The Hiway Theatre Experience…As the only first-run, one-screen movie house in the area, there are certain things unique to the Hiway:

1. Don’t be fooled by our age–we’re young where it counts!: Although the Hiway will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2013, we underwent a comprehensive renovation in 2007, made possible by community support. In addition to the interior, seating, concession stand and equipment and lobby fixtures, we have a state of-the-art sound system and refurbished 35MM projector for our first-run schedule and an overhead LCD projector hooked to a Blu Ray player for special screenings and the bulk of our Children’s Matinee Series which runs on school holidays starting in the Fall. (BTW: Want to celebrate a b-day with your child’s favorite flick? Our theatre could be yours for the day! Click here for details.) So, if you want the best in cinema sound and vision in an historic theater, you’ve come to the right place!
2. You don’t have to be a Hiway member to attend…but you may want to become one!: The  Hiway Theatre is a non profit and depends on contributed revenue, such as donations and memberships, in order to meet the costs of being a first-run movie house. You do not have to be a member to attend our shows or events, but members at the basic levels [annual fee under $100] receive a $5 ticket price to all first-run shows and also receive free admission to special screenings and select film series’ showings throughout the year.
3. Weekend listings available in print, online and on the phone: Our listings for the weekend [Fri.-Sun] are published every Friday in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News. We do not advertise in the papers Monday-Thursday, but listings are always available online, on our website and on our movie times line at 215-886-9800 [Option 1]. Better yet: subscribe to our weekly email blast and you will receive the times in your box as soon as they are updated! As with all movie theaters, whenever we bring in a new film it starts on a Friday* so the weekend listings will indicate whether a current film has been extended for another week [through Thursday] or whether a new film is making its debut.    *some high profile studio films or holiday releases will have a Wednesday or Thursday opening but that is an exception, not the norm!
4. Show times are “real time”: We do not run a number of trailers before our shows mainly because we are not promoting more than one upcoming engagement at a time and we don’t want to show trailers for films that are not scheduled. Also, for that same reason, often there are no trailers attached to the film you are coming to see. That means you are not going to sit through fifteen to twenty minutes of trailers–shows will start, generally, at the time listed/posted. We do, however, delay the show in question to make sure the majority of patrons are seated but it is best to get here 20-30 minutes early to ensure you are seated in time for the film in question.
5. Plenty of room but you can get your tickets early: We have 320 seats in the theater so, even on the weekend, you are almost always guaranteed a seat. However, for those who are concerned with the ability to get a seat, you can buy advanced tickets online or at the box office; the box office opens one-half hour before the first show scheduled and is open until the last show starts. BTW: we take Discover, Visa and Mastercard at the theatre.
6. Average engagement is three weeks for a new release: We are first-run which means that the majority of our films are booked upon their release. This is in contrast to a sub-run movie house where the films are booked a month or more after their release. Since we are first-run, we will usually be required to play a new film for at least three to four weeks. However, when we have a new film, we do not decide the length of the engagement–the distributor dictates the length of the engagement based on the weekend box office. For instance, we had Slumdog Millionaire here for eight weeks and Eat Pray Love had a three week engagement. In both cases, the distributor decided the actual length of the engagement based on ongoing, weekend, box office reporting. Please know that we are always negotiating for better terms on first-run engagements so we have the chance to take as many films as possible during the year.
7. “Why are some films gone after only one-week!”: When a film is older we have more flexibility and can do short term engagements and split-screens. When we have a “special engagement” that is usually a sub-run engagement and is either a one week or two week booking. The reason we book short-term engagements that are one or two weeks is so we can provide variety for our patrons and also be on schedule for picking up new releases; if we miss the release date of a film we are targeting when it is new we may not be able to show it later. So, the shorter engagements serve a valuable purpose: they give the Hiway the ability to bring films you may enjoy that may not have had a wide release or may have come out earlier in the year and they help maintain our first-run schedule so we can target new films upon their release.
8. Jenkintown is fun!: We have the pleasure to be in one of the best shopping and dining-out destinations in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Jenkintown boasts a large number of “Mom and Pop” businesses, unique shops and quality eateries–all within walking distance of the Hiway!  For all that Jenkintown has to offer, click here.
9. Parking is available: Although we do not have our own parking lot, there are two municipal parking  lots nearby [at Leedom and Greenwood and Leedom and West Ave.] that have over 100 spaces combined and a number of local businesses also make their lots available at different times–see our parking map for details. NOTE: Wednesday night parking in Jenkintown is free for all meters!!
10. Indulge your sweet tooth and your yen for fresh popcorn: In addition to concession mainstays like popcorn, soda and Goobers, the Hiway offers the finest in imported chocolates, coffee and tea, and specialty items and drinks. Not only that, but we use real butter to top off your popcorn!….and
11. …We give a darn!: The staff of the Hiway are committed to making your experience the best it can be. Please don’t hesitate to let us know what you liked or didn’t like and what you feel would make your next visit even better.

For more information about the Hiway please visit our FAQ section or, if interested in our policies, please visit the Hiway Policies section.