Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual

Another spot I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed until now. This has to be one of the best-​kept secrets in the area — a lovely art-​deco-​style theatre showing FREE classic films 3 – 4 times per week.
Monthly schedules are posted online, as well as via hard copy at the center & at various spots around town (Culpeper). Online reservations are taken no further ahead than 7 days before a film’s showing; 8 days for Saturday films. While specific seats aren’t reserved, a reservation at least guarantees you a seat (theatre seats around 200) until 10 minutes before show time, otherwise you can just walk-​in & be on «stand-​by», wherein you can take whatever seats are left 10 minutes before the film begins. Gates to the center open 45 minutes before show time, & rules are simple — no smoking, eating, or drinking in the theatre; cell phones turned off; no talking once the film begins.
I can’t even begin to list here all the wonderful films we’ve been able to enjoy on the big screen during the past 3 – 4 years we’ve been regulars here. Everything from «Casablanca» & dozens of film noir classics; to newer films like «Rosemary’s Baby», «Fahrenheit 451», & James Bond films (we saw «Thunderball» & «On Her Majesty’s Secret Service» last week); Disney classics for the kids like «The Three Lives of Thomasina» (an old childhood favorite of mine); subtitled foreign classics like «Seven Samurai»; & quite a few classic silent films that are accompanied by live organ music! This coming Thursday they’ll be showing a Halloween special double feature — the original «Frankenstein» & the original «Dracula». On the big screen — what a treat!
If you’re a classic film lover & live within a reasonable distance, the schedule for this lovely place is definitely worth bookmarking & checking out monthly. And remember — it’s FREE!