Cedar Theatre
416 Cedar Avenue South,
Minneapolis,
MN
55454
416 Cedar Avenue South,
Minneapolis,
MN
55454
1 person
favorited this theater
Opened in 1949, it became the Cedar Village Theatre and had become an adult porn theatre when it was closed in around 1973.
It re-opened, again named the Cedar Theatre in 1975 and began a policy of screening quality movies and occassional live performances which continued until 1985. The theatre was later used by the Minnesota Dance Theatre and the Minnesota Opera Company. Today, known as the Cedar Cultural Center, the theater is mostly a venue for folk music.
Contributed by
KenRoe
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 9 comments)
The Cedar is now owned by a nonprofit organization and is also known as Cedar Cultural Center. It is mainly a folk music venue. See
http://www.thecedar.org/
The Cedar
416 Cedar Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55454
612.338.2674
You can view some recent photos of the Cedar at View link
That’s my flickr stream—-if anyone wants any info on the Cedar I’ve got it! I was part of creating a museum exhibit for the Cedar last Fall/Winter, as well as getting their marquee restoration project going (with three other classmates). Also, see the exhibit currently up in their lobby (that I put up ;])
The Cedar Theater was a sweet venue in the “good years” between the Porn years and the Dancers.
I took my little daughters there to see the original version of “KING KONG” and later to “POLYESTER.” That was a great night. It was a full “scratch and sniff” performance… complete with a heckler who stepped out of line to attack us “suburbanites” for going to a movie like this. Tides of laughter would break out as the number appeared on the screen and everyone scratched the appropriate spot on the card…. What a night. My little daughters were never the same… They became very strong. I also saw “PUTNEY SWOPE” there in the wonderful years before Political Correctness.
The most wonderful visit to the Cedar Theater was an early afternoon first date with “Trina the French Teacher.” It was the beginning of a 4 or 5 or 6 year love affair at a showing of “Jonas Que Aura 25 Ans L'an 2000.” (1976) It was in June of 1977. The quality and fun and variety of films shown there was wonderful. It is a huge loss to “Snoose Boulevard” and the West Bank when it closed. The films matched the mood of the block. The Cedar-Riverside neighborhood was a center of 60s and 70s Left Politics. The “Dump Lyndon Johnson” movement may have started there in either Dania Hall or the old Mixers bar. The 400 Club still keeps that era alive.. but, the neighborhood has never recovered its charm for me without the Cedar Theater or the French teacher.
Here is a 1982 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/dbztjf
The Cedar Theatre was operated by Berger Amusement Co. from 1949 until 1969.
Another photo of the Cedar theatres.
http://www.rhs1962.com/images/theaters/cedar.jpg
If anyone has any stories about going to/ working at this threatre in its adult days, I would love to hear them. I am chronicling the histories of adult theatres in the US. Please contact me at Thanks!