Are AMC Theatres open during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

The coronavirus has changed out lives. Many office workers are now being “forced” to work from home, restaurants are struggling and limiting their hours, professional sports seasons have been suspended, museums are closing, festivals and events are all being canceled or postponed.

We’re all being told to quarantine ourselves for the indefinite future for the sake of those disproportionately impacted. I’m all for it, but I’m not someone that can stay inside for a few days straight without getting cabin fever. I know that after a couple days inside binge-ing on Netflix, cleaning, reading and being on the internet, I’ll want to get out and do something (carefully and safely) of course.

Are AMC Theatres Open?

One simple option was to go to the movies if you felt cooped up, but is AMC even open? Yes, but with some changes. AMC Theatres’ CEO and President Adam Aron sent out an email last night to AMC Stubs, A-List members and subscribers about how the largest theatre chain in the United States is responding and taking action in the midst of coronavirus pandemic. In short, they’re limiting seating and cleaning like crazy.

Earlier today, AMC announced our detailed plan to ensure a clean and healthy movie-watching environment for you at our U.S. theatres. Most importantly, we have taken bold nationwide action to encourage “social distancing.”

LIMITING SEAT CAPACITY IN EVERY AMC AUDITORIUM
• To give you more empty space around you within our theatres, we are capping ticket availability to 50% of the normal seating capacity for every showtime in every auditorium at all AMC theatres nationwide. Once we hit 50% of an auditorium’s capacity, movie screenings will show as being Sold Out, even though by definition there will be a large number of unfilled seats. This will begin Saturday, March 14, and for now, will continue until April 30.

• For those AMC auditoriums with more than 500 seats, we will further reduce bookings to a maximum of 250 people in any case.

• And, it goes without saying that AMC is actively complying with all current and future federal, state and local authorities’ directives on social gathering.

ENHANCED THEATRE CLEANING
• AMC theatre teams are following AMC’s stringent health and safety cleaning protocols, which include that every auditorium is thoroughly cleaned between each and every showtime.

• In addition, AMC has instituted enhanced cleaning protocols, which ensure that at least once per hour within an AMC building, the theatre team is cleaning high-touch point areas, including: kiosks, counter tops, restroom areas, glass, handrails and doorknobs.

GUIDANCE FOR GUESTS AND THEATRE STAFF
• AMC has mandated that any theatre associate who feels ill is excused from work and should not come to the theatre.

• We urge all potential guests to stay at home and seek medical assistance if they are not feeling well.

As you may know, AMC Theatres was founded in 1920. For more than 100 years, we’ve taken great pride in making smiles happen every day at our movie theatres around the country. As we enter our second century, AMC remains firmly committed to offering you, as one of our most valued guests, a clean and healthy environment every time you come to enjoy movies at our theatres.

That’s good enough for me, but in these days, things change by the hour. So as of this post at Saturday, 11:22 AM on March 14, 2020, AMC Theatres is open. I, for one am thankful we have an option if we choose to get out of the house (safely and carefully, of course)