Ridglea Theater
6025 Camp Bowie Boulevard,
Fort Worth,
TX
76116
6025 Camp Bowie Boulevard,
Fort Worth,
TX
76116
8 people
favorited this theater
Opened in 1953, the Ridglea Theater was taken over and tastefully renovated by Cinemark in the 1980’s.
The Ridglea Theater became a concert venue in 1999. It was closed in May 2011, to allow for restoration, and is due to re-open in late-2011.
Contributed by
Mark Balay
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Recent comments (view all 23 comments)
This theatres website is still advertising concerts.
It looks like this great lady is in trouble again: www.dfw.com/2010/06/20/295133/ridglea-theater-running-out-of.html
I have written to the theater’s council rep urging him to explore saving and restoring this great venue. It is currently in use as a performance space and has great potential. I suggested that he explore how cultural centers can be economic engines and that I hope this theater doesn’t become a bank! It’s time for FW to come together and save this wonderful theater.
Local residents and the “Historic Ft Worth” organization are sounding the alarm for the possible demise of this treasure! Having been a concert venue for several years, the concert company apparently declared bankruptcy and now someone else holds the paper. There is talk about demolishing it for a Bank of America!!!
PLEASE —– PLEASE help these folks save this theater. So far, they have organized a tour of the theater to help save it. Although this is very heartfelt and noble effort, I fear they will need far more to pull this off. Here is the news link regarding the tour:
ttp://www.dfw.com/2010/07/25/310341/historic-fort-worth-offering-tour.html
The days of the beautiful Ridglea Theater may be “numbered”. Please see this link:
View link
I saw so many movies at the Ridglea, even though I lived in nearby Arlington. Eventually, as an adult, I moved to Fort Worth. I saw movies such as Disney’s FOLLOW ME BOYS, ROSEMARY’S BABY, THE GODFATHER, STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, ALIEN, THE THING, and SUPERMAN. I think the last couple of movies I saw there were the James Bond movie LICENCE TO KILL and BABETTE’S FEAST.
As a founder of the Fort Worth Film Festival I was involved with the Ridglea during the days that Wesley and Richard were running movies in one of the upstairs auditoriums. Me, a friend and one of the other founders took turns running movies on the weekend there utilizing video projection.
While exploring some of the non-public areas I discovered what amounted to a couple of rows of seats that were being held as replacements for damaged seats. Boy, would I have loved to have gotten five or six of those!
@Chuck1231 above:
Wonder what happened to the prow of the marquee.
The new owner of the Ridglea Theater Jerry Shults is looking for your Ridglea Theater memories! Email us with your memories and photos to
To view memories of the Historic Ridglea Theater, visit: http://www.ridgleatheater.com/memories
Thanks in advance for sending your memories to us!!
Any questions yall have about the new Theater and our ongoing restoration, please send us an email to
May/June 2011 magazine of National Trust for Historic Preservation reported Bank of America backed asway from plan to buy & demolish portion, allowing local entrepreneur Jerry Shluts to buy it December. “Working with Historic Forth Worth, Shults plans to restore the balcony, stage, murals, and terrazzo tile floor and reopen the theater later this year.” Here’s link to a site re saving it http://www.ridgleatheater.com/press.asp
September 2011 cloudy day views:
Photo 1
Photo 2
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Photo 5
Great News! The Ridglea Theatre is set to open in early 2012! http://ridgleatheater.com/press.asp .. Good luck to the “Historical” Ridglea Theatre!! A 2006 photo I took of the Ridglea Theatre. Enjoy!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/racphotography/4845539196
RAC Photography