STATE & NATION TRAVEL · events
George Eastman Museum schedules four nitrate-film screenings for Nov. 20–21
By Staff Writer · Published October 31, 2026
The Dryden Theatre program requires individual tickets for four 35mm nitrate presentations, and the museum's regular passes and complimentary admission do not apply.
Official event date: George Eastman Museum · October 29, 2026
Source: George Eastman Museum November Nitrate Weekend release
The George Eastman Museum will present four films on 35mm nitrate at Rochester's Dryden Theatre on November 20 and 21. Tickets are sold separately for each screening, and the museum says Admit One and Take-10 passes, along with complimentary admission, cannot be used for this special weekend.
The schedule begins with Mutiny on the Bounty at 7:30 p.m. Friday, November 20. Saturday's program includes A Star Is Born at 1 p.m., Daisy Kenyon at 4:30 p.m. and Hamlet at 8 p.m. The films come from the collections of the Eastman Museum and the Library of Congress.
Nitrate stock was the standard base for many motion pictures before it was discontinued in the mid-20th century because it is highly flammable. The museum says the older prints can show sharper contrast and original color-dye characteristics that modern copies may not reproduce. The Dryden has a projection booth designed to handle the material under specialized operating conditions.
The event page lists the four programs and links to individual ticket purchases but does not promise that the theater's ordinary admission categories apply. The Dryden's general guide says special-event prices may differ, so travelers should read the checkout total for the selected film instead of assuming the regular screening price.
What Travelers Need to Know
Choose the exact film and time on the official November Nitrate Weekend page and buy a separate ticket for that screening. Do not plan to use an Admit One pass, Take-10 pass or complimentary admission; the release explicitly excludes them.
Review the ticket price and terms in the checkout flow before payment. The museum's standard Dryden prices are not a guarantee for this special event, and the reviewed pages do not state a refund or exchange policy for the nitrate weekend.
The museum and Dryden Theatre are at 900 East Avenue in Rochester. Visitor parking is free in the lot entered from East Avenue, and the theater entrance is accessible from that lot. The box office normally opens 45 minutes before a screening.
For seating or accessibility questions, contact the museum before the event. Accessible spaces are near the main entrance, the Thomas Tischer Visitor Center provides a step-free entry to the theater, and the Dryden has a hearing-loop system.
About the Location
The George Eastman Museum occupies the Rochester estate of photography entrepreneur George Eastman. New York chartered the institution in 1947 as an independent museum devoted to photography and related fields, and the museum opened to the public in 1949. Its collections now include photography, motion pictures, cameras, books and archival material.
The 500-seat Dryden Theatre opened in 1951 to provide a venue for the museum's film collection. It remains one of the relatively few theaters equipped to project original nitrate film as part of a regular program. That specialized capability is why the November weekend is tied to this particular museum rather than being a routine revival-film series at a general cinema.
Official sources
- George Eastman Museum November Nitrate Weekend release
- George Eastman Museum November Nitrate Weekend event page
- George Eastman Museum Dryden Theatre guide
- George Eastman Museum directions and visitor information
- George Eastman Museum history
- George Eastman Museum accessibility guide
- I LOVE NY issuer-attributed event release