Local optometrist Dr. Abe Shafer, Sr. built the Shafer Theatre and Airdome next door to each other opening on June 5, 1915 in the Airdome and later that year with the hardtop. The Airdome’s 1930 season featured RCA sound on film technology which the company said was the smallest town in the United States with a sound on film venue. Edgerton had just 427 residents at that time. The equipment was moved into the Shafer Theatre that fall.
The 1930s were challenging and local Judge Abe Shafer, Jr. closed the theater twice due to lack of ticket sales. The venues had operated seasonally until the Shafer Airdome’s final season ender, September 8, 1938’s “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” Due to Judge Shafer’s death, the family sold the theaters in 1938 to George and A.F. “Peck” Baker of Baker Enterprises which operated it briefly before closing.
The Shafer family reopened the hardtop theater before closing it in 1942. Mrs. Shafer had said that Edgerton’s tiny population and proximity to nearby Kansas City - about 35 miles away - posed great challenges. The local merchants reopened the theater operating it from 1942 until its permanent closure.
The Capitol Theatre opened in Glendale won Christmas Day 1930. It was known as Young’s Capitol, the Fox Capitol and the UA Capitol despite UA having half interest in the theatre at its initial launch.
The Cap’s final operator, solely owned by United Artists, closed the UA Capitol Theatre permanently at the expiry of its second 30-year leasing cycle following the April 15, 1990 showings of “Joe v. The Volcano.”
The suburban Gateway Shopping City was conceived of in 1955 to be built on the Traffic Circle by a Boston-based firm with White House Dry Goods having a store as the original anchor. It was the sister of Houston’s Gulfgate Plaza. 21 other stores signed on for the first wave of Gateway City including J.J. Newberry, Woolworth’s and Henke & Pilot. Gateway Shopping City launched theatre-less on September 19, 1957.
In the luxury suburban era of theatres, that would change. An expansion brought about Boston-based General Cinema building a $250,000 twin, 1,000 seat (auditorium one with 600 seats and #2 with 400 seats). William Riseman and Associates had the plans with ground breaking on June 29, 1971. Local associate architect Milton Bell supervised the project. It launched February 18, 1972 with George C. Scott in “The Hospital” & Paul Newman in “Pocket Money”.
Launched August 30, 1940 with “Sing You Sinners.” The Highland closed on December 9, 1947 with Barbara Stanwyck in “California” with all bookings moved to the new Center Theater. The former theater became a full-time fraternal hall for the Odd Fellows in 1956.
The Reel Theatre moved to the new Bluebird Theatre on August 3, 1916. The venue was renamed on November 20, 1947 as the Center Theatre with “The Bachelor & the Bobby-Soxer.“ Closed at the opt out point 15 years later on April 21, 1962 with "Kidnapped.” Had a brief run as a community and live events venue.
Opened on July 1, 1988 as Miller Theater’s Encore Park 1, 2 & 3 Theatres with “Willow,” “The Great Outdoors,” and “Big Business.” It was considered stage 1 of a larger build out and had 745 total seats. GKC purchased the venue in July 1990 and they finished Stage 2 relaunching as the Encore Park Cinemas on October 25, 1991 now with 1,143 seats. On August 14, 2004, GKC then finished Stage 3 with the theatre hitting a megaplex-era appropriate 14 auditoriums.
In 2005, Carmike bought the GKC branded locations and this one became the Carmike Encore Park 14. In 2016, AMC purchased Carmike Theatres. AMC briefly ran it under the AMC Elkhart 14 moniker until its corporate office announced a new branding of the inherited Kerasotes, Starplex and Carmike venues - ones most not likely getting upgrades - as AMC Classic locations. Here, the ‘plex became the AMC Classic Elkhart 14 in February of 2017.
The AMC Classic Elkhart 14 closed along with virtually all hardtop theaters on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened on August 30, 2020. Stages Four and Five of the venue’s lifecycle were completed when AMC closed here with a lump of coal on December 18, 2023. After an auction in 2024 that raised very little capital, stage 5 was completed in February of 2025 with the theater’s demolition.
On July 30, 1915, the Mayor of Elkhart forbade the playing of the Eastland newsreel in which 844 people were killed while docked at the Clark Street Bridge just six days prior. Family Theatre Manager Peter Sarantos felt that amounted to censorship and played the film.
On August 4, 1915, Elkhart Mayor F.E. Smith found Sarantos guilty but - instead of permanently removing his license to operate the theater - gave him a ten day suspension provided that he didn’t violate a future order by His Honor. Theaters in Goshen and Chicago were not allowed permission to show the same film. The issue was that the rapidness of the newsreel’s production commercially exploited the grief of those impacted.
