Phoenix Theatres Union Station 9

Union Station,
50 Massachusetts Avenue NE,
Washington, DC 20002

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ArthurAllen
ArthurAllen on May 3, 2021 at 5:19 pm

I found out that the space has been turned into a Walgreen’s with that store’s entrance on the other end of the area from the theater’s entrance. The theater entrance area is a Wendy’s and a boarded up space. I found out from this video: https://youtu.be/IN0ohdR3Rss?t=1609

ridethectrain
ridethectrain on May 21, 2020 at 12:07 pm

Just uploaded the grand opening ad in the photos section

JodarMovieFan
JodarMovieFan on April 1, 2020 at 10:40 pm

Being stuck at home due to the corona virus and feeling a touch nostalgic, I’ve been virtually revisiting some of my favorite venues of the past on CT. I’ve discovered yet again, some of my comments from the site are gone like here.

After buying tickets, one gets the feeling of walking gradually on a decline to the theaters. The restrooms were awful, although not as bad as the ones in the food court.

I believe I started visiting this place on occasion since the late 80s. I know I saw Star Trek VI (1991), with a co-worker in the Grand because it was the best/largest place to see the Star Trek movie in the DC area, and the first one aside from the first one, that wasn’t in 70mm ..but at least it was in THX. I distinctly remember an intro by, presumably, the Manager who was bald and made the often stated but incorrect belief (imho) that the even numbered films are better than the odd ones.

I saw the Eddie Murphy remake of The Nutty Professor (1996) not in the Grand but in one of the auditoriums further down, but in the same row on the left. The memory that sticks in my mind was a sell out with a racially diverse crowd. When they talk about movies being communal and should be experienced with others, this movie is a great example. The club scene with Jada Pinkett Smith’s character and Buddy brought the house down with collective laughter and enjoyment.

LA Confidential (1997) I remember seeing this here because I had a date that went bad. LOL. We enjoyed the movie but couldn’t agree on what to eat. So we ended up just eating separate meals purchased from two different vendors. I paid for both. :P I remember walking around and around the food court undecided what to buy and coming back, I saw my date’s neck stretched, looking for me, as if I had left the place. :)

Can’t remember if I saw anything here in the 00s, prior to its closure. My movie stub collection is partly faded due to the cheap ink used to print them back in the day so that is no help now. :(

Giles
Giles on October 17, 2019 at 10:01 pm

I recently saw a Washington Post ad for ‘Arachnophobia’ (1990) that denoted that it’s 70mm run was here at Union Station; that bit of information totally went unnoticed by me – who knew?!

Giles
Giles on August 3, 2013 at 11:26 am

I was there about a month ago having a meal in the downstairs food court and all I saw was the original entrance still boarded up.

As I recall about the theater this was the only in-town AMC theater to feature 8-channel SDDS sound on the Ave. Grand screen. I saw ‘Lost in Space’ and ‘Heavy Metal’ (reissue/SDDS-8) and they sounded amazing!

Paul Fortini
Paul Fortini on August 2, 2013 at 7:04 am

Has anything ever happened to this space? Any new restaurants or retail gone in?

Ron Newman
Ron Newman on December 28, 2010 at 6:28 pm

Have these theatres been converted to retail, or are they sitting empty waiting for another chain to reopen them?

psomerf
psomerf on October 24, 2009 at 2:51 am

Funny. Or, I guess more intriguing. I saw a movie here once, while on vacation to DC. I didn’t recall that the theater had just opened, but it was opening week. I never got around to visiting the theater again when I visited DC almost 4 years ago. Now I wish I had.

SethLewis
SethLewis on September 18, 2008 at 4:05 am

Anytime a theatre closes it’s a shame. This is a particular shame because of the failure of a theatre in a mixed use facility where going to the movies was part of a travel, shopping, dining, after work experience. And the theatres were an above average of their time multiplex.

