Our History

R/C Theatres has been in operation since 1932 with its first location being the Leader Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland. Since its inception, R/C has operated theatres in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. The current CEO & President represents the third generation of the almost 100-year-old family business and multiple members of the fourth generation are currently working at the company’s headquarters in Maryland. 

R/C Theatres prides itself on being a leader of new technologies and using these to create a positive moviegoing experience for our customers. Our theatre in Reading, Pennsylvania, Reading Movies 11 & Imax, was among the first fully digital theatres in the country and we also represented many of the early digital 3D experiences available to customers in the US. Most recently, we have created our own proprietary premium large format auditorium called RCXtreme that combines a 4k laser projector, Dolby Atmos sound system, Buttkickers, and a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall screen that allows our customers to “not just watch a movie, experience it.” 

The company currently operates 131 screens across 14 locations in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Included in the 131 screens are two Imax’s, four (soon-to-be five) RCXtremes and two D-Box locations. Our Maryland theatres include Lexington Exchange Movies 12, Westminster Movies 9 and Hollywood Cinema 4. Lexington Exchange is the site of our latest RCXtreme installation and boasts an impressive HPS4000 sound system throughout the building. We recently obtained a beer, wine and liquor license at this location and look forward to this new concession opportunity. Westminster is fully converted to recliner seating and is part of the Westminster TownMall. Hollywood was the first theatre in Baltimore County to be fully recliner seating and has that true small-town theatre feel. 

Pennsylvania holds the greatest number of R/C Theatres locations, including Queensgate Movies 13 & Imax, Hanover Movies 16, Gateway Movies 8, Wilkes Barre Movies 14, Reading Movies 11 & Imax, Carlisle Movies 8 and our most recent addition, Richland Crossings Movies 12. Queensgate was the first location in which we installed an RCxtreme theatre, complementing the Imax auditorium that was already on site. This location is converted to recliner seating and has a full-sized arcade that our customers seem to really enjoy. Hanover offers one of our D-Box auditoriums and recently was the site of a Jurassic Park themed metal art exhibition put on by one of our dedicated customers. Gateway features an HPS4000 sound system in each auditorium and has a massive 367 seat auditorium which we look forward to converting into an RCXtreme in the future. Wilkes Barre is home to our other D-Box auditorium, has HPS4000 sound throughout and is a site at which we will be pursuing renovations in the near future to convert to recliner seating. Reading contains our original Imax auditorium, which holds an impressive 340 customers for a true larger-than-life experience and will also be a future site for recliner conversion. This theatre also features an HPS4000 sound system. Carlisle was one of our early recliner seating conversions and is a small-town favorite destination. Richland Crossings boasts oversized luxury heated recliners in all auditoriums and two RCXtreme auditoriums.

Our long-standing Virginia theatres, State Cinema 3 and Covington Movies 3, have been a part of the company since 1960 and 1970 respectively and were personal favorites of the former CEO & President. Both theatres are fully converted to recliner seating but maintain their small-town character and charm. Last but certainly not least, North Carolina is home to Albemarle Movies 8 and Kill Devil Hills Movies 10. Albemarle is our newest build site and home to our third RCXtreme auditorium. This theatre holds a beer and wine license and offers recliner seating in all auditoriums. Kill Devil Hills Movies 10 is in the midst of renovations, including converting to recliner seating and installing our fourth RCXtreme at this location.