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Home » Theater Guide » Location » United States » Minnesota » Minneapolis » Avalon Theater
Also known as Fine Arts Theater

Avalon Theater

Minneapolis, MN
1500 East Lake Street
, Minneapolis, MN 55407 United States
(map)
Status: Open
Screens: Single Screen
Style: Art Moderne
Function: Cultural Center, Live Performances
Seats: 1000
Chain: Unknown
Architect: Perry E. Crosier
Firm: Unknown
Add a photo for this theater!
This theater was completed in 1937 by architect was Perry E. Crosier. The facade features an interesting hulking corner tower with neon light boxes.

The theater currently houses a theater puppet 'company' called 'In the Heart of the Beast'. They create and perform large scale puppet performances. They are very active in the community and "employ" many volunteers and school children.

The highlight of their year is the annual May Day parade. HOBT took over the building in 1988, it had formerly been a pornography theater, known as the Fine Arts Theater.

It is a great renewal effort for a building that had become a nuisance to the community. The HOBT is wonderful program that is one of the gems of Lake Street.

Related Websites

In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre (Official)
Contributed by Sean Ryan

YOUR COMMENTS

 
Current picture of the theater-

http://www.phototour.minneapolis.mn.us/1853
posted by Sean Ryan on Nov 18, 2003 at 1:15pm
The Avalon Theatre seated around 1000 people.
posted by William on Dec 5, 2003 at 11:42am
I've gone through the Minneapolis theaters and have found that the American, Vogue and East Lake are not listed. The Vogue was at Lake and Blaisdell, the American was on Nicollet and Lake and the East Lake was on 1537 East Lake Avenue, apparently across the street from the Avalon. If I've failed to account for any of the three under another listing, please let me know. Otherwise, I will add them as new theaters.
posted by ken mc on Aug 29, 2006 at 2:40pm
This website has small photos and some history of the Avalon Theater.

posted by Lost Memory on Jun 24, 2007 at 6:29pm
Here is a new link for the "Heart of the Beast" website.

posted by Lost Memory on Mar 31, 2009 at 9:10am
Another photo is here.

posted by Lost Memory on Mar 31, 2009 at 10:49am
The "AIA Guide to the Twin Cities" by Larry Millett, published in 2007 by the Minnesota Historical Society, has more information on this theater. It was originally a smaller theater built in 1924 and designed by Ekman, Holm & Company. It was enlarged in 1937, and redesigned in the Art Moderne style by Perry Crosier. A 1997 renovation and restoration for the In the Heart of the Beast Puppet Theatre was done by Vincent James Associates Architects.

I've been unable to discover if the 1924 theater that was incorporated into Perry Crosier's Avalon had the same name or not. The Avalon was owned by Bill Frank and Oscar Woempner, operators of about a dozen theaters in the area at the time of the 1937 rebuilding.
posted by Joe Vogel on Sep 9, 2009 at 7:05pm
Click on the link that I posted on Jun 24, 2007. It gives similar information and claims that "The western half of the Avalon’s site has been a movie theater since 1909, first with silent films, then showing “talkies” after 1927". Was there another theater at this location in 1909?

posted by Lost Memory on Sep 9, 2009 at 7:21pm
I've been unable to find out anything about the 1909 theater. It was probably demolished to make way for the 1924 building.
posted by Joe Vogel on Sep 9, 2009 at 10:38pm
I don't know anything about the 1909 theater either. The 1935 Film Daily lists a 300 seat Avalon Theater for Minneapolis. The location given is Bloomington and Lake. That maps pretty close to the location of this Avalon Theater. If it is the same theater, both theaters were named Avalon.

posted by Lost Memory on Sep 10, 2009 at 9:25am
The Avalon was an adult theater in 1982 known as the Fine Arts. Here are some photos:

Photo1

Photo2

Photo3

posted by Lost Memory on Oct 16, 2009 at 1:30pm
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