Frequently Asked Questions

As of July 1, 2010, our regular show ticket prices are:

• $10.00 for Non-Members
• $7.00 for ByTowne Members (with card)
• $7.00 for Seniors (age 65 and over, with I.D.)
• $7.00 for Children and Youth (age 17 and under, with I.D.)

Unless otherwise noted in our program guide, separate admission is required for each film. Prices above apply at all shows, 7 days a week, except for some special events and charity fundraisers.

A valid, signed Membership card must be presented to obtain the Member's price. Please don't ask our cashier to break the rules.

Tickets can only be purchased in person from our box office. The box office opens 30 minutes prior to the first screening of the day. Once it's open, you may buy advance tickets for that day's films only. "Why is that?", you ask. Well, we just don't have the fancy technical equipment required to track anything beyond same-day sales.

The Basics
ByTowne memberships cost $11.00 and are valid for 12 months from the time of purchase. The membership card entitles you to the discounted admission price of $7.00 per film and a mailing list subscription to receive the bi-monthly ByTowne Guide. 

How to Buy
You may purchase a membership at the box office when you join us for a movie. The total cost is then $18.00 - $11.00 for the membership plus $7.00 for your admission at member's rate. The membership card should be signed in the space provided and must be presented at the box office every time to get your discount. If you wish to receive the ByTowne Guide by mail, simply fill out the mailing list form available from the cashier at the time of membership purchase.

Please note that ByTowne membership cards are not transferable; it is for your personal use only. And sorry, we do not replace lost or stolen cards.

Buying by Mail
You may also purchase a membership through the mail at the slightly higher cost of $12.00.

Send a cheque to:
ByTowne Cinema, 
325 Rideau Street, 
Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 5Y4

Please include a clearly visible return address also helps (that's where the extra $1 comes in) to cover the postage cost of mailing your new membership card back to you.

We like small, unmarked bills slid discreetly under the glass partition to that cheerful cashier waiting on the other side. Sorry, no credit or debit cards here; we like to do things the old-fashioned way (told you we were low-tech!). Besides, this way we avoid those nasty debit/credit service charges, which we therefore don't have to pass along in our prices to you.

We do have an ATM inside the auditorium. If you're short of wee bits of paper, please visit the ATM before joining the queue for tickets.

You got us; Members, Seniors and Youth customers can skip the box office queue by buying pre-paid vouchers. They are $7 each, can be bought well in advance, and they never expire.

Buy as many vouchers as you like from the cashier on your next visit. (Remember to bring lots of cash, because we still don't take plastic!). After that, you can skip the box office line-up and go straight to the usher, or to the Ticket Holders line-up if we haven't yet finished with the previous movie. Show the usher your Membership (or proof of age if you're a Senior or Youth) and hand over a Pre-Paid Voucher -- you're in!

Give yourself the gift of speed and convenience!

The ByTowne's a spin-off of the old Towne Cinema that lived on Beachwood Avenue in New Edinburgh. We've been at this location since 1988. The cinema itself was built in 1947. We're working on a page about the ByTowne's history which should be up and running soon.

The basics: The ByTowne Cinema is located on Rideau Street, between King Edward Avenue and Nelson Street.

The detailed: More information (including directions and parking info) can be found on our Map page.