Terrace Theatres at Friendly Center

3120 Northline Avenue,
Greensboro, NC 27408

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: ABC Theatres, Cineplex Odeon, Janus Theatres, Paramount Pictures Inc., Plitt Theatres, Wilby-Kincey

Architects: William Bringhurst McGehee

Firms: Six Associates

Previous Names: Terrace Theatre, Terrace 1 & 2, Terrace 1-2-3, Terrace Quad

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News About This Theater

Grand opening ad

It was known as “Greensboro’s Finest Christmas Present” and “Piedmont’s first Ultravision Theatre” when the Terrace Theatre opened on December 25, 1966 with Fred McMurray in “Follow Me Boys”. Located in the Friendly Center Shopping Center which was Greensboro’s largest and most popular shopping destinations in the state. The opening of the Terrace Theatre was a modern showplace that offered a new magnificence in motion picture entertainment and all of Greensboro and surrounding areas within the Triad loving it. The theatre offered a lot of modern features with full rocking chair seats (it had a seating capacity of 750 with special reserved sections), and six-channel stereophonic surround sound and a 180-degree Ultravision screen that was capable of showing bigger presentations.

By March 1, 1974 a second auditorium was built adjacent to the original auditorium with a seating capacity of 600. It was renamed Terrace Theatres 1 & 2 under Plitt Southern Theatres. By 1981, the second auditorium was split into two sections, each with 300 seats and it became the Terrace Theatres 1-2-3 under Plitt Southern Theatres.

By 1986, the original auditorium of 750 seats was split down the middle giving 375 seats each, becoming a quad screen cinema under Cineplex Odeon/Plitt Southern. By 1988 two more auditoriums were added with seating for 280 in each when Janus Theatres acquired the Terrace Theatres from Cineplex Odeon. By the late-1990’s Consolidated Theatres built a 12-screen multiplex Cinema on the opposite side of the Friendly Center. It was newer and flashier, with all stadium seating and digital sound. The Terrace Theatres was then reduced to showing second-run films and bame a discount house under Janus Theatres.

It closed in 2000, and was demolished in late-2001 in order to make way for the expansion of the Friendly Center. A Romano’s Macaroni Grill Restaurant was built on the opposite end of the Friendly Center where the former Terrace Theatre once stood.

Contributed by raymond

Recent comments (view all 33 comments)

raysson
raysson on July 19, 2013 at 1:27 pm

The TERRACE 1 & 2 THEATRES opened on March 1,1974 with the Greensboro showing of “THE EXORCIST”.

raysson
raysson on September 17, 2013 at 2:40 pm

During the mid-1960’s and part of the early 1970’s,the TERRACE THEATRE at Friendly Center was Greensboro’s showplace for a lot of the reserved seat engagements that got the first-run Triad exclusive showings with its full 180-degree Ultravision screening and spectacular 70MM projection and 6 Channel Stereophonic Sound. The reserved seat engagements that played first-run at Greensboro’s TERRACE THEATRE were “The Sound of Music”, “Gone With The Wind”,“The Sand Pebbles”, “Oliver!” and “The Lion In Winter”,and “Ice Station Zebra”,along with “Paint Your Wagon”.

The exclusive engagement showing of “2001:A Space Odyssey” and “Star!” played here as well as “Far From The Madding Crowd”,“Alfred The Great”,and “Ryan’s Daughter” were 70MM general release engagements. Not to mention the first-run showing of “The Song of Norway” too.

raysson
raysson on September 18, 2013 at 6:42 am

Yes Chuck…. “GONE WITH THE WIND” during its run at the TERRACE was re-release in 1967-1968 as reserved seat engagements that presented it in 70MM and 6 Channel Stereophonic Sound

raysson
raysson on September 18, 2013 at 9:57 am

THE BLUE MAX was a general release at the TERRACE. It was not a reserved seat engagement. However,the only reserved seat engagement for this movie was in Charlotte.

michaeldigh
michaeldigh on September 12, 2017 at 1:34 pm

raysson you are definitely correct about the Empire Strikes Back. I saw it there as well during release in 70mm (although I didn’t realize at the time). The lines were incredible, and they had decorated the theater with “Hoth” murals painted along the windows.

Ralph Daniel
Ralph Daniel on April 2, 2021 at 1:53 pm

When the Terrace opened, it spelled the doom of the downtown National theatre in 1966. Wilby-Kincey was not allowed to have a monopoly and so the National had to go.

charlie123
charlie123 on March 8, 2023 at 3:42 pm

Loved national theatre every Saturday double feature horror flicks.

raysond5366
raysond5366 on March 10, 2023 at 7:00 am

A chronology of Greensboro’s 70mm presentation history has been published here. The Terrace Theatre at Friendly Center is mentioned numerous times.

MSC77
MSC77 on April 27, 2023 at 5:17 pm

I’m not sure what raysond5366 is going on about in his March 10th comment, but here is the link to the chronology of 70mm presentations at the Terrace in Greensboro.

rivest266
rivest266 on June 13, 2023 at 11:25 am

Closed during the weekend of April 7th, 2000.

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