Clear Lake Iowa is most notably remembered by old rock'n'roll enthusiasts as home to the Surf Ballroom. Three famous “Rockers” performed their last concert at the Surf. Though taking a backseat to the Surf Ballroom but still worth a visit is the Lake Theatre. The Lake is open 7 days a week with one 7:00 pm showing on weekdays and 3 showings on weekends at 1:00pm, 4:00pm and 7:00pm. Admission is $5.00 for adults and $4.00 for children. The auditorium has 6 beautiful art deco sconces and the foyer has 2 lovely ceiling fixtures. Completing this memorable image of past grandeur is a soda fountain next to the theatre. Supposedly, a there is a resident ghost from the 1935 fire.
Many small town theatres cannot survive by showing movies alone and the Kingman Theatre is one example. The theatre supplements its movie income by hosting tribute bands and country & western artists. The theatre’s ceiling reveals a beautiful southwestern motif. Lovely art deco fixtures well as neon lights adorn the auditorium. Seats were updated years ago with tasteful upholstery and cup holders. The balcony was closed for some maintenance but scheduled to open soon. The theatre is open Fri, Sat, and Sun. The Kingman Theatre is a lovely theatre and definitely worth a visit. Thanks for the tour
The Hardacre Theatre has been closed since 2013. It’s undergoing a total restoration/renovation which if goes according to plans take 2 years to complete and cost an estimated 2.2 million. The theatre building consists of two second floor apartments and 2 storefronts. The two apartments have been remodeled and are rented. Renovations for the theatre indicate one of the storefronts will be incorporated to the theatre as an enlarged refreshment stand. The theatre has a balcony and will have recliners when renovations are completed. Thanks for the tour.
This summer I telephoned the owner of the Columbia (he now lives in California) and he’s still hopeful that somehow his dream of the museum will happen. There was no talk of demolition.
Population of Holly has bounced back to about 1000 residents. The newer seats came from a closed multiplex in Colorado Springs. Despite all the repairs and renovations completed to the Holly Theatre is was finished in just a few months. A stage was built in front of the screen but movies remain the the theatre’s main revenue. Admission for children
(4 and over) and adults is $7.00. Many thanks to the owner who took time off work to show me the Holly Theatre. The Holly, like many small town theatres, would not remain open without volunteer staff.
The Orpheum Theatre offers in depth tours which I really enjoyed. The theatre has both working carbon arc and digital projectors. Seating capacity is 1281. The Orpheum was closed from the mid ‘70’s to 1985.
While there is still more restoration to be completed much has been completed and the theatre’s beauty is very apparent. The combination
digital and neon marquee is still quite impressive and necessary to promote all the upcoming future acts. Washrooms have all been upgraded and appear as what is expected in a grand movie palace. The foyer had suffered severe flooding but was beautifully restored with replicated original tile.
Il had the pleasure of seeing this theatre in July,2023. Current seating is 271 but originally was 800. There is a balcony but the local fire marshal won’t allow its usage. The screen is huge and the buildings height will not permit the screen to fly. Beautiful upholstered seats and murals adorn the theatre. It’s mentioned above about the cleanliness of the theatre which I can definitely confirm. The theatre was closed for approximately 5 years between 1985 and 1991. Many thanks to the knowledgeable and friendly theatre manager. The Northrup Theatre is owned by the city of Syracuse.
Sorry volunteers; My last sentence should have read: “The Fox is operated by a small number of salaried staff and many dedicated and knowledgeable VOLUNTEER staff
The Fox offers tours upon advance request and this is one definitely
worth attending. Today, this lovely 900 plus seat theatre’s venue consists mostly of concerts, classic film series, and children’s films.
