Parkland Theater
121st Street South and Pacific Avenue,
Tacoma,
WA
98444
121st Street South and Pacific Avenue,
Tacoma,
WA
98444
2 people
favorited this theater
The Parkland Theater was in a squat, old-fashioned building situated just outside the campus of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash. A typical eye-catching marquee shone out front. It had a beige and mauve color scheme inside.
This theater was owned by Mike Barovic, a blue-collar Tacoma guy who owned several theaters in Pierce County — the Fife Drive-In, the Beverly in downtown Tacoma, the Liberty and the Roxy in Puyallup, to name a few.
I am unsure when this theater was built, but the building burned down in the early-1990s. A Walgreens store now stands on the site.
Contributed by
Katie Mac
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 8 comments)
The fire started when janitors left a 500 watt quartz halogen work light they were using too close to the wall drapes and they ignited. A sad end to a nice little neighborhood theater.
The Parkland Theater is listed in 1955 with 755 seats.
These 1982 photos are labeled as being in Parkland, Washington. I think they are photos of this theater.
Photo1
Photo2
Yes, those are indeed the Parkland theater that burned down.
I remember that it had union projectionists right up to the end.
This article was in the Centralia Daily Chronicle on 9/6/61. It appears to refer to the Parkland in Parkland, which is not listed on CT.
TACOMA (AP),â€" Fire which burned uncontrolled for half an hour partly gutted the Parkland Theater and two businesses in the same building Tuesday night. The theater was empty, and no one was injured. Damage was estimated al $80,000 to the theater, a sewing shop and an office of the State Farm Mutual Insurance Co.
The Pierce County sheriff’s office said the fire was reported at 7:41 p.m. by three youths who had been looking at theater advertising. It was brought under control about 8:10. The theater is in Parkland, south of Tacoma on the Mt. Rainier highway. It normally operates Thursdays through Sundays. The sheriff’s office said the cause of the fire was not known, but the pilot light of a popcorn machine had been left on.
Thanks for identifying the photos Ken.
A Walgreen’s drug store definitely occupies the site of the former theater.
A story in Boxoffice magazine dated August 28, 1954 (page 51) reported that the owner/operator of the Parkland Theatre, Frank L. Willard and his wife Blanch were found guilty of income tax evasion totaling $6,000. Both were stenced to prison and the Parkland Theatre and his Yelm Theatre were seized.