Going to the movies is an expensive activity, especially for large families. With movie tickets costing approximately $10 a person, families often decide not to go because of the costs.

In the past, $1 theaters were a popular alternative to expensive movie theaters. Moviegoers could pay $1 for admission to a movie that had been out of theater for a few weeks and enjoy inexpensive snacks. The $1 theaters, however, went out of business and left no alternatives for moviegoers who wanted to save money.

At the end of 2011, however, a new theater opened on the Windward side of Oahu that brought back the inexpensive movie experience. Water Gardens Cinema opened in the Keolu Shopping Center where moviegoers pay $5 for admission to a movie and snacks which include $1 hot dogs and $1-4 candies and drinks.

The theater, owned by the Mormon church, shows movies directed toward families with only movies rated of G, PG and PG-13. The theater also features children’s movies during public school breaks as well as the summer. The theater also supports teenagers by offering jobs where teens can work after school and on weekends.