Historic Gem Theatre

Wow what a lovely place! In the winter (thanksgiving weekend), the town of Panguitch is pretty much dead. Most businesses are closed. But it’s so nice to see the movie theater/​ice cream shop still open at night every night. Ice cream while snowing outside: sure why not.
The ice cream is amazing. Best I’ve had in town! Okay just kidding, this is probably the only ice cream parlor in town. But seriously, the ice cream is one of the better ones I’ve had (and I’ve had my fair share of ice cream all over the world). I had the blueberry and lemon. Both are so good, especially the blueberry– it had a lot of little frozen whole blueberries in there! The cheesecake one is also amazing.
The owner is super nice and gave us lots of suggestions on where to go and where he likes the best around the canyons.
Unfortunately our schedule didn’t allow us to catch a movie here but it looks like such a lovely place. The front is very clean. The screen according to the owner was 20 ft, and theater seats 135.
This is a must-​stop if you are ever in the area!

Great place for breakfast and diner. The Fettuccine Alfredo is really great. People are very friendly! Highly recommended!

5 star ice cream…
Although the GEM is not currently showing movies, it is worth a stop for their simple good food and friendly service. It is also well worth going out of your way for their amazing ice cream.
The food is pretty much a Diner menu but tastes a cut above. We enjoyed our meal there and even got a historical tour of the theater.
The real win here is their ice cream, which is made fresh on the premises. We did lots of hiking while in the area and treated ourselves every evening with different flavors. Their pistachio has so many nuts that it appears they took a barrel of nuts and just poured the ice cream over them to keep them together. They offer tastes of all their flavors and I asked them how do they get their Apple Pie ice cream to taste so much like pie a la mode? It’s simple, they put in ¾ of a fresh baked apple pie in each batch, plus they only use fresh apple purée. Their coconut is coconut on steroids, and ditto every flavor we tried.
We live in the Berkshires where good ice cream places are as numerous as pizza joints in NY. This place beats them all.

Best ice cream for a hundred mile radius! Hand made, top quality ingredients (at least it tastes that way). Too bad they couldn’t keep the movie business going and that they don’t accept debit/​credit cards.

Darling quaint little theater, with authentic old fashioned charm. Including an ice cream shop with hand dropped ice cream.

About six years ago, my in-​laws built a cabin at Panguitch Lake, on a plateau in Southern Utah, in the area of Bryce Canyon National Park. In the same area, on Highway 89, is the tiny town of Panguitch. When we first started coming down here, I didn’t like the town – 1500 residents, two streets intersecting at one traffic light… there just wasn’t enough going on for me.
I’ve come to love Panguitch, and one of the coolest things in the last six years is when the Gem Theatre reopened about three years ago. Originally built in 1909, it became a movie theater in the 1920s, and has survived a few fires. The theater was still showing first-​run movies through the 1980s, but fell into disrepair and was shuttered for many years.
Now the theater has been restored and is a beautiful gem (ha!) on Main Street. We’ve seen several movies there now, and have enjoyed the experience each time. Besides the movie theater proper, there’s a 1950’s themed ice cream shop in the front lobby, «Scoops From the Past.» They make their own ice cream, and while it’s not the cheapest ice cream, it is awfully good. We usually go two or three times per summer and every time it’s great.
Upstairs in the theater is a sort of lounge, with a mini museum of the theater’s history, including artifacts and records, and a game room where people can hang out and play board games, wait for movies to start, or just get off of Main Street for a while.
The Gem Theatre is a great addition to Panguitch; if you’re in town staying at one of the many motels on your way through Southern Utah, it’s a great way to spend the evening.

The Gem is so cute! A welcome addition to Panguitch. They are staying open all winter too… such great news!
The theater is a mish mash of different seats but that’s what gives it character. I recommend splurging on the VIP section for the full experience.
A great spot to enjoy a current flick with popcorn, soda, candy etc. There is only one film per week on the one screen so take it or leave it. A must do while in town!

This classic movie theatre is a gem indeed. These good folks invested a lot of time, money and love to rebuild this originally 1909 theatre. A small museum upstairs tells the story and shows some artefacts from the early years.
Most people surely have visited the ice cream parlor in the entrée that has multiple 5 star ratings for the delicious home made ice cream. If you stay in Panguitch overnight, make sure you watch a movie late night. Apart from the beautiful theatre room, great sound and big screen, the prices for tickets and beverages are rediculously low. Grab some ice cream from the super friendly stadf and enjoy this outstanding place.