The Fox remained closed for a number of years longer than necessary because of a dispute between the two owners. While one person owned the building another person owned all the fixtures. Each, of course, claimed ownership to the lovely and very valuable chandeliers. Once the dispute was settled the building was sold and renovations began. Renovations included extensive washroom updates, new carpeting (custom woven in the original pattern) , and recovering all of the seating. The stage was also enlarged by covering over the orchestra pit. Original plans called for the Fox Theatre Building to be an eight story structure but lack of funds from the main benefactor resulted in initially only a two story structure. Shortly after, more funding became available and 2 more stories were added resulting in todays
4 story structure. Years ago there was direct access to the third floor of the theatre building from the benefactor’s next door high-rise building. This resulted in additional office space for the high-rise owner. The Fox is operated by a small salaried staff and many dedicated
and knowledgeable staff.
A beautiful small town theatre. There is no suspended balcony but there are several rows of raised or stadium style seating at the rear of the theatre. Four beautiful semi-flush neon chandeliers adorn the auditorium ceiling. Several huge theatre sconces highlight the beautiful murals on the interior walls of the auditorium. Originally, above the marquee there was a huge panel of various colored glass. Frequent breakage of the glass and costly replacement resulted in this being covered over when the front exterior was remodeled. The knowledgeable and friendly all volunteer staff (no paid staff) has kept the theatre doors open and these lovely art deco entry doors deserve to be seen. The Augusta has done some live performances but they were poorly attended. Hopefully, a successful venue of events will be formulated that will keep the Augusta flourishing.
I’m happy to report the Chief Theatre is open and showing 1st run movies every Fri and Sat. Seating capacity on the main floor is 140
plus another 60 in the balcony. Seats on the main floor are beautifully upholstered while the balcony retains the original wooden seats. A generous grant has permitted new washrooms to be installed, an
enlarged concession stand installation and some new neon lighting and repair of existing neon. The Chief is fully digital but has retained the original carbon arc projectors. The original projection boot is still intact. In past years the projectionist would put a strip of film above the projector and if it caught fire he had just seconds to leave the booth before the steel fire door would close to contain the fire.
The Chief is run by all volunteers. Many thanks to Roy for detailed and
informative tour.
I arrived in Vinton Iowa at a time when The Palace Theatre was supposed to be closed. I tried all of the entrance doors and one was open. Luckily, local children were rehearsing for an upcoming production of
Mary Poppins. I didn’t want to disrupt the rehearsal so I quietly asked
one child’s mother if she knew any information about the theatre. She
did not. The main floor seating consists of newer high back leather (vinyl) seating while the balcony consists of 24 luxury recliners. The inside has had a total renovation but very tastefully done. Admission is $5.00 while luxury seating in the balcony is $8.00.
Pure luck got me inside this lovely theatre. I arrived at a time when the theatre was closed but the stage door was propped open. A local carpenter was building sets for an upcoming stage production. He okayed my desire to explore and supplied information on how to contact the theatre manager. The theatre is abundant with gilded (gold leaf?) plaster and an impressive chandelier in the foyer. Seating capacity on the main floor is approximately 204 plus another 233 in the balcony.
Adult admission is $8.00 plus an extra $2.00 for 3D screenings. There are beautiful murals above the proscenium. The second floor has a separate entrance and is occupied by Chaplin Hall. A multi-functional
space with a seating capacity of 100 and an apartment which used to be occupied by the manager of the theatre. The third floor is currently used for storage. Although movies are an important part of the theatre’s venue, concerts an plays round out the venues. The theatre is run by both paid staff and volunteers.
Stumbled across this theatre while on an extensive theatre hunting road trip. The theatre was built in 1949 but permits were applied for a number of years before 1949. Building supplies were in short supply right after W.W.II and the city already had three movie theatres. The theatre is now owned by the community and completely run by volunteers. No paid staff. The marquee is in great shape and the theatre is kept immaculate by the abundant volunteer staff. Seating today is 300 and there is no balcony. Generally, like most small town theatres the format is P.G.films but the State did briefly try showing R rated films after their regular PG showings. Unfortunately, this format wasn’t too successful and was discontinued. Town support the State seems to be overwhelming. While outside talking to one of the volunteers I saw three different people from outside purchase popcorn and then leave. One man could barely carry the many large popcorns to his car. I guess the different purchasers of popcorn for some reason couldn’t attend the movie but wanted to show their financial support of the theatre. I saw the inside of approximately 13 theatre on this trip and if it weren’t for the dedicated unpaid vounteers, I doubt more than two or three would be open today.
