The Aeolian Hall Music Association facility was built for $16,000 in 1871 as a second story 500-seat opera house. Just two years later, Herman A Rohs bought the venue and its named was changed to Rohs Opera House. Silent movies became part of the mix and were so popular that Rohs decided to build a dedicated movie house around the corner on South Walnut Street in 1919.
The New Rohs Theatre would be on the main floor of the facility and modern. The Rohs Theatre launched on August 16, 1920 with Anita Stewart “In Old Kentucky.” The Opera House stayed with live programming until the Depression took its toll on that business model. From 1936 to 1939, the Opera House appeared to host two to four events per year. Rohs decided to make a major change at the Opera House.
The scenery loft was torn out in the Summer of 1939. Plans for The New Rohs Opera House were unveiled on November 16, 1939 that moved the opera house from the upper floor to the main floor and a new 750-seat auditorium was constructed. It launched in late 1940 as the New Rohs Opera House mostly playing movies and creating a two movie theater town. In 1956, widescreen projection was added to present CinemaScope and VistaVision titles.
Under new operators J.E. Denton and Robert Dopes, the New Rohs Opera House closed on June 23, 1957 with “Calypso Heat Wave” for a refresh. The Rohs Theatre showed films during the closure. The Rohs Theatre closed permanently on July 13, 1957 with a double-feature of “Joe Butterfly” and “Fun for a Coward.”
The Rohs Opera House, in response to the Rohs Theatre closure, changed its name on August 2, 1957 to Rohs Theatre. The new Rohs Theatre opened with “Tarzan and the Lost Safari” and “The Kettles on Old MacDonald’s Farm.” The former Rohs Theatre on Walnet was sold at an absolute auction in 1958.
The Rohs Theatre continued to 1968 closing on June 27, 1968 with “Barefoot in the Park.” Cinema Theatres Circuit takes on the venue in 1970 operating into 1974 as the Rohs. It closes for a major refresh relaunching as the Studio Cinema on June 7, 1974 with “Superdad” and “Son of Flubber.” That name change holds to May 18, 1986 when it closes as a discount house. Under new operators, it becomes the Downtown Theater beginning on July 11, 1986 with “Top Gun.” Under new operators, it becomes the Downtown Cinema beginning on Feb. 6, 1987 with “Critical Condition.” It closes on October 15, 1987 with “RoboCop.”
On April 2, 1993, the venue reopens as The New Rohs Opera House. Movies would return to the venue at least by 2010 along with live programming.
Sorry to be a contrarian but I don’t believe this is an accurate listing. Reading the daily newspapers from the era and checking the local phone directories, there are two Gem Theatres. The first was at 110 Main Street and it was opened by F.W. Jones of Texarkana in an existing, retail building that also housed a billiard parlor, cigar store, and had been home to the Walker Drug Company. The Gem Theatre opened on February 15, 1912. It was billed as “The home of mirth and laughter.” The merriment subsided when the Gem went out of business less than three months later on May 5, 1912. After some meetings later in the year in that space, it was converted for other business purposes.
The second Gem Theatre appears to have repurposed the sign over in the Miller Building at 213 State Street. The photo above is from the three-story Miller Building at 213 State Street as it has the attorney Neely W. Shelton’s office, the barber shop, the cafe and the other folks in the three-story brick building. To rectify this error, there is now an entry for the second Gem Theatre in the Miller Building so that picture has a place to properly go. It was an important, African American multipurpose commercial building and the theater was opened for African American patrons. There was no Miller Theatre at 110 Main Street but there was in the Miller Building on State Street (makes more sense, really)
The good news on this entry - the Strand Theatre was at 201-203 Main Street. But it was neither the Gem nor the Miller and does not date back to the silent era. It appears to have been an auto service location in the 1930s.
Manring’s Opera House opened in 1907 as a 900-seat venue. LisThe second Manring Theatre launched April 3, 1922. The Brown Amusement company ran the venue and had C. Otto Brown we
The Park Theatre opened in the Ball-Shoffner Building most known as the New Bus Terminal Building announced in 1946 and launching in 1948. The Park Theatre launched at the corner spot of the bus terminal with an entry to the terminal and one to the street. It launched April 29, 1948 with the most profitable film percentage wise in Golden Hollywood’s Studio Era with “Mom and Dad.” And it would go on to run a number of other exploitation film becoming the third-tier venue in town.
The Midway Theatre launched on April 16, 1954 with “Canyon Passage” and “In the Navy.” Ad in photos. The venue was taken on by the Liberty Theatre Corporation of Covington beginning in the Spring 1963 season.
Colonel Clark F. Smith announced the AutoScope in 1954. He broke ground in 1955 and opened just moments later… on July 24, 1957. He ran it many seasons and even had turkey shoots at Thanksgiving time.
