Juliar Theatre
505 Broadway,
Baraboo,
WI
53913
505 Broadway,
Baraboo,
WI
53913
1 person
favorited this theater
The Juliar Theatre was built about 1938 by Henry Ringling, Al Ringling’s nephew, and the owner of the Al Ringling Theatre at that time. The name comes from the maiden name of the Ringling Brothers' mother, Salome Juliar Ringling. As a trivia note, their were two other Juliar sisters, one whom married a Gollmar and had several boys (whom also went on to create a circus) and one whom married a Moeller and had two boys which made circus wagons with their father.
The Juliar Theatre was a sparsely decorated Art Deco box which provided programming alternatives to the Al Ringling Theatre. The Juliar Theatre was heavily used when only a few years after it opened the massive Badger Ordnance Works opened just south of Baraboo eventually employing 13,000 people.
I’m not sure when the theatre went out of use but as long as I can remember (back to the 70’s) it was never open, but the name always remained on the ouside of the building. (the sign is now owned by Juliar family members). It was demolished to make way for the West Square Building in 1994.
Contributed by
Paul Wolter, Eric Ellis
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 7 comments)
A 1956-dated photo of the Juliar Theatre can be seen here.
The Juliar opened on Feb. 10, 1939. There were 407 seats. The theatre also boasted a “cry room” upstairs near the projection booth. The sound proof room had seven seats. The interior was in tones of rose and ivory with carpets of deep henna rose and seats of a lighter shade with ivory trim.
Life’s too short’s entry on the Al Ringling Theater, Baraboo, Wisconsin site on January 7,2006 thinks that the Juliar Theater might have changed it’s name and had 2 screens. Anyone know anything about that?
1981 Photo
I wouldn’t think that the Juliar would have been twinned if it was closed prior to the 70’s, especially with the Al ringling being the main theatre for the city. I could find nothing on research indicating that it was twinned.
(August 30, 1993) The city of Baraboo has agreed to buy the aging Juliar Theater on the city’s square for possible razing and use as a parking lot for the county courthouse and the downtown area.
Last week, the city council voted to buy the building for $27,400 from Al Ringling Theatre Friends, which plans to use the money to continue renovations on the Ringling Theatre.
The Juliar is adjacent to other property recently purchased by the city for parking. (Wisconsin State Journal)
(January 16, 1953) Two Baraboo Theaters Sold to New Milwaukee Company
The Al Ringling theater, “America’s Prettiest Playhouse” since 1915, has been sold with its sister theater, the Juliar, to a new Milwaukee corporation, Baraboo Theaters, Inc., by Henry E. Ringllng.
Purchase price for the theaters was announced at more than $150,000. The Al Ringling theater, when it was completed in 1915, cost $100,000.
The corporation which bought the theaters also operates theaters in Richland Center, Boscobel, Elroy, and Black River Falls. It is headed by Jacob Eskin, president of the Eskin Theater Management Co., Milwaukee.
The Al Ringling theater was built by Albert Ringling, an owner of the Ringling Brothers circus. It seats 834, and at the time it was built was one of the largest and finest theaters in a city of its size in the country.
The Juliar, a much smaller theater, was completed in 1938 by Henry E. Ringling, in memory of Mrs. Selome Juliar Ringling, mother of the Ringling brothers.
The Al Ringling theatre originally was built for legitimate theatre, or as an “opera house.” It was converted to a movie theater later. It is still used for area theatrical performances.
Famous actors who have visited the theater during the time it was an opera house include Lionel Barrymore and Charlotte Greenwood.
Henry E. Ringling, Wisconsin Republican national committeeman, was in Washington for the inauguration Thursday and could not be reached for comment.