Tower Theatre

St. Louis, MO

2138 E Grand Avenue

, St. Louis, MO 63112 United States

(map)

Status:	Closed/Demolished
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Art Deco

Function:	Unknown
Seats:	1022
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Unknown
Firm:	Kennerly & Stiegemeyer

The Tower Theatre opened in 1927 as the Florissant Theatre. It was built and operated by Franchon & Marco Theatres which later became St. Louis Amusement/Arthur Theatres. It was located just a block south of the North Grand water tower, thus the name change came about. One of the larger neighborhood theatres, it seated 1,022. The balcony seated 402 and the main floor seated seated 620.

The theatre was at the wedge of North Grand and North Florissant and the box office faced on an angle at the intersection. During the early to mid-1960's, the theater held battle of the bands on Friday evening prior to the starting of the show. The teenagers would go down in front of the stage and dance to the bands as they played and then before they started the movie they would vote as to which band was the best.

The Arthurs let the theatre run down and did not maintain it very well. The Tower closed in 1970. When the theatre was demolished in 1972, it took two large cranes to dismantle the steel beams that held the theatre and its balcony.

Contributed by Charles Van Bibber

YOUR COMMENTS

Theatre designed by Kennerly and Stiegemeyer, a firm which designed a good number of St. Louis nabes.

Opening day was Sept. 1, 1919 (Labor Day) under the management of Wm. Goldman. Theatre opened as the GRAND-FLORISSANT.

As a good number of St. Louis nabes, house was taken over by Famous Players-Missouri in 1920, then City Wide Amusement, and in 1921 St. Louis Amusement.

Seating capacity listed in many sources as 1850, possibly the largest nabe in St. Louis.

Theatre renamed the FLORISSANT in 1930.

In 1946 house was remodeled and reopened as the TOWER.

posted by JAlex on Oct 18, 2004 at 7:48am

Photo of the Tower as it was being demolished.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y147/Chuck1231/St%20Louis%20Theatres/TowerTheatreSTLMo.jpg

posted by Chuck1231 on Aug 25, 2005 at 10:04pm

Chuck, the link above doesn't work any longer and I would love to see the picture of the Tower. Please contact me if you can send it.

posted by Norman Plant on Jan 9, 2006 at 2:28pm

The correct address for the Tower Theatre was 2138 E. Grand Avenue, St. Louis, Mo. 63112

posted by Chuck1231 on Feb 20, 2006 at 5:32pm

Tower closed June 12, 1969. Arthur Enterprises ad the following day said theatre had been sold for a new commerical development. To this day, site remains a vacant lot.

posted by JAlex on Aug 18, 2007 at 9:01am

Well, the site wasn't exactly a vacant lot after the demolition...

I saw a horror movie there as a child around 1965...it was a sort of consolation prize because my mother couldn't afford to let me go to Chain of Rocks Fun Fair for my school picnic. I think it was the only time I was in that theater.

A Jack-In-The-Box restraunt was later built there. I had a girlfriend that worked there circa 1978. The building later became a Dairy Queen, and another girlfriend worked there circa 1987. Sometime in the 1990s the spot did indeed become a vacant lot.

posted by Kerry M on Feb 17, 2008 at 10:59pm

During the late 50' and early 60's the Tower used to have a "Battle Of The Bands" on Friday nights. Local bands would compete for the top honors.

posted by Chuck1231 on Mar 30, 2009 at 7:30pm

Too bad no photos.

posted by tlsloews on Mar 2, 2010 at 2:09pm

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