Heights Theater to Change Ownership in Early 2026, Ending Tom Letness’s 27-Year Stewardship of the Twin Cities Landmark

The Heights Theater, the Twin Cities’ oldest continuously operating movie house and one of Minnesota’s most meticulously restored historic cinemas, will change ownership in early 2026. The transition marks the close of owner Tom Letness’s 27-year tenure, a period during which he transformed the once-deteriorating Columbia Heights venue into a celebrated regional film destination.

Letness, who purchased the Heights in 1998, confirmed that the theater has been sold to the ownership team behind Chicago’s renowned Music Box Theatre: managing partner Brody Sheldon, the Schopf family, and Minnesota native Ryan Oestreich, the longtime general manager of the Music Box. All three partners are widely respected in the independent cinema world for their preservation-minded operations and repertory programming.
Letness said their mission aligns closely with his own dedication to classic film exhibition, historic preservation, and high-quality presentation.

A Historic Cinema With a Second Life

Built in 1926 by Arthur Gluek in a Beaux Arts, and Egyptian-revival, inspired design, the Heights is believed to be the longest continuously operating movie theater in the Twin Cities. Over its nearly 100-year history, it has survived fires, bomb damage, and severe storms, but by the 1990s had fallen into significant decline.

When Letness and his business partner at the time, Dave Holmgren, bought the theater in 1998, it was operating as a low-budget discount house with much of its original ornamentation painted over or removed. Guided by original architectural blueprints discovered at the University of Minnesota, Letness led a painstaking, decade-long restoration that returned the auditorium and lobby to their early-20th-century grandeur.

Key restoration milestones include:

• Reintroducing a historic Wurlitzer pipe organ, acquired from WCCO Radio, to replace the original organ removed after the silent era. The instrument now rises from an orchestra pit that had been hidden beneath the flooring.
• Restoring the theater’s ornate interior décor, from Egyptian-style ornamentation to crystal chandeliers and period lighting.
• Maintaining both archival and modern projection formats, allowing the Heights to screen films in digital, 35mm, and 70mm, an increasingly rare capability even among historic theaters.

These efforts helped cement the Heights as “the jewel of the Twin Cities,” beloved by cinephiles for its classic programming, pristine presentation, and community-centered special events.

The New Owners and Their Vision

The Music Box Theatre team, Sheldon, Oestreich, and the Schopf family, will officially assume ownership in January 2026. The Heights will close temporarily after its traditional New Year’s Day screening of Holiday Inn and is expected to reopen January 9 with the run of a new release.

Music Box leadership has publicly committed to preserving the Heights’ identity, reassuring patrons that longtime staff will remain and that the theater’s signature programming will continue, including:

• The annual February Film Noir Festival
• The beloved “White Christmas” holiday run
• The New Year’s Day screening of Holiday Inn
• Repertory classics and archival film screenings
• Silent films accompanied by the Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ

Beyond preservation, the new owners plan to expand programming with:

• Late-night screenings on Fridays and Saturdays
• Saturday morning kids’ cinema
• An expanded silent film series with live organ accompaniment

Sheldon has said in multiple statements that their goal is not to reinvent the Heights, but to build upon what Letness has created while introducing new ways to engage the next generation of filmgoers.

Letness Looks Ahead to Retirement

For Letness, the sale represents both the end of a long and deeply personal chapter and the beginning of a well-earned retirement. He has said he is confident that the Music Box team will continue the tradition of thoughtful film exhibition and historic preservation that has defined the Heights for decades.

“I couldn’t ask for better caretakers,” Letness said in the theater’s public statement. He added that the transition will allow him more time to travel while knowing the Heights is “in the hands of people who share the same devotion to the art of cinema.”

A Stable Future for a Community Treasure

As the Heights prepares to enter its centennial year under new ownership, its next chapter appears rooted in the same values that saved it: craftsmanship, cinematic heritage, and a commitment to community.

With the Music Box team at the helm, and the legacy of Letness’s restoration firmly in place, the Heights Theater is positioned to remain a cultural landmark for movie lovers throughout the Twin Cities for decades to come.

MinneapoliMedia