It was a Sunday afternoon almost two weeks before the official re-opening of the Guthrie. I’d had only expected to see the theatre from the outside. The wide-open theatre door, however, was too inviting for me to resist. Pat, the new owner of one year, was busy doing paperwork
in the foyer area. He lit up the six beautiful, ceiling, crystal chandeliers so I could see the immaculate auditorium. The fifty or so rockers in balcony were removed and replaced with tables and chairs. Seating capacity is approximately 400 but the distance between the stage and the first row of seating would permit the addition of several movable chairs to be added. A barbershop occupies one of the two theatre’s store fronts. The other contains commercial grade restaurant
equipment which will be used for the theatre’s new menu. A new and beautiful oak bar dominates the lobby area and hopefully will provide
enough extra revenue to keep this lovely single screen gem open for many years. Pat seems willing try all venues to create a successful
operation. It will start with movies and a variety of live acts. Pat has operated several successful restaurants in the past so there’s no reason to believe this won’t follow the same course.
I had the pleasure of attending the Strand theatre in October of this year. The beautiful neon and milk glassed marquee was fully illuminated
and most impressive. The theatre is mostly a concert venue but does also show classic movies Its digital capabilities, however, would permit new releases to be shown. The freestanding ticket booth still remains but appears to remain unused. Tickets are sold and picked up at the store front box office next to the theatre. Little remains of the original auditorium features, but all the alterations were tastefully
done. The newly fully suspended horseshoe balcony added seating capacity to the seating loss created by the main floor seating reconfiguration. Seating is now the former width of the theatre instead of the length. Since the height of the theatre wouldn’t allow for the screen to be flown, it was necessary to enlarge the stage for concerts. The new seating configuration results in not a bad inhouse seat. Refreshments are very reasonably priced. Great place to see a classic movie of hear a concert,
Approximately five years ago I attended I Kathy Mattea concert in this lovely theatre. During closed period a barber shop occupied one store front and a musical instrument store the other. Kathy commented how beautiful the theatre was and praised those responsible for its restoration
On August 19th I and about 1200 patrons attended a concert in this newly and lovely restored theatre. The performance of the talented group, The Doo-wop Project and the ambience of the Robins Theatre resulted in an awesome evening. The multi million renovation created a fabulous showplace for the city of Warren. All the original seats were removed, reupholstered, refurbished and reinstalled so the original seating capacity of nearly 1500 has been retained. Unfortunately, since it’s now a concert venue rather than a movie theatre it made sense to install a digital marquee rather than the prettier neon and milk glass marquee. Large vertical signage is also absent.
Glad to see you’re still commenting on Cinema Treasures. You, like me
love to visit these theatres in person and our passion shows in the comments we make.
I was lucky enough to see this theatre right when it changed to a place of worship. It still looked very much like a theatre inside and its art moderne interior design was spotless. There was an abundance of flowers throughout so I’m thinking it might have been their first service. Dipson was a powerhouse movie chain in its day but today operates only a few theatres. Shame it’s gone
During the 1970’s and 80’s the Warner had some rock and roll revival
concerts. I attended several of them. Once that temporary signage is removed patrons will again be able to appreciate the curb appeal of this magnificent movie palace.
