Warnors Center for the Performing Arts

1400 Fulton Street,
Fresno, CA 93721

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Related Websites

Warnors Center for the Performing Arts (Official)

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Pantages, Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp.

Architects: Benjamin Marcus Priteca

Functions: Live Theater, Performing Arts

Styles: Spanish Colonial

Previous Names: Pantages Theatre, Warner's Theatre, Warner Cinerama Theatre, Warnors Theatre

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 559.264.2848

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News About This Theater

Warnor's Theatre

The Pantages Theatre opened on October 20, 1928. Built for and operated by Alexander Pantages, this massive building takes up an entire city block in downtown Fresno, CA. It is equipped with a Robert Morton theatre pipe organ. In 1929 it was taken over by Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp. and renamed Warner’s Theatre. In December 1962 it was converted into a Cinerama theatre, opening on December 21, 1962 with “This Is Cinerama” and played Cinerama feature movies until December 1968.

In 1973 it was threatened with demolition and was purchased by theatre organ enthusiast Frank Caglia who renamed it Warnors Theatre (due to copyright of the Warner name). By 1987 it had been renovated to the plans of Seattle based architect Richard F. McCann, a successor to the Priteca firm, retaining all the original features of the building. Upon the death of Frank Caglia in 2006, the theatre passed to a non-profit operation and is a performing arts venue.

It was placed on the Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Contributed by CinemAFuchs

Recent comments (view all 27 comments)

Coate
Coate on April 23, 2009 at 2:32 pm

Fresno’s Cinerama history posted here.

local157
local157 on August 26, 2013 at 2:51 pm

A wonderful tour of a very nice Robert Morton Theater Organ at the Warnor Theater http://ow.ly/odldh

Cakeight
Cakeight on February 15, 2015 at 12:21 am

Here are more photos taken in and around the Warnor’s in recent years: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cakeight/6000278995 https://www.flickr.com/photos/cakeight/6000782966 https://www.flickr.com/photos/cakeight/6000275229 https://www.flickr.com/photos/cakeight/6000822760 https://www.flickr.com/photos/cakeight/6000816488 https://www.flickr.com/photos/cakeight/6000252133

dansdriveintheater
dansdriveintheater on November 4, 2018 at 9:28 pm

my mom nursing school graduation took place here. everything was original including the urinals and toilets which were from 1911!

rivest266
rivest266 on January 27, 2021 at 1:57 pm

Reopened as Warner’s Fresno on August 31st. 1929

Cinerama
Cinerama on September 25, 2023 at 10:31 am

Just added pictures, ads, and articles of the Warnor theatre to my Cinerama web site - https://incinerama.com/warnercinerama.htm . Please do not copy them to this site.

m00se1111
m00se1111 on September 25, 2023 at 11:02 am

Updated website - https://warnorscenter.org/

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