College Theatre
505 Main Avenue,
Brookings,
SD
57006
505 Main Avenue,
Brookings,
SD
57006
No one has favorited this theater yet
Showing 3 comments
The update to the 1987 NRHP listing says that the theater was built in 1940. It may not have been completed until 1941? It seems to have been closed around 1980, and by the late ‘80s the ticket booth and entry doors had been replaced by the cheap entry there today. The listing says that Perry E. Crosier was the architect. Frank McCarthy was the man it was built for.
Not sure when it closed, but it was already a video store by 1987 when it was photographed for the NRHP listing. There is now a neon sign which may be a recreation of the original, but the facade has been painted in a tacky house-flipper scheme.
The College theater ran a 6 week reserved seat engagement of The Sound of Music in 1966. The carbon arc lamps from the drive in were moved into the College during the winter months and the College closed in the summer when the drive in was open and used the lamps. and yes, the picture at the College was quite bright even though the lamps were turned down from their drive in settings.