Central Theater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Central Theater
|
|
_from_SE_2.JPG) |
|
 Location in Nevada
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 145 W. 15th St., Ely, Nevada |
|---|---|
| Built | 1939–1941 |
| Architect | Hull, Percy and Warren |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 93000691 |
| Added to NRHP | August 05, 1993 |
The Central Theater is a cool old movie theater located in Ely, Nevada. It was built a long time ago, between 1939 and 1941. This theater has a special look called Art Deco style. It was built by two people named Percy and Warren Hull. They wanted to make a new theater because they couldn't make the older Capital Theater bigger.
When it first opened, the Central Theater could seat 725 people! It's pretty unique in Ely. Many buildings in the town were built much earlier. The Central Theater is a one-story building. It has a tall, bright "CENTRAL" neon sign above the entrance. Inside, the theater has cool curved walls and looks very well-kept.
Contents
Building the Central Theater
Construction of the Central Theater started in 1939. It cost about $80,000 to build, which was a lot of money back then! The theater had its grand opening on March 29, 1941. The very first movie shown there was called Arizona. People advertised the Central as "The Finest Theater in Eastern Nevada."
A Historic Landmark
The Central Theater closed its doors on February 4, 1993. But it didn't stay closed for long! On August 5, 1993, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important building with a lot of history.
The theater reopened in 2006. However, it closed again in 2011 because its owners wanted to sell the building. Luckily, the Central Theater reopened once more on May 25, 2012. After it reopened, many people came to watch movies there.
New Owners and Upgrades
In October 2013, the theater manager, Chris Lani, and his father-in-law, Don Purinton, announced exciting news. They planned to buy the theater! This purchase became official in March 2014.
Lani and Purinton had big plans for the Central Theater. They wanted to show movies that had already been released for a while. They also planned to host live theater shows, musical performances, and even sports events. Chris Lani and his brother had also bought the Capital Theater. They hoped to fix it up and reopen it too.
Modernizing the Theater
In April 2014, some cool new things were added to the Central Theater. A brand new projection screen was installed. They also put in a digital projector and a new sound system. These upgrades were part of the renovation plans by Lani and Purinton.
The movie The Dark Hand, which came out in 2016, had some scenes filmed right inside the Central Theater! Later, the movie even had its first showing there.
Images for kids
-
The Central Theater in Ely, Nevada.
See also
In Spanish: Teatro Central (Nevada) para niños
