Warnors Theatre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Pantages, Alexander, Theater
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| Location | 1400 Fulton Street Fresno, California |
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| Built | 1928 |
| Architect | B. Marcus Priteca |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000663 |
| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1978 |
The Warnors Theatre is a very old and special theater in downtown Fresno, California. It has 2,100 seats, which means lots of people can watch shows there! This amazing building first opened its doors in 1928.
When it first opened, it was called the Pantages Theater. This name came from its owner at the time, Alexander Pantages. Just one year later, in 1929, a famous company called Warner Brothers bought the theater. They changed its name to the Warner Theater.
Later, in the 1960s, the name changed one more time to "Warnors". This was done to avoid problems with the Warner Brothers company's name. A talented architect named B. Marcus Priteca designed the theater. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical building.
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Discover the Warnors Theatre Organ
The Warnors Theatre has a very special musical instrument called a unit orchestra. This is a huge pipe organ that can make sounds like a whole band! It was made by the Robert Morton Organ Company in California. The organ was put into the theater in 1928.
Why Was the Organ Installed?
This amazing organ was meant to play music for silent movies. Back then, movies didn't have sound built in. A single organ player could use this instrument to create all the music and sound effects. This was much cheaper than hiring a full orchestra.
A Surprise for the Organ
Right when the organ was being installed, movies started to have sound! The theater tried to cancel the order for the organ. But it was too late, and the organ was installed anyway. It has 14 "ranks" of pipes, which means it has 1,035 pipes in total.
The organ also has a large console with four keyboards and 720 keys. It was used mostly for movies until 1973.
Famous Concerts at the Theatre
The famous Berlin Philharmonic orchestra played a concert here. This happened on November 15, 1956. Their new music director, Herbert von Karajan, led the performance.
