Jayhawk Theater
1806 Central Avenue,
Kansas City,
KS
66102
1806 Central Avenue,
Kansas City,
KS
66102
No one has favorited this theater yet
The Art Theater was remodeled in 1939 and was renamed Jayhawk Theater. Remodeled again in 1949. This theater was closed in June 1964 and was demolished.
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 6 comments)
The site is currently a grocery store parking lot.
This may have been a remodel or built on the same site as another Boller Brothers Design. One Boller list shows a “Jayhawk (Art) Theatre” designed 1919, opening in 1920. The Art Theatre was located at 1808 Central Avenue and seated 1100.
I was aware of the Art Theater when I added the Jayhawk. I didn’t add the Art Theater name as an aka because I don’t know if they were the same theater or did the Jayhawk replace the Art Theater. When I do a search for the Art Theater, I usually get the following “Opened in 1919 no other history available at this time”. A search of the Jayhawk either returns “Opened in 1949 no other history available at this time” or I get lots of info on the Jayhawk in Topeka, Kansas. Maybe someone else can solve this one.
The url below about the Granada & the Boller Bros. lists the Art Theater at 1808 Central Avenue. View link
The Jayhawk Theater had 899 seats.
On google pictures the parking lot is at 1858, the theatre(s) would have been toward the other end of the block closer to 18th St.. I am feeling that the theatre was demolished for the Ball Supermarket.
The name change from Art to Jayhawk took place no later than 1939, when a February 18 Boxoffice item about the sale of the house and an extensive remodeling then underway referred to it as “…the Jayhawk, formerly the Art.”
Another remodeling was done late in 1948, as reported in Boxoffice, December 4, that year. The operator then was Friendly Theatres, and the manager was A.J. Sher. The alterations included a new front and marquee, and an enlarged lobby and lounges.
The demolition of the Jayhawk took place no earlier than 1964. Boxoffice of June 29, 1964, said that operator Abbott Sher reported that the Jayhawk had been closed as of June 21.