About Us

The Stanley Theater is a small town movie theater serving the residents of Stanley, WI and the surrounding community. We provide newer movies weekly at reasonable prices.

Each week, a new movie is featured beginning on Friday and generally runs nightly through Tuesday (Closed Wednesday and Thursday).  However please refer to specific movie times each week, they are subject to change.

We are a “Family Friendly” theater; showing family enjoyable rated movies: Rated G to PG-13. Occasionally, by popular request an R rated movie may be shown.

Since the theater structure was built in 1936, we constantly strive to update and improve the building structure and interior. Most recent completed improvements include, central air conditioning, new carpeting in the inner lobby area and down the aisles of the auditorium. Other improvements in the past years include: a new roof, a new screen, and repainted auditorium walls – reflecting murals of the original 1936 design of the art deco period, and 7.1 Dolby Sound.

The most outstanding improvement was dominating a Kickstarter Fundraising Campaign where the community stepped up to raise $65,000 in 21 days in order to purchase and install a digital projector in 2015.

Recently we celebrated our 50th Anniversary of owning the Stanley Theater, Eslinger Family owned.  We work hard to make sure every customer is important and to be a participating member of our community.

Annually, we put on FREE shows for the members of our community, at Christmas and Easter and other special occasions.

The Stanley Theater is now owned by the Stanley Theater Legacy group of Louis Eslinger, Gloria Eslinger and Theresa Pries ensuring that the legacy lives on to serve our community.  The Legacy group will honor the traditions that their mother Cecilia started and late father, Daniel "Mussy" Eslinger took pride in.  Together the movies will live on in Stanley, WI.

Watch Cecilia Eslinger and our story on Wisconsin Life: