Initially facing some naming-conflict issues, the theater opened as the New Branford Theatre, but the matter was resolved at the beginning of 1927. The signage was updated, replacing the "B"s with "C"s, and on January 27, 1927, the theater became known as the New Cranford Theatre.[4]
Throughout its history, the ownership of the Cranford Theater has changed hands.[5] During the 1980s and 1990s, it was under the ownership of Cineplex Odeon and had two screens. Later, in 1998, the theater was purchased by the owner of the Rialto Theater in the neighboring town of Westfield and was converted into a five-screen cinema. After additional changes of ownership, it reopened as the Cranford Theater after renovations in 2019.[6]
In April 2025, a suspended internal ceiling inside one of the screening rooms partially collapsed, but the structure and roof remained intact contrary to initial reports of a roof collapse.[7]
The theater will open back up late 2025 while expanding to show films, comedy shows, live music, readings, and more. [8]
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