Et cetera : Little Vikes Preschoolers visit Palace

Students watch Marcy Horst demonstrate how to make popcorn.

The tour ended with a viewing of the "Peanuts" cartoon.

Tilford students watch a movie.

Alan Merchant explains how the Palace projector works.

"Like 'nap' chairs!" Little Vikes preschoolers sit in the balcony.

Marcy shows the students the ice machine.

Secret passage: Students walk downstairs backstage.

Alan Merchant lifts the big black curtain to show the students the back of the big screen.

Students saw the area from which volunteers serve candy, popcorn and pop.

Marcy discusses popcorn making and the candy in the concession stand during a Little Vikes tour.

Students sit on the stage as Marcy explains how the screen works.

They learned how the Palace volunteers make lots of popcorn. They walked through the "secret" passageway that leads back stage. They sat in the big, comfortable stadium seat -- one child called them "nap chairs" -- in the auditorium.

The students in the Little Vikes Preschool traveled from Tilford to the Palace Theater Thursday afternoon to tour the Palace and enjoy free popcorn while watching a "Peanuts" movie.

Marcy Horst and Alan Merchant led the tours, explaining how the movie projector works and how the silver in the big screen is important for capturing the images for 3D movies. Students saw every area of the theater, including the black curtain behind the large screen, and the big speakers that provide the sound for the movies. They even saw how the screen is raised to allow for plays on the Palace stage.