Freedomland, Bronx NY (torn down to build Co-Op City)
Six Flags AstroWorld, Houston TX
Jim Bakker’s Heritage USA
Enchanted Forest, Ellicott City, MD
Boblo Island, ON (Windsor/Detroit)
The World of Sid & Marty Krofft, Atlanta
From what I’ve heard from people who were there it was visually breathtaking and ambitious with nods to all of their shows, but half the rides were always closed for repairs.
One of the first to switch to radio frequencies instead of wired speakers in the 70s. It’s now a BJ’s and a 12-screen IMAX theatre with horribly inadequate parking.
Survived into the '90s and used to be fun; saw the low budget serial killer thriller The Town That Dreaded Sundown there. Went back a few years later and was far more terrified of the crowd (drugged up kids). Closed and abandoned and the remains of the screen became a major target for shooters and vandals. The asphalt is all that remains and is now a mobile home sales lot.
The Fox Theater, Market Street, San Francisco. Torn down in 1963.
The Alabama Drive In, Prattville, AL
The Olympia, on Steinway Street, Astoria NY
Just moving things along since the subject seems to be dragging.
I never went inside the Olympia- it was a porn theater in my neighborhood that closed down while I was still a teenager. But they had “The Devil in Miss Jones” on the marquee for what seemed like 10 years!
Every time we drove past that theater, my younger brother would put on his most soulful deep voice and sing Billy Paul’s “Meeeeeeee aaaaaaand… Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jooooones… we got a thaaaaaang going ooooonnn…”
Join Date: Aug 2002
Favorite Movie Theaters That Have Been Torn Down
Loew’s Triboro, in Astoria NY
Pekin Theater, in Montgomery, AL
Ski-Hi Drive In, in Muncie, IN
Century 21 and 22, San Jose, CA
Nickel Theatre, St. John’s Newfoiundland.
The Westbury Drive-In, Westbury, NY.
Dream Theater, Monterey, CA
Capitol Theatre, Ottawa, ON
The Fox Theater, Market Street, San Francisco. Torn down in 1963.
The Alabama Drive In, Prattville, AL
The Olympia, on Steinway Street, Astoria NY
Classic, Waupun, WI
Grew up there, kids tickets were 14c. Changed the bill 3 times a week, I probably saw nearly every movie over five years, which would be about a thousand including double features. Now there is a Subway there.
The Fox Theater, Market Street, San Francisco. Torn down in 1963.
The Alabama Drive In, Prattville, AL
The Olympia, on Steinway Street, Astoria NY
Classic, Waupun, WI
The Melba Theater, Birmingham, AL
Fannie Flagg’s father was the manager and her mother was an organist there and it is fictionalized in much of her writing. Torn down when the neighborhood declined.
Professional Late Bloomers: Famous People Who Did Not Become Successful/Famous in their Field Until They Were Middle Aged or Older
Frank McCourt
Author of Angela’s Ashes (not the team owner)- became famous in his 60s.
Use your own judgment as to what constitutes middle aged or older.
