Everett Theatre, Middletown

Not many theaters have been featured in Oscar-winning films. The Everett Theatre is an exception. The space took center stage during a pivotal scene in 1989's Dead Poets Society, and its vintage facade, plush red curtains, and ornate arches helped it fit right in with the film's '50s setting.

But despite its brush with Oscar gold, it's the Everett's function as a community center that has made it a source of local pride since it first opened in 1863. While weathering fires, remodels, and closures, the venue made entertainment its mission, from vaudeville shows and movies to musicals and plays. More than a century later, the renovated Everett Theatre continues to produce entertainment for Middletown and its surrounding area.