John “Bud” Robinson took on the AutoScope in 1968 for one season on a subleasing agreement. He closed there on August 11, 1968 with “Mary Jane” which turned out to be permanent when the Drive-In was vandalized just prior to its 1969 season opener. The 8 acre site was then offered for sale.
Newman-Bower and Associates designed the first plans for the Parkway Four Cinema for Eastern Federal Corporation Circuit in late 1978. Kent Theatre Circuit took on the project months later changing it to a five-plex with new plans opening with 1,150 seats. Lewis C. Medlin’s architectural sketch is in photos.
The La Center Theatre opened on February 17, 1927 with Harry Earles in “That’s My Baby” supported by a Harold Lloyd short. It closed August 24, 1928 with Greta Garbo in “The Mysterious Lady.” D.B. Stout of Stout Theatre Circuit of Cairo, Illinois decided to relight the theatre as the Center Theatre (losing “La”) with the same projection booth but different seating and adding sound. It had its second grand opening on April 6, 1941 with “The Thief of Bagdad.”
Stout added air conditioning to the venue and it had a nice run through to August 13, 1952. But the town had fewer than 600 people in it and with television arriving, it was over for the Center. However, the AutoScope Drive-In Theatre was built in 1955 by Clark Smith bringing films back to LaCenter’s non-center in 1956.
Opened by Eastern Federal Theatres on May 17, 1996 as The Movies at Governor’s Square. In 2005, Regal acquired the Eastern Federal locations renaming it as the Regal Governor’s Square Stadium 12 on July 29, 2005. Regal closed this and its other location for the COVID-19 pandemic on March 16, 2020. It reopened briefly on August 27, 2020 only to close some six weeks later. Regal Governor’s reopened on May 21, 2021. Three years later, the property was offered for sale with Regal continuing operations.
Regal closed up here on December 1, 2024. The property was already under contract by a new, though unnamed party by that date. Rumors abounded that it mostly likely would be Florida State University as the purchaser. However, it closed as the Regal Governor’s Square Stadium 12 (changing from Movies at…).
Lon Marcks of Bourbon Amusement Company opened the Bourbon Drive-In in Paris, the county seat of Bourbon County, Kentucky, with a double feature of “Marty” and “Lady Godiva” on July 25, 1956. Midwest Theatre Supply provided the equipment. The Drive-In was heading into its 70th season in 2025.
Vernon Waible launched the Skyway Drive-in on September 15 with “Red Stallion of the Rockies” supported by two cartoons. 1950. He sold it to B.G. Moore and Dr. J.J. Rosenthal in 1951 who reopened it on March 23, 1951 (ad in photos). The venue was named for Skyway 5, 12, and 16 named in 1948 that were purportedly in the overhead space of the Princeton Drive-In. It closed at the end of its 30-year leasing agreement in style on 2, 1980 with “Up In Smoke,” “Sunset Cove,” and “Beast of the Yellow Night.”
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Ledford teamed up with Mrs. W.G. Walton to open the Flemingsburg Drive-In on May 22, 1956 with Glenn Ford in “Americano.” Floyd Morrow’s Morrow Theatre Service booked the venue. Kenneth and Dorothy Jones joined the ownership team in the 1970s. The theatre advertised through the 1990 season.
Forrest and Howard Shelby opened the ozoner. Closed for films with “Springfield Rifle” and “Blues Busters” on October 3, 1954. Closed by the Shelbys after a Turkey Shoot even on November 26, 1954. It may have continued under new operators the following season without advertising.
The Airport Drive-In opened on June 5, 1953 with “Big Trees.” Land speculation was big around the West Paducah Airport at that time and the drive-in was likely a placeholder for a potentially larger land deal later. Doby B. Stout of Stout Theatres in Cairo, Illinois, ran it for three unsuccessful seasons offering it for sale for $10,000 prior to the 1956 season.
For its fourth and final season, it was independently operated on a subleasing agreement. The Airport Drive-In closed permanently with “Five Against the House” and “Danger is My Beat” on September 29, 1956. The property was again listed with the price plummeting to just $6,000 or best offer from a realty agent.
The name was changed from Moon Glo to Moonglo likely when the screen tower was changed to widescreen. Advertisements were discontinued in 1974 - not long after its 20th Anniversary - not indicative on anything on operational timeline. It became a flea market.
The Aeolian Hall Music Association facility was built for $16,000 in 1871 as a second story 500-seat opera house. Just two years later, Herman A Rohs bought the venue and its named was changed to Rohs Opera House. Silent movies became part of the mix and were so popular that Rohs decided to build a dedicated movie house around the corner on South Walnut Street in 1919.
