Elsinore Theatre

170 High Street SE,
Salem, OR 97301

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Related Websites

The Historic Elsinore Theatre (Official)

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Act III Theatres, Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp.

Architects: Ellis F. Lawrence

Firms: Bean & Allyn, Lawrence & Holford

Functions: Live Theater, Movies (Classic)

Styles: Gothic Revival

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 503.375.3574
Manager: 503.375.3574

Nearby Theaters

News About This Theater

Elsinore Theatre

The Elsinore Theatre, which opened on May 28, 1926 with William Boyd in “The Volga Boatman”. It is famous for its wondrous Gothic style architecture. By 1941 it was operated by Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp. It was closed as a regular movie theatre on October 4, 1990 with Robert De Nero in “Goodfellows”.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Renovation work on the theatre was completed in 2005.

Classic movies are presented on Wednesday evenings, and if the movie is a silent classic, then it is accompanied on the mighty Wurlitzer, 3 manual 26 rank, theatre organ.

Contributed by Louise-Annette Burgess

Recent comments (view all 16 comments)

ERD
ERD on September 5, 2008 at 12:03 pm

What a beautifully unique theatre, inside and out. I am so glad it has been restored and is in use.

Kiwanda
Kiwanda on March 7, 2009 at 12:46 am

Such fond memories of this place! I recall standing in line during the first week of Star Wars and paying the “special” price of $2.50, a buck more than usual, to get in. Many great films there when I was a teen: Quest for Fire, Raiders, Platoon, The Mission. In the early 1980s it was the best place to take a special date because it was big, clean, and “fancy,” especially compared to the crappy Moyer theaters in the malls. I always wanted to sit in the loges but the balcony wasn’t bad. I’m delighted to see it’s been restored and will look forward to visiting sometime in the future when I make it back to Oregon again.

chspringer
chspringer on April 12, 2010 at 6:40 pm

I haven’t been in Salem for decades, however I seem to remember a theater across the street from the Elsinore called the Grand. It was being used for wrestling matches at the time. (1960s). I don’t find it listed on this site. Anyone have any info?

Mikeyisirish
Mikeyisirish on June 26, 2012 at 10:42 am

A few 2011 photo can be seen here, here, here and here.

Kiddman32
Kiddman32 on March 29, 2013 at 2:08 pm

I’ve been a fan of the theater organ for many years, but had been out-of-touch with that community for some 10 years when I decided late one night in early 2003 to sniff around the Internet a bit and see what I could find about organs still alive… It so happens I found this theater, at the time 25 miles south of where I lived… A couple weeks later, I was there, watching a silent film and listening to “live pipes” for the first time in a good while!

I saw the “before/after” of the major renovation that took place in the summer of 2003… Before, it was in decent shape, but not so great… After, the place is marvelous!

Now I’m in the Bay Area again… The Elsinore will always be one of the things I miss most about Oregon…

GeorgeStrum
GeorgeStrum on June 7, 2014 at 10:40 am

The Theatre Historical Society last visit there was July 17th, 2001.

rivest266
rivest266 on September 3, 2016 at 1:08 pm

May 26th, 1926 grand opening ad in photo section.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on July 21, 2023 at 7:52 am

The Elsinore closed as a first-run movie house on October 4, 1990 with “Goodfellas”.

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