Congratulations to the Des Moines Film Society on their exciting renovation plans for the Varsity Cinema!
Invest DSM and Neighborhood Development Corporation are providing up to $10,000 in matching grant funds for donations to this historic project!
The Varsity Theatre, a beloved, one-screen movie theater in Des Moines’ Drake neighborhood, will undergo renovation and reopen as the Varsity Cinema — a modern cinema and film center, thanks to the Des Moines Film Society.
It plans to modernize and reconfigure the lobby to make room for events and community space, make the building wheelchair accessible, and create a second “micro-cinema” on the second floor, which now serves as storage, said Ben Godar, Des Moines Film Society board president.
“We want to restore and preserve the historic integrity of the building — that’s very important to us,” he said.