Fox Theatre

The Fox Theatre was located on Waco’s Square at 105 South Street. However, in 1926 owner J.A. Lemke expanded the Fox and its seating into the Rosenberg Building at 103 South Street. The theater survived a screen fire, a projection room fire, and the massive tornado of May 11, 1953 that caused death and destruction while destroying some of the 100 block of South Street. Somehow the Fox was spared as the twister opened only a major hole in the Fox’s roof.

As then-owner W.R. Phillips was repairing the roof, burglars went in during off-hours through the roof’s hole and stole the change from both the peanut vending machine and the penny scale. Undaunted, the Fox continued past its third decade of operation. The Fox tried Spanish language films on weekdays in the late 1950s, exploitation films on weekends, and appears to have finally thrown in the towel following the Feb. 28, 1959 screenings of “The Curse of Frankenstein” and “Johnny Trouble.” No further bookings or ads are carried. Likely an end-of-lease situation and probably a 35-year run though could be longer for the Fox. It was used later for other non-cinematric purposes into the early 1960s. After the Fox’s demolition, it became home to a parking lot; but the former theater’s location is now the Waco Chamber of Commerce constructed in 2008.