Criterion Theatre, Movie theater in Bar Harbor, United States

The Criterion Theatre is a 1932 Art Deco movie theater at 35 Cottage Street in downtown Bar Harbor, Maine. Its Cottage Street frontage is 85 feet wide, with a recessed entrance under a projecting marquee and two storefronts; the building runs 154 feet deep, the auditorium section two stories tall. The main floor and balcony seat 877 people, and the interior Art Deco decoration was executed by D.H. Pickering of Boston.

The theater opened in 1932 during the Great Depression and became an important entertainment destination for Bar Harbor. Its Art Deco design reflects the architectural style favored in that prosperous era.

The Criterion opened on June 6, 1932, with vaudeville acts and films, and its basement ran as a speakeasy during Prohibition, serving Canadian liquor smuggled across the border. Today it shows movies and hosts live theater and music year round, and since 2025 it has been run by the Harper Hoise Music Foundation.

The entrance and two storefronts face Cottage Street, and the building runs 154 feet deep to the auditorium at the rear. The lobby spans the full width behind the shops, and the recessed entry sits under the projecting marquee. The theater abuts the neighboring buildings directly, so there is no side access.

The basement held a speakeasy during Prohibition, serving Canadian alcohol smuggled into the United States. The building was bought in 2014 by a nonprofit for $1.2 million and reopened in May 2015 after a major renovation; it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.