Marcus Lincoln Grand Cinema

Reviews

• RL

  Rob Livermore

  1 day ago
  3.0
  They're a bazillion dollars, but they do sell 32 oz cups of DECENT beer (not just Butt Wiper or the like). 👍 Which is aways enough to get us through a movie. The chairs are always functioning as they should and comfortable, although it would be neat if they were heated for people who are always cold. Reserving your seats before getting there is awesome. "First come, first served" seating is SO nineteen 80s. 🤮 Overall, The Grand is where we always go when we go to a movie in Lincoln.
• CT

  c t

  Feb 22, 2026
  3.0
  The theater once was so clean. Now the place looks rough. Also medication commercials do NOT belong in theaters ever.
• HS

  Heavenly Window Cleaning Service

  Feb 13, 2026
  5.0
  Came to watch a very good movie at the Marcus Theater in Lincoln (treated myself). Used my point to get the ticket at a discount and since my birthday just passed I got t super combo for free. Met two wonderful attendances name Cater and Marcus (you'll think they owned the place) by their customers service and care towards me with my order and even wishing me a happy belated birthday. After the movies I was able to get a free refill and it just made my day (and it not even birthday) that's has passed but they made it feel like it was all over again today. Praise God and I thank God for this two individuals. Keep up the good work guys. Thanks, Ayo.
• EB

  Eric Brasuell

  Feb 7, 2026
  2.0
  Old, outdated, over-priced. I saw Iron Lung on the Ultra DLX screen, which is supposedly the best screen there. It does have Dolby Atmos, which is the only reason I am giving them 2 stars. The seat I got was broken, the middle divider was barely attached to the seat, and the backrest would squeak very loudly if you sat up at all. Half of the house lights were burnt out and there were several missing from the wall. Taking a glance around the auditorium you can clearly see that almost all the seats are worn and the cushions are coming apart. The curtains on the walls look straight out of the 80s. The concessions are even more expensive than I remember, but it has been a while since I've seen a movie in the theatres. A large drink costs ~$7.50. The water glasses are the tiniest cups imaginable. They no longer cover the cost of parking at Center Park Garage, as they changed their ticket system to one you can use your phone to pay. So for a 3 hour movie you will also have to pay $4.50 if you decide to park in a garage. The online booking convenience fee is also not waved anymore unless you watch a certain amount of movies recently which is hard if there have not been any decent movies released. Every once in a while when looking for a movie to watch, I think: "It cant be that bad" when selecting a movie at the Grand Theatre, but, every time I am reminded just how bad Marcus Theatres needs new management, more competitive pricing, and a new look. For now, I will just keep traveling to Omaha/Council Bluffs to visit AMC for my movies.
• SL

  Seth Lindgren

  Feb 1, 2026
  2.0
  The Grand used to be our go-to theater. We would see 8–12 movies a month and would buy full concessions every time to support the theaters! (Thank you, MoviePass.) It was part of our routine, and we genuinely enjoyed the convenience, comfort, and community of going to the movies in Lincoln. Unfortunately, that experience has changed dramatically over the last few years. The auditoriums, particularly the seating, have steadily deteriorated. The bonded “leather” (vinyl) is peeling on many seats, armrests have little to no cushioning left, and many recliners are broken or barely functional. This isn’t a one-off issue—it’s a consistent decline that makes the theater feel neglected and outdated, especially considering the rising ticket and concession prices. Moviegoing should be comfortable and enjoyable, but at the Grand it’s increasingly uncomfortable and disappointing. Because of this, we now frequently drive over an hour to Omaha to see movies in theaters that are clean, comfortable, and properly maintained. That’s absurd for a city the size of Lincoln, but it has become the only reliable way to enjoy a film without peeling vinyl sticking to your clothes or hard armrests digging into your elbows for two hours. Patrons shouldn’t have to leave town to get the experience they are paying good money for. Part of the problem stems from Lincoln’s protectionist policies. The ordinance was created to protect the downtown business district as a whole, an area that once had no fewer than five different theatres. Today, it effectively gives Marcus a local monopoly, keeping other theatre companies from entering the city. Unfortunately, the result hasn’t been a thriving downtown—it’s more empty and less active than before the ordinance went into effect. It’s time for this policy to sunset so competition can encourage better maintenance, improved experiences, and fair pricing. Even EastPark Theater, which might seem like an alternative, isn’t much better. Cleanliness and comfort are often lacking, and neither theater comes close to offering the quality experience we remember from decades past. By comparison, the old second-run Starship 9 theater, which closed over 20 years ago, charged just $1.50–$2.00 per ticket and was consistently well-maintained. Despite the low prices, it regularly hosted large community events, like New Year’s parties where all 9 of the auditoriums were full of teenagers watching different films from 7pm to 6 am and movie marathons, and was far busier than the Grand has ever been. Clearly, a theatre with significantly higher capacity can provide a clean, well-kept, and enjoyable experience even without premium pricing—something Lincoln’s smaller current theatres could learn from. We genuinely hope that Marcus reinvests in its facilities and seating. The potential for a great movie-going experience is there, but comfort, upkeep, and customer experience are being overlooked. Constructive changes could include: updating or replacing worn seating, properly maintaining auditoriums, ensuring clean and functional facilities, and finding ways to make ticket and concession pricing feel fair relative to the experience. Combined with a reevaluation of the protectionist policies, Lincoln could once again have theatres worth visiting frequently—maybe even as often as we used to go. Until then… we’ll probably stick to going out of town for our cinema fix. Update: When you email the theater manager, you get back a dismissive and condescending generic response almost blaming you for the quality of the seat you "chose" wasn't in "perfect" condition. Sadly, this is what having no competition (by local ordnance) does to a business. It makes them complacent and dismissive to their once loyal customers. (Photos are from a previous visit to their premium "superscreen" auditorium)