Carrol’s Development opens its 80th screen in an outparcel just outside the 1972-launched Concord Mall on March 16, 1973 with “The World’s Greatest Athlete” and “The Train Robbers”
“Lethal Weapon” is playing on May 31, 1987 and the title was prophetic as the theater’s manager admitted to gunning down William P. Miller - CEO of Miller Theaters - inside the theater… a tragic nightmare on Main Street. And the police tape closed the theater for the day. (Miller’s wife would sell the chain to GKC Theatres in 1990.)
The first theater to open in the 1889-built Puterbaugh Block was the Bijou Theatre. Advertised as located in the building’s “North Side” (303 South Main St.), the Bijou opened March 16, 1907 with a sloping floor and opera chairs. As an early nickelodeon, it played movies and illustrated songs for five cents admission. This likely meant that it had only one projector with song slides as filler between the short one reel films. On June 12, 1911, new operator George W. Slick took on the venue as the Billiken Theatre. Its last advertised show was on December 2, 1911. It would reopen a month later under a new name, likely using both sides of the Puterbaugh Block’s main floor.
The Del-Van Theatre Adult Film Club closed on August 27, 1983 with a double feature of “Deep Throat” and “Debbie Does Dallas, Part II” - a classy exit.
Opened August 8, 1940 with “That’s Right – You’re Wrong.”
Miller Theaters reduced the State to a second-run, discount $1.50 theater; it closed May 26, 1988 with “Salsa.” The State was ostensibly replaced by the three-screen, Miller’s Encore Park 1, 2 & 3 Theatres
This entry serves two different buildings. There were two Orpheums in downtown Elkhart and then the Cinema 1 replaced the second Orph. The first was in a converted retail building operating from 1910 into 1913. The second was architected by Freyermuth & Maurer in South Bend and it was built for vaudeville. It was a new-build facility with previous 19th Century retail structures razed to make space. George J. Hoffman hired C.J. Allardt of South Bend. The Elks Lodge got to host and stage the first event on November 20, 1913.
Programming took a turn toward film though the vaudeville signage etched into its front would remain until demolition. A Seeburg-Smith 2 manual organ was installed and dedicated on July 4, 1920 replacing the venue’s original organ with Frederick Eugene Karch at the console. The venue On August 22, 1930, Warner Bros. Theatre Circuit of New York took on the Lerner, Orph and Bucklen in Elkhart and the Jefferson and Lincoln in Goshen. That likely carried a new 20 year lease. Under a new ownership arrangement, it was given a major refresh in 1934.
At halfway point of its probably lease - Summer of 1940 - the Orpheum got its most significance, major interior and exterior streamline moderne makeover that it pretty much carried until 1969. The venue was converted to widescreen to play VistaVision titles in 1955 and, later, CinemaScope titles with Hi-Fi audio. Miller Theatres decided to close the Orpheum Theatre on February 1, 1969 and demolish it in favor of a new adult-only theater. This would mean mature themed, R-rated films and X-Rated titles.
The new Cinema I was ready to go on July 23, 1969 with many era-acceptable elements - including gaudy Maria Theresa chandeliers, moving feature attractor on the exterior, leopard skin carpeting, an Italian-themed fountain, and lots Palos Verdes stone. GKC took on the venue closing it in 1991.
Warner Brothers of New York Circuit took on the Bucklen Theatre in 1930 on a new, 25-year leasing agreement. It closed it soon thereafter for a major refresh. It reopened February 8, 1931 with “The Right of Way.” It closed at end of lease after showtimes on August 13, 1955 with “Short Grass” and “China Sky.” It was closed for remodeling and became home for department chain, the Boston Store.
The Lincoln Theatre opened in 1920 and its formative years were under Gavin Blair McElroy of Fitzpatrick and McElroy Circuit. Oscar Hansen took on the venue in 1926 unable to convert it sound later that decade. He sold it and the Jefferson to Warner Bros. Theatres of New York in 1930.
The Circuit put all of its refresh money to the Jefferson closing the Lincoln and dropping the lease. Floyd and Archie Robinson closed their nearby Circle Theatre and reopened the Lincoln on October 1, 1933. A year later Universal sued the Robinsons who transferred the operation to Jack Rose in 1934.
The venue appears to have received a new 20-year lease in 1940 along with a major streamline moderne makeover. The venue closed in the television era. The building was torn down in the Fall of 1969 in favor of parking.
Local optometrist Dr. Abe Shafer, Sr. built the Shafer Theatre and Airdome next door to each other opening on June 5, 1915 in the Airdome and later that year with the hardtop. The Airdome’s 1930 season featured RCA sound on film technology which the company said was the smallest town in the United States with a sound on film venue. Edgerton had just 427 residents at that time. The equipment was moved into the Shafer Theatre that fall.