Yes, as mentioned above, this was part of the Manos chain. Unfortunately, the theatre was closed when I passed by so I can’t much information. Three years ago it was only open Friday through Sunday
Clear Lake Iowa is most notably remembered by old rock'n'roll enthusiasts as home to the Surf Ballroom. Three famous “Rockers” performed their last concert at the Surf. Though taking a backseat to the Surf Ballroom but still worth a visit is the Lake Theatre. The Lake is open 7 days a week with one 7:00 pm showing on weekdays and 3 showings on weekends at 1:00pm, 4:00pm and 7:00pm. Admission is $5.00 for adults and $4.00 for children. The auditorium has 6 beautiful art deco sconces and the foyer has 2 lovely ceiling fixtures. Completing this memorable image of past grandeur is a soda fountain next to the theatre. Supposedly, a there is a resident ghost from the 1935 fire.
Many small town theatres cannot survive by showing movies alone and the Kingman Theatre is one example. The theatre supplements its movie income by hosting tribute bands and country & western artists. The theatre’s ceiling reveals a beautiful southwestern motif. Lovely art deco fixtures well as neon lights adorn the auditorium. Seats were updated years ago with tasteful upholstery and cup holders. The balcony was closed for some maintenance but scheduled to open soon. The theatre is open Fri, Sat, and Sun. The Kingman Theatre is a lovely theatre and definitely worth a visit. Thanks for the tour
The Hardacre Theatre has been closed since 2013. It’s undergoing a total restoration/renovation which if goes according to plans take 2 years to complete and cost an estimated 2.2 million. The theatre building consists of two second floor apartments and 2 storefronts. The two apartments have been remodeled and are rented. Renovations for the theatre indicate one of the storefronts will be incorporated to the theatre as an enlarged refreshment stand. The theatre has a balcony and will have recliners when renovations are completed. Thanks for the tour.
This summer I telephoned the owner of the Columbia (he now lives in California) and he’s still hopeful that somehow his dream of the museum will happen. There was no talk of demolition.
Population of Holly has bounced back to about 1000 residents. The newer seats came from a closed multiplex in Colorado Springs. Despite all the repairs and renovations completed to the Holly Theatre is was finished in just a few months. A stage was built in front of the screen but movies remain the the theatre’s main revenue. Admission for children (4 and over) and adults is $7.00. Many thanks to the owner who took time off work to show me the Holly Theatre. The Holly, like many small town theatres, would not remain open without volunteer staff.
The Orpheum Theatre offers in depth tours which I really enjoyed. The theatre has both working carbon arc and digital projectors. Seating capacity is 1281. The Orpheum was closed from the mid ‘70’s to 1985. While there is still more restoration to be completed much has been completed and the theatre’s beauty is very apparent. The combination digital and neon marquee is still quite impressive and necessary to promote all the upcoming future acts. Washrooms have all been upgraded and appear as what is expected in a grand movie palace. The foyer had suffered severe flooding but was beautifully restored with replicated original tile.
Found a for sale posting for the Lamar. Asking price is $295,000. The price includes everything and the owner will train
Il had the pleasure of seeing this theatre in July,2023. Current seating is 271 but originally was 800. There is a balcony but the local fire marshal won’t allow its usage. The screen is huge and the buildings height will not permit the screen to fly. Beautiful upholstered seats and murals adorn the theatre. It’s mentioned above about the cleanliness of the theatre which I can definitely confirm. The theatre was closed for approximately 5 years between 1985 and 1991. Many thanks to the knowledgeable and friendly theatre manager. The Northrup Theatre is owned by the city of Syracuse.
Sorry volunteers; My last sentence should have read: “The Fox is operated by a small number of salaried staff and many dedicated and knowledgeable VOLUNTEER staff
The Fox offers tours upon advance request and this is one definitely worth attending. Today, this lovely 900 plus seat theatre’s venue consists mostly of concerts, classic film series, and children’s films. The Fox remained closed for a number of years longer than necessary because of a dispute between the two owners. While one person owned the building another person owned all the fixtures. Each, of course, claimed ownership to the lovely and very valuable chandeliers. Once the dispute was settled the building was sold and renovations began. Renovations included extensive washroom updates, new carpeting (custom woven in the original pattern) , and recovering all of the seating. The stage was also enlarged by covering over the orchestra pit. Original plans called for the Fox Theatre Building to be an eight story structure but lack of funds from the main benefactor resulted in initially only a two story structure. Shortly after, more funding became available and 2 more stories were added resulting in todays 4 story structure. Years ago there was direct access to the third floor of the theatre building from the benefactor’s next door high-rise building. This resulted in additional office space for the high-rise owner. The Fox is operated by a small salaried staff and many dedicated and knowledgeable staff.
