Varsity Theatre

3353 Highland Road,
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

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Related Websites

Varsity Theatre (Official)

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Paramount Pictures Inc.

Architects: Robert H. Goodman

Functions: Concerts

Styles: Art Deco

Nearby Theaters

Varsity Theatre

The Varsity Theatre is a former Art Deco movie house at the north gates of LSU. It was operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary E.V. Richards.

The theatre used to show a variety of films that were otherwise not available in Baton Rouge.

The Varsity Theatre is now a live music venue, although its old brick walls and movie posters have been preserved.

It has since been renovated in a ‘techno-romantic’ style, including some art work by Mann from N.O.

Contributed by Marie Erie

Recent comments (view all 5 comments)

William
William on December 5, 2003 at 8:48 am

When the Varsity Theatre was a movie theatre it seated 740 people.

Dyohe1
Dyohe1 on April 7, 2004 at 12:03 pm

The original Varsity Theater was designed by Robert H. Goodman of Goodman and Miller Architects of Baton Rouge in 1937.

dfwchip
dfwchip on October 17, 2007 at 3:35 pm

Sometime in the late 1970’s I believe, the Varsity was divided into two cinemas from it’s original single cinema format. It was then known as the Varsity Twin Cinema and became primarily a repertory cinema, showing many old classic Hollywood movies, from Casablanca to Night of the Living Dead. Around 1985, the movie venue change to art films and independent films. Around 1987-88, the two cinema’s were modified with long bench-like tables in front of the seats and a real food and booze menu was created. Waiters and waitresses would come around and take your food and drink order. This fad didn’t last that long as your food would be brought to you after the film started usually, and was quite a distraction. This was the only theater in Baton Rouge that showed the controversial THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST in 1988 (an, of course, the picketers were there, but were made to stand and do there shouting across the street on Highland Road). In 1991, the venue changed again to that of a live concert hall. Better that than tearing it down…

rivest266
rivest266 on January 12, 2012 at 3:13 pm

November 23rd, 1937 grand opening ad posted here.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on January 12, 2012 at 3:21 pm

dfwchip, Protestors sell a lot of movie tickets.

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