Adams Theater
27 Park Street,
Adams,
MA
01220
27 Park Street,
Adams,
MA
01220
5 people
favorited this theater
Related Websites
Adams Theater (Official)
Additional Info
Functions: Community Arts Center, Live Performances, Movies (Classic)
Previous Names: Topia Arts Center
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
888.401.5022
Nearby Theaters
The Adams Theater in Adams, MA was opened on January 14, 1938. It operated as a 960-seat movie theater until closing in 1967. The marquee could still be seen, but all lettering was removed, and the entire thing was painted an ugly shade of red. A Subway restaurant opened in the former lobby. The auditorium still existed, and was unused for years. It was reopened in 2009 as the Topia Arts Center, which had closed by 2021.
New owners took over the vacant building in May 2021 and live performances and classic movies began in 2023. Renovations and upgrades continue in the re-named Adams Theater. The interior has been stripped out and the seating capacity is now for 380-seats.
Contributed by
Roger Katz
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 16 comments)
Good news folks. Films are back at the Adams Theatere! the theatere is being run by the Topia Arts Center http://www.topiaarts.org/ seeting is limited to 100 persons, but I’m told all the movies are in high def. right now the showings are free and the movies classic! I’m going to see Silent Running(1972) tonight
Yep. Biked by the other day on a trip. Posting pix now.
Dave, I must’ve just missed you! I was up in Berkshire County on Saturday August 4 photographing theatres. What day were you up there? I got pics of this one and two others in Adams as well as many others around the region.
Did you stop at the old Summer Street Theatre in Adams?
This should be listed as the Topia Arts Center now.
The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Adams in Adams MA was just posted in THS Readerboard as a sample of the New England MGM collection at the THS archives. The Report has a photo dated April 1941. The theater is listed on Main Street. Built around 1920, and showing MGM product for over 10 years as of 1941. 980 seats, all on the main floor. Good condition. It had a nice marquee with “Adams” in a semi-circle above. Movies posted are “Arizona” and “Meet the Missus”. The 1941 population of Adams was 12,600. Even knowing that there were errors on these MGM reports, some of the info does not jibe with info posted above.
rsalters: There is no Main Street in Adams. There was a previous theatre called the Atlas Theatre on the site of the Adams Theatre prior to its construction 1938. The Photoplay Theatre down the street was at one time known as the Adams Opera House and thus may have also been called the Adams Theatre at one point as well.
Roger- Yes, I noticed on the Google map above that there is no Main St. The photo was taken in April 1941. The front appears to be one story-plus high, and there is a one-story shop to the left, and an older brick building at least 2 stories high to the right. I am guessing that the MGM agent photographed this theater, but somehow got the data about it confused. This theater would have been only 3 years old in 1941.
According to its official web site, the Adams Theater (using the “er” spelling of the T word) now operates under its original name as a performing arts center that is also equipped to show movies. The Adams opened on January 14, 1938 and operated as a movie house until 1967. The web site doesn’t mention the Topia Arts Center era, noting only that the current owners, Adams Theater LLC, took over the vacant property in May, 2021 and began presenting performances in the partly renovated space in 2023. Renovations and upgrades are ongoing, but the house is fairly active already.
The “Renovations” page of the theater’s web site says that the multi-purpose auditorium can now accommodate a maximum of 380 seats, which is a considerable reduction from the 960 it once provided as a movie house. Modern photos show that nothing remains of the theater’s 1937 interiors.
1937 demolition photo as Atlas Theatre added. “The Atlas Theater on Park Street was demolished in 1937. (AKA Taylor’s per CinemaTour) It was originally built in the 1840’s and known as the Concert Hall. Horace Mann, the education reformer spoke there in 1854. The caption was written by Eugene Michalenko.”