Paramount Theatre
125 Fourth Avenue NE,
Austin,
MN
55912
125 Fourth Avenue NE,
Austin,
MN
55912
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Opened in September 1929, the Paramount Theatre, which originally seated 914, was designed in the Atmospheric style. It was designed by the firm of Ellerbe & Company.
Its auditorium resembled a Spanish courtyard, with a ‘starry sky’ on the ceiling. The side walls were decorated with scenes of the Spanish countryside, divided by colonades.
It contained a small stage and orchestra pit since it hosted both live shows as well as films in its first couple decades. The exterior was built in the Spanish Baroque style, with decorative terra-cotta work and an arched window over the marquee.
The Paramount Theatre continued to delight the citizens of Austin for nearly half a century, before it was closed in 1975.
From the late-1970’s into the late-1980’s, the former theater served as everything from a nightclub, to a teen dance club, to a comedy club before closing again and standing vacant for several years.
The Paramount Theatre was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, as one of the few Atmospheric style theatres remaining in Minnesota.
The Austin Area Commission for the Arts was formed in 1990 and purchased the theatre two years later with the intent of transforming it into a performing arts center and a venue for classic films, concerts, and civic events. It will also be home to the Matchbox Children’s Theatre.
Since 1996, restoration work has begun in earnest, and much has already been completed. The roof has been replaced, the lobby repainted in its original colors, and a 1950’s era marquee removed and replaced with a replica of the original 1929 one.
The restoration of the Paramount Theatre has been completed, the theatre is now alive with performances both live and on-screen, and is once again the centerpiece of downtown Austin.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 26 comments)
Here is an exterior photo of the Paramount Theater.
This is a recent photo of the Paramount Theater.
A July 2008 photo can be seen here.
This is an August photo taken by a different photographer.
Warren’s photo bucket link is no longer functional.
1987photo of the Paramount Theatre at that time called Snickerz a concert venue.
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Warren you photo bucket photo doesn’t come up with a photo it says it doesn’t exist.
1981 photo of the Paramount Theatre,
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Here is another photo of the Paramount.
The name of the architectural firm is currently misspelled above (and on the pages for the other two theaters designed by Ellerbe & Company.) It should be Ellerbe, ending with one e. The company was founded in 1909 by Franklin Ellerbe and, upon his death in 1921, was taken over by his son Thomas F. Ellerbe who, as lead architect, expanded the firm into the largest in Minnesota.
Thomas Ellerbe was an avid supporter of co-ops and eventually converted his firm into an employee-owned organization, which it remained until merging with Welton Becket and Associates (designers of Pacific’s Cinerama Dome in Hollywood) in 1987. The successor firm, Ellerbe-Becket, remains in operation today.
The Paramount Theatre at Austin was originally planned for the Finkelstein & Ruben circuit, which was taken over by Paramount before construction was completed, and the house opened as the Paramount under the Publix banner in September, 1929.
From the 1920s a photo postcard view of the Paramount Theatre in Austin.