Garden City in Finney County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
State Theater
According to a newspaper article of October 25, 1928, the $88,000 contract for the building of a new movie theater on Main Street had been awarded. The projected seating capacity was to be 700 seats, 600 on the ground floor and 100 in the balcony. “There will be a spacious lobby with Main Street entrances and a completely equipped stage with scenery for road shows as well as movie presentations.
From the foyer, stairways will lead to the mezzanine floor where retiring, smoking and lounging rooms will be provided. These rooms will have plate glass enclosures so that the vision toward the stage will not be obstructed. The building will be the most complete and finest in Kansas west of Wichita according to the architect…”
The theater opened for business in 1929, showing silent pictures. It wasn’t many months before it made the conversion to sound and presented Al Jolsen’s “The Jazz Singer.” Air conditioning was added in 1934. In 1967 the theater was extensively remodeled and had a grand reopening gala complete with two showings of the John Wayne movie “El Dorado.”
The State Theater closed in 1999, due to declining ticket sales and the condition of the building. The State Theater building and equipment was given to the City of Garden City with the only stipulation being that it could not be used as a movie house.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical date for this entry is October 25, 1928.
Location. 37° 58.089′ N, 100° 52.418′ W. Marker is in Garden City, Kansas, in Finney County. Marker is on Main Street (U.S. 50) north of Laurel Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 419 North Main Street, Garden City KS 67846, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Windsor Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); Garden City History (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Stevens Park (about 400 feet away); In Memory of Our World War Heroes (about 500 feet away); Charles Jesse "Buffalo" Jones (about 600 feet away); Replica of the Statue of Liberty (about 600 feet away); The Little Finnup House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Santa Fe Depot (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Garden City.
Also see . . . State Theater. CinemaTour entry (Submitted on June 10, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 18, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 10, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 447 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 10, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
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