Mission Theatre
Alisal Road,
Solvang,
CA
93463
Alisal Road,
Solvang,
CA
93463
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The Mission Theatre was opened in 1927. The Mission Theatre was closed on October 26, 1963.
Contributed by
Ross Melnick
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
I read a post on a Facebook profile reminiscing about the Santa Ynez area and it stated that the “movie theatre, bowling alley and gas station were on Alisal starting from the Bit-O-Denmark going toward Mission Drive.” Looking at GoogleMaps, the bowling alley is definitely gone, as is the gas station, so I think the Mission was demolished. However, since it’s such a tiny theatre, it could be something like the Alpine Theatre in similarly-Eurocentric Alpine Village in Torrance – not demolished, just hidden.
An article about the Nielsen family, long-time operators of the Mission Theatre, says that the house closed in 1961.
This card from the California Index cites an undated Santa Ynez Valley News article saying that the Mission Theatre was built in 1927.
Here is a photo of the Mission Theatre dated 1939 by the Danish Royal Library.
I probably saw the Mission Theatre a few times in the late 1950s, but I don’t remember it. After stumbling on the town around 1955, we used to visit once or twice a year to buy cookies and pastries at Birkholm’s Bakery. The town, then much less built up, had not yet become a big tourist destination, and many of its buildings had not yet been given the Danish style they now sport.
According to this link, that entire block was built in 1961. The Mission was most likely was razed prior to construction.
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/485-Alisal-Rd-Solvang-CA/9049099/
The Mission Theatre closed on October 26, 1963 according to the Santa Ynez Valley News (11/1/63) https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51433594497_99811a42e6_z.jpg