Neptune Theatre (Seattle) facts for kids
The theatre's exterior during the 2007 Seattle International Film Festival
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| Former names | U-Neptune Theatre |
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| Address | 1303 NE 45th St Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 47°39′40″N 122°18′51″W / 47.66116°N 122.31404°W |
| Operator | Seattle Theatre Group |
| Capacity | 1,000 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | November 16, 1921 |
| Renovated | 2011 |
| Architect | Henderson Ryan |
| Official name | Neptune Building |
| Designated | March 11, 2014 |
The Neptune Theatre is a cool place for performing arts in Seattle, Washington. It's located in the University District neighborhood. This theater opened way back in 1921. It can hold about 1,000 people!
Today, the Neptune Theatre hosts all sorts of fun events. You can see dance shows, live music, movies, and even arts education programs. Before 2011, it mostly showed classic films. In 2014, the theater and its building became a special Seattle landmark.
The Seattle Theatre Group runs the Neptune Theatre. This non-profit group also operates two other famous Seattle theaters: the Paramount Theatre and the Moore Theatre. The Neptune is also one of the places that hosts the yearly Seattle International Film Festival.
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What Does the Neptune Theatre Look Like?
The Neptune Building is home to the Neptune Theatre and a few small shops. It's a three-story building made of brick. Its style is a bit like "Renaissance Revival", which means it has an old-fashioned, grand look.
On the front of the building, facing NE 45th Street, there's a big sign called a marquee. It lights up with the word "Neptune" in bright neon lighting. The last letter "e" in "Neptune" is special. It looks like a trident, which is a three-pronged spear often held by the Roman god Neptune. It seems to poke through the other letters!
The theater was designed by Henderson Ryan. He was an architect from Kentucky who also worked on the Moore Theatre and the Ballard Carnegie Library.
Inside the Neptune Theatre, you'll find a fun nautical (ocean-themed) design. There's a snack bar shaped like a boat. You'll also see shiny marble and statues of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea.
A Look Back: The Neptune Theatre's History
The theater first opened on November 16, 1921. Back then, it was called the "U-Neptune Theatre." The first movie shown was a silent film called Serenade. It could seat 1,000 people. The theater even had a special theater organ made by Kimball International. This organ was removed in 1943.
By the late 1940s, the theater got a new name, "The Neptune." It also had a small makeover and changed owners.
Over the next few decades, the theater had different managers. It sometimes struggled with showing movies and had old equipment. In the 1970s, it stayed popular thanks to regular showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This movie became a huge cult classic.
In 1981, the Landmark Theatres company bought the Neptune. They also owned another Seattle theater, the Harvard Exit Theatre. Landmark updated the Neptune with a new sound and projection system. They hoped to make the theater much better. In 1994, Landmark renovated the theater again. They replaced the seats and added modern sound systems like Dolby Digital and Sony Dynamic Digital Sound. They also added a 16 mm film projector.
The Rocky Horror Legacy
In 1991, the Neptune Theatre made a record! It played The Rocky Horror Picture Show every week for 14 years. This was longer than any other movie had played in Seattle. By 1993, it was one of only four theaters in the U.S. that had shown the movie for so long. This was according to the National Rocky Horror Fan Club. Many theaters, including the Neptune, showed it as a midnight movie.
Modern Updates: The 2011 Renovation
In 2010, Landmark Theatres lost its lease on the Neptune. The Seattle Theatre Group, a non-profit organization, took over. This group also runs the Moore Theatre and Paramount Theatre.
The Neptune Theatre closed in January 2011 for a big renovation. It cost $700,000! The theater re-opened on September 25, 2011. After this, it became a place for live music and performing arts, not just movies.
This 2011 renovation actually saved the building from being torn down! A new Link light rail station, the U District station, was being built next door. Sound Transit had to change their plans for the station to avoid the theater. They also had to strengthen the Neptune's foundation by underpinning it.
After the renovation, the first performance was by musician Mark Lanegan in June. The official re-opening in September was celebrated with a screening of Rocky Horror.
In 2012, people suggested that the building should become a city landmark. The Seattle City Council agreed in 2014. They passed a law making the Neptune Building a city landmark. This helps protect the property.
See also
- Clinton Street Theater, a theatre in Portland, Oregon, also known for screening The Rocky Horror Picture Show
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show cult following
Images for kids
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The theater's exterior in 2011
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