Image caption: Fruitvale Station, The Way Back, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and In the Loop
Have a question? The answer may be here. If not, please send us an email, and we’ll do our best to get you an answer.
How do I buy a ticket to a film at the Downing?
You have three options:
- Recommended option: Buy your ticket in advance online with a credit card or a gift card. To buy a ticket online, click one of our Buy Tickets buttons and follow the instructions provided. When your order is complete, a confirmation page, including a bar code, will appear. To claim your ticket when you arrive at the theater for the film, you’ll need a printout of the confirmation page OR the credit card you used to purchase the ticket.
- Buy a ticket in advance at the box office whenever the Downing is open. You can use a credit card, a gift card, or cash.
- Buy a ticket at the box office when you arrive for a show. We accept credit cards, gift cards, and cash. Be aware that popular movies and special events sometimes sell out, particularly on weekend evenings. Purchasing a ticket in advance is the best way to avoid disappointment.
How do I buy a ticket for a date other than today?
When you click on any of the Buy Tickets buttons on our website, the page that opens up defaults to the showtimes for the current date. If you want to purchase tickets for a different date, you have to first select the date you want from the drop-down box indicated in the image below.
Before finalizing your purchase, always check to make sure you have selected the correct film and showtime.
Is it safe for me to use my credit card to purchase a ticket online?
We use Ready Theatre Systems (RTS) software both for advance online ticket sales and for in-person ticket sales at our box office. RTS software is used by more than 1500 theaters around the United States, including Showtime Cinemas in Newburgh. Notice that when you arrive at the webpage where you enter your credit card information, the address bar shows a padlock and the website address includes the letters “https” (where “s” stands for “secure”). The use of this secure transfer protocol means that communications between your device and the RTS website are encrypted and cannot be deciphered by hackers.
Why does my web browser say that the Downing website is “not secure”?
Because we don’t collect any sensitive information, such as credit card numbers or passwords, via the Downing website, we do not use the secure (https) protocol for transmission of data between your web browser and our website. However, all online ticket purchases for the Downing are conducted not on our website but on the Ready Theatre Systems (RTS) website, which DOES use the secure https protocol.
Your BUY TICKETS link isn’t working! What’s going on?
Access to the website of our ticket-purchasing service (Ready Theatre Systems) requires that the box office computer in our lobby be on and functioning properly. If the computer is accidentally turned off or unplugged, or if it’s doing a software update, access to RTS is temporarily interrupted. Unfortunately, we don’t receive any automated alerts about this, and the problem can’t be fixed remotely: a staff member has to go to the theater to deal with it. When you find the ticketing service to be inaccessible, we suggest that you try again when a movie is showing (that is, when someone is definitely at the theater). We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience!
Do you charge a fee for online ticket purchases?
No, we absorb online ticket purchase fees, just as we do for credit card transaction fees.
What payment methods do you accept?
For advance ticket purchases, we accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover, as well as Downing gift cards. At the box office, we accept all the same forms of payment, as well as cash.
How do I use my gift card for online ticket purchases?
Your gift card has a 16-digit number, just like that on a credit card, and you can use this number to purchase tickets online. On the payment information page, enter the gift card number and your email address (twice), leaving the other boxes empty.
What should I do if I can’t print the order-confirmation page when I purchase an advance ticket online?
In this situation, you have two options:
- When you come to the theater, bring the same credit card that you used to purchase your ticket online; this credit card can be used to claim your ticket.
- Take a screenshot of the confirmation page and bring it with you to the theater.
Can I buy an advance ticket without a computer, tablet, or smart phone?
Yes, you can buy an advance ticket in person whenever the Downing is open.
Do you hold back tickets from the online purchase system to keep in reserve for walk-up customers?
No, we do not hold tickets in reserve specifically for walk-up customers. Online and in-person ticket sales proceed simultaneously until we are sold out.
How will I know whether a screening is sold out?
If we sell out, we place a sign on the front door of the film center. In addition, you can check ticket availability before leaving home by clicking one of the BUY TICKETS buttons on this website or in our e-news; if we are sold out for a particular show, you will not have the option to buy a ticket for that show. Please note that we do not provide information about ticket availability in the outgoing message on our telephone answering machine.
Can I save a seat for someone who hasn’t purchased a ticket yet?
No. We sell advance tickets online, so empty seats in the screening room MAY in fact be needed to accommodate patrons who have purchased an advance ticket but have not yet arrived at the theater. We ask that you not enter the screening room before purchasing a ticket and that you not save seats for late-arriving members of your party who have not purchased a ticket.
Can I get a refund if I buy a ticket and then can’t use it?
No, we do not offer refunds or exchanges. Please consider giving your ticket to someone else who can use it.
The weather looks iffy. Are you open?
Weather-related closings will be announced here on our website (check the News page), as well as on our Facebook page.
Where can I park?
Free parking is usually plentiful in the Newburgh–Beacon Ferry parking lot (just south of the theater). Additional parking is available up on Water Street and in the lot behind the theater (access via Carpenter Street). On weekday afternoons, you might be lucky enough to find a spot on Front Street.