


Frostburg Palace Theatre is an all-volunteer, charitable organization operated in accordance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Accordingly, charitable contributions to the Frostburg Palace may be tax deductible