Pomona Fox Theater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Pomona Fox Theater
|
|
Pomona Fox Theater
|
|
| Location | 114 W 3rd St. Pomona, California |
|---|---|
| Area | Los Angeles |
| Built | 1931 |
| Architect | Clifford A. Balch, Floyd E. Stanbery |
| Architectural style | Art Deco (Hollywood Egyptian Style) |
| NRHP reference No. | 82002201 |
| Added to NRHP | February 19, 1982 |
The Fox Theater Pomona is a cool, old movie theater in Pomona, California. It's a beautiful example of Art Deco style, which was popular when Hollywood movies first became famous. This special building is known as a "movie palace" because it was designed to be grand and exciting.
Today, the Fox Theater Pomona is a modern place where you can watch concerts, movies, and other shows. You can even have parties there! It's a main attraction in the Pomona Arts Colony, a lively area with art galleries, fun places to eat, and cool shops.
Contents
A Look Back: The Fox Theater's Story
The Fox Theater first opened its doors on April 24, 1931. For 50 years, it was a "first-run" movie theater. This means it was one of the first places to show brand-new movies when they came out!
Early Days and Design
The building has a special "Hollywood Style" Art Deco design, with a tall tower. It was created by the architects Balch & Stanberry. Hollywood studios often used the theater to show sneak previews of their new films. They wanted to see how the audience would react before the movies were officially released.
Changes and Closure
In the early 1970s, the Fox Theater started to become less popular. This happened because many new "multiplex" theaters were being built. Multiplexes have many smaller screens, unlike the Fox, which had one big screen. The theater tried to keep going by showing Spanish language movies for a few years. However, it finally closed in 1977.
Bringing the Fox Back to Life
Citizens in Pomona really wanted to save the theater. Because of their efforts, the city bought the building. In 2002, a group called the Pomona Fox Corporation was started. They wanted to find ways to save and reuse the theater, but they couldn't get enough money for the big restoration job.
Then, in February 2007, the Tessier family bought the building. This family is also known for creating the Pomona Arts Colony. They spent $10 million to restore the theater and make it beautiful again. After two years of hard work, the Fox Theater Pomona reopened on May 21, 2009. It can now hold about 2,000 people. It has even been ranked as one of the top venues in Los Angeles!
Where to Find the Fox Theater
The Fox Theater Pomona is located at: 114 W 3rd St. Pomona, CA 91766 Pomona, California
