Austin Theater
2130 Congress Avenue South,
Austin,
TX
78704
2130 Congress Avenue South,
Austin,
TX
78704
2 people
favorited this theater
The Austin Theater opened in 1939, and was the home of first run movies until the 1970’s. By the mid-1970’s, however, the theater and the surrounding area deteriorated and the Austin was eventually closed.
In 1977, the theater was sold to a new owner who turned it into an adult movie theater. With the new format, the theater’s name was changed to Cinema West and it continued to show XXX-rated movies until it finally closed in 1998, amid deep complaints from residents.
The property was then sold to a new group who plans to turn the theater into office space to meet increased demand from local high-tech companies.
Contributed by
Ross Melnick
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Recent comments (view all 17 comments)
Anyone have any idea what corporation initially commissioned Mackie and Kamrath to construct the theater? Are M&K’s records housed anywhere in Houston?
thanks!
Do any of you know if these old drive-in theaters are still for sale?
Some vintage photos of the Austin, Lobby, Auditorium and exterior.
View link
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The date given for this photo is November 23, 1950. The Year given for this photo is also 1950.
What is the status of the Texas Theatre today?
If you change the address above to 2130 Congress Avenue South, Google will show you a building with a marquee that might be this former theater.
LM, same building just a different marquee frm the 1950 photo you posted. Also did you notice the Walgreens Drug Store next door in the 1950 photo? It is gone on the google link. What is it with drug stores and theatres, seems like there was always one next door or the theatre was demolished to build a drug store or a drug store went in a former theatre. From the marquee on google it looks like they have live shows there,.
The two photos dated 1950 are NOT the Austin Theater. The first is the State Theater, its currently owned by The Paramount & State Theater Company http://www.austintheatre.org The Walgreens next door to the State Theater moved to a less costly location, but the building is still there on the corner.
The second photo is the Texas Theater in Palestine TX, not Austin.
The Austin Theater located at 2130 S Congress Ave, Austin Texas is currently owned according to tax records by Austin Music Partners LLC.
The finding aid to the Interstate Theatre Collection at the Dallas Public Library lists the Austin Theatre as designed in 1938 by the architectural firm of MacKie & Kamrath. The Austin is also listed in the finding aid to the Karl Kamrath Collection at the University of Texas in Austin. This aid also features brief biographies of Karl Kamrath and Fred MacKie.
The Texas Theatre, on the Drag (guadalupe) across from the University of Texas became an Eckerds Drug store in the late 1980’s or early 1990’s, and when CVS came in and took over the Austin Eckerd’s chain it became one of them. I was trying to comment on the Varsity Theatre on the Drag, down at 24th & Guad, and could not find a comment section there. I was in the Varsity during the great Memorial Day Flood of 1981. At that time I believe it had just opened the 2nd floor “twin theatre” version and a disney cartoon was showing (an old disney, not a recent one). When we left the roads were flooding.