Elma Theater
113 N. Fourth Street,
Elma,
WA
98541
113 N. Fourth Street,
Elma,
WA
98541
1 person
favorited this theater
Originally named the Graham Theater, the Elma, which is the only operating theater for miles, serves as a venue for mostly live stage shows, with an occasional movie. The theater is equipped for stereo sound, operates 20 minute reels with changeover, and has carbon arc lamphouses.
Sadly, damage from recent earthquakes has hurt the Elma, but volunteers are working tirelessly to repair its beautiful workmanship. The building currently has more live bookings than any other theater in southwest Washington.
Contributed by
Ken Layton
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
You would never know such a plain front holds such a nice treasure inside.
The Elma Theater is a nice theater, but it does need some fixing up and needs to show movies more often. The Lacey Cinemas and Capital Mall Cinemas in Olympia are set to close when Regal Cinemas opens up a brand spanking new 16 plex (all Stadium seating) in August here in Olympia. The South Shore 10 theater is a dump and is in a dump of a mall there in Aberdeen.
As much as I like Aberdeen(I used to make more $ per sq.ft.there than any other town for my industrial sales efforts),the whole place was a bit seedy and unsophisicated.I had hoped they could market the place for its timber boom past,but no way.There is great potential there still,but money,vision and willing hands are not there.The two theaters there could have had a great part in that untried effort.
Having grown up in Aberdeen I have to agree with Mr. Layton that the So Shore 10 and the mall it resides in is a dump. The Elma theater could be a lot more but it is nice that it is open at all. My grandparents lived in Elma and the whole time I was growing up I don’t remember the theater being open. If it was it seemed that everyone went to Olympia or Aberdeen to see movies. Sometimes people don’t know what they have in their own backyards. The old theaters in Aberdeen are a perfect example of this.
Here is a close-up view of the Elma Theater.
1986 Photo
1987 Photo
Here is another photo:
http://tinyurl.com/ybhemd9
Theater is still temporarily closed.
Opened October 1, 1927.
Still temporarily closed and the theater has new owners. Previous owner Kingsley Hall passed away in August of 2012.