Theater in Moose Lake Celebrates 80 Years

MOOSE LAKE, Minn. – A lot has changed since 1937, but the Lake Theater in Moose Lake isn’t much different at all.

“It’s a theater where you know the people that are laughing at the comedy with you and it’s just fun,” says patron Roger Thieling.

It was there during World War Two, the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, and remains open today.

“It’s a lot of fun to see people come in and sometimes they’re not in the greatest mood and then, when you see them leave, they’ll be laughing and that and having a great time,” says Walter Lower III, a third generation owner of the theater.

For all its 80 years, the Lower family has kept it alive.

“People ask me if I’m the owner, and I tell them no, it owns me,” says third generation owner Walter Lower Jr. “I didn’t really plan to be in the business. I call it my tar baby. I never got disentangled with it and have been here ever since.”

It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s survived four generations.

“The sound system and everything; you hated to turn it on because what if it didn’t work,” says Walter Jr.

“Working here since 19–73 or so when I was four years old, since I was old enough to pick up garbage and popcorn,” says Walter III.

It remains one of the few small town theaters left and keeps alive an atmosphere not felt in the big multiplexes.

“It gives the town…jeepers, you got to have a theater,” says Thieling.

“We actually try to wait until the movies actually come out instead of going to Cloquet or Duluth, we try to wait until they come here,” says patron Kris Fanning.

And it remains a treasure of this quaint community.

“Seeing a little kid come in for his first movie all excited, that’s the enjoyment of it all,” says Walter III.