Oklahoma’s Oldest Theater Still Entertaining

By Christian Price, News9.com INsite Team

CARNEGIE, Oklahoma - The Liberty Theater has been entertaining Oklahoma audience's since 1915 and the theater shows no signs of slowing down.

According to Liberty Theater's manager Gay Jones, vaudeville acts were the first shows to grace the theaters stage.

"When it started in 1915, it was live theater," Jones said. "Then when they did come out with silent film, it changed to silent films. Then, of course, it went to talkies."

The building itself is in remarkable condition, something Jones said, is a testament to their patrons.

"People are really respectful of it," Jones said. "They feel like its part of their life. They came here as children and now they're coming here as grandparents and great-grandparents. They feel a kind of ownership to the theater."

A lot of locals visit the Liberty just to purchase a Show Dog, which is a chili cheese dog made from scratch by Jones herself.

"That's our number one concession item, those gourmet hot dogs," Jones said.

The Liberty Theater is a first run theater, which means they show all the newly released films. Fortunately, the ticket price for a first run movie at the Liberty is substantially different from the theaters found in larger cities.

"It's $3.50 to get in," Jones said. "If you wanted a hot dog, that's $2.00 and a Coke is $1.25. So for $6.75, you can eat and go to the movies."

If you would like to see the Liberty Theater first hand, click on the video at the right.