This week I discovered a treasure in Selma, a treasure that appeared to be still undiscovered by many of Selma’s residents. This treasure was shiny and new, but had the rustic charm of old days past. I didn’t find it in a treasure chest. No, it wasn’t even hidden; in fact, it was lit up with a historic glow on Selma Avenue for all to see.

The treasure I found was the Selma Walton Theater.

While the Walton Theater may have a limited selection of viewing times, and an even more limited selection of movies, let us not take for granted the treasure we now have.

The Walton Theater is unlike any other theater. It is not a Carmike, a Cobb, or even a Rave Motion Pictures; what we have here in Selma is something unique.

Like most theaters, the Walton Theater offers popcorn, candies and cokes. What the other theaters don’t offer however, is the personable service. After I paid for my ticket Thursday night, David Jackson and his wife Sharon, owners of the theater, asked me if I had ever been to the Walton Theater before.

When I said I had not, David told me that he hoped I enjoyed it as he showed me where to enter the theater, and Sharon urged me to stick around after the film to talk about the ending.

It was almost as though they had invited me into their home – which just so happened to have a huge screen – to watch a movie.

What other theater owners are going to ask you to stay and talk about the movie like you were old friends?

When I finally found my seat and looked around the theater for the first time, I subconsciously compared it to ones I had visited many times before. The thing that stood out to me the most wasn’t the size of the room or the screen, but rather the feeling I got just being there. It was a feeling of nostalgia mixed with the thrill of a new experience.

The space is old, but the Jackson’s renovated and updated the theater after moving to Selma from California. The theater is spacious, yet cozy and is noticeably clean, which is something movie-goers can appreciate.

So many times I’ve gone to a theater and walked through an isle filled with spilled popcorn and sticky soda residue. I’m happy to report that wasn’t my experience at the Walton Theater.

After the movie I headed out to my car, and Sharon called out after me asking what I thought of the main character of the movie we had just seen. After we chatted for a few moments, and I headed for home, I realized something. We have a treasure on Selma Avenue, and I hope more people take advantage of this golden attraction.

Today the Walton Theater is showing “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” for free at 2 p.m. To see the rest of this month’s spooktacular movie schedule visit www.selmawaltontheater.com.