Entry No. 150 — the Denver file — filed under: cult-cinema
The Lyric
The Lyric is a genuine Fort Collins oddity: a locally owned cinema-bar-music venue that screens cult classics and indie films on three indoor screens plus a towering outdoor screen, hosts circus performers and comedy nights, and whose sprawling back lot has grown into the city's largest sculpture garden since the Swetsville Zoo closed — filled with kaleidoscope towers, welded metal creatures, and found-object art. The full bar, counter-service restaurant, pinball machines, and couch seating in the main theater make it feel more like a weird living room than a multiplex.
The story
When owner Ben Mozer opened The Lyric in 2007 as a two-screen indie cinema in downtown Fort Collins, it was already an antidote to corporate multiplexes. But after relocating in 2017 to a 1.6-acre lot on North College Avenue, the venue mutated into something far stranger than a movie house. Outside, a retrofitted 1960s fire truck serves as the projection booth for a towering outdoor screen, aiming films across a massive lawn that doubles as a backyard playground for local fabricators and metal sculptors.
When the regional landmark Swetsville Zoo—a beloved scrap-metal art park nearby—closed, The Lyric inherited the city's mantle for large-scale welded oddities. Its sprawling back lot rapidly filled with kaleidoscope towers, welded metal beasts, mirror-polished figures, and salvaged art pieces. Indoors, the walls are painted in dense murals, the three screening rooms replace traditional theater chairs with living-room couches, and the marquee alternates cult double features with live comedy, circus acts, and weekend morning cartoons accompanied by an all-you-can-eat cereal bar.
You didn't hear it from us, but the operation functions less like a commercial cinema and more like a communal art bunker that happened to secure a full liquor license. Between counter-service pizza, craft brews, pickles served straight out of the pouch, and an in-house Art Czar constantly bolting new welded curiosities to the turf, you are just as likely to show up for a Tuesday cult screening as you are to spend two hours dissecting scrap-metal sculptures on the grass.
What it's like
Stepping onto the North College Avenue property feels like stumbling into a friend's chaotic, hyper-creative backyard arts complex. Order a craft beer, a slice of pizza, or a pickle at the bar, then take your pick between snagging a couch inside or laying out on the lawn for an outdoor show. The main parking lot fills up quickly on event nights, so aim for overflow parking along Hickory or Conifer Street if it's packed—and whatever you do, stay out of the west employee lot unless you want your night cut short by a tow truck.
The move: Catch a Cult Film Tuesday screening — the Lyric's weekly series dedicated to bizarre and beloved films — grab beers and chilly dillys from the bar, then wander the sculpture garden out back after the credits roll to find what new fabricated oddity has appeared since your last visit.
📍 Before you go First, the big one: this isn't in Denver. The Lyric sits about an hour north up I-25 in Fort Collins, so treat it as a day trip rather than a night out. It's on North College Avenue, just north of the walkable Old Town core — plan to drive, and there's parking on the roughly 1.6-acre site (it's also famously bike-friendly). Indoor screens run year-round, but the outdoor screen, lawn, and back-lot sculpture garden come alive on warm evenings, so late spring through early fall is the sweet spot; outdoor programming is seasonal, so check ahead. Pair it with Old Town's brewery-and-restaurant district — New Belgium and Odell included — a short hop south.
- 📍 Fort Collins
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1209 N College Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80524
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Medusa Gothic — Pair a cult film night with a four-mile drive south to browse tarot decks, crystals, and locally crafted oddities.
- Faces Bridge — Break up your drive along the Big Thompson river corridor with a quick detour under a Loveland bridge to search out dozens of bronze faces.
- Redman (Trail of the Whispering Giants) — Match the welded metal creatures in The Lyric's back lot with another northern Colorado roadside giant—a 37-foot folk-art wooden head carved from a cottonwood tree.
- Little Thompson Observatory — Cap off an offbeat indie double feature with late-night stargazing through a 24-inch Mount Wilson telescope down in Berthoud.
Good to know
Where is The Lyric located relative to Denver?
The Lyric sits at 1209 N College Ave in Fort Collins, roughly an hour north of Denver straight up I-25, just north of Fort Collins' Old Town core.
What kind of films and events happen here?
The Lyric screens indie films and cult classics alongside events like Cult Film Tuesday, outdoor lawn screenings, live music, stand-up comedy, circus performances, and weekend morning cartoons with an all-you-can-eat cereal bar.
What are the parking options?
There is free parking on the 1.6-acre site, but it fills up fast on show nights. Overflow parking is available on Hickory or Conifer Street just north of the venue. Do not park in the employee lot west of the outdoor screen, as cars are towed.
Is food and drink available on-site?
Yes, there is a full bar serving craft beer, wine, cocktails, coffee, and bubble tea, plus counter-service food like pizza, finger foods, and chilly dillys (pickles). You can carry your food and drinks directly into any theater or onto the lawn.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Atlas Obscura · Yelp · voyagedenver.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-07