The New Rohs Theatre would be on the main floor of the facility and modern. The Rohs Theatre launched on August 16, 1920 with Anita Stewart “In Old Kentucky.” The Opera House stayed with live programming until the Depression took its toll on that business model. From 1936 to 1939, the Opera House appeared to host two to four events per year. Rohs decided to make a major change at the Opera House.
The scenery loft was torn out in the Summer of 1939. Plans for The New Rohs Opera House were unveiled on November 16, 1939 that moved the opera house from the upper floor to the main floor and a new 750-seat auditorium was constructed. It launched in late 1940 as the New Rohs Opera House mostly playing movies and creating a two movie theater town. In 1956, widescreen projection was added to present CinemaScope and VistaVision titles.
Under new operators J.E. Denton and Robert Dopes, the New Rohs Opera House closed on June 23, 1957 with “Calypso Heat Wave” for a refresh. The Rohs Theatre showed films during the closure. The Rohs Theatre closed permanently on July 13, 1957 with a double-feature of “Joe Butterfly” and “Fun for a Coward.”
The Rohs Opera House, in response to the Rohs Theatre closure, changed its name on August 2, 1957 to Rohs Theatre. The new Rohs Theatre opened with “Tarzan and the Lost Safari” and “The Kettles on Old MacDonald’s Farm.” The former Rohs Theatre on Walnet was sold at an absolute auction in 1958.
The Rohs Theatre continued to 1968 closing on June 27, 1968 with “Barefoot in the Park.” Cinema Theatres Circuit takes on the venue in 1970 operating into 1974 as the Rohs. It closes for a major refresh relaunching as the Studio Cinema on June 7, 1974 with “Superdad” and “Son of Flubber.” That name change holds to May 18, 1986 when it closes as a discount house. Under new operators, it becomes the Downtown Theater beginning on July 11, 1986 with “Top Gun.” Under new operators, it becomes the Downtown Cinema beginning on Feb. 6, 1987 with “Critical Condition.” It closes on October 15, 1987 with “RoboCop.”
On April 2, 1993, the venue reopens as The New Rohs Opera House. Movies would return to the venue at least by 2010 along with live programming.
Grand opening on December 25, 1936 with “Don’t Gamble With Love”
Addition: This was at one stretch operated by Bijou Amusement Company Circuit of Nashville, the largest African American circuit of movie theaters.
Opened Christmas Day 1936 with “Don’t Gamble With Love.”
Sorry to be a contrarian but I don’t believe this is an accurate listing. Reading the daily newspapers from the era and checking the local phone directories, there are two Gem Theatres. The first was at 110 Main Street and it was opened by F.W. Jones of Texarkana in an existing, retail building that also housed a billiard parlor, cigar store, and had been home to the Walker Drug Company. The Gem Theatre opened on February 15, 1912. It was billed as “The home of mirth and laughter.” The merriment subsided when the Gem went out of business less than three months later on May 5, 1912. After some meetings later in the year in that space, it was converted for other business purposes.
The second Gem Theatre appears to have repurposed the sign over in the Miller Building at 213 State Street. The photo above is from the three-story Miller Building at 213 State Street as it has the attorney Neely W. Shelton’s office, the barber shop, the cafe and the other folks in the three-story brick building. To rectify this error, there is now an entry for the second Gem Theatre in the Miller Building so that picture has a place to properly go. It was an important, African American multipurpose commercial building and the theater was opened for African American patrons. There was no Miller Theatre at 110 Main Street but there was in the Miller Building on State Street (makes more sense, really)
The good news on this entry - the Strand Theatre was at 201-203 Main Street. But it was neither the Gem nor the Miller and does not date back to the silent era. It appears to have been an auto service location in the 1930s.
According to the local paper, architect Theo Sanders of Sanders & Ginocchio did the first remodeling architectural plans of the Kempner.
Manring’s Opera House opened in 1907 as a 900-seat venue. LisThe second Manring Theatre launched April 3, 1922. The Brown Amusement company ran the venue and had C. Otto Brown we
The Park Theatre opened in the Ball-Shoffner Building most known as the New Bus Terminal Building announced in 1946 and launching in 1948. The Park Theatre launched at the corner spot of the bus terminal with an entry to the terminal and one to the street. It launched April 29, 1948 with the most profitable film percentage wise in Golden Hollywood’s Studio Era with “Mom and Dad.” And it would go on to run a number of other exploitation film becoming the third-tier venue in town.
In 1960 it was converted to a warehouse
249 seats
Opened as the Wil-Mac Theatre in 1930 before changing names (see ads in photos) to the Indiana on August 12, 1931 under new ownership
Moonglo Drive-in previously known as Moon Glo Drive-In
The Midway Theatre launched on April 16, 1954 with “Canyon Passage” and “In the Navy.” Ad in photos. The venue was taken on by the Liberty Theatre Corporation of Covington beginning in the Spring 1963 season.