The 1930s were challenging and local Judge Abe Shafer, Jr. closed the theater twice due to lack of ticket sales. The venues had operated seasonally until the Shafer Airdome’s final season ender, September 8, 1938’s “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” Due to Judge Shafer’s death, the family sold the theaters in 1938 to George and A.F. “Peck” Baker of Baker Enterprises which operated it briefly before closing.
The Shafer family reopened the hardtop theater before closing it in 1942. Mrs. Shafer had said that Edgerton’s tiny population and proximity to nearby Kansas City - about 35 miles away - posed great challenges. The local merchants reopened the theater operating it from 1942 until its permanent closure.
The Capitol Theatre opened in Glendale won Christmas Day 1930. It was known as Young’s Capitol, the Fox Capitol and the UA Capitol despite UA having half interest in the theatre at its initial launch.
The Cap’s final operator, solely owned by United Artists, closed the UA Capitol Theatre permanently at the expiry of its second 30-year leasing cycle following the April 15, 1990 showings of “Joe v. The Volcano.”
Stone and Pitts architectural drawing in photos.
The suburban Gateway Shopping City was conceived of in 1955 to be built on the Traffic Circle by a Boston-based firm with White House Dry Goods having a store as the original anchor. It was the sister of Houston’s Gulfgate Plaza. 21 other stores signed on for the first wave of Gateway City including J.J. Newberry, Woolworth’s and Henke & Pilot. Gateway Shopping City launched theatre-less on September 19, 1957.
In the luxury suburban era of theatres, that would change. An expansion brought about Boston-based General Cinema building a $250,000 twin, 1,000 seat (auditorium one with 600 seats and #2 with 400 seats). William Riseman and Associates had the plans with ground breaking on June 29, 1971. Local associate architect Milton Bell supervised the project. It launched February 18, 1972 with George C. Scott in “The Hospital” & Paul Newman in “Pocket Money”.
Launched August 30, 1940 with “Sing You Sinners.” The Highland closed on December 9, 1947 with Barbara Stanwyck in “California” with all bookings moved to the new Center Theater. The former theater became a full-time fraternal hall for the Odd Fellows in 1956.
The Reel Theatre moved to the new Bluebird Theatre on August 3, 1916. The venue was renamed on November 20, 1947 as the Center Theatre with “The Bachelor & the Bobby-Soxer.“ Closed at the opt out point 15 years later on April 21, 1962 with "Kidnapped.” Had a brief run as a community and live events venue.
Demolished in 2026.
Demolished in 2026.
Closing March 15, 2026
Launched August 30, 1940 with “Sing You Sinners.”
September 28, 1897 grand opening ad in photos.
Opened on July 1, 1988 as Miller Theater’s Encore Park 1, 2 & 3 Theatres with “Willow,” “The Great Outdoors,” and “Big Business.” It was considered stage 1 of a larger build out and had 745 total seats. GKC purchased the venue in July 1990 and they finished Stage 2 relaunching as the Encore Park Cinemas on October 25, 1991 now with 1,143 seats. On August 14, 2004, GKC then finished Stage 3 with the theatre hitting a megaplex-era appropriate 14 auditoriums.
In 2005, Carmike bought the GKC branded locations and this one became the Carmike Encore Park 14. In 2016, AMC purchased Carmike Theatres. AMC briefly ran it under the AMC Elkhart 14 moniker until its corporate office announced a new branding of the inherited Kerasotes, Starplex and Carmike venues - ones most not likely getting upgrades - as AMC Classic locations. Here, the ‘plex became the AMC Classic Elkhart 14 in February of 2017.
The AMC Classic Elkhart 14 closed along with virtually all hardtop theaters on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened on August 30, 2020. Stages Four and Five of the venue’s lifecycle were completed when AMC closed here with a lump of coal on December 18, 2023. After an auction in 2024 that raised very little capital, stage 5 was completed in February of 2025 with the theater’s demolition.
On July 30, 1915, the Mayor of Elkhart forbade the playing of the Eastland newsreel in which 844 people were killed while docked at the Clark Street Bridge just six days prior. Family Theatre Manager Peter Sarantos felt that amounted to censorship and played the film.
On August 4, 1915, Elkhart Mayor F.E. Smith found Sarantos guilty but - instead of permanently removing his license to operate the theater - gave him a ten day suspension provided that he didn’t violate a future order by His Honor. Theaters in Goshen and Chicago were not allowed permission to show the same film. The issue was that the rapidness of the newsreel’s production commercially exploited the grief of those impacted.
