Audian Theatre

Located at 315 E. Main St. in downtown Pullman, the historic Audian Theatre is a majestic example of the type of single-screen theatre that once dominated towns throughout the United States.

The original Audian Theatre was built in 1930. The New Audian theatre reopened in 1936 with its current L-shaped layout and the 600-seat auditorium facing east. The original Audian, with a much smaller auditorium, faced south. With the demolition of a section of the Martin Garage in the mid 1930s, the present auditorium was constructed and the theatre reconfigured.

The Audian and its sister theatre the Cordova, have been the main options for Pullman moviegoers for more than 70 years. The Big Sky Motor Movie on Wawawai Road operated from the 1950s until the early 1980s, and The Old Post Office Theatre opened in the 1980s but closed several years ago. The Pullman Drive-In Theatre was located near the present-day city playfields and pre-dated the Big Sky but closed in the late 1950s. The Varsity Drive-In Theatre was located on the Pullman-Moscow highway near the current site of Champion Electric. It closed in the early 1970s.

The Audian was closed for a time in the mid 1990s. Best Theatres Inc. reopened the Audian in December of 1997. The theatre was thoroughly cleaned, repainted and a completely new DTS digital sound system was installed. A redesigned concession stand and a modern popcorn machine were also added later.

The Audian has been given new life with record-breaking engagements of the new “Star Wars” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogies. Its large auditorium and impressive sound system are its strengths.

Many current and former Pullman residents have thanked us for continuing to keep the Audian open despite the trend to close single-screen theatres. We thank all of our patrons for supporting this classic theatre that has been such an important part of downtown Pullman.

Description courtesy of Pullman Movies (www.pullmanmovies.com)

Recent comments (view all 4 comments)

Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater