Sunflower Cinema
220 N. Penn Avenue,
Oberlin,
KS
67749
220 N. Penn Avenue,
Oberlin,
KS
67749
No one has favorited this theater yet
I found an advertisement for the the Sunflower Cinema in Oberlin, KS. It is advertised as being open on the weekend only. The schedule given was Saturday 7pm and Sunday 2pm. The Sunflower Theatre was opened in a conversion of a Pepsi-Cola bottling plant on July 16, 1977 with Jack Lemmon in “Airport ‘77”. A bowling alley was later added. The Sunflower Cinema was closed in 2018.
Contributed by
Lost Memory
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
My first visit to Oberlin on December 5, 2015…I don’t know the history of the Sunflower. Has the current location always been the venue’s home? It certainly looks new and spiffy from the exterior.
When the Chief Theatre’s roof collapsed in September of 1973 ending the town’s sole movie theater, a creative plan was hatched. The city, unable to court a new theater operator, agreed to build a new theater. But when costs were presented nearing $250,000, it got even more inventive. The town spent $80,000 to convert the - then - recently-closed Pepsi-Cola bottling plant into the Sunflower Cinema. It then sub-leased the venue to Mid-America Theaters which was already operating the twin mall cinema in nearby Hays as well as locations including WaKeeney, Sharon Springs, and Larned.
The Sunflower blossomed on July 16, 1977 with “Airport ‘77.” In 2011, the faculty added bowling to become the Sunflower Cinema and Recreation to diversify. Operated by donors, the plucky cinema continued operations Into 2018. That said, we are guessing “closed” is now its operating mode.