PITTSBURG, Kan. — As of Sunday night, the Pittsburg 8 AMC Theatre closed its doors permanently at the Meadowbrook Mall, 202 E. Centennial, leaving Pittsburg without a movie theater for the first time in more than 100 years.
Rumors swirled on social media about the potential closure, and on Saturday the theater manager told The Morning Sun he was unable to comment on the situation. By Monday morning, however, Pittsburg 8 has been removed from the AMC website and is no longer displayed as a theater option on Google.
In response to calls and emailed questions from the Morning Sun, an AMC media relations person responded with this message:
“I can confirm that AMC ceased operations at Pittsburg 8 after close of business on Sunday, May 31,” AMC Media Manager Cassie Kennard said in an email. “AMC routinely reviews the theatres in our circuit and makes decisions based on what will best strengthen the Company going forward. We thank our Pittsburg 8 guests for their patronage and have appreciated the support from the community.”
Nothing seemed amiss among the staff or the overall environment on Saturday night, May 30, according to a Morning Sun reporter. During an evening showing of “Backrooms,” the reporter estimated roughly 50 people were present for the movie. “Backrooms” premiered on May 29.
Pittsburg is not the only Kansas community that AMC has left, recently.
Two weeks ago, AMC shuttered its Salina location after storms caused water damage to the Central Mall, leaving the city of nearly 46,000 without a movie theater. Last year, AMC closed a theater in Hays, which is roughly the same size as Pittsburg.
For several years, movie theaters have reported a decline in foot traffic, citing streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu as the cause.
However, a news release dated June 1, 2026, on AMC’s website stated that more than 25 million patrons attended AMC theaters and ODEON cinemas in May, marking the highest May attendance since 2019. The release went on to say that 4.2 million people visited the theaters this past weekend.
On May 29, “Backrooms,” which was filmed with a $10 million budget, was released and during its opening weekend, it earned $81 million from North American box offices.
“Obsession,” another film with a “modest” budget by industry standards, has earned $106 million in North America after three weeks of theater showings. This film was made with a $1 million budget. Some analysts are speculating that the preferences of movie audiences are shifting away from major franchises and leaning towards independent new ideas.
In February, AMC announced it would be closing “underperforming” locations across the country, but they did not provide a list of potential closures. Chief Financial Officer Sean Goodman told Fast Company, a business magazine, that 10 percent of the company’s properties were eligible for lease renewals each year, which would allow for price renegotiations or terminations.
The Morning Sun called the Meadowbrook Mall Management Office on Monday morning to inquire whether AMC attempted to negotiate a lease renewal. Less than an hour later, the reporter received a text message stating “We have no comment at this time.”
For Pittsburg community members, the next closest movie theater is in Joplin, Missouri, and the closest AMC Theater is in Springfield, Missouri.
This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews.
