Paramount Theater (Austin, Minnesota) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Paramount Theater
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Paramount Theater from the south
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | Austin, Minnesota |
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| Built | 1929 |
| Architect | Ellerbe & Company |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002906 |
| Added to NRHP | October 23, 1986 |
The Paramount Theatre is a special building located in Austin, Minnesota, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was built in 1929 and was the very first large movie theater in Austin. People were very excited about it! It could hold 914 people and had a small stage for live shows.
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A Special Kind of Theater
The Paramount Theatre was designed by a company called Ellerbe & Co. from Minneapolis. It was built where another theater, the Park Theatre, used to be. The Park Theatre was destroyed by a tornado in 1928. Karl Lindstaedt, who owned the old theater, became the first manager of the Paramount.
What is an Atmospheric Theater?
The Paramount is an "atmospheric theater." This means its inside looks like an outdoor scene. Imagine sitting in a Spanish village under a starry sky! The lobby ceiling was painted with cool designs, including dogs and winged creatures. The outside of the building also looks like old Spanish buildings, a style called Spanish Baroque.
Movies and Shows Through the Years
In the 1930s and 1940s, the Paramount Theatre showed both movies and live performances. When it first opened in 1929, a movie ticket cost only 10 cents for kids and 50 cents for adults.
Closing and Reopening
The theater showed new movies for many years. But in 1975, it closed down. This happened because more people started watching television at home. Also, new movie theaters opened in malls. The last movie shown at the Paramount was The Godfather Part II. After closing as a movie theater, the building was used for different things, like a dance club and a comedy club.
Bringing the Paramount Back to Life
In 1992, a group called the Austin Area Commission for the Arts decided to buy the building. They wanted to bring it back to its original beautiful state. Many volunteers and people who donated money helped. They fixed the walls and replaced the seats. A tall stone decoration on the roof, which had been hit by lightning in the 1940s, was also repaired. Even the big sign outside, called the marquee, was rebuilt to look just like it did in old photos.
The Paramount Today
Today, the Paramount Theatre can seat 622 people. It is one of only four theaters like it in Minnesota that are still used as theaters. It has a busy schedule all year long. More than 30 live shows happen there every year, and movies are shown weekly. Many local groups, like Matchbox Children's Theatre and the Austin Symphony Orchestra, use the Paramount for their events.
