Rochester Residents Can Stream Movies Free with This Little-Known Service

A 2025 report published in Variety revealed that the average American is now spending just under $70 a month on streaming services. That’s a lot of money, especially these days, when rising costs have left many people with less money to spend.

If you live in Olmsted County, there is an easy way to watch movies for free, though. I recently discovered a service called Kanopy, which lets you stream “critically acclaimed movies, inspiring documentaries, award-winning foreign films, and more” at no cost.

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When I was a kid, money was tight, and my parents couldn’t take me to the video rental store as often as I wanted. Instead, I checked out movies from my local library.

My kids have carried on that tradition. They check out video games from the Rochester Public Library.

Free Streaming Service Is Available to Rochester and Olmsted County Residents

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On our last visit, I noticed a sign promoting Kanopy, a service you can use to stream movies for free with your library card. The catalog includes classics like The Wolf of Wall Street, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Clueless, and The Truman Show, along with newer releases and documentaries.

All you need is a library card, which you can get for free. Did you know your library card can also help you visit Minnesota state parks for free?

Kanopy probably won’t replace Netflix or Disney+ in your house, but it’s free and definitely worth adding to the mix for those days when you can't find anything good to watch on the big streaming apps.