Fairborn Theatre

34 S. Broad Street,
Fairborn, OH 45324

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Related Websites

Fairborn Phoenix Foundation (Official)

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Chakeres Theaters Inc.

Architects: Herman Hunter, Lloyd Zeller

Firms: Zeller & Hunter

Previous Names: Fairborn Twin Cinemas

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News About This Theater

Fairborn Theatre

The Fairborn Theatre was opened by Chakeres Theatres on January 27, 1948 and was the chain’s 47th theatre. The Fairborn Theatre was twinned on February 10, 1973 screening Jan-Michael Vincent in “The World’s Greatest Athlete” & Steve McQueen in “The Getaway”. Chakeres closed the Fairborn Twin Cinema in November 1999 with Neve Campbell in “Three to Tango” and Julia Roberts in “Runaway Bride”.

Chakeres donated the Fairborn Twin Cinema in 2002 for a community arts group who planned to restore Fairborn Twin Cinemas back to a single screen theatre but have been delayed several times. The theatre needs a new roof, plumbing going from the street to the building, new plumbing throughout the theatre, new heating and cooling, the marquee is in need of TLC, and there is a major pigeon problem, just to name a few things wrong with the Fairborn Theatre.

The cost is reported to be around $5-6 million dollars, so we will have wait to see what happens. The Fairborn Theatre was a beautiful theatre, but 15-years of neglect by Chakeres and over 7-years of abandonment have not helped.

Renovations began in summer of 2024.

Contributed by Mike Hoyts

Recent comments (view all 20 comments)

paulinehumbert
paulinehumbert on April 23, 2011 at 5:06 pm

I was just reading through some of the comments, and the newest ones being from mid-2009 concern me. I’m a current 8th grader at Stivers School for the Arts in Dayton, although I still live in and love Fairborn with all my heart. Theatre is my life, and don’t get me wrong, I love all the theatres that I work with in other cities in the area, but I would absolutely love for Fairborn to have out own to be proud of, and show off talent from. Has the plan for the theatre been lost? I can’t seem to find much information…

paulinehumbert
paulinehumbert on April 23, 2011 at 5:12 pm

Sorry for the mistype, it’s*

iand84
iand84 on March 6, 2013 at 1:46 pm

i was a member of the organization for 2 years i had a great time working with everyone tearing up the old seats putting the letters up on the marquee i still have one of my seats and im in the process right now of restoring it i would love to get a hold of butch and ivan. Ian Meadows

TomMc11
TomMc11 on May 19, 2017 at 12:24 pm

An August 2016 Google street view shows the marquee in very bad shape and only the F and A left from the word FAIRBORN. Not looking to promising.

KenLayton
KenLayton on July 15, 2021 at 5:40 pm

Anyone have pictures of the theater interior?

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on September 30, 2021 at 3:16 am

Chakeres' Fairborn Theatre opened on January 27, 1948, according to Boxoffice of April 3 that year. The architects were Zeller & Hunter (Lloyd Zeller and Herman Hunter) of Springfield, Ohio. The building was listed on the NRHP in 2005.

rivest266
rivest266 on April 15, 2022 at 1:09 pm

Two screens on February 10th, 1973. Grand opening ad posted.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 15, 2022 at 4:20 pm

The renovation of the Fairborn Theatre is being managed by the Fairborn Phoenix Foundation, a local non-profit group. Here is their web site. It has a few recent photos, mostly on the “News & Updates” page. A couple of events have been held for fundraising (screenings of a locally-made movie and of The Rocky Horror Picture Show) and only one live event is scheduled (a Beatles tribute in June) so it’s not really open yet. The place is still pretty rough, as can be seen from the photos, and most of the renovation work remains to be done, but progress is being made, bit by bit.

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on April 8, 2023 at 7:23 am

Renovation article: Grant

JackCoursey
JackCoursey on July 6, 2024 at 9:00 pm

Status should be changed to “Renovating”. Now under the banner of Fairborn Phoenix, the split auditorium has been returned to its original single screen configuration.
https://www.fairbornphoenix.com/

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