Colony Theatre

2120 W. Central Avenue,
Toledo, OH 43606

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: National Amusements

Styles: Art Deco

Nearby Theaters

The Colony. Toledo, OH

The Colony Theatre was opened on October 16, 1941. Located on West Central Avenue and Galena Street, it closed in 1981 and was demolished in Summer of 1985.

Contributed by Chuck

Recent comments (view all 17 comments)

buckguy
buckguy on December 30, 2010 at 10:14 pm

The address should be “West Central Avenue”.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on December 31, 2010 at 7:09 am

Here is a nice nocturnal view, ca.1973, of the original Colony Shopping Center with the theater at the far end. The entire strip has been demolished.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on December 31, 2010 at 2:09 pm

Never Heard of “THE HITTER” and I thought I had played every black film made [1974-79} at the IMPERIAL in Augusta.Wonder if the film had a title changed?

ttdrone
ttdrone on August 9, 2011 at 4:11 am

A girl, Dawn Backus, was found murdered in the basement after the theater had closed. The killers were two brothers. They have been caught and tried and are in prison.

howellfilm
howellfilm on April 13, 2012 at 1:00 am

This was a great neighborhood theater! Across the street was Link’s Cafeteria. And, just up the street was the original Gino’s Pizza (with the original owners and operation)! The projectionist was a ham radio operator, and I took my test to be a ham radio operator in the projection booth of the Colony. I saw many great movies there, and it was sad to see it closed down (then, TORN down). There was also a training tower for fire fighters next to the theater. It might still be there. What a wonderful piece of Toledo history. Now, gone in the name of “progress” (can you say “parking lot”?). Why do those in control of this city allow so many nostalgic places to be torn down? Something is very wrong with this picture. -Mark Howell, LA filmmaker (BUILDING THE MIGHTY MAC, EDISON) and former Toledo DJ.

toledo_fan
toledo_fan on January 18, 2013 at 5:08 pm

Correcting ttdrone. Sadly, Dawn Backes (not Backus, though that’s how it’s pronounced) was found at the State Theater on Collingwood. I knew her, and it’s still unbelievably sad to think of. Thank you for remembering her.

rivest266
rivest266 on January 31, 2014 at 7:40 pm

October 16th, 1941 grand opening ad uploaded in photo section for this theatre.

bsingle911
bsingle911 on March 2, 2014 at 5:36 pm

used to give milk bottle caps for admission

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on September 13, 2014 at 3:15 am

This article from the Toledo Blade of July 6, 1981, tells of the closing of the Colony Theatre. The June 27, 1985, Blade article about its demolition can be found here.

Zachary Kreuz
Zachary Kreuz on January 28, 2016 at 2:37 am

To Ttdrone
That was not the colony theater Dawn Backus was mustered
It was the state theater on delaware

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