Visual Arts

Historic Elitch Gardens Theatre: a peek inside the 121-year-old building

When the Historic Elitch Gardens Theatre closed in 1991, the fate of the century-old building was uncertain. Although the city said it wanted to save this last vestige of the original Elitch Gardens Amusement Park, there was no money for the project. So in 2002, the Historic Elitch Theatre Foundation...
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When the Historic Elitch Gardens Theatre closed in 1991, the fate of the century-old building was uncertain. Although the city said it wanted to save this last vestige of the original Elitch Gardens Amusement Park, there was no money for the project. So in 2002, the Historic Elitch Theatre Foundation was created to not just remind people of this piece of cultural history, but actually restore it. Since then, the non-profit has been able to stabilize the structure, but without enough funding, a full renovation has been out of reach.

So this Tuesday, December 4, the Highlands Garden Cafe will host a Historic Elitch Gardens Theatre Holiday Benefit to raise both interest and money for the massive undertaking. In advance of the fundraiser, the organization gave Westword a peek at the grand space, which has sat unused — but hardly unloved — for more than two decades.

For more photos, visit our full slide show: “A Tour of the Historic Elitch Gardens Theatre.”

See also: Slide show: A Tour of the Historic Elitch Gardens TheatreRadium and roller coasters: A brief, dirty history of Elitch GardensHistoric Elitch Gardens Theatre Holiday benefitAnother Act for the Elitch TheatreFor Your Amusement: The city is up to its neck in the old Elitch’s

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For more photos, visit our full slide show: “A Tour of the Historic Elitch Gardens Theatre.”


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