Criterion Theater is a beautiful old theater in the heart of Bar Harbor. While it is closed during the pandemic, it is worth a visit and a place to enjoy a show. Spend some time looking at the detail in addition to whatever is playing.

Hands down my favorite theater ever. Reminds me a lot of the great theater in Charleston. When judging, you have to think of what else is around it, which is to say not much. Bar Harbor is my favorite Summer destination, and some of that has to do with this theater.

She’s lovely, this Grand Dame of a vintage theatre.

Watching IT Chapter 2 here was such a cool experience. Im sure watching any movie here would be! The theater itself from my understanding is one of the few buildings that is original after the fire they had a long time ago. Anything that was restored in the theater over the years was restored to look like it was before. Definitely recommend sitting up in the balcony section. The audio and image quality of the movie were just as good as any other theater youd go to in a large City.

A new beginning in a past glitzy glory!!! The space is wonderful and worth the preservation! Bar Harbor will never get another place like this if it became obsolete!!What a Blessing to have right here!!!!I saw a youthful theatrical favorite group I have followed for years..BELLAS BARTOK!!!And The Crown Vics opened for them, a great cover group with a lot of good energy

The Criterion Theater has been painstakingly restored to its art deco glory , From the floating balcony to the hand cut French glass chandelier. its a great place to see a live event or a movie.

Beautiful theater. Great movie experience.

Great Art Deco theater, beautiful with comfy seating and plenty of room to dance. Gracious staff as well!

Incredible musical acts are finding the Criterion! We have seen the Ghosts of Paul Revere and Lorrie Morgan. The theatre is comfortable and well laid out. The sound was great. The staff was helpful. Lots of great acts are coming. Get your tickets now

I really really want to like this place, but every time I go in, my nose ends up running like a faucet. The sound is not always great either. But I do love the fact that they bring interesting groups to town, and its a good space for the local community theater

Balcony seats! Lovingly restored/maintained historic theater with comfortable seats, 1920s charm, movie memorabilia and more. Concessions include beer and wine so you can enjoy an adult outing. Movie selection is quite a bit different from the other theater in town which makes for a nice balance

Beautiful restored theatre. Really beautiful and great place to see a movie!

A very cool and historic theater

The criterion Theatre is a great place to go out with your family-frends and watch movies.

Balcony seats are perfect, especially since you can book on like to ensure you get seats. This place is like stepping back in time!

Totally amazing old-time theater! Travel from St Louis to Bar Harbor for New Years and ended up finding this little gem. Had just enough time to eat at the Thirsty Whale across the street and then watch Mary Poppins!

Cozy, lovely theater. I sat in the stalls in the far back with a restricted view. It was a little hard to see everything, but was quite discounted so worth it. Saw “A comedy about a Bank Robbery” and it was hilarious and creative. My husband and I enjoyed it a lot. We also went to the bar and got a bottle of wine. It was ready waiting for us with two glasses during intermission so we didn’t have to wait in line. Easy to book and get tickets at will call.

Beautifully remodeled and kept with the Art Deco look. We enjoyed listening to Folk music and what we believe was a ghostly experience! If you are in Bar Harbor put this on your must-see list and maybe youll have an experience of your own.

Saw a top movie ... The theater is a classic and historic place ... Comfortable seats and the temperature inside was perfect ... So glad that it is Open again and having a nice Variety of entertainment !! ... A real asset to the Town of Bar Harbor

Unbelievable restoration of an Art Deco theater lost in time. Do whatever is necessary to get here. Be sure to sit in the balcony. Go to the mens restroom in the balcony to see a RARE porcelain drinking fountain. Its unbelievable it never was vandalized or stolen. Its priceless.

It is nice and comfortable Now recliners to set in

Never busy is a plus but popcorn is horrible. Never taste like butter. Even if u ask for extra. Not even my son would eat it. There chairs are like sitting on rocks.

An old fashioned movie theater from the 1930s.

Seats are to small . Nice place for a Concert

Beautiful theater. Seats not super comfortable.

Adore the restored theatre and the talented performers they showcase

Big beautiful old style grand film house

Weve seen both a movie and a play here and loved both. The atmosphere is great and the staff are always super friendly and welcoming!

Beautiful theater! Great service

We went to see a movie and sat in the balcony. Snacks and drinks were very reasonably priced, atmosphere was unique and we really enjoyed the experience

Balcony provides a perfect spot for a family of 8

Beautiful building. Great seats in old boxes in the balcony. Shows one movie for a month. The buildings charm is worth going for. The butter on the popcorn is bland, but the popcorn is delicious. Super cheap snacks and entrance fee. 8 for balcony and 7 for floor.

Amazing place to see entertainment! Kind staff and a nice place to see movies.

Very cool place! If youre staying in downtown bar harbor, seriously go here. Tickets are cheap (I pay $10+ at home) and even though movies arent necessarily current, theyre solid, plus they serve alcohol at the theater which Im not used to being from Pennsylvania. I sat in the balcony which also had tables if you so desired, and I had a great view of the screen plus the sound was just perfect.

Really cool old theater. Great acoustics and run as charity...accepts donations. Good programming and great staff...

Recently renovated theater from 1932, art deco style. Saw Samba Meets Jazz concert last night. The acoustics were very good. Small venue, which I like. Excellent to have this in Bar Harbor

Beautiful local theater with tons of character and great shows.

