LEXINGTON, Ky. — After nearly two years, the Kentucky Theatre is back after having to shut their doors during the pandemic.

The nonprofit Friends of the Kentucky will take over the theatre, with their first showings starting Friday, Jan. 28.

It’s known by many as the heart of downtown Lexington.

“This historic architecture is really special. It’s a magical place,” Wilkirson said.

A magical, historic place that you can travel the world in – in your mind, at least.

“You can go anywhere in your mind or geographically by seeing the films that we show here,” Wilkirson said.

And Hayward Wilkirson is proud to say that the Kentucky Theatre is back open.

“We feel like they’re coming home. People that have been here many many times over the decades that the theater has been,” Wilkirson said.

Wilkirson along with Lisa Meek, Co-Chairs of the nonprofit Friends of the Kentucky have learned about the business and raising money.

“We couldn’t open today if it weren’t for the generosity of people whose last four months given a lot of money and we are very grateful to those people,” Wilkirson said.

And it’s a theatre that has a special place in their hearts. 

“I saw the calendar, I saw the space and said yep I found my people,” Meek said.

Meek says The Kentucky has been her place for years, since she discovered it in college.

“My friends had it on their refrigerators with magnets and everybody was making plans to see this film and the other film and it was always, I’ll see you down at the Kentucky,” Meek said.

And says it’s a feeling she wants everyone to experience. 

“We just really want to kind of keep that sort of feeling going or bring it back,” Meek said.

The magical feeling Meek and Wilkirson once experienced will now continue as they reopen their doors to the heart of downtown, bringing back 100 years of tradition. 

Because Friends of the Kentucky is a non-profit, they will continue to accept donations throughout this journey to help support the reopening of the Kentucky Theatre.