Historic Theaters & Drive-Ins
Plaza Theater
Constructed 1936. Closed cinema. Southwest Plaza Taos, NM 87571 Photo by Elmo Baca.
Belen
Onate Theater
Constructed 1932. The Onate Theater opened in 1932 with a seating capacity of 600 patrons. Named for the original Spanish colonizer of New Mexico, the Onate served as Belen’s main cinema until it was closed in the early 1990s. Local entrepreneur Anthony Baca purchased the theater in 1993 and converted Read more…
Albuquerque
Sunshine Theater
Constructed 1924. The Sunshine Theater, opened on May 1, 1924 as Albuquerque’s first big movie palace. The theater and high rise building block Sunshine Building were designed by renowned El Paso architect Henry C. Trost and have dominated the downtown Albuquerque skyline and historic Route 66 for nearly a century. Read more…
Albuquerque
Lobo Theater
Constructed 1938. Now a church, the Lobo Theater opened on August 19, 1938. The Lobo was a popular movie house for the nearby UNM campus student body and a premier venue for independent, classic and cult films. The Lobo hosted popular Oscar award night telecasts through the 1980s and 1990s, Read more…
Albuquerque
KiMo Theater
Constructed 1927. The KiMo Theatre is one of our Albuquerque’s finest treasures and is home to a variety of dance, music, film, theater, cinema and more. The KiMo was opened on September 19, 1927 with an original seating capacity of 1,321. A contest selected the name, which means King of Read more…
Albuquerque
Hiland Theater
Constructed 1950. The Highland Theater was opened on April 20, 1950. Seating inside was provided for 1,188 patrons on a stadium plan, with a raised step section at the rear. The Highland closed as a movie theater in 1995, became a performing arts venue for about a decade and was Read more…
Albuquerque
Guild Theater
Constructed 1966. The Guild first opened in 1966. It was originally called the Guild Art Theatre. After undergoing several changes, currently the Guild is an independent theater. 3405 Central Avenue NE Albuquerque, NM 87106 | 505-255-1848 Image by Lindsay Waite.
Albuquerque
El Rey Theater
Constructed 1941. The El Rey Theater is a historic, live music venue. The El Rey opened on June 27, 1941. By the mid-1970s it was known as the Reel Theater. The popular venue was owned originally by Luigi Puccini a cousin of the famed Italian composer Giacomo Puccini. The theater Read more…
East
Princess Theater
Constructed 1917. The Princess is located on E. Main seating a little over 700. From the looks of the theatre facade it went through a makeover sometime in the early 50’s. The front facade is in a cream color with chocolate and deep brown trim and accent lines. The marquee Read more…
Art Deco
Odeon Theater
Constructed 1935. Built in 1935, this old white front Art Deco theatre is still in operation. Single screen, seating a little under 700. The theatre has a squared marquee with no attraction panels but has a good sized vertical in all red like the marquee with white neon lettering spelling Read more…