If you are among the fortunate and have a history of summer vacations in the Lakes Region area, or if you have recently discovered this area for the first time, you are probably already acquainted with our local movie theater, the Magic Lantern.
Situated in downtown Bridgton, alongside Steven’s Brook, the newest version of “the Magic” is a welcome addition to Main Street, Bridgton. With three screens and a pub, this theater has gone a long way in helping to revitalize downtown Bridgton.
Its predecessor was housed in a building that was razed to provide room for the new version. The old building was literally sinking into the ground and there was no helping it, so down it came. The town voted to provide tax incentives for the construction of a new theater and worked with the owners to provide the area with a first rate facility that provides a focal point for the downtown.  
I grew up in this area and remember the old Brookside Theater – an open, high-ceilinged theater with a stage and a balcony. One of the first movies I ever saw in a theater was here back in the early 1960s – Disney’s “The Shaggy Dog”. I also remember seeing “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Easy Rider” there as a teenager. In the 1970s it was taken over by a local entrepreneur who renamed it the Magic Lantern. While it was popular with locals and visitors alike, it was operating on borrowed time as the building continued to sink, the heating system was problematic at best, and attendance could be spotty.
Now we’ve entered the new age of the Magic Lantern – a brand new facility with Dolby surround sound, comfortable seats, three theaters (each with their own decorative theme), and a pub where you can watch sporting events and movies on the big screen, or watch live performers while enjoying a meal or a beverage.
If you’re on vacation and staying at a camp on the lake there’s bound to be a rainy day or two during your stay. Don’t get cabin fever, though – just get to downtown Bridgton and enjoy a film or sporting event on wide screen and be transported to a world away from that rainy day.