Twilight Theatre
132 S. Main Street,
Greensburg,
KS
67034
132 S. Main Street,
Greensburg,
KS
67034
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This historic theater originally showed silent films, after its 1915 opening. At one time it boasted one of the largest screens in Kansas.
It was still screening films in May 2006, when it was badly damaged by a tornado.
Contributed by
Paul Salley
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Recent comments (view all 18 comments)
It might be an extreme makeover. It looks like the second floor is being removed for some reason. Or maybe the roof collapsed.
The destruction that you see in pictures was caused by a tornado that went through on May 4, 2007. I don’t think that was part of the intended renovations.
From what I’ve seen on the theater website, it looks like they are building a new “performing arts center” around the corner from the theater. So then they are not rebuilding the Twilight movie theater?
The theater website shows “account suspended for non-payment”.
Street View is odd on this one. Only Hwy 54 is mapped out, but the difference between the Street View and Satellite view is totally different. Street View shows after the tornado, satellite show before. Lots of building are gone…
One more odd thing… In Street View, if you are dead smack in the intersection that the above map puts you in, there are no street lights in any direction. Just one click in either direction, the street lights reappear.
So I guess the theater is not being rebuilt?
Here’s a color photo of the old Twilight Theatre on the City of Greensburg’s web site. This photo shows it from another angle. The cable channel Planet Green has posted this rendering of the proposed replacement for the Twilight Theatre. Plans call for 458 seats, and the building will be of neo-moderne design.
On a recent episode of Planet Green’s series about Greensburg, it was revealed that the local school district is planning to have a partnership with the operators of the theater so that when it is built it can be used for school functions during the week. The rebuilt school will not have an auditorium, and apparently the old Twilight Theatre only operated on weekends in any case. Kiowa County only had a population of a little over 3000 even before the tornado, so a full-time movie theater wouldn’t be economically viable there, especially as it will have to be located in costly new construction.
The Twilight is mentioned surprisingly often in Boxoffice Magazine, as the long-time operators Charles and Ben Spainhour frequently wrote pieces for the magazine’s “The Exhibitor Has His Say” feature. A thumbnail biography of Charles Spainhour appeared in the March 3, 1945, issue of Boxoffice, which revealed that he bought his first theater (for $375, fully equipped) in 1916. He bought the Twilight the next year. His first theater was also in Greensburg, but Boxoffice didn’t give its name.
Date Correction to this Thread: The devastating tornado struck Greensburg the night of May 4, 2007. Not 2006.
Sorry Chuck1231. I see you had already set the record straight and thanks for clarifying the reason for “the renovation.”