Colonel Clark F. Smith announced the AutoScope in 1954. He broke ground in 1955 and opened just moments later… on July 24, 1957. He ran it many seasons and even had turkey shoots at Thanksgiving time.
John “Bud” Robinson took on the AutoScope in 1968 for one season on a subleasing agreement. He closed there on August 11, 1968 with “Mary Jane” which turned out to be permanent when the Drive-In was vandalized just prior to its 1969 season opener. The 8 acre site was then offered for sale.
563 West Kentucky Drive, LaCenter, KY 42056.
Newman-Bower and Associates designed the first plans for the Parkway Four Cinema for Eastern Federal Corporation Circuit in late 1978. Kent Theatre Circuit took on the project months later changing it to a five-plex with new plans opening with 1,150 seats. Lewis C. Medlin’s architectural sketch is in photos.
The La Center Theatre opened on February 17, 1927 with Harry Earles in “That’s My Baby” supported by a Harold Lloyd short. It closed August 24, 1928 with Greta Garbo in “The Mysterious Lady.” D.B. Stout of Stout Theatre Circuit of Cairo, Illinois decided to relight the theatre as the Center Theatre (losing “La”) with the same projection booth but different seating and adding sound. It had its second grand opening on April 6, 1941 with “The Thief of Bagdad.”
Stout added air conditioning to the venue and it had a nice run through to August 13, 1952. But the town had fewer than 600 people in it and with television arriving, it was over for the Center. However, the AutoScope Drive-In Theatre was built in 1955 by Clark Smith bringing films back to LaCenter’s non-center in 1956.
Opened by Eastern Federal Theatres on May 17, 1996 as The Movies at Governor’s Square. In 2005, Regal acquired the Eastern Federal locations renaming it as the Regal Governor’s Square Stadium 12 on July 29, 2005. Regal closed this and its other location for the COVID-19 pandemic on March 16, 2020. It reopened briefly on August 27, 2020 only to close some six weeks later. Regal Governor’s reopened on May 21, 2021. Three years later, the property was offered for sale with Regal continuing operations.
Regal closed up here on December 1, 2024. The property was already under contract by a new, though unnamed party by that date. Rumors abounded that it mostly likely would be Florida State University as the purchaser. However, it closed as the Regal Governor’s Square Stadium 12 (changing from Movies at…).
Lon Marcks of Bourbon Amusement Company opened the Bourbon Drive-In in Paris, the county seat of Bourbon County, Kentucky, with a double feature of “Marty” and “Lady Godiva” on July 25, 1956. Midwest Theatre Supply provided the equipment. The Drive-In was heading into its 70th season in 2025.
Vernon Waible launched the Skyway Drive-in on September 15 with “Red Stallion of the Rockies” supported by two cartoons. 1950. He sold it to B.G. Moore and Dr. J.J. Rosenthal in 1951 who reopened it on March 23, 1951 (ad in photos). The venue was named for Skyway 5, 12, and 16 named in 1948 that were purportedly in the overhead space of the Princeton Drive-In. It closed at the end of its 30-year leasing agreement in style on 2, 1980 with “Up In Smoke,” “Sunset Cove,” and “Beast of the Yellow Night.”
Grand opening ad for the Hi-Way Drive-In with “Stage to Tucson” on August 8, 1954 in photos
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Ledford teamed up with Mrs. W.G. Walton to open the Flemingsburg Drive-In on May 22, 1956 with Glenn Ford in “Americano.” Floyd Morrow’s Morrow Theatre Service booked the venue. Kenneth and Dorothy Jones joined the ownership team in the 1970s. The theatre advertised through the 1990 season.
Closed after a double feature of “Lively Set” and “McLintock” on June 19, 1966. Items were sold from the drive-in later that year.
Forrest and Howard Shelby opened the ozoner. Closed for films with “Springfield Rifle” and “Blues Busters” on October 3, 1954. Closed by the Shelbys after a Turkey Shoot even on November 26, 1954. It may have continued under new operators the following season without advertising.
The Airport Drive-In opened on June 5, 1953 with “Big Trees.” Land speculation was big around the West Paducah Airport at that time and the drive-in was likely a placeholder for a potentially larger land deal later. Doby B. Stout of Stout Theatres in Cairo, Illinois, ran it for three unsuccessful seasons offering it for sale for $10,000 prior to the 1956 season.
For its fourth and final season, it was independently operated on a subleasing agreement. The Airport Drive-In closed permanently with “Five Against the House” and “Danger is My Beat” on September 29, 1956. The property was again listed with the price plummeting to just $6,000 or best offer from a realty agent.
The name was changed from Moon Glo to Moonglo likely when the screen tower was changed to widescreen. Advertisements were discontinued in 1974 - not long after its 20th Anniversary - not indicative on anything on operational timeline. It became a flea market.