Fairborn Theatre
34 S. Broad Street,
Fairborn,
OH
45324
34 S. Broad Street,
Fairborn,
OH
45324
8 people
favorited this theater
Related Websites
Fairborn Phoenix Foundation (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Chakeres Theaters Inc.
Architects: Herman Hunter, Lloyd Zeller
Firms: Zeller & Hunter
Previous Names: Fairborn Twin Cinemas
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News About This Theater
- Sep 21, 2007 — Fairborn Performing Arts & Cultural Center In Need Of Old Photos
- Jul 17, 2007 — Fairborn Performing Arts & Cultural Center to begin Master Planning process
- Nov 16, 2006 — Fairborn Twin update
The Fairborn Theatre was opened by Chakeres Theatres on January 27, 1948 and was the chain’s 47th theatre. The Fairborn Theatre was twinned on February 10, 1973 screening Jan-Michael Vincent in “The World’s Greatest Athlete” & Steve McQueen in “The Getaway”. Chakeres closed the Fairborn Twin Cinema in November 1999 with Neve Campbell in “Three to Tango” and Julia Roberts in “Runaway Bride”.
Chakeres donated the Fairborn Twin Cinema in 2002 for a community arts group who planned to restore Fairborn Twin Cinemas back to a single screen theatre but have been delayed several times. The theatre needs a new roof, plumbing going from the street to the building, new plumbing throughout the theatre, new heating and cooling, the marquee is in need of TLC, and there is a major pigeon problem, just to name a few things wrong with the Fairborn Theatre.
The cost is reported to be around $5-6 million dollars, so we will have wait to see what happens. The Fairborn Theatre was a beautiful theatre, but 15-years of neglect by Chakeres and over 7-years of abandonment have not helped.
Renovations began in summer of 2024.
Contributed by
Mike Hoyts
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Recent comments (view all 20 comments)
I was just reading through some of the comments, and the newest ones being from mid-2009 concern me. I’m a current 8th grader at Stivers School for the Arts in Dayton, although I still live in and love Fairborn with all my heart. Theatre is my life, and don’t get me wrong, I love all the theatres that I work with in other cities in the area, but I would absolutely love for Fairborn to have out own to be proud of, and show off talent from. Has the plan for the theatre been lost? I can’t seem to find much information…
Sorry for the mistype, it’s*
i was a member of the organization for 2 years i had a great time working with everyone tearing up the old seats putting the letters up on the marquee i still have one of my seats and im in the process right now of restoring it i would love to get a hold of butch and ivan. Ian Meadows
An August 2016 Google street view shows the marquee in very bad shape and only the F and A left from the word FAIRBORN. Not looking to promising.
Anyone have pictures of the theater interior?
Chakeres' Fairborn Theatre opened on January 27, 1948, according to Boxoffice of April 3 that year. The architects were Zeller & Hunter (Lloyd Zeller and Herman Hunter) of Springfield, Ohio. The building was listed on the NRHP in 2005.
Two screens on February 10th, 1973. Grand opening ad posted.
The renovation of the Fairborn Theatre is being managed by the Fairborn Phoenix Foundation, a local non-profit group. Here is their web site. It has a few recent photos, mostly on the “News & Updates” page. A couple of events have been held for fundraising (screenings of a locally-made movie and of The Rocky Horror Picture Show) and only one live event is scheduled (a Beatles tribute in June) so it’s not really open yet. The place is still pretty rough, as can be seen from the photos, and most of the renovation work remains to be done, but progress is being made, bit by bit.
Renovation article: Grant
Status should be changed to “Renovating”. Now under the banner of Fairborn Phoenix, the split auditorium has been returned to its original single screen configuration.
https://www.fairbornphoenix.com/