I ran restaurants in Union Station 10 or so years ago and the theatres were business drivers and part of the lifeblood of the complex. We ran some classic movie nights together – Citizen Kane, Casablanca and Some Like It Hot. I took over a theatre one night for the team – Robert de Niro in The Fan – ok great idea not so great movie. And took a break for myself to see such classics and non classics alike as Usual Suspects, Leaving Las Vegas, Cable Guy, White Squall, Mission Impossible, Species, The Quick and the Dead, Extreme Measures, Ace Ventura 2 and The Quest. The AMC management at the time was positive and proactive and much as we could joke about the level of the movies sometimes, there was a theatre there.

I remember taking calls the day of the blizzard asking if the theatre was open and sure enough with a skeleton crew they opened for a couple of shows.

RIP Union Square 9

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on September 23, 2007 at 7:17 am

from Washington Post:
Editorial Review
Although it’s basically like a multiplex in a mall, the AMC Union Station is not your cookie-cutter theater. The place has character. Built inside catacombs that were once used for storage, its ceilings are two-stories high. Each house has a different name taken from a long-gone Washington movie palace, which is displayed on an old-fashioned facade. This theater on Capitol Hill is the prime movie stop for most people in Northeast, Southeast and even Southwest Washington. And with shops, restaurants, a parking garage, the Metro and MARC trains right here, it’s easy to see why. The largest theater is the Avenue Grand with 364 seats, a large screen and DTS sound, which led to THX certification. All nine are equipped with SDDS. Two other theaters have big screens, two more have medium-size screens, and the rest have small ones. The capacity of the smallest house is 148.

— Matt Slovick
Theater Office: 202-842-3757
Modified for Hearing Impaired: Yes
Disabled Access: All theaters and restrooms are wheelchair-accessible.

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on July 22, 2007 at 9:59 pm

The Grand auditorium sits 360+.

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on December 20, 2006 at 3:43 pm

Here’s the link to theater operator website with photos of the theater’s interior!
http://www.phoenixtheatres.com/unionpictures.htm

JodarMovieFan
JodarMovieFan on September 20, 2006 at 3:26 pm

I happened to be leafing through a Jan ‘89 edition of the Washington Post (the first George Bush’s inauguration) and happened to find an ad for the newly opened Union Station and that it touted 70mm capability. This would presumably be in the largest “Grand” auditorium. Unfortunately, I don’t recall management ever booking any 70mm film at anytime.

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on May 11, 2006 at 2:17 pm

I’m a big fan of using the curtain, so I agree.

JodarMovieFan
JodarMovieFan on May 11, 2006 at 1:39 pm

Howard, at least in the DC/Baltimore metro area, AMC has not named their auditoriums (in multiplexes) after former palaces.

As far as Phoenix Theatres improving on this multiplex, it would be nice if they installed sliding curtains, improved projection and sound. The Grand is probably the best, largest and the only THX-certified auditorium in this plex.

JodarMovieFan
JodarMovieFan on May 11, 2006 at 1:39 pm

Howard, at least in the DC/Baltimore metro area, AMC has not named their auditoriums (in multiplexes) after former palaces.

As far as Phoenix Theatres improving on this multiplex, it would be nice if they installed sliding curtains, improved projection and sound. The Grand is probably the best, largest and the only THX-certified auditorium in this plex.

jmarellano
jmarellano on May 9, 2006 at 6:59 pm

Apparently this theatre has been sold to Phoenix Theatres:

View link

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on December 29, 2005 at 12:34 pm

The Penn, Tivoli, Loew’s Capitol, and Loew’s Palace are already listed on this site. It may be that some names were generic, because reviewing Robert Headley’s excellent book: Motion Picture Exhibition in Washington, D.C., there doesn’t seem to have been a Roxy, Paradise, or State in the District. There was more than one Orpheum, but I’m not sure one fits. There was an Avenue Grand- which is the biggest auditorium in Union Station, and I can add it later.

Does anybody know if AMC named auditoriums in other theaters?

JodarMovieFan
JodarMovieFan on December 29, 2005 at 10:47 am

I wasn’t even around when those places were running. We still have other theaters that aren’t documented that I remember, but I’d need to get more info from The Post and/or Variety.

Ron Newman
Ron Newman on December 29, 2005 at 7:30 am

Many of those nine old theatres don’t yet have a page here at CinemaTreasures. Anyone know enough about them to add them?