Princess Theatre
834 N. Kansas Avenue,
Topeka,
KS
66608
834 N. Kansas Avenue,
Topeka,
KS
66608
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Dickinson Theatres
Previous Names: Victorian Theatre, Vegas Theatre, Victorian Cinema
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Opened as the Princess Theatre by May 1912. Between 1917 and 1921 it was renamed Victorian Theatre. It then went back to its original Princes Theatre name. It was located on N. Kansas Avenue between NW Norris Street and NW Laurent Street. The Princess Theatre was a neighborhood theatre.
In 1970 it began screening adult movies. It was taken over by the Dickinson Theatres chain who leased it to adult movie operators and on May 11, 1973 it was renamed Vegas Cinema. It closed in 1977. It reopened on August 12, 1978 as the Victorian Cinema still screening adult movies. It was renamed Princess Theatre on October 22, 1982 and was closed in 1987.
Contributed by
Chuck
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
The Princess Theatre was listed at 834 N. Kansas Avenue in the 1921 Topeka City Directory.
The Princess Theatre is mentioned in the May 30, 1912, edition of The Topeka Daily Capital.
As many references to early theaters in Topeka that I’ve found in the trade journals, I have not yet found any mention of a Victorian Theatre. There were houses called the Aurora and the Olympic that converted to movies in 1908, there were theaters called the Majestic, the Isis, the Iris, the Empress, the Cozy, the Best, the Gem, the Earl, and the Hippodrome, but so far no Victorian.
The Motion Picture Yearbook listes this as the Victorian Theatre in 1917.
Thanks, Chris. It was a temporary name change, then, as the house had returned to its original name by the time the 1921 city directory was published.
The September 13, 1913, issue of The Topeka Daily Capital noted the opening of the Princess Theatre at this address:
I haven’t yet discovered the address of the Princess Theatre mentioned in the 1912 newspaper item, but it must have been the same neighborhood as the item specified that it was in North Topeka..In 1970, it starts to show adult movies and later leased by Dickinson to adult movie operators who reopens it as the Vegas Cinema on May 11th, 1973. It closed or stopped placing ads in 1977. It reopened or placed its first ad (in the classified ads) on August 12th, 1978 as the Victorian Cinema with the same adult policy. Grand opening ads posted.
Became the Princess Cinema on October 22nd, 1982 and closed in 1987.