Correct address was 203 Egan Ave N. This theater was constructed sometime between 1914 and 1921. It was demolished years ago. It was located on the northern half of the lot that now has a sports bar.
As might be expected from this contributor, most of the information is wrong. This theater does not appear on the 1921 map. The Ruby must have been something else. It was not converted to retail, it was demolished, along with everything else on the corner, for a really hideous ‘modern’ bank building.
Okay, the State definitely was across the street, and references to it here should be removed. Still haven’t found a good picture of the Grand, but it should probably be renamed Grand Theatre, since I can see that painted on the side in one photo. It was quite tall, looking more like a 3-4 story building.
The update to the 1987 NRHP listing says that the theater was built in 1940. It may not have been completed until 1941? It seems to have been closed around 1980, and by the late ‘80s the ticket booth and entry doors had been replaced by the cheap entry there today. The listing says that Perry E. Crosier was the architect. Frank McCarthy was the man it was built for.
Not sure when it closed, but it was already a video store by 1987 when it was photographed for the NRHP listing. There is now a neon sign which may be a recreation of the original, but the facade has been painted in a tacky house-flipper scheme.
Architect needs to be corrected, per Joe’s comment 15 years ago. This seems to be open again showing $1 movies, and hosting parties. It’s hard to tell because the website seems to be dead, but recent reviews mention movies. As you can see from the most recent photo, that repulsive shingle trash has been removed from the facade, and a recreation of the historic marquee has replaced the cheap plastic junk.
Thanks, Joe. Sounds like I’m safe to create an entry for the Auditorium, which may have been called the Volga as well.
SethG
commented about
Cinema 8on
Aug 29, 2025 at 1:22 pm
It’s been the Cinema 8 for some time. Correct address is 219. Slightly less ugly since a remodel, but still just a boring box in an unattractive old strip mall.
306 is an empty lot on the 1916 map. There was a small wooden storefront there in 1911. This contributor routinely has the wrong locations. The two theaters on the 1916 map are an opera house at 505, which would have been replaced by the College, and a smaller building at 416 Williams (now 4th). That building is still there, and that portion is a laundromat.
This theater was open by 1914-15. It was located in the Healy Block, which is a two story double storefront commercial block with a Sioux quartzite facade. It was constructed in 1904. The 1911 map shows the ground floor used as a pool room. Judging by the capacity, this must have been in one half of the building. The address recently belonged to a bar in the northern half, which has closed.
It was a few Mexican restaurants within a few years. It’s been a spa for some time now. The building had murals covering the windows when I visited in 2014, but it’s been refurbished and the upper stories are likely apartments.
The building was built sometime between 1910 and 1916 as an Odd Fellows Hall. The 1916 map shows the northern section as a grocery with a 332 address, and the southern section as a bakery with a 338 address. I assume from the small capacity that this theater was only in one half of the ground floor, and likely the northern half.
The building that the Lounge opened in was very old, dating to sometime before 1884. It was a large two story wooden building with brick veneer. The 1904 map shows the original theater space (the east half of the larger theater shown above) as a furniture store.
The two pictures that only show the replacement should be deleted. We can use one of the postcards, which actually show the theater.
Picture stolen from streetview should be replaced.
Correct address was 203 Egan Ave N. This theater was constructed sometime between 1914 and 1921. It was demolished years ago. It was located on the northern half of the lot that now has a sports bar.
As might be expected from this contributor, most of the information is wrong. This theater does not appear on the 1921 map. The Ruby must have been something else. It was not converted to retail, it was demolished, along with everything else on the corner, for a really hideous ‘modern’ bank building.
Okay, the State definitely was across the street, and references to it here should be removed. Still haven’t found a good picture of the Grand, but it should probably be renamed Grand Theatre, since I can see that painted on the side in one photo. It was quite tall, looking more like a 3-4 story building.
Assuming the dates are correct, this has to have been the theater at 416 4th St. The opera house was demolished around 1940.
The update to the 1987 NRHP listing says that the theater was built in 1940. It may not have been completed until 1941? It seems to have been closed around 1980, and by the late ‘80s the ticket booth and entry doors had been replaced by the cheap entry there today. The listing says that Perry E. Crosier was the architect. Frank McCarthy was the man it was built for.
Not sure when it closed, but it was already a video store by 1987 when it was photographed for the NRHP listing. There is now a neon sign which may be a recreation of the original, but the facade has been painted in a tacky house-flipper scheme.
Architect needs to be corrected, per Joe’s comment 15 years ago. This seems to be open again showing $1 movies, and hosting parties. It’s hard to tell because the website seems to be dead, but recent reviews mention movies. As you can see from the most recent photo, that repulsive shingle trash has been removed from the facade, and a recreation of the historic marquee has replaced the cheap plastic junk.
This listing needs updating. Should be listed as demolished, and was somewhere on Main, probably down near the railroad.
Thanks, Joe. Sounds like I’m safe to create an entry for the Auditorium, which may have been called the Volga as well.
It’s been the Cinema 8 for some time. Correct address is 219. Slightly less ugly since a remodel, but still just a boring box in an unattractive old strip mall.
306 is an empty lot on the 1916 map. There was a small wooden storefront there in 1911. This contributor routinely has the wrong locations. The two theaters on the 1916 map are an opera house at 505, which would have been replaced by the College, and a smaller building at 416 Williams (now 4th). That building is still there, and that portion is a laundromat.
So 1910-22? Thanks!
Thanks, Joe!
This theater was open by 1914-15. It was located in the Healy Block, which is a two story double storefront commercial block with a Sioux quartzite facade. It was constructed in 1904. The 1911 map shows the ground floor used as a pool room. Judging by the capacity, this must have been in one half of the building. The address recently belonged to a bar in the northern half, which has closed.
The map view of the Grand from the Lamp entry should be moved here.
This may briefly have reopened in the 1930s as the Ritz, in which case the capacity was 400.
Almost all of the pictures from the other Bijou and Bijou Dream listings should be moved here.
Architect was Leopold Eidlitz.
It was a few Mexican restaurants within a few years. It’s been a spa for some time now. The building had murals covering the windows when I visited in 2014, but it’s been refurbished and the upper stories are likely apartments.
The building was built sometime between 1910 and 1916 as an Odd Fellows Hall. The 1916 map shows the northern section as a grocery with a 332 address, and the southern section as a bakery with a 338 address. I assume from the small capacity that this theater was only in one half of the ground floor, and likely the northern half.
The building that the Lounge opened in was very old, dating to sometime before 1884. It was a large two story wooden building with brick veneer. The 1904 map shows the original theater space (the east half of the larger theater shown above) as a furniture store.
This seems to be a duplicate entry for the Cinema 3. The dates are wrong.
The correct address is 226 Dakota Ave S. A small fragment of the building remains, stuck to the side of 222.
The building was almost certainly built to include the theater. It does not appear on the 1904 map.