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San Jose Movie Theatres

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Garden Theatre
San Jose, CA		 Studio Theatre
San Jose, CA
The Garden Theatre opened in 1949 and closed in 1988. In 1989, the interior was gutted and the space was converted into retail space. The neon sign is still lit at night. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

The Studio Theatre opened in 1950. Around 1999, the theatre was converted into a nightclub called Dance Plex. The space was used for other nightclubs after that. In 2011, the space was adapted for Studio Climbing, a rock-climbing facility. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Mexico Theatre
San Jose, CA
The Mexico Theatre opened in 1949 as the Mayfair Theatre. The name was changed to the Esquire Theatre in 1962. Around 1980, the name was changed to the Mexico Theatre which featured Spanish language films. The Mexico has been closed since the mid-1990s after it failed as an Asian film venue. The building has remained vacant since then. However, when these photos were taken in 2014, there were signs that renovation was taking place. The marquee had been restored and the building was repainted. The building was still boarded up and vacant in 2022. In 2023, it began housing Celia's Boutique. For more, see this website. [map]

California Theatre
San Jose, CA
The California Theatre was built in 1927 and closed in 1973. In 1985, the City took possession of the building. The theatre was renovated from 2001-2004 and is now used for live performances. The towering blade sign and the marquee signs were replicas of the original. I don't know if the replicated letters on the marquee were opal glass or a synthetic material. The marquee was replaced with a digital graphic display in 2019. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

Century 21, 22, 23, and 24 Theatres
San Jose, CA

2014:

2023:
bur The Century 21 Theatre was designed by Vincent Raney and opened in 1964 as a Cinerama theatre. This is the only dome that remains. The other dome theatres were added nearby over the years: the Century 22 in 1966, the Century 23 in 1967, the Century 24 in 1968, and the Century 25 in 1969. The Century 24 and 25 domes were demolished in 2014. However, the Century 24 sign remains. The Century 21 dome is being adapted for a real estate office which should be completed around 2025. The two other domes were demolished in 2019. In 2022, the Century 21/22/23 pole sign was replicated with plastic panels and LED lighting and placed next to the remaining, repainted dome. The original pole sign had brown panels and the balls on top were gold. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. [Century 21 map]; [Century 24 sign map]

Century Almaden 3 Theatre
San Jose, CA
The Century Almaden 3 Theatre was built in 1971. The building has three interconnected domes. As screens were added, the name was updated. It was known as the Century Almaden 5 when it closed. Since the 1990s, the building has housed a church. For more, see this website. [map]

Towne Theatre
San Jose, CA		 Burbank Theatre
San Jose, CA
The Towne Theatre opened in 1926. In recent years, it featured Indian films. The theatre has been closed since 2020. The building might be adapted for office space. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

The Burbank Theatre opened in 1949. It closed in 2000 and the seats were removed. In 2013, the building began housing Studio Sharise which featured dance, drama, and fitness classes. It is currently vacant. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

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