Liberty Theatre
1 S. Mission Street,
Wenatchee,
WA
98801
1 S. Mission Street,
Wenatchee,
WA
98801
1 person
favorited this theater
This huge old theater was part of the Fox chain when it opened, but Fox was forced to divest in an antitrust suit. Renamed the Liberty Theatre, it has now grown to include most of the block. I had a hard time telling where the original entrance had been. One entrance is on the ground floor of an Eagles hall, and one seems to be in what looks like a 1960’s bank.
The giant wall ad is very well preserved, the word FOX is still visible under LIBERTY, and the motto is ‘The Show Palace of Wenatchee’.
Contributed by
Seth Gaines
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
This is a recent photo of the Liberty Theater.
Three new screens have been added this year, bringing the total screen count to 8. This makes The Liberty somewhat unique in that the original theater (with its 3 screens is at the north end of the block, 2 screens in a separate building (originally the Vitaphone Theater) in middle of the block and the new screens in another building at the south end of the block.
Here is another photo of the Liberty Theater.
In 1955 the Liberty Theater had 1,070 seats.
A December 2008 photo can be seen here.
1986 Photo
Here is another 1986 photo.
The February 3, 1951, issue of Boxoffice said that the Liberty Theatre had recently been reopened after remodeling and redecoration. When construction of the Liberty began in 1918, it was Wenatchee’s first brick theater. The first owner of the house was N.I. Neubauer.
The Boxoffice item about the reopening also mentioned three earlier movie theaters in Wenatchee. The first theater built to accommodate both movies and stage shows in town was the Wenatchee Theatre, opened in 1905 by Ed Ferguson. Later there was a Gem Theatre, located in the Olympic Hotel building, and then a Majestic Theatre. No opening dates are given for the latter two houses.
In 1920 there are two theaters listed for Wenatchee. The Liberty and the Wenatchee theater. In 1925 there are three theaters listed for Wenatchee. The Liberty, Rialto and the Gem. By 1930, only two theaters are listed. The Liberty and Rialto. It’s possible that the Gem didn’t make it past the silent era.
A document prepared for the National Register of Historic Places has information about the Liberty Theatre, including the fact that it was designed by architect Edwin W. Houghton.