Avalon Theater

1500 East Lake Street,
Minneapolis, MN 55407

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lostmemory
lostmemory on October 16, 2009 at 9:30 pm

The Avalon was an adult theater in 1982 known as the Fine Arts. Here are some photos:

Photo1

Photo2

Photo3

lostmemory
lostmemory on September 10, 2009 at 5:25 pm

I don’t know anything about the 1909 theater either. The 1935 Film Daily lists a 300 seat Avalon Theater for Minneapolis. The location given is Bloomington and Lake. That maps pretty close to the location of this Avalon Theater. If it is the same theater, both theaters were named Avalon.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on September 10, 2009 at 6:38 am

I’ve been unable to find out anything about the 1909 theater. It was probably demolished to make way for the 1924 building.

lostmemory
lostmemory on September 10, 2009 at 3:21 am

Click on the link that I posted on Jun 24, 2007. It gives similar information and claims that “The western half of the Avalon’s site has been a movie theater since 1909, first with silent films, then showing “talkies” after 1927”. Was there another theater at this location in 1909?

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on September 10, 2009 at 3:05 am

The “AIA Guide to the Twin Cities” by Larry Millett, published in 2007 by the Minnesota Historical Society, has more information on this theater. It was originally a smaller theater built in 1924 and designed by Ekman, Holm & Company. It was enlarged in 1937, and redesigned in the Art Moderne style by Perry Crosier. A 1997 renovation and restoration for the In the Heart of the Beast Puppet Theatre was done by Vincent James Associates Architects.

I’ve been unable to discover if the 1924 theater that was incorporated into Perry Crosier’s Avalon had the same name or not. The Avalon was owned by Bill Frank and Oscar Woempner, operators of about a dozen theaters in the area at the time of the 1937 rebuilding.

lostmemory
lostmemory on March 31, 2009 at 6:49 pm

Another photo is here.

lostmemory
lostmemory on March 31, 2009 at 5:10 pm

Here is a new link for the “Heart of the Beast” website.

lostmemory
lostmemory on June 25, 2007 at 2:29 am

This website has small photos and some history of the Avalon Theater.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 29, 2006 at 10:40 pm

I’ve gone through the Minneapolis theaters and have found that the American, Vogue and East Lake are not listed. The Vogue was at Lake and Blaisdell, the American was on Nicollet and Lake and the East Lake was on 1537 East Lake Avenue, apparently across the street from the Avalon. If I’ve failed to account for any of the three under another listing, please let me know. Otherwise, I will add them as new theaters.

William
William on December 5, 2003 at 7:42 pm

The Avalon Theatre seated around 1000 people.

ryan0290
ryan0290 on November 18, 2003 at 9:15 pm

Current picture of the theater-

http://www.phototour.minneapolis.mn.us/1853