Century Plaza 10
410 Noor Avenue,
South San Francisco,
CA
94080
410 Noor Avenue,
South San Francisco,
CA
94080
3 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Century Theatres, Cinemark
Architects: Vincent G. Raney
Previous Names: Century Plaza 8
Nearby Theaters
The Century Plaza opened in July 1985 with “Back To The Future” as one of the first films. With eight screens, it was the first modern multiplex in the area. Unlike modern multiplexes, four of it’s screens were large dome style theaters. In 1996 two more screens were added bringing the total to ten.
In the early-2000’s, as newer more modern megaplexes with 20 or more screens began showing up, the Century Plaza began to fade from the limelight as interest shifted to the newer theaters. The Cenury Plaza showed it’s last movie on April 17, 2008 as on April 18 the new Cinemark Century 20 opened two blocks away. It became a bowling alley and was demolished in late-2021.
Contributed by
Rob Chapman
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
I seen “Back To The Future” here when it first opened..How Ironic that this muliplex caused the demise of the multi screen Tanforan theater and some 20 years later a multi screen theater in Tanforan causes the demise of the Century 10.
Except the 20-plex is a Century Theatre. Not exactly ironic.
Looks like it was turned into a bowling alley.
http://southsanfrancisco.patch.com/articles/brentwood-bowl-to-move-expand#photo-9294402
Way cool. I bet a bowling alley under the domes will be pretty fun.
I miss this place so much I would come here all the time as a kid. I made a lot of great memories here. All the movies I watched here this place was just magic to me. Now it just sits there deserted like the magic stopped. I always make a stop here and walk around the building admiring it. I miss it dearly. I wish they would of never closed. I wonder what’s inside I hope they never take this old theatre down I consider this history and hope it opens up again :)
In a previous comment, somebody wondered what was still inside the closed Century Plaza 10.
In June of 2012, I got a ‘tour’ of the closed theater by the guy who was thinking of turning it into a Bowling Alley and “Entertainment Center”.
He was also considering keeping at least one of the auditoriums for private movie shows for birthday parties, etc.
At that time, on the main floor of the building, most of the interior non-load bearing walls had been demolished or torn down to the steel framework. Nothing remained of the former lobby or concession area. All carpeting and ceiling tiles were gone. There was no electricity in this part of the building, except for strings of bare work lights. Water was turned off except for one, still functioning restroom.
All the auditoriums except for two of the smaller ones had been completely or partly demolished or trashed. There were no seats, although a couple of the auditoriums had piles of seats stacked in the back, and I think I recall the owner telling me he was going to sell them.
Holes had been cut in the screens to remove the speaker systems behind them, and it was obvious that the surround speakers had simply been ripped down from the side walls.
The mezzanine area,where the projection rooms were, was still pretty intact, and had some limited AC power still working. The projection equipment (35mm)and sound equipment had all been ripped out, except for one projection room which served the two surviving auditoriums. I understand one of the demolished auditoriums once had a 70mm projector, but it was long gone in 2012.
I had brought a big ‘platter-reel’ of film with me that day to test the remaining projection equipment, and after I gave the system a check up, we ran a bit of film to evaluate if the remaining equipment was still usable.
The theater never had any digital cinema projectors, which I advised the owner they would almost certainly need to consider installing as film was rapidly being phased out in 2012.
I’m not sure what happened after that. As far as I know, the bowling alley/entertainment complex idea fell through, or at least was on indefinite hold.
Last time I went by there, over a year ago (in 2017) the the building was still there, but looked abandoned.
I am posting a few pictures I took during the 2012 visit.
Walked past yesterday (3/17/19) and it’s still abandoned, nothing going on. Signs on the doors warning not to enter because of black mold. The outside still looks remarkably preserved, though.
Went yesterday to take pictures, and it’s been demolished. Green construction fence around it. The main sign is still standing. No idea what’s going in.
Sorry Joe! Correction: Ray Syufy was sole owner of Century Theaters. You'rs referring to his cousins the Naifys that owned UA or the Eneas that owned the drive ins that Lippert or Syufy didn’t own.
BTW I know this because I was a manager for Ray. Met him att Golden Gate Avenue SF offices in ‘85.
That’s where the confusion lies…😁😁😁
This place held so many great memories growing up in the 80’s. After I graduated High School I got a job there. Management was horrible and working the door ripping tickets was an absolute nightmare because security would let there family members walk through without a ticket. At the time I didn’t want to get fired so I told managment and security didn’t see anyone walk through in which led me to get fired. Am I sad to see the theater get torn down…yes, but the storing of 3 day old popcorn in the back I can see how rats were rampant.