Carrol’s Development opens its 80th screen in an outparcel just outside the 1972-launched Concord Mall on March 16, 1973 with “The World’s Greatest Athlete” and “The Train Robbers”
“Lethal Weapon” is playing on May 31, 1987 and the title was prophetic as the theater’s manager admitted to gunning down William P. Miller - CEO of Miller Theaters - inside the theater… a tragic nightmare on Main Street. And the police tape closed the theater for the day. (Miller’s wife would sell the chain to GKC Theatres in 1990.)
Correction: Opening paragraph should be:
The first theater to open in the 1889-built Puterbaugh Block was the Bijou Theatre. Advertised as located in the building’s “North Side” (303 South Main St.), the Bijou opened March 16, 1907 with a sloping floor and opera chairs. As an early nickelodeon, it played movies and illustrated songs for five cents admission. This likely meant that it had only one projector with song slides as filler between the short one reel films. On June 12, 1911, new operator George W. Slick took on the venue as the Billiken Theatre. Its last advertised show was on December 2, 1911. It would reopen a month later under a new name, likely using both sides of the Puterbaugh Block’s main floor.
The Del-Van Theatre Adult Film Club closed on August 27, 1983 with a double feature of “Deep Throat” and “Debbie Does Dallas, Part II” - a classy exit.
Opened August 8, 1940 with “That’s Right – You’re Wrong.”
Miller Theaters reduced the State to a second-run, discount $1.50 theater; it closed May 26, 1988 with “Salsa.” The State was ostensibly replaced by the three-screen, Miller’s Encore Park 1, 2 & 3 Theatres
Became the Holiday 1 & 2 Theatre on December 27, 1985.
Announced closing date as February 28, 2026
Demolition fence drew protests in February 2026. Definitely closed.
This entry serves two different buildings. There were two Orpheums in downtown Elkhart and then the Cinema 1 replaced the second Orph. The first was in a converted retail building operating from 1910 into 1913. The second was architected by Freyermuth & Maurer in South Bend and it was built for vaudeville. It was a new-build facility with previous 19th Century retail structures razed to make space. George J. Hoffman hired C.J. Allardt of South Bend. The Elks Lodge got to host and stage the first event on November 20, 1913.
Programming took a turn toward film though the vaudeville signage etched into its front would remain until demolition. A Seeburg-Smith 2 manual organ was installed and dedicated on July 4, 1920 replacing the venue’s original organ with Frederick Eugene Karch at the console. The venue On August 22, 1930, Warner Bros. Theatre Circuit of New York took on the Lerner, Orph and Bucklen in Elkhart and the Jefferson and Lincoln in Goshen. That likely carried a new 20 year lease. Under a new ownership arrangement, it was given a major refresh in 1934.
At halfway point of its probably lease - Summer of 1940 - the Orpheum got its most significance, major interior and exterior streamline moderne makeover that it pretty much carried until 1969. The venue was converted to widescreen to play VistaVision titles in 1955 and, later, CinemaScope titles with Hi-Fi audio. Miller Theatres decided to close the Orpheum Theatre on February 1, 1969 and demolish it in favor of a new adult-only theater. This would mean mature themed, R-rated films and X-Rated titles.
The new Cinema I was ready to go on July 23, 1969 with many era-acceptable elements - including gaudy Maria Theresa chandeliers, moving feature attractor on the exterior, leopard skin carpeting, an Italian-themed fountain, and lots Palos Verdes stone. GKC took on the venue closing it in 1991.
Warner Brothers of New York Circuit took on the Bucklen Theatre in 1930 on a new, 25-year leasing agreement. It closed it soon thereafter for a major refresh. It reopened February 8, 1931 with “The Right of Way.” It closed at end of lease after showtimes on August 13, 1955 with “Short Grass” and “China Sky.” It was closed for remodeling and became home for department chain, the Boston Store.
Grand opening on December 19, 1997. Maybe ahead of its time, the FEC was dropped less than three years later.
The Lincoln Theatre opened in 1920 and its formative years were under Gavin Blair McElroy of Fitzpatrick and McElroy Circuit. Oscar Hansen took on the venue in 1926 unable to convert it sound later that decade. He sold it and the Jefferson to Warner Bros. Theatres of New York in 1930.
The Circuit put all of its refresh money to the Jefferson closing the Lincoln and dropping the lease. Floyd and Archie Robinson closed their nearby Circle Theatre and reopened the Lincoln on October 1, 1933. A year later Universal sued the Robinsons who transferred the operation to Jack Rose in 1934.
The venue appears to have received a new 20-year lease in 1940 along with a major streamline moderne makeover. The venue closed in the television era. The building was torn down in the Fall of 1969 in favor of parking.