Lovely ambiance.. Friendly staff and a good selection of reasonably priced snacks, also.. They serve wine and beer!

A great small community theatre.

Cool restored theater, beer/ wine available, balcony has tables, variety of shows.

Check out the live acts here. Great venue.

Awesome Venue. The theater has all the original architecture and is a great place for a concert. We saw the Boxmasters (Billy Bob Thornton) and Irish singer Dylan Walshe. They were both great what a show! The staff was very friendly and helpful.

An amazing theater, Im glad I bought a ticket.

The balcony seating is novel but I think regular seating is still significantly better for watching a movie. The price for this theater is very reasonable.

Story Collider comes to MDI!

Have only been there once, but the sound was great, not a bad seat in the place, friendly staff. Great place to see live a performance!! Cant wait to go again!!

This place is Amazing. The feel and vibe are like no other. If you’ve never been here, what are you waiting for?

Wonderful experience - not a bad seat in the house

Awesome venue! Happily will drive the hour to see another show in this setting!

Really nice use for an old movie theater. Great Michael Cohn concert. Nice size crowd in the off season.

Best place ever

Always a nice visit! Seats are a little crowded and there isnt a lot of leg room, but we love the Criterion!

Amazing performance of Freaky Friday by Acadia Community theater

Fantastic renovation... see anything just to see the decor.

It is a amazing theatre with its popular 1930 decor! The staff there enjoy their job, rather than being lazy. It also can host a play, so that is great too! But, expensive snacks. Hey, Ill let it slide. Every theatre has something wrong with it.I rate it 5 stars, for its amazing decor, and devoted staff.

Went there for a movie. Cool atmosphere, and pretty authentic. People working were really nice, and its an all right price.

Goes out of the way to ensure a good experience

Lovely old-school cinema, on the national register of historic places.

1920s theater real classic

Drafty, uncomfortable seats, terrible popcorn, and the supposedly new sound system they have for movies is horrible. When Ive gone to see films, the audio is garbled and half of it is indistinguishable. I have to end up going to see the movie somewhere else if I see it here first just so I can finally understand the dialogue. The staff is extremely nice but the owner is incredibly rude.

Neat old place! Great staff!!!

Excellent Blueberry Mojitos

Beautiful restoration of old movie theater. Lots of variety in shows.

Always a pleasure to go to. Beautiful building with a ton of history.

Great old movie theater also excellent popcorn

Cool vintage Theatre, even has balcony seating. The staff here are very friendly and enjoyable.

Always a treat and it keeps getting better !

Very nice theater but the seats are uncomfortable and small. We enjoyed the concert but our tail bones took awhile you recover.

Beautiful, so well preserved

Great old theatre. Saw Clint Black on fri. Great performance.

Superb space for formal and informal festivities. Laszlo Gardonys jazz concerts are among the most superb experiences here!

Beautiful friendly great art deco from 1932

A beautiful 1932 Art Deco theatre. A few weeks ago I ordered tickets to the upcoming Star Wars movie. I mistakenly ordered for the wrong time. I emailed the theatre and within 20 minutes received a response from Heather Martin (at 9 pm). Both she and Steve Boucher went completely out of their way to fix my issue, and were so pleasant during the process!Tonight my fiancée and I stopped in to watch Spectre and I had the opportunity to meet Steve in person. A great guy!So glad the Criterion has such a devoted staff!If you are in the Bar Harbor area I highly recommend a visit to the Criterion! Thanks Heather and Steve!

Still the best movie theatre Downeast

Gorgeous place, attend anything there just to experience the Art Deco magic.

They have done a wonderful job bring this theater back.A great visit

An old time theater with average concession stand. No hot dogs served though, however you can get beer or wine.

The balcony is the only way to experience this cinema. Wonderful. Sound was a little tinny.

Nice place its a circa 1930s theatre..they have live acts also..O and they serve drinks nice ppl nice place...its Maine so ...yea lots nice ppl always friendly ..u know Maine ppl..

One night Don Giovanni - an Opera by the Bar Harbor Music Festival & the next night I Know a Man . . . Ashley Bryan, A film by Richard Kane & Robert Shetterly. Fabulous - so inclusive as a community theater.

If you like old movie theater this is the place to go

The Criterion Theatre is something you MUST experience if you come to Bar Harbor, especially if your a fan of the Art Deco Era!

Old movie theater.

A very quaint experience. They dont have the best projector (or popcorn), but the theater itself has a unique and classic aesthetic thats unfortunately dying out in most cities.

Beautiful decor

Theyve taken the musty/moldy smell out with the remodeling. But kept the Art Deco look. I was at the Grand Reopening to check it out.

Love the historic decor. Beautiful place.

Drove an hour to get there only to read a sign on the door saying the projector was broken. The Facebook event page had no information and wasnt cancelled. Very bad experience

Classic - everyone should go at least once in their lifetime.

Rich in history. Went there on a ghost tour.

Historical, beautiful, and spacious theater! Support them as they deserve it!

Definitely haunted cool place to visit

Most fantastic building in Bar Harbor

A beautiful theatre, very classic feel!

I went to a community presentation about the 1947 Arcadia fire and what has been learned...

Really awesome and they play good movies

The best ever

Awesome

Clean place.

Awesome show tonight