Fillmore Towne Theatre facts for kids
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| Address | 338 Central Avenue Fillmore, California |
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| Coordinates | 34°23′59.65″N 118°54′48″W / 34.3999028°N 118.91333°W |
| Capacity | 325 |
| Screens | 1 |
| Current use | Community theater, music concerts, arts education and film festivals |
| Construction | |
| Opened | October 2, 1916 |
| Rebuilt | 1996 |
| Years active | 1916-1994 |
The Fillmore Towne Theatre is a special building in Fillmore, California. It used to be a place where people watched silent films and live shows called vaudeville. It was built a long time ago, in 1916, and is an important landmark in the city.
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History of the Theatre
This theater was built in 1916. It had one big screen for movies. It also had a stage for live performances. Famous actors like Mary Pickford even performed there!
Over the years, the theater had many different owners. It also changed its name several times. Some of its past names were the Barnes, Stearns, and Fillmore Theatre. This old building has been through a lot. It survived two fires and an earthquake.
Rebuilding After the Earthquake
In 1994, a big earthquake hit the area. The City of Fillmore bought the theater building. People in the community worked hard to save the theater. They formed a group called the Save the Towne Theatre Committee.
This group helped raise a lot of money. They also got money from the government. For example, they received grants from the State Historic Preservation Office. All this money helped to fix up the theater. The repairs cost more than $1 million.
The theater reopened in 1996. It started showing the newest movies again. However, in April 2011, the city stopped showing movies. The city's budget could no longer cover the costs.
New Life for the Theatre
In 2021, a group called Mudturtle Theatrical, Inc. bought the theater. Mudturtle wants to make the theater even better. They plan to restore it again. Their goal is to make it a place for "building community through the arts." This means it will be a place for everyone to enjoy art together.
What the Theatre Looks Like
This theater has one main screen. It was updated in 1994. New seats and carpet were put in. A live stage was also added. This was done to bring back its vaudeville roots. The main floor has 333 seats. The balcony area is currently closed.
