Ardmore Theater
34 W. Lancaster Avenue,
Ardmore,
PA
19003
34 W. Lancaster Avenue,
Ardmore,
PA
19003
1 person
favorited this theater
The Ardmore Theater opened in 1926, and according to a Main Line Times article shortly before the theatre closed, it was designed by architect Clarence Woolmington. By 1941, it was operated by Warner Bros. Circuit Management. It remained a popular movie house for over seven decades until it was closed by United Artists in 2000.
After closing, the theater later appeared on the Lower Merion Conservancy’s 2001 top ten list of endangered historical buildings.
It was too late, however, and in a a move that mimics a growing national trend, the Beaux-Arts style Ardmore Theater was gutted and reopened as a fitness center in 2002.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Sports Clubs had its eye on the Ardmore Theater ever since it was closed in August, 2000.
The gym’s parent company, Town Sports International studied closed and troubled historic movie theaters in the Philly area to determine which might be take-over targets. The company tried to acquire the Bryn Mawr Theater, but it was saved for movies by being purchased by a nonprofit organization.
Because of Town Sport’s renovation, the Ardmore Theater will never reopen as a theater.
Contributed by
George Quirk, Cinema Treasures
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Recent comments (view all 18 comments)
To clarify, the former Stanley Warner’s Ardmore, later known as RKO Stanley Warner’s Ardmore Theatre, was acquired by Sameric Theatres between 1977 and 1979, and was twinned. The United Artists Ardmore Twin Theatre, as well as the United Artist Bryn Mawr Twin Theatre, closed in August 17, 2000. Thankfully today, the Bryn Mawr lives on as the Bryn Mawr Film Institude, and will be restored back to it’s glory when it open as the Seville Theatre. The same can’t be said for the Ardmore.
There are no plans to restore the Bryn Mawr as a single screen theater. There are a few interior architectural details one can see on the interior under current operation, which is better than the Ardmore as a health club for sure. The Ardmore was totally gutted inside.
Here is another photo of the Ardmore Theater building.
So sad to see this theater go. I remember going to midnight showings here with friends and having the entire theater to ourselves.
Here is a 1983 photo when it was the Eric:
http://tinyurl.com/qjkxbs
Shouldn’t the header read Eric Theatre AKA Ardmore. Eric was its last name as a movie theatre.
1993 Photo of the Eric Theatre.
View link
The Ardmore Theatre has had 3 different marquees. The final marquee was installed around 1940, and had the name “ARDMORE” on the top of the marquee, until around 1977,when it was replaced by “ERIC”.
Also, shouldn’t the Ardmore be listed as a Twin Theatre, since it was, during the last 20 years, listed as either “Eric Ardmore Twin Theatre” and “United Atists Ardmore Twin Theatre”
funco land was also a theatre more like vaudville closed when ardmore opened in 1926 i have an old post card when that theatre existed
what happend to ardmore gets me sick when i think about it. i saw them gutted this building totally gets me angry i do have seats from ardmore i had to say something called memory