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Minnesota Movie Theatres (page 1)

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Rialto Theatre
Aitkin, MN		 Andria Theatre
Alexandria, MN
The Rialto Theatre opened in 1937 and is still in operation. For more, see this website. [map]

The Andria Theatre opened in 1940. It was operated by Baehr Theatres and has a similar design to the two theatres shown directly above. The theatre closed in 1990. Since then, the building has housed the Alexandria Area Arts Association which features live performances. By 2019, a blade sign with backlit plastic letters was added above the marquee. For more, see this website. [map]

Lido Theatre
Arlington, MN
The Lido Theatre opened in 1949 and is still operating. For more, see this website. [map]

Paramount Theatre
Austin, MN		 Chief Theatre
Bemidji, MN
The Paramount Theatre opened in 1929 as an atmospheric theatre with a Spanish courtyard motif and a ceiling with twinkling stars. It closed in 1975 and served as a nightclub and a comedy club until the late 1980s. Restoration began in 1996. The theatre is now used for live performances. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

The Chief Theatre was designed by Liebenberg & Kaplan and built in 1937. It now houses the Paul Bunyan Playhouse. For more, see this website. [map]

Ridge Theatre
Breckenridge, MN		 Canby Theatre
Canby, MN
The Ridge Theatre was probably built in or around 1939. It shares the same building design as the Park Theatre which was also operated by Baehr Theatres. The Ridge Theatre now houses the Legends nightclub. This photo is from 2011. By 2012, the marquee and sign had been removed. The facade was covered with siding. For more, see this website. [map]

The Canby Theatre opened in 1939 and is still in operation. For more, see this website. [map]

Heights Theatre
Columbia Heights, MN
The Heights Theatre opened in 1926 as a vaudeville house. Movies were added later. In 1998, the theatre was restored. It continues to feature movies as well as live performances. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Grand Theatre
Crookston, MN

The Grand Theatre opened in 1910 and is still operating. The marquee is from 1954. For more, see this website. [map]

Grand Theatre
Dawson, MN		 NorShor Theatre
Duluth, MN
The Grand Theatre appears to be from the 1940s. It was gutted for racquetball courts in or after 2010. When this photo was taken in 2011, the building appeared to be vacant. By 2014, the building and sign had been repainted. The building now houses a church. [map]

The NorShor Theatre was built in 1910 as the Orpheum Theatre. In 1941, it was remodeled in the Art Deco style and renamed. There was a 64-foot-tall sign tower addition at that time with 3,000 lights. The tower was demolished in 1967. The theatre housed a strip club when the first two photos were taken in 2008. By 2011, third photo, the NorShor letters had been removed from the marquee and the building was vacant. However, the letters were down only temporarily. The building and sign were restored from 2016-2018. The theatre is now operating as a live performance venue. For more, see this website. [map]

Duluth:
West Theatre

River Cinema
East Grand Forks, MN		 Edina Cinema
Edina, MN
The River Cinema is a modern theatre which opened in 2007. For more, see this website. [map]

The Edina Cinema opened in 1934. The theatre's marquee was destroyed in a twister in 1981 and recreated. In 1988, a new fourplex theatre was built at the site, saving only the facade and the marquee. In 2022, the sign was restored and is now bright red. For more, see this website. [map]

State Theatre
Ely, MN
The State Theatre opened in 1937. It had been closed since at least 2007. The marquee sign was restored by 2018. It reopened in 2019 as Ely's Historic State Theater and features live performances and movies. For more, see this website. [map]

Paradise Theatre
Faribault, MN		 Village Theatre
Faribault, MN
The Paradise Theatre was designed by Liebenberg & Kaplan and built in 1929. In 2007, it was renamed the Paradise Center for the Arts which features live performances. This marquee was installed in 2008. By 2023, the readerboard on the marquee was replaced with a graphic display board. For more, see this website. [map]

The Village Theatre opened in the 1920s. In 1946, it was remodeled to its current look. The theatre closed in the 1970s and later housed a church. The building appeared to be vacant when these photos were taken in 2012. It was still vacant in 2019. For more, see this website. [map]

Fergus Theatre
Fergus Falls, MN
The Fergus Theatre opened in 1921 as a vaudeville house known as the Orpheum Theatre. In the early 1950s, it became a movie theatre and was renamed the Fergus Theatre. It closed in the early 1970s. In 1982, it was remodeled as a performing arts center. It is now known as the Fergus Falls Center for the Arts and features live performances, films, and other events. For more, see this website. [map]

Riviera Theatre
Hastings, MN		 Lybba Theatre
Hibbing, MN
The Riviera Theatre opened in 1939 and closed in 1969. The building was later converted into office space. This photo is from 2008. By 2019, the Black Dirt Theater began offering live performances in the space. In 2024, the building will be vacant again. For more, see this website. [map]

The Lybba Theatre was built in 1947 and closed in 1982. Since 1984, it has housed the Sunrise Deli. For more, see this website. [map]

State Theatre
Hutchinson, MN
The State Theatre opened in 1937. Additional screens were added in the 1970s and 1980s. The theatre was restored from 2003-2005. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Minnesota
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& St. Paul		 Theatres
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