Kress Cinemas
174 Kamehameha Avenue,
Hilo,
HI
96720
174 Kamehameha Avenue,
Hilo,
HI
96720
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Regal Entertainment Group, Wallace Theaters
Functions: Church
Styles: Art Deco, Neo-Vintage
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Sep 30, 2014 — Kress Cinemas closes
Located in downtown Hilo, the S.H. Kress Department Store was opened on October 20, 1932. It was a longtime fixture on Kemehameha Avenue until it closed in the 1980’s. The store, notable for its beautiful Art Deco style multi-colored terra-cotta facade and its two-story tall “Kress” vertical sign, was converted into a movie theater on December 8, 1995, six years after downtown Hilo’s last movie house was shuttered.
The Wallace Theaters chain turned the upper two floors of the old department store into four auditoriums screening first-run and the ocassional art films. In April 2013 it was taken over by Regal. It was closed September 29, 2014 and was taken over by a church.
Contributed by
Bryan
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
I was the opening manager for this complex, and it really is a shame to see it in the condition it is in today. In its early days it was the largest complex on Big Island, and the only one with Digital Sound. It truly is a beautiful little theatre…wood floors, tin roof and all! It will be a real heart breaker when this one goes dark.
Here is a 2008 B&W photo:
http://tinyurl.com/yekaewn
Closed September 29th, 2014 for a church
Pacific Business News “The discount movie theater Regal Kress Cinemas 4 in Hilo has closed and its downtown space will be taken over by the Sure Foundation Hilo church.”
http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/blog/morning_call/2014/09/hilo-movie-theater-closes-church-to-take-over.html
This opened on December 8th, 1995. Grand opening ad in the photo section.
The original S.H. Kress Department Store opened on October 20, 1932.