Vernon Theatre
5508 Germantown Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19144
5508 Germantown Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19144
1 person
favorited this theater
The Germantown Theatre (later the Vernon Theatre), formerly located at 5508 Germantown Avenue, just above School House Lane, was one of Germantown’s earliest theatres. It had 1,168 seats and was built at a cost of $50,000. When built in 1910, it was dubbed “The Pride of Germantown”. This was an all-purpose theatre used for stage shows, stock productions and movies. Like most theatres built back in the early days, it also had an organ that was used to entertain between shows and at intermission. This theatre was distinctive in its ornate exterior facade arch, which was also duplicated inside.
At some point, this theate became the Vernon Theatre and used solely for movies. It was purchased and closed in 1953 with the intent to convert it into stores and offices. Going off of memory, I think it is now a parking lot. This theatre was before my time but anybody here recall it?
Contributed by
DennisMcG
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Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
I forgot to post the link to the the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings site for this theater.Here is the link.
It may have opened with 1800 seats and later reseated to the 1168 shown on the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings site When it became ther Venon Teheatre. The land now is a vacant lot according to the Philadelphia Accessors Office.
By the way it opened in 1910 as the Germantown Theatre.
I have a picture of the Germantown Theatre (before it was the Vernon)and will upload it once the photo feature is restored here.
I was born and raised in Germantown. This theatre closed before my time. Curious about it though. Anybody remember what it looked like inside? Email me at or post what you remember here. Thanks.
In the mid to late 1940s, my parents used to take me into Germantown on Friday or Saturday nights for dinner and a movie. We would often eat at Horn & Hardart’s Automat on Germantown Ave.(my favorite), or a place called, I think, the “Green Street Tavern”, or “Lackies”. For a special dinner we would sometimes go to the more expensive “Imhof"s” on Chelton Ave.. After dinner we would go to one of the three nearby movie theaters: the “Orpheum” on Chelton Ave; the “Vernon” on Germantown Ave.; or the smallest of the three, the “Band Box” on a little side street off Germantown Ave. I remember seeing “Song of the South” at the Orpheum — which came out in 1946. I hope this info is helpful in dating these wonderful old movie houses.
I must augment my previous posting about those “three nearby theaters” in 1940s Germantown. There were actually four. I almost forgot about the “Colonial”, one of the larger theaters, on Germantown Ave.
On page 47 of the Vestal Press’s reprint of the Wurlitzer Unit Organ brochure, there is a fine photo of the Germantown Theatre’s interior (stage view).
I attended the “Grand Opening” of the refurbished Vernon Theater, formerly the Germantown. The movie that played was Brigham Young. So we can pretty well set 1941 as the beginning date for the Vernon.
Wow. Thank you Steltz.