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Our story

about sight & sound

Sight & Sound® began nearly 50 years ago in rural Pennsylvania when a dairy farmer went from producing milk to producing live entertainment with a purpose. Now with two state-of-the-art theater locations, an online streaming platform, and a film studio, Sight & Sound brings powerful stories from the pages of Scripture and history to life on stage and screen.

the beginning

Growing up on a dairy farm in rural Lancaster County, our founder Glenn Eshelman was so inspired by the beauty of the world around him that he began painting landscapes as a boy. As he grew up, Glenn continued to pursue his artistic interests, eventually buying a camera to take reference photos for his paintings. Photography quickly became his passion. After marrying his wife, Shirley, Glenn sold his artwork out of the trunk of his car to make ends meet. But in 1964, his side show became the main act. After presenting his scenic photography at a local church using a slide projector, a turntable for musical underscore and a microphone for narration, the audience response was overwhelming. This first unofficial “Sight & Sound” show became a humble success.

sight & sound is born

By the mid-1970s, Glenn and Shirley were taking their multimedia presentations on the road. This popularity gave way to a permanent home for their productions. In 1976, the Living Waters Theatre opened its doors. It was here that Sight & Sound Theatres was born.

the first full-length biblical production

Over time, live theatrical elements were added to the shows, and in 1987, our first complete, full-length Biblical production debuted: Behold the Lamb. In just a few short years, we outgrew the Living Waters Theatre, and the realization of a new dream began: a larger facility on a plot of land just across the cornfield. In 1991, the Entertainment Centre opened to rave reviews.

But no journey is without its trials.

The Fire

On a January morning in 1997, billowing black smoke filled the Lancaster County sky as a devastating fire destroyed the six-year-old Entertainment Centre. For a moment, the future was uncertain.

new beginnings: rebuilding

But Glenn and Shirley would not give up on their calling. Just 18 months later, the construction of a brand-new building was complete. This new 2,000-seat, state-of-the-art theater featured a massive, 300-foot panoramic stage that wrapped around the audience, with the ability to house sets four stories tall. The first show to take the stage was Sight & Sound’s signature production — NOAH. Audiences gasped as they were immersed in a spectacular ark full of animals that surrounded them on three sides.

sight & sound takes to branson

By the early 2000s, sell-out crowds sparked a new idea from Glenn and Shirley: what would it look like for Sight & Sound Theatres to expand? Their vision to grow to a second location was realized in 2008, when the nearly identical twin theater opened in the beautiful Ozark Mountains of Branson, Missouri. But this was only the beginning...

Expansion into tv and films

Passionate about sharing these powerful stories beyond the two theater locations, Sight & Sound began filming and releasing productions on DVD in 2005. In 2020, Sight & Sound TV was launched, and this online streaming platform has since welcomed a global virtual audience from over 175 countries throughout the world. More recently, Sight & Sound announced a new chapter, taking storytelling from the stage to the big screen with the development of Sight & Sound Films. The debut feature, I HEARD THE BELLS, premiered in movie theaters nationwide in 2022.

today

What began with a dairy farmer, his wife, a passion for creativity and a desire to serve God, grew into the Sight & Sound we know today—the nation’s largest organization of its kind, and one of the top three theater destinations in the country. We are humbled by this success and thankful to remain a family-owned business, led by the next generation of the Eshelman family, with a passionately committed team of over 800 employees on a mission to bring the gospel to life through live theater, television, and film.