El Lago Theatre

3506 E. Lake Street,
Minneapolis, MN 55406

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El Lago Theatre, Minneapolis, MN

Viewing: Photo | Street View

Opened in 1927, this Moorish style cinema is one of the few surviving cinema buildings along Minneapolis' Lake Street, once a hub of second run nabes.

Contributed by Kirk J. Besse

Recent comments (view all 9 comments)

lostmemory
lostmemory on June 24, 2007 at 8:01 pm

Small photos and some history can be found here.

docdoowop
docdoowop on November 26, 2008 at 10:30 am

Correction: This theater was known as the “El Lago.”

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on November 26, 2008 at 11:06 am

Lago means lake in Spanish.

lostmemory
lostmemory on November 26, 2008 at 11:07 am

Interesting. Thanks.

GailMarie
GailMarie on December 28, 2008 at 12:56 am

My mother managed The Oaks Bar, which was then located two or three storefronts to the left of the theater, from the late 1930s through 1940 or 1941.

Chuck1231
Chuck1231 on September 9, 2009 at 4:44 pm

1982 photo of the El Lago Theatre from American Classics.

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Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on September 9, 2009 at 7:07 pm

According to this page from the University of Minnesota’s web site, the El Lago Theatre was built in 1927 and was designed by Ekman, Holm & Company. It underwent some remodeling in 1931, done by the same architectural firm.

The El Lago was operated by Henry Greene’s Lake Amusement Company, which also operated the Lake and East Lake theaters nearby.

Chuck1231
Chuck1231 on December 29, 2009 at 8:04 pm

The El Lago was owned by Lake Amusement Co. and closed in 1969.

northstar16
northstar16 on April 8, 2013 at 7:46 pm

A 2010 photo, when it was being used as a religious center

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