Central Theatre

1008 Central Avenue,
Hot Springs, AR 71901

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Central Theatre (Official)

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Malco Theatres Inc.

Functions: Live Music Venue, Live Performances, Movies (Film Festivals)

Previous Names: Hot Springs Central Theater & Performing Arts Center

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Central Theatre

There was a movie theatre named Central Theatre operating in Hot Springs from 1910 thru at least 1915, but it wasn’t this one.

This Central Theatre was opened by 1938 when it was operated by Malco Theatres Inc. The building was vacant for while, but reopened in May 2011, and used as a live performance and live music venue. It is also used for the Hot Springs Horror Film Festival.

Contributed by Lost Memory

Recent comments (view all 7 comments)

Don Lewis
Don Lewis on May 28, 2008 at 12:20 pm

A 1989 view of the Central Theater in Hot Springs.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on July 12, 2009 at 6:49 am

The Central was one of four Hot Springs theaters being operated by the Malco circuit in 1938, according to an item in Boxoffice Magazine of March 12 that year. The others were the Paramount, Spa, and Roxy. W. Clyde Smith was resident manager for all four houses. Malco had entered the Hot Springs market in 1935.

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on February 9, 2011 at 4:10 pm

Beginning in May, 2011, this theater will be the home of a professional acting company called the Arkansas TheatreWorks: View link

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on July 1, 2016 at 6:02 am

Called the Hot Springs Central Theater & Performing Arts Center. Website:http://www.hotspringscentraltheater.com/home.html No current events listed.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on June 18, 2020 at 5:28 am

1919 newspaper ad added courtesy Jerry Merriweatherā€ˇ. So opened at least as early as then. Also 1930 image and description added credit Garland County Historical Society.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 3, 2023 at 5:57 am

This article prepared by Nancy Hendricks of the Garland County Historical Society says that the building now occupied by the Not Springs Central Theatre was built in the 1930s as a garage and was converted into a theater in 1937. Indeed, the 1933 newspaper ad uploaded to the pictures page by David Zornig includes and ad for the pre-conversion Central Garage, 1008-14 Central. The earlier Central Theatre that shared the same ad had to have been at another location.

SethG
SethG on April 3, 2023 at 1:56 pm

The website needs to be changed to: https://www.centraltheatrehs.com/ They seem to have dropped the incredibly clumsy name, and gone back to Central Theatre.

Joe is absolutely right that this theater cannot have opened in 1910. There was almost nothing on this block at that point.

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