Arcata Theatre Lounge
1020 G Street,
Arcata,
CA
95521
1020 G Street,
Arcata,
CA
95521
4 people
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Showing 18 comments
Current photo added.
Great art deco exterior. Any pics of interior?
The Humboldt Forum and Film Society would screen a ton of underground movies here… Warhol etc. Seats were $2.
A 2010 photo can be seen here.
Here is a recent photo:
http://tinyurl.com/ylfc8tn
This page has an historical exterior view of the Arcata; scroll down to see it: http://wildrivers101.com/venues.html
Here is a 1986 photo:
http://snipurl.com/gjtfh
The renovated Arcata Theatre Lounge is set to reopen on April 3, 2009.
For photos of the work in progress, go here:
http://tinyurl.com/dcoxe7
Details on the rehab coming soon (I’m finishing up a piece on the Arcata and the Eureka).
Here is a March 2004 article concerning the sale of the theater:
http://tinyurl.com/2khttg
There was a full page ad in the 6-28-52 edition of the Humboldt Standard celebrating George Mann week for his 35 years in Eureka. Full staff lists are given for the Eureka, State, Rialto, Midway Drive-In, Fortuna and Arcata. I won’t copy all the names here, but if someone is looking for an usher or candy girl around that time, let me know and I will look it up.
On 8/22/56, the Arcata was showing “Doctor at Sea”, along with “The Divided Heart”. The theater’s phone number was VA 2-1727. Other theaters advertised in the Eureka Humboldt Standard that day were the Fortuna (playing the same double bill as the Arcata), the Eureka, the Liberty, the Rialto and the Midway Drive-In.
Here is an article from January 2000 regarding the purchase of the Minor and Arcata theaters:
http://tinyurl.com/m5q2h
Wow! I went to the web site above and this is going to be a very cool theater! With kitchen facilities, you can have dinner and a movie in one place! The seating chart at the web site showed what appeared to be “sofa” style seats too. More theaters ahve got to do this! I’m in! :–)
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 gives a seating capacity for the New Arcata Theater as 476. In the 1952 edition of FDY the Arcata Theater is listed as having 450 seats and the street address is given as 1020 G Street. Has there been re-numbering over the years?
You can get a preview of proposed plans and fill out a survey at www.arcatatheatrelounge.com
According to a newspaper article from May 3, 1940 posted in the lobby of the Noyo theater in Willits on the occation of its opening, William David was the architect of this theater.
More good news! The gymansium company that so shamelessly occupied this theater and totally butchered it, finally went bankrupt! Sheesh, I wonder what idiot came up with that idea. Anyways, the theater is now bought and is going to be used in the appropriate way once again. The owner’s are looking for some feedback on how to use the theater. Some extensive history about this theater will also be helpful. You can e-mail the theater at To see an article about the opening of this theater copy and paste this: View link
The good news is that the Arcata Theatre is no longer for sale. Unfortunately, movies will no longer be shown there. Bizarrely, the new owner plans on converting the space into an indoor rock climbing facility (according to the announcement on the still intact marquee). Good luck on the renovation efforts—my guess is asbestos up the ying-yang.