A beautiful small town theatre. There is no suspended balcony but there are several rows of raised or stadium style seating at the rear of the theatre. Four beautiful semi-flush neon chandeliers adorn the auditorium ceiling. Several huge theatre sconces highlight the beautiful murals on the interior walls of the auditorium. Originally, above the marquee there was a huge panel of various colored glass. Frequent breakage of the glass and costly replacement resulted in this being covered over when the front exterior was remodeled. The knowledgeable and friendly all volunteer staff (no paid staff) has kept the theatre doors open and these lovely art deco entry doors deserve to be seen. The Augusta has done some live performances but they were poorly attended. Hopefully, a successful venue of events will be formulated that will keep the Augusta flourishing.
I’m happy to report the Chief Theatre is open and showing 1st run movies every Fri and Sat. Seating capacity on the main floor is 140 plus another 60 in the balcony. Seats on the main floor are beautifully upholstered while the balcony retains the original wooden seats. A generous grant has permitted new washrooms to be installed, an enlarged concession stand installation and some new neon lighting and repair of existing neon. The Chief is fully digital but has retained the original carbon arc projectors. The original projection boot is still intact. In past years the projectionist would put a strip of film above the projector and if it caught fire he had just seconds to leave the booth before the steel fire door would close to contain the fire. The Chief is run by all volunteers. Many thanks to Roy for detailed and informative tour.
I arrived in Vinton Iowa at a time when The Palace Theatre was supposed to be closed. I tried all of the entrance doors and one was open. Luckily, local children were rehearsing for an upcoming production of Mary Poppins. I didn’t want to disrupt the rehearsal so I quietly asked one child’s mother if she knew any information about the theatre. She did not. The main floor seating consists of newer high back leather (vinyl) seating while the balcony consists of 24 luxury recliners. The inside has had a total renovation but very tastefully done. Admission is $5.00 while luxury seating in the balcony is $8.00.
Pure luck got me inside this lovely theatre. I arrived at a time when the theatre was closed but the stage door was propped open. A local carpenter was building sets for an upcoming stage production. He okayed my desire to explore and supplied information on how to contact the theatre manager. The theatre is abundant with gilded (gold leaf?) plaster and an impressive chandelier in the foyer. Seating capacity on the main floor is approximately 204 plus another 233 in the balcony. Adult admission is $8.00 plus an extra $2.00 for 3D screenings. There are beautiful murals above the proscenium. The second floor has a separate entrance and is occupied by Chaplin Hall. A multi-functional space with a seating capacity of 100 and an apartment which used to be occupied by the manager of the theatre. The third floor is currently used for storage. Although movies are an important part of the theatre’s venue, concerts an plays round out the venues. The theatre is run by both paid staff and volunteers.
Stumbled across this theatre while on an extensive theatre hunting road trip. The theatre was built in 1949 but permits were applied for a number of years before 1949. Building supplies were in short supply right after W.W.II and the city already had three movie theatres. The theatre is now owned by the community and completely run by volunteers. No paid staff. The marquee is in great shape and the theatre is kept immaculate by the abundant volunteer staff. Seating today is 300 and there is no balcony. Generally, like most small town theatres the format is P.G.films but the State did briefly try showing R rated films after their regular PG showings. Unfortunately, this format wasn’t too successful and was discontinued. Town support the State seems to be overwhelming. While outside talking to one of the volunteers I saw three different people from outside purchase popcorn and then leave. One man could barely carry the many large popcorns to his car. I guess the different purchasers of popcorn for some reason couldn’t attend the movie but wanted to show their financial support of the theatre. I saw the inside of approximately 13 theatre on this trip and if it weren’t for the dedicated unpaid vounteers, I doubt more than two or three would be open today.
It looks as if the theatre was placed on The National Registry of Historic Places in 2014 and a renovation program is underway
It was a Sunday afternoon almost two weeks before the official re-opening of the Guthrie. I’d had only expected to see the theatre from the outside. The wide-open theatre door, however, was too inviting for me to resist. Pat, the new owner of one year, was busy doing paperwork in the foyer area. He lit up the six beautiful, ceiling, crystal chandeliers so I could see the immaculate auditorium. The fifty or so rockers in balcony were removed and replaced with tables and chairs. Seating capacity is approximately 400 but the distance between the stage and the first row of seating would permit the addition of several movable chairs to be added. A barbershop occupies one of the two theatre’s store fronts. The other contains commercial grade restaurant equipment which will be used for the theatre’s new menu. A new and beautiful oak bar dominates the lobby area and hopefully will provide enough extra revenue to keep this lovely single screen gem open for many years. Pat seems willing try all venues to create a successful operation. It will start with movies and a variety of live acts. Pat has operated several successful restaurants in the past so there’s no reason to believe this won’t follow the same course.
I had the pleasure of attending the Strand theatre in October of this year. The beautiful neon and milk glassed marquee was fully illuminated and most impressive. The theatre is mostly a concert venue but does also show classic movies Its digital capabilities, however, would permit new releases to be shown. The freestanding ticket booth still remains but appears to remain unused. Tickets are sold and picked up at the store front box office next to the theatre. Little remains of the original auditorium features, but all the alterations were tastefully done. The newly fully suspended horseshoe balcony added seating capacity to the seating loss created by the main floor seating reconfiguration. Seating is now the former width of the theatre instead of the length. Since the height of the theatre wouldn’t allow for the screen to be flown, it was necessary to enlarge the stage for concerts. The new seating configuration results in not a bad inhouse seat. Refreshments are very reasonably priced. Great place to see a classic movie of hear a concert,
Approximately five years ago I attended I Kathy Mattea concert in this lovely theatre. During closed period a barber shop occupied one store front and a musical instrument store the other. Kathy commented how beautiful the theatre was and praised those responsible for its restoration
On August 19th I and about 1200 patrons attended a concert in this newly and lovely restored theatre. The performance of the talented group, The Doo-wop Project and the ambience of the Robins Theatre resulted in an awesome evening. The multi million renovation created a fabulous showplace for the city of Warren. All the original seats were removed, reupholstered, refurbished and reinstalled so the original seating capacity of nearly 1500 has been retained. Unfortunately, since it’s now a concert venue rather than a movie theatre it made sense to install a digital marquee rather than the prettier neon and milk glass marquee. Large vertical signage is also absent.
I’ll be attending a concert there in August of 2022. I’ll update any information I find out about the renovations and programming
Glad to see you’re still commenting on Cinema Treasures. You, like me love to visit these theatres in person and our passion shows in the comments we make.
I was lucky enough to see this theatre right when it changed to a place of worship. It still looked very much like a theatre inside and its art moderne interior design was spotless. There was an abundance of flowers throughout so I’m thinking it might have been their first service. Dipson was a powerhouse movie chain in its day but today operates only a few theatres. Shame it’s gone
During the 1970’s and 80’s the Warner had some rock and roll revival concerts. I attended several of them. Once that temporary signage is removed patrons will again be able to appreciate the curb appeal of this magnificent movie palace.
Yes, as mentioned above, this was part of the Manos chain. Unfortunately, the theatre was closed when I passed by so I can’t much information. Three years ago it was only open Friday through Sunday