In the 1960s Warner Brothers sold the Warner Theatre to a private owner who continued to show movies until the late 1970s. By the early 1980s the theatre was closed and slated for demolition when a group of local citizens banded together and formed what is now known as the Northwest Connecticut Association for the Arts. This non-profit group worked passionately to save the landmark from destruction. After a successful grass-roots campaign, the association purchased the theatre and re-opened